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‘Local enough,’ Morgan replied with a smile. ‘I have admired that house for a long time.’
It took a moment for his words to register on Sissy. When they did, she gasped and looked up at him with wide eyes.
‘You don’t have to move. You can stay there as you are for as long as you want,’ he offered, his grin widening.
‘You purchased it?’ Norma asked, her eyes wide with hope and delight.
‘I did indeed,’ Morgan replied. ‘Although it is not on estate land as my other tenanted houses are it isn’t a problem. Everything can stay as it is. Nobody has to move.’
Sissy stared at him. ‘But why? Why would you purchase it?’
A heavy silence settled over everyone.
Morgan allowed it for a few moments. He had discussed with Ralph, only this afternoon as a matter of fact, the reasons he could put forward that sounded credible. He could hardly stand so boldly in front of everyone and announce that he had purchased the house because of his love for Sissy. When he did eventually declare his love for her he wanted it to be to her and her alone. He didn’t relish an audience being able to hang on to every word, mostly because he wasn’t at all sure if she would be pleased or horrified. He hoped after yesterday that it would be the former but would feel a little easier if they managed to spend a little more time together first.
Because Sissy had fallen painfully silent, Morgan focused his attention on a clearly delighted Norma. ‘I take it you are amenable to staying in the property and being my first tenants there? Everything will remain as it is, although I insist on redecorating the place and making sure the repairs are up to date.’
‘We would be delighted, wouldn’t we, Sissy?’ Norma cried.
‘Of course,’ Sissy replied with a vague smile. She knew she should be grateful, and indeed was, but she couldn’t ignore the nagging doubt that began to form in the back of her mind as to why Morgan would spend so much money on a house she knew he had very little interest in.
‘Then you will stay there?’
Sissy nodded and offered him a bolder smile. ‘I am sure Norma will be relieved. It has been a worry. While we could have moved to the farmer’s house, life there would have been considerably harder for us.’
‘But,’ Morgan prompted when he sensed her hesitation.
Sissy sighed, but seeing as Morgan had prompted her confidence, she could see no reason to deny him. ‘But I hope you truly wanted the house and didn’t purchase it because of our situation. While your benevolence and kindness is very much appreciated, it is a lot of money to spend and, well, we can never repay you, apart from the rent of course.’
‘But I don’t expect anything,’ Morgan countered. ‘If I wasn’t happy with the arrangement I would never have purchased the property.’
‘Then we are very pleased to be able to accept, thank you,’ Sissy said.
Morgan frowned because she sounded so terribly formal. He didn’t want that from Sissy. He didn’t want her to feel as if she should be beholden to him, or grateful for anything.
‘Norma, I have had some wonderful roses planted in the rose garden. Would you care to take a stroll with me to see them? Dinner isn’t quite ready yet. Boris will ring when it is,’ Alicia offered.
Sissy slid her untouched Ratafia onto the table beside her. She remained frozen in place when she turned to find Morgan standing beside her, far too close than he ought to be. Leaning around her, he slid his goblet of brandy onto the table beside hers and suddenly smiled at her.
‘You cannot abide the stuff, can you?’ he murmured for her ears alone. His gaze slid tellingly toward the Ratafia.
Sissy pursed her lips and shook her head, but infinitesimally so only he could see.
‘Thought not,’ he teased. Holding his elbow out he nodded toward the French doors. ‘Care to join them?’
Sissy gratefully took his arm. Any doubt she had about what they were doing was removed by Alicia’s ready smile, which she threw at them before she sailed out of the house with Norma in tow.
‘I hope you are not mad at me,’ Morgan began once they were outside. ‘About the house, that is. I confess, I spoke to the agent just as soon as mother told me that Mr Lauder had chosen to sell the house. The agent told me that the only other property to rent was Martin’s old farmhouse. I went to view it myself. I wouldn’t put my horse in there.’
Sissy huffed a laugh when the mental image of Morgan trying to wrestle his horse through the front door sprang to mind. He smiled. The sound of her tinkling laughter made him want to hear more.
‘Do you want to explore the garden?’ he offered. ‘I have a rather intriguing puzzle beside the lake if you feel up to a challenge. If you are lucky you might be able to solve it before dinner. If not, Boris will have to come out and fetch us.’
Sissy looked at him. ‘Puzzle?’
Morgan waved at his mother at the same time that he grabbed Sissy’s hand. ‘We are going to the maze.’
Alicia smiled and shook her head. ‘Good luck. If you are not back by dawn we will send a search party in after you.’ She turned to Norma. ‘Morgan has had a frightfully tricky maze put into the grounds. It is awfully big and takes an age to get to the centre, but I am sure they will manage to find their way around. Would you care to join them?’
