Page 14 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

‘I want to apologise.’

He stopped.

‘Papa can be a little irascible. But if you could prove…’

He swung around to face her. ‘I have nothing to prove.’

She winced. ‘Your acceptance in the neighbourhood would go far more smoothly.’

‘I do not care about—’

‘It would be so much better for all—’

They had spoken at the same moment. He glanced back at the house. ‘Your father made his feelings clearly known. If he intends to influence the rest of the county—’

‘For the premier families in the county to be at odds is bad for all. If we could clear the matter up one way or the other, surely that would be a good thing? Perhaps I can help.’

There it was—the ulterior motive. She would miraculously come up with an answer and he would be required to show gratitude. Another manipulative female.

The question was, what did she really want? He had the feeling that the answer involved her beautiful sister.

‘How can you help?’ He could not keep the scorn from his voice and she winced slightly.

She seemed to gather herself, as if arming for battle. ‘There is one person who might know more of the county’s history than any other—Lady March. She was a Crieff before her marriage and the Crieffs were landowners hereabouts in Tudor times.’

‘Why?’

She looked at him blankly.

‘Why are you wanting to get to the bottom of this matter? Apparently, it has been going on for centuries, though this is the first I heard of it. My father certainly never mentioned it. Surely if there was evidence to be had, someone would have produced it by now? And besides, what reason would my family have for stealing a field when they have so much land already?’

‘I don’t know. It makes absolutely no sense.’

Her answer surprised him. She hesitated and then continued diffidently. ‘I could come with you to visit the baroness. She can be a bit testy, but she and I get along quite well.’

‘Thank you for your kind offer. However, if I should decide to follow up with this baroness, I do not believe I am in need of reinforcements.’

He turned and left, forcing himself not to look back, and not to feel guilty at the harshness of his words.

Yes, he had let his disappointment at her participation in this ambush interfere with his judgement. He never usually lost his temper when meeting adversity, but she had revealed her true colours, and he was not about to succumb to any more of her helpful offers.

A week had passed since the earl had come to tea, and Florence had not yet had a chance to talk over her worries with Lilian. She could trust Lilian not to breathe a word to anyone, especially not her mother or Florence’s sisters. When she knocked on her friend’s door, the maid told her that Lilian had taken the baby and gone to call in at the Vicarage.

Florence pushed open the Vicarage front gate and almost collided with a large figure coming out: the earl. She jerked back. ‘Goodness me!’

‘It seems I cannot go anywhere in Stoor without bumping into you, Miss Dearing, literally. First you pop up in front of my horse, and here you are again, almost bowling me over.’

He sounded amused. And how handsome he looked in the early-afternoon sunshine with a half-smile on his lips, almost as if he was glad to see her. Almost.

Her heart jumped. Not because he was handsome; certainly not. And definitely not because of that smile but because of his mocking words. ‘I beg your pardon, my lord. I will try to avoid you in future.’

He frowned. ‘You mistake my meaning.’

‘Do I?’

‘Meeting you here is somewhat fortuitous. For me, at any rate.’

She stared at him, mouth open. What on earth was he talking about. ‘Is it?’ She mentally shook her head. She sounded like a silly girl. ‘And why is that, my lord?’