Page 13 of The Earl's Inconvenient Houseguest

‘A cynic would say that the omission was deliberate because you know that the responsibility of being a landlord with all its myriad responsibilities rather ruins the idyllic, blissful, relaxing dream that you are selling. That inconvenient truth might put a potential buyer off, so you appear to have whitewashed us from the equation.’

‘Again, Miss Gilbert, you seem to be suggesting that my motives were dishonest when I can hardly hide the existence of Whittleston-on-the-Water from the viewers.’ He pointed to the vista behind them which encompassed not only the house, the rolling parkland and the river but also the village in all its ramshackle glory. Although from here, the cheerful patchwork of thatched and tiled roofs looked rather pretty against the backdrop of the water and the frigid winter sky. ‘When, in fact, the village is one of the first things that they see.’

She shook her head. ‘They will only see the “infinite potential so close to the capital”, Lord Hockley, exactly as you intend them to.’ She wafted one imperious hand in the direction of the road. ‘The ten carriages we turned away this morning were certainly surprised to discover that more than just you lived on this land.’

‘You turned away ten carriages.’ He made no attempt to hide his anger at that. Ten eager, potential buyers lost. Perhaps for ever.

‘So far, yes.’ Miss Gilbert folded her arms, a triumphant gleam in her eye. ‘And it’s barely midday.’

‘You had no right to do that.’ Almost half his first open day was done and the clock was ticking. ‘And no right to do this!’ Rafe jabbed his finger at the barricade, his anger obliterating all thoughts of his mantra and his favourite colonel. ‘This is my land, Miss Gilbert. My land and my road so you will remove yourself from it now!’ A couple of burly farmers stepped up behind her at his slightly raised voice like two glaring bodyguards. One of them, a dark and bearded brute, was the size of a tree.

‘You shall have to take that up with the constable for we shall only move if the law tells us to.’

In case Rafe argued with that, the tree took two steps forward and clenched his meaty fists.

‘As you wish.’ Rafe shook his head, at his wit’s end, and was about to turn around and do just that when his frustrations leaked out and he threw up his hands in exasperation. ‘Why do you seem determined to make this as painful as possible, Miss Gilbert, when I can assure you it will make no difference to the end result?’

Granite hard indifference. Not a single hair in her dratted eyebrows so much as quivered in sympathy.

‘You know my circumstances.’ Rafe stared into her eyes beseechingly, hoping she would understand now that she knew about Archie. ‘I never knew about this inheritance or expected it and I have no interest in your village or this land. No desire to live here and no compunction whatsoever to change the longed-for plans which have sustained me for years simply because a distant relation I never knew had nobody else to leave it to.’ Something shimmered in her dark eyes and he spoke directly to that. ‘All I have ever wanted, Miss Gilbert, is a quiet life. Finally unburdened and unbeholden to ignorance and prejudice and free to live in peace without judgement, rejection, fear or apology.’ He swept his arm to encompass the bearded tree man, the baying villagers with their angry placards and the barricade blocking the road. ‘If anything, this unreasonable display of belligerence only reinforces my determination to sell up as fast as I can as this is as far from a quiet life as it is possible to be, and frankly, I cannot wait to be shot of it!’

Indecision and something intangible briefly skittered across her features before she lifted her chin in defiance and Rafe realised that even with brutal honesty he was on the back foot. He was outnumbered and, for now, outmanoeuvred so had no choice other than turn Atlas back the way he had come.

But if Miss Gilbert wanted a war, he would give her one, and as God was his witness, he would win! Whatever it took, he was determined to wave goodbye to wretched Whittleston on the blasted Water before the month was out!

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