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‘We can manage on our own,’ Mark said. ‘You go down again, we will find you when we are ready to leave.’
He left them and they climbed more stairs to the next floor where the servants would have been housed.
‘It is in a parlous state,’ Jane said. ‘I begin to wonder if it is worth our while to take it on.’
‘I think it is solid enough, the brickwork is sound and the damage fairly superficial. A small army of workers would soon have it to rights.’
She laughed. ‘Where am I to find an army of workers?’
‘Almost anywhere given the unemployment situation. I can set them on and oversee the work, if you wish. If we decided to go ahead at once, we could have everything done by the winter.’
‘But, Mark, you already have so much to do. I feel I am taking advantage of you and burdening you with more problems.’
‘Nonsense. You have never taken advantage of me, Jane, and if it is a burden, which I dispute, I bear it willingly.’
‘I wonder at you being so kind and helpful given the dreadful way you have been treated.’
‘Treated, Jane? You mean by Isabel?’
‘Yes. I am so sorry. I wish she had never gone to London with us. It all went to her head.’
‘I think it is better that she told me now and not after we were married, don’t you?’
‘But Papa is determined she will go through with the wedding.’
‘I hope he will not insist. Isabel can break it off without too much damage being done. I certainly cannot.’
She looked at him in surprise. ‘Would you wish to?’
‘I do not want an unwilling wife, Jane.’
‘Oh.’ Did he really mean he wanted an end to the engagement? It was strange if he did, because both families had been talking about it ever since Isabel left the schoolroom. She remembered it especially because she had been suffering herself at the time and it had made her even more miserable. She had been foolish, she knew that now.
He smiled to reassure her. ‘I will speak to Sir Edward.’
‘Papa won’t let her marry Mr Ashton, I know.’
‘But Drew is not the man he was ten years ago, Jane.’
‘Oh! So you know?’
‘Yes. Do you...? Are you—?’ He stopped suddenly.
‘Am I still in love with him? No, Mark, I never was, not truly. Oh, I pined for a while, but then I came to my senses and was thankful for my escape. He is rich and self-assured and has turned Issie’s head. She will doubtless get over it, as I did.’
‘Perhaps, perhaps not. Now let us go downstairs again and inspect the outbuildings. And then we shall have a little picnic before we make our way home.’ He started to lead the way down the upper flight, talking over his shoulder. ‘I asked my housekeeper to make up a little basket of food and a bottle of wine.’
She knew the subject of Isabel and the wedding was closed and he would not refer to it again, but it left her longing to know how he really felt. Was he just being chivalrous or did he mean he no longer wished to marry Isabel? What would happen if, in a couple of months’ time, Isabel succumbed to their father’s blandishments and agreed to marry Mark after all? She had begun to hope, just a little, but realised how futile that was. Even if he did not marry Isabel, it was no reason to think he would turn to her. There were any number of younger, more beautiful ladies for him to choose from.
She followed him down. His dark hair curled into the nape of his neck in a most enticing way; she felt an inexplicable urge to reach out and pull her fingers through it, to straighten it and watch it spring back when she let it go. Engrossed in that, she did not look where she was going and her foot caught in a broken stair tread. She flung her arms out to save herself, pushing him in the small of the back. He just managed to save himself from falling and in so doing cushioned her fall so she did not go all the way down. He eased her down on to the next step and sat beside her, his arm about her shoulders. ‘Jane, are you all right? Have you hurt yourself?’
‘My ankle. I think I’ve twisted it. It was that rotten step.’
He looked down at her foot. The ankle was already swelling. ‘Do you think you can get down the rest of the stairs if I support you?’
‘I’ll try.’
She did try, but winced and uttered a muffled cry when she put her weight on to her foot. ‘I’ll carry you,’ he said. ‘Put your arms about my neck.’
‘You will stumble with me. I can do it.’
