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‘Yes.Myfirstborn inherits it, a state of affairs that enraged my mother. She tried to fight the trust because she wanted her second son to inherit rather than me,’ he murmured wryly. ‘But sadly for her, my great-grandfather was also illegitimate and he didn’t want any of his descendants to be disinherited for that reason, and the terms of the trust are quite clear on that score.’
‘Why do you have such a bad relationship with your mother?’ Amy asked curiously.
‘I think it’s because I’m her only regret, the one blemish in her perfect world. I’ll always be the reminder that she met my father before my stepfather and that her younger son, Devon, may inherit my stepfather’s baronetcy, but the trust ensured that I received the bulk of her family’s money and the original ancestral home. That made me the source of envy and resentment in the Aiken family, but it also gave me my independence from them and allowed me to set up my own business at a young age,’ Sev pointed out quietly. ‘I’ve learned to accept the rough with the smooth.’
‘What’s your father’s family like?’
Sev laughed. ‘Refreshingly normal. I have four half-brothers, only one of whom is married, and my stepmother treats me like an honorary son. I don’t see as much of them as I should, but I’ve invited them to join me for Christmas this year. I’d be grateful if you were willing to help out with that.’
‘Help out...how?’ Amy exclaimed in surprise just as the limousine drove down a lane to stop outside a paved courtyard surrounded by buildings.
‘We’ll talk about that later. Now, I’ll show you the stables first, see what you think,’ Sev murmured, his long legs carrying him in the direction of a stone archway, leaving her almost running to keep up.
He showed her round a stable yard in good repair, walked her through a series of outhouses and finally into a large empty barn. The occasional light guiding touch of a hand at her spine made her quiver like a jelly inside herself just as the dark deep rasp of his masculine voice close to her ear made everything in her body tighten.
‘It’s not perfect, but if you agree I can have sectional cages erected in the barn within forty-eight hours,’ Sev proffered.
Amy blinked rapidly and stared up at him, astonished by the amount of thought and planning he had already clearly put into settling her problems for her. ‘Properkennels? Sev...don’t go to so much trouble and expense, because there’s ample room here for the animals, but isn’t the yard used for anything else?’
‘No. The land’s rented out now and these buildings are redundant unless I start keeping horses here again, which I might do if I was living here on a more regular basis,’ he mused thoughtfully.
‘Why would you do all this for me?’ she whispered.
Sev sent her a winging sardonic glance from narrowed eyes that gleamed like precious gold in the winter sunshine. The lush black lashes surrounding his gaze only heightened their sensual appeal and she averted her scrutiny in haste as the zinging energy of her response made her core clench.
‘We both know why,’ he parried. ‘I screwed up with you and I’m trying to make up for it.’
Amazed by that blunt admission, Amy bit her lip and looked hurriedly away from the man, who had hurt her so much. ‘That seemed too obvious.’
‘Sometimes the most obvious answer is the true one,gioia mia.’
‘So, you’re suggesting that I house all the animals here?’
‘With possibly the ultimate view of eventually taking over the charity and running it from here.’
‘I wouldn’t know how to run a charity.’
‘Someone else more qualified could deal with that while you took care of the shelter and rescue side of the operation,’ Sev told her soothingly. ‘But that’s an option that can be shelved for now, so don’t worry about it.’
Amy was frowning and she shook her head in confusion. ‘You’re talking as though this would be a permanent move for me...but I was only thinking of somewhere as a temporary base from which I could rehome the animals that are left...and then get out of your hair.’
‘Amy, you’re going to have my baby. Why would I want you to leave again? This place isn’t being used right now. The property needs a fresh purpose and if it’s giving you and your four-legged friends somewhere to live...’
‘You want me to live hereas well?’ Amy gulped at that news and swallowed hard, taken aback by the extent of his plans on her behalf. She turned away, moving in a constrained half-circle as she pondered, her slender body tight with tension.
How could she possibly place her trust in Sev? He had set her up and used her to get revenge on her father, careless of the hurt he inflicted on her in the process. Now, to be fair, he was striving to make amends. She didn’t have to forgive him though, did she? But, squirm as she might, right now, Sev was offering her and the dogs their only route to safety and security. Nobody else was likely to make such a proposition and she was painfully aware that not all the current animals would be offered places by other rescue organisations.
‘You’re giving me a lot to think about,’ she muttered ruefully.
‘You’ll have to be on the spot to care for the animals, and the house is empty but for the housekeeper. I also have a local vet willing to volunteer his services.’
‘Oh, do you think there’s any chance that he would consider me for a placement?’
‘With all you’ll have to do here with the animals, I think you need to accept that you won’t complete your apprenticeship untilafterthe baby’s born,’ Sev contended. ‘It would be too dangerous. You can’t take the risk of physically straining yourself or getting injured.’
‘But...’
‘Nor can you endanger yourself with infections, parasites or working with chemicals or radiation. The vet enumerated the risks. You will have to be very careful working here as it is,’ Sev pointed out. ‘You’ll need help with the animals to keep yourself safe and I will get that organised. You have a hundred tasks to worry about, but in the short term all you should be focusing on is where you live, looking after yourself and the welfare of the animals.’
