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She shook her head.

“I have met his father, mother and brother. I might not know all his details but I know the man.”

“You will allow him to call on you?”

A slow nod.

“I think so. We will see if there is anything to him. One of the reasons that I invited him out to the estate is so that we are neither observed nor interrupted. We will never be alone out here, but we will be able to escape the prurient scrutiny of the other residents of Bath.”

“How often?”

“We will meet once a week in Bath, at some suitable afternoon or early evening event. But he will be invited out to the Hall on two further days each week. I went to London to undertake a season, learn my role, learn what is expected of me. This is the same thing. I have to learn to deal with men. All the grubby examples during the season drove me here, this is my attempt to continue my education but in a more controlled manner.”

“That sounds worryingly dispassionate my Lady.”

Harriet saw Elizabeth flush.

“He is an imposing man, ruggedly handsome. That is easy to discern, it is everything else that I need to learn about.”

An hour later Harriet had recounted all this to Thomas Jones.

“I can see the appeal of keeping her personal dealings private. There were people taking note today while we were eating at the Inn. The more I think on it, the happier I am that she is using the grounds of the estate to keep the gossipers at bay.

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“Those sturdy iron gates send quite the message.”

It was an interesting first comment. Elizabeth waited for more.

“When you consider the number of guards you employ, it presents the picture of a Lady who takes her safety very seriously.”

Elizabeth nodded but maintained her silence.

“Have you considered that it paints a target on the estate?”

“Of course. Mr. Jones talked to me about that very thing. I try to be more discreet when I travel into Bath. But I agreed with his suggestion that being obviously careful out here at Napier Hall is the right approach. The security is not just the gate and the guards.”

Elizabeth said nothing else. It was not necessary to explain the other arrangements with the Colonel. She saw him fight a pout, just for a moment, before moving on.

“You have a lovely estate.”

“Thank you. It was the work of several generations of my late husband’s family. The Baron’s family were granted the estate in the time of Dutch William. What is that? Approaching 125 years.”

Richard was struck by how proud Elizabeth sounded. Everyone knew of the age difference between her husband and herself, but it was clear that she had loved her husband. His mother had made the same observation.

Over the course of the morning, the Colonel found to his pleasure that Lady Napier was far from an insipid maiden. She was well read, and happy to argue with him over a variety of matters. There was no heat to their arguments, far from it, but it was notable that she was not deferential to his opinions in the slightest.

Lunch was just the three of them, but the best part of the day was at the end.

“I have enjoyed myself very much Colonel. I particularly enjoy the privacy of the estate, no prurient gazes or glances from interested observers. May I prevail upon you to return in three days at the same time. We shall ride the estate, argue about the likelihood of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire, before sitting down to luncheon.”

It had been one of their arguments that day.

“I would be delighted. I can understand your preference for privacy. The gossips in Bath in the summer are as bad of those in London during the season. Probably because they are the same people who have come to take the waters.”

Their routine was set. The Colonel was invited to call on the Baroness twice a week, and they met for a social outing in Bath on one of the other days.

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