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For the rest of the morning, Steel reviewed the intricacies of the earldom and where all the revenues came from. He outlined the number of tenants on each property, rents, the size of the previous harvest, profits—anything that Owen asked, the manager answered. In the end, Owen could see that Steele was meticulous in his job. Owen thanked the man before he departed for the day.
Owen was left with his thoughts, all of them melancholy. Pieces of the puzzle were filling in, and the picture was not pretty. With each passing minute, he prayed he did not regain his memories. Already he despised the man he had been. If what Steele had said was true, his father and brother had been decent men, so what had happened to Owen? Was he the proverbial bad seed? Or had something made him this way? He needed to find the answers, lest he turn down that dark path again.
Seeing how Selena had not been forthcoming, Owen needed to find other people who may know something. He had a feeling he had been like this before he met his wife. A knock on the door cut through his ramblings.
“Come in.”
Richards entered. “Pardon, sir. Lunch is served in the dining room.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps he could speak to Selena during lunch. He went to the dining room, but she was not there. Perhaps she was running late. Owen placed his napkin on his lap and settled into his meal. Selena never showed up. She’s avoiding me. Very well, if she would not come to him, then he would find her.
After lunch, Owen wandered through the maze of rooms on the main floor. Selena had yet to show him the house, but he wasn’t about to ask a servant. After an hour, he admitted defeat. Owen went to his study and rang the bell. Richards came in.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know where Lady Fernsby is?”
“I believe she is in the gardening shed, sir.”
“Ah.” Where the hell was the gardening shed?
Sensing his unease, the butler spoke up. “I can show you the way, sir. I do not believe you have been shown the gardens.”
“Thank you, Richards.”
Owen followed the butler. He led him to the drawing room, through the veranda doors, down the garden path until they came to the end of the enclosed formal gardens which opened onto the back lawn. To the right were the kitchen gardens and just past, a small structure constructed of wood with a set of windows on two sides and several panes of glass on the roof to allow the sunlight in.
“Her ladyship is in there, sir.”
Owen nodded his thanks. He walked up to the door, which was open. The interior was larger than he would have guessed. Inside were several tables filled with pots of varying sizes with flowers in various stages of life. Garden implements lined one wall. Owen stepped in farther. As he made his way, he heard a noise. In the back of the shed stood Selena with her back to him. She had traded in her fancy gown for a simple brown linen work dress and apron. Her delicate hands were encased in gloves, and she wore a sun hat.
It was the loveliest sight he had ever seen. Owen cleared his throat, but Selena did not turn around.
“I’m busy, Richards.”
“Then perhaps I should not disturb you.”
Selena squealed then whipped around, a hand pressed to her chest, as if to still her racing heart. “My lord, you startled me.”
“My apologies.” He came closer until he was only a step away from her. “Do you want me to leave?”
It took a moment for her to answer. “You may stay if you wish.”
“I would like to, since I have not seen you all day.”
Selena bit her lip and averted her eyes. So she had been avoiding him. He couldn’t blame her. After what Steele and Tom had told him, he would have avoided himself too. When she turned her gaze back on him, he noticed some dirt on her right cheek. He smiled.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Forgive me. You have some dirt on your cheek, just here.” He pointed to the same spot on his face.
Selena rubbed her hand over the area. But instead of wiping off the smudge, she only made it worse. Owen chuckled.
“I take it I didn’t get it.”
Was that a hint of a smile on her lips? Owen found it attractive.
“May I?” He took out his handkerchief.
“Yes.”
He took the last step toward her. With slow, deliberate motions, he wiped the area on her cheek. Her breath brushed against his hand, causing the hairs on his arm to stand on end. Not wanting to break the connection, Owen cleaned the rest of her face of any imaginary dirt, anything to stay near her. When he finished, he peered down at her. He was a good head taller, so Selena had to look up at him. They were so close he could see specks of green in her eyes.
“Thank you.” Her voice was thick.
Owen smiled again, but he didn’t step back. Truth be told, he had the insane idea of wrapping Selena in his arms and kissing her. What a foolish thought. No doubt, she would turn away from him, as she had most times he had touched her. But she had not rejected him this time. In fact, she seemed to have been similarly affected by their brief interaction. It gave him hope that he might win his wife’s affection, because that’s exactly what he planned on doing. Suddenly the most important thing in Owen’s mind was to win his wife’s favor.
