Page 9 of A Sister to Beguile (Sherton Sisters 5)

Chapter Four

Alex rode away from Glendale feeling out of sorts. His visit had not gone in the least as he had expected. It had clearly been a foolish errand in the first place. As Lady Grace had said, he really could just ride up to Rathnelly’s estate and ask for the man.

He brightened a little as he remembered something else the impudent young woman had said. Thanks to his visit to Glendale, he how had knowledge to entice the duchess to entertain him. He would head to Rathnelly the next day. If he left early enough, he could be there by mid-afternoon. Of course, it might appear strange if he tried to claim he had just been in the neighbourhood. Alex sighed. He would have to go visit one of his other properties, closer to Rathnelly, to be able to claim he had been nearby.

If only he weren’t so obsessed with horses. And with gainsaying his dead father. Alex shook his head as he thought again about his conversation with Lady Graciela. Convoluted was right.

Alex rode out early the next morning. Owning he could not try to claim he had been casually in the area if he arrived travel worn and filthy, he headed toward Oakwood first. It was probably about time for him to visit the property anyway.

It was a perfect day for riding. Alex felt as though his cares and concerns were being brushed away from his mind as the wind rifled through his hair. As he urged his horse into a faster pace, the wind blowing past his ears combined with the rhythmic sound of the hoof beats on the hard soil beneath them blocked out everything else, and he felt as one with the beast beneath him. It was the most relaxed he had felt in weeks, even though his muscles were all engaged and a sheen of sweat was beginning to form on his forehead.

Even though he was relaxing and felt as though the wind in his hair was clearing out his thoughts, he couldn’t seem to get Lady Grace from his mind. It was most irksome. He had thought he couldn’t focus on more than one thing, and perhaps that was true because even when he was contemplating his destination or his plans, the chit kept intruding. He found himself wondering if she would like the scenery or what she would have to say about whatever thoughts were in his head.

How was he supposed to know what she would say? And why did he care what she thought? She tended to be rather sparing with sharing her thoughts anyway, so it was unlikely he could guess what she might think. He tightened his grip on the reins and urged his horse to increase its pace.

Alex was mud spattered and worn out when he and his horse finally rode into the Oakwood stable yard. He had been forced to allow the animal to slow its pace at various points along the way, but they had still made the journey faster than he ever had before. It was as though he had been trying to outrun his disquieting thoughts without a great deal of success.

It was a beautiful estate. He had always thought so. But it left him with tumultuous feelings. It had been his father’s favourite estate. Alex was only glad it wasn’t part of his title. No one ever referred to him as the Earl or Viscount of Oakwood. In fact, the property was almost never referred to by anyone at all. It was just a piece of property he happened to inherit from the man who sired him. Not that there was anything truly wrong with his father. Alex had loved the man, of course, but he hadn't really liked him, and he was reasonably certain the feelings had been mutual.

That was part of the reason he really wanted to collaborate with the duke. Alex felt the need to prove himself to his father, even though his father was gone.

Of course, his father would have hated the idea. It was surely beneath the Earl of Lakewood to participate in something so bourgeois as horse trading. That might be part of the appeal, Alex was man enough to admit. He grinned to himself in a weary sort of way at the thought of the expression. It was rather childish to be trying to thumb his nose at his long dead father. And yet, he considered himself to be man enough for something, while still acting so childish. That was a contradiction if ever he’d heard one. He chuckled as the butler helped him out of his overcoat.

“Are you well, my lord?” the older servant asked. Alex appreciated the respectful tone, considering he probably sounded like a candidate for Bedlam.

“Perfectly fine, thank you, Mr. Grimsby. I was just thinking about something.”

“Something amusing, I take it, my lord?”

“Quite,” he replied with a smile. “Rigsby will be arriving with my luggage this afternoon at some point,” Alex informed the butler as he glanced down at his mud-spattered clothing. “I shall make do until then.” He grimaced at the thought of remaining in soiled attire. Even though she had been gone more than five years, Alex could still hear his mother scolding him over his unkempt state.

“It is good to have you here, my lord.”

Alex cringed with guilt at the butler’s hesitant tone. He really ought to pay the estate more attention on a regular basis. “Thank you, Mr. Grimsby, it’s good to be here.” He turned on his heel and headed for the stairs. If he was going to make himself comfortable, he would start with his clothing. Surely, he had left something in his rooms when last he was in residence. It was the first time he had ridden there and arrived without luggage or personal servant, so he wasn’t completely sure what state his rooms might be in.

You are an adult man and the head of this household, he reminded himself,you can surely manage to sit about in dusty pants if needs must.Despite that bolstering thought, he was definitely relieved to find that there were, in fact, several pairs of clothing in his room. They might not be worthy of a court visit, but they were sufficient for whatever he might encounter the remainder of the day.

He felt inclined to muck out stalls, as a matter of fact, so anything unglamorous in his wardrobe would do well. Of course, his servants would be made uncomfortable if he were to turn up and attempt such a menial task. That thought made him smile and inexplicably think of Lady Graciela, which brought another grimace to his face.Why wouldn’t the girl stay out of his head?

After quickly exchanging his soiled clothes for something more presentable, Alex determined that he ought to review the estate accounts. It was the most tedious job, so he wished to get it out of the way first off, then perhaps he might enjoy his time at Oakwood. Too, he would then have something concrete to discuss with Rathnelly when he went there the next day.

With a decisive nod, he took himself off to the library.

His scrutiny of the books made him frown. Something wasn’t adding up — literally. Perhaps, his steward wasn’t the best at maths. But from what he could see, this wasn’t just mathematical mistakes. In fact, it would seem the man was, in all reality, probably quite skilled at math and was trying to hide the fact that he was robbing the estate quite intensely. It wasn’t just a matter of losing out on the income he should have been receiving. If the estate wasn’t profitable, it affected everyone on it, including his tenants.

A strange, sick feeling swelled in Alex’s midsection. His steward was clearly robbing him, robbing his tenants. He couldn’t fathom someone doing that. He stood and paced the room, organizing his thoughts. He would need to confront the man, but how? And when? “Now,” he said out loud. He couldn’t stand the thought of having the man in his employ a moment longer.

Alex had his steward called for as he stared off into the middle distance. From the gossip he had tried not to listen to, Lady Graciela had started developing a reputation for involving herself in the running of her father’s affairs. He had dismissed the idea at the time, but now he wondered what she would think of his having allowed one of his estates to be exploited.

He rather thought she would smile gently, without much said, before dismissing him from her mind as she went about righting the wrongs he had allowed to take place. That thought had a grin on his face when his recalcitrant steward was shown into the room.

“Raymond,” Alex said by way of brief greeting.

“My lord.” The man bobbed a bow but looked ready to bolt.

“You may take a seat,” Alex said through thin lips, holding his irritation in check.

The steward slowly did as he had been told, clearly uncomfortable with being there, as he kept casting furtive glances at the ledgers open on the desk in front of the earl.

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