Starting with protestations of innocence, he went on to cajole, threaten, and fly into a violent rage that forced Colin to restrain the man and call for the magistrate to cart him away. The question of the stolen money would have to wait until his trial.
Now that he had removed the rotten apple, the poor condition of the estate made firing the steward seem easy compared to all the tasks facing him.
The innumerable repairs, the logistics and coordination to ensure each task got its appropriate priority in the long list of things that needed to get done. The plans for the future. Everything would be overwhelming if not for Abigail.
She was proving to be an invaluable help, and he often congratulated himself on his brilliant idea of engaging her assistance. She was organized and level-headed. Her genuine interest in people and their needs resulted in everyone liking and trusting her, which ensured their collaboration.
Without conscious thought, in only a couple of weeks, they had fallen into a routine. Every morning they went riding together, visiting the farmers, making lists of things that needed to be done.
After that, she spent the day with the countess and they would meet again at night after dinner, once the older lady had retired to bed.
The moments he spent in her company were the brightest spots of his days. If he often found himself wanting more, well, that was his problem.
Today, he had scheduled interviews with several stewards and had invited her to be present to meet the candidates. He wanted her opinion of the men. The right person had to be not only competent and honest, but also caring. She had demurred at first, but at last had agreed.
Now they relaxed in his office after the last candidate had departed.
“So, what do you think?” He asked while he poured drinks for the both of them.
“Are you asking my opinion about the candidates?”
“Of course. Why do you think I invited you to be present during the interviews?” He replied, handing her a glass of brandy.
“Well,” she hesitated, “I liked Mr. Swift.”
He nodded. He had liked the young man, too. But he worried about his youth. The other candidates had been more experienced.
“Don’t you think he is too young for the role? There were more experienced candidates.”
“True.” She nodded, considering the matter. “But he seemed smart and earnest. He also had innovative ideas about land management.”
“And was confident, but humble.” He added. “And his references were excellent. He must be eager to prove himself but would find it difficult to get opportunities because of his age. Alright, I think I’ve decided. Mr. Swift it is.” She smiled, pleased, and made to get up. “If that is all, my lord, I will go to the countess now...”
He didn’t want her to go yet. “Tell me about the countess. I’m afraid even though I’ve been here for over two weeks now, I have seen little of her.”
She looked down. Running a finger around the rim of the glass. A small frown appeared between her eyebrows, as it always did when she was pondering something.
“She is a very kind and soft-spoken lady. Before the accident, she used to be more social. But afterwards, and especially after the earl passed away last year, I’m afraid she has become something of a recluse. She never receives visitors, nor does she go out of the house for any reason. Sometimes she doesn’t even leave her room for days. I feel as if I am her only contact with the outside world. I am glad to help her, but I think her behavior is not healthy.”
He grunted in agreement. The lady was way too isolated. “What’s her diagnosis? Why can’t she walk?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know all the details. She was in a carriage accident five years ago and broke her back. After being bedridden with excruciating pain for weeks, she couldn’t move her legs. The pain eventually subsided, and she regained partial mobility of her legs, but they can’t support her and it causes her pain to stand.”
“Hmm, I might be able to help her with her condition. Orthopedics is my specialty and I would like to see if there’s something I can do for her. But I feel she wants to keep me at bay. Do you think she dislikes me? Resents me?”
She chuckled at this, shaking her head. “Not at all. In fact, it troubled her you might hate and resent her. One of her major worries was that you would evict us from the estate.”
He frowned at that. “I hope that’s a concern I have been able to put to rest. What sort of man would evict an infirm woman, her widowed companion, and his own half sister from their home?”
“I tried to tell her that. To put her at ease. But there are men who would not hesitate to do just that. And nobody knew you. I had known you as a child. But I could not have predicted how you would be as an adult. There was the matter of your parent’s scandal. She thought you had ample reason to resent her. And I couldn’t disagree.”
She was looking straight at him, as if she was trying to see inside him. Discern his feelings and unveil his soul. He dropped his eyes to his glass.
“I’ve never blamed her for my parent’s divorce.” His voice came out low, tempered by pain and guilt. “Their problems started long before she came into the earl’s life. The principal cause of discord between my parents, what tore their marriage apart, was me, not her.” There it was. His deepest, most guarded wound.
When she didn’t answer, he peeked at her. She had cocked her head and was studying him with a contemplative expression.
“How can that be? You were only a child when your parents divorced.”
