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“I have no intention of raising the rents Alex set,” Raven began, and certain he had Paul’s full attention, he lowered his voice as his tone took on a decidedly threatening edge. “But there are, conditions you must meet if you wish to continue living here.”
“What sort of conditions?” Paul asked with a surly frown.
“I know that you earn a good living, and in the future I’ll expect you to spend your money far more wisely. You’re the only one here who doesn’t look half-starved so it’s time you started putting more food on the table. Your wife and children ought not to be clothed like beggars either. Once you put your mind to it, I’m certain you can find a great many things your family needs more than you need to drink yourself into a stupor every night.”
Insulted, Paul took a step backward, “The way I spend my money is my own business.”
“Not if you want to stay here it isn’t,” Raven assured him. “There’s nothing lower than a man who’ll strike a woman and I’ll not rent land to you unless you mend your ways. Out of consideration for your wife and family, I’ll allow you to remain here, but only on my terms. Make your choice now, because if you’re going to leave, it has to be by noon tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!” Paul gasped. “But what about the harvest?”
“You can forget this year’s harvest,” Raven threatened coldly. Legally, he knew he had no right to throw Jessup off his land when he was not delinquent in his rent, but Raven also knew the man lacked the means to fight the eviction in court. Although he had no respect for landowners who did not treat their tenants well, in Jessup’s case he was prepared to make an exception.
“Make your choice carefully, Mr. Jessup, because if you give me your word that you’ll meet my terms but do not, the next time I come to Briarcliff I’ll take great pleasure in making you beg for the mercy I’ll never show.”
Paul Jessup tried to tear his gaze from Raven’s but lacked sufficient willpower to do so. He saw the terror of his own expression reflected in the black depths of the young earl’s eyes and knew instinctively that Raven was a man of his word. “Every man takes a drink now and then,” he whined, “and a good slap don’t hurt a woman.”
Raven shook his head. “You still don’t understand. If you choose to stay, I’m going to leave word at every tavern in Devon that you’ve bought your last drink, Mr. Jessup. As for your wife and children, you’re going to escort them to church every Sunday where they’ll be able to show off their new clothes. If every last one of them does not look well and happy, I’m going to hear about it. For every mark you put on them, I’m going to put ten on you, and I’ll use a cat-o’-nine-tails to do it.”
Paling at that terrifying thought, Paul jammed his hands into his pockets, and tried to think of a way to salvage his pride. The tenants on Briarcliff did far better than those on any of the neighboring estates. The land was fertile, and the rents cheap. Perhaps he did spend a bit too much on whiskey, but that was no reason to throw him off the land he had farmed for twelve years. As for Isobel, as he saw it she deserved a good slap now and then, but it would not be worth it if he got whipped for it later.
“What’s your choice, Jessup?”
There was only one that Paul could see. “I’ll stay.”
“On my terms?”
“Yes!”
“Good.” Raven put his arm around Paul’s shoulders and walked him over to his wife’s side. “I’m very impressed by the changes your husband is about to make in his life, Mrs. Jessup. This will be the first home I’ll visit the next time I’m here.” As he had at the other cottages, Raven took a moment to place coins in all the children’s hands, then took Eden’s elbow and guided her back to her mare.
As they rode away, Eden glanced back to wave at Isobel, while Paul glowered and the five children danced about tossing their coins in the air. “What did you say to Jessup?”
Raven briefly recapped their conversation. “I’ll make certain that none of the local taverns will serve him, and Reverend Boyer will keep an eye on his family when they come to church. I’ll be sure to hear if things aren’t going well, and Jessup knows it.”
“And you really will do something about it?”
“You don’t believe me?” Raven asked in surprise. “Perhaps I should go back and break Jessup’s nose or his jaw just to make certain he doesn’t have any doubts.”
When Raven began to turn his horse around, Eden reached out to grab his sleeve. “Raven! You can’t break the man’s nose in front of his children!”
“Otherwise you do think I should do it?”
“No!”
“I wish you’d make up your mind,” Raven teased with a broad grin.
Eden was exasperated with him, yet she couldn’t help but laugh too. “Thank you for not simply ignoring the Jessups’ problems. I’m sure a man who drinks to excess and beats his wife must be a coward so he’ll not want to cross you.”
“Let’s hope not or I will make him sincerely sorry.”
The rest of the morning’s visits went very well. Raven noticed Eden studying him on several occasions when she thought he wasn’t looking and considered that a good sign that he had piqued her interest and perhaps even won a bit of admiration. If he had also improved the lot of Isobel Jessup and her children in the bargain, then so much the better.
At Raven’s insistence, Eden rested all afternoon and at dinner she was a far more attentive companion than she had been the previous evening. While she was not nearly as animated as she had always been with Alex, she replied to each of his efforts at conversation with polite interest. He appreciated that courtesy as it gave him hope for their marriage despite the fact he knew she undoubtedly still held grave reservations about the wisdom of it.
As they climbed the stairs to prepare for bed, he did his best not to rush her, but he wanted her so badly he had to fight the impulse to sweep her up into his arms and carry her into his room. Instead, he walked her to her door.
Eden entered her room, and then glanced back over her shoulder. Raven was still standing in the hall, his expression one of such open desire it was almost painful to observe. As he had spoken with their tenants that day, she had seen him display a compassion she had not known he possessed. She hoped that all the discoveries she had yet to make about him would be as good. With an enticing smile, she extended her hand.
