AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Yet the principal attraction of the evening had been—and still was—Belle. Dressed in a silver gown of silk that glittered each time she moved due to the hundreds of tiny clear glass beads that lined the hem and bodice, she was the direct opposite of her brother-in-law. Where that man was dour and slightly swarthy, she had laughing eyes, high color on her cheeks, and continually brought the conversation back around to Christmastide each time it went off onto her relative’s censure.
That was until Lord Ravenscroft asked her a direct question of how she ran the estate or what her plans for the future were.
Hawk tightened his grip around his own snifter of brandy and then reminded himself to relax lest he break the cut crystal. “How long do you plan to remain at this estate, Lord Ravenscroft?” Remarkably, none of this was covered over dinner, for the man had talked unceasingly about himself except when it came to actually claiming responsibility for the viscounty.
The younger man turned his dark brown gaze on Hawk. His face, though handsome enough, would turn to fat in a year or two if he wasn’t careful. “I hadn’t given it thought, but I fail to see how my future plans are any of your concern.”
He gritted his teeth so tightly that his molars ached. When Belle glanced at him, he forced himself not to react. It wasn’t her fault this man was well on his way to being pompous. “Perhaps that is true. However, in this instance, I was merely making conversation.” The light rain from that afternoon had become much steadier, and as it hit the windows, the sound made him edgy. He wouldn’t put it past the lord to be thrown out into the night. If the temperature dropped another handful of degrees, that precipitation would turn to snow, and he truly didn’t wish to find himself stranded in the countryside with this man. “And since it is so close to Christmastide, I assumed you would stay on for Belle’s sake.”
One of the viscount’s eyebrows soared. “Belle? Her name is Amelia.”
She let out a huff. “You know I prefer Belle.” For long moments, she stared her brother-in-law down. “You should stay on, Philip.” She nodded in agreement. “As you can see, I have already been doing some decorating. Early, I know, but I adore how the house looks once it’s bedecked with evergreen boughs and those red ribbons.”
“It does have the makings of being festive.” The man barely glanced at her handiwork about the room. “I assume you are holding the annual Christmas Eve ball?”
“Of course. It was the one event Laurence looked forward to throughout the year, so I have kept up the tradition.” Her eyes took on a faraway look for an instant. “He might not have been the perfecttonhusband, but he was perfection on the dance floor.”
It was a new insight into her life that Hawk wished to pursue. “Do you enjoy dancing?”
“Oh, very much.” When she smiled, the gesture didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It surprised me that first year of our marriage when Laurence came forward at that ball and whisked me onto the floor.” She glanced at Hawk. “We were married nearly seven years, and each year—with the exception of the last—he never failed to his duty at that ball. All other times in London, if he attended a social function, he rarely went onto the dance floor, but he always indulged me at Christmas.”
A stab of something went through his chest. Surely, he couldn’t be jealous of a man who’d been deceased for five years. “He sounds like he tried to be a good husband to you.” When he took a sip of brandy, it tasted as dull as sawdust.
“Perhaps.” A blush rose into her cheeks. “I think he was embarrassed and saddened we never had children and that was his way of telling me he was sorry.”
“Ah.” Then her husband had been sterile. That was something the dossier regarding Belle had not mentioned. Perhaps the Home Office hadn’t known.
“Yes, yes, if it wasn’t hunting, holding a rifle, or riding, my brother wasn’t interested.” In some impatience, Lord Ravenscroft waved his free hand in dismissal. “I had forgotten your penchant for throwing the ball. This will butt up against my own plans, but I suppose I can hold off until after Twelfth Night.”
“Oh?” Belle regarded him with confusion. “What do you mean? Do you plan to remain in residence, then?”
Hawk narrowed his eyes as he watched them interact. For whatever reason, he didn’t trust Lord Ravenscroft, yet he couldn’t explain why that was. However, he’d been a spy long enough to know that when such a warning flared, he should listen. Gut instinct was never wrong.
“I will, at least for the duration and until Parliament comes back in.” Lord Ravenscroft set his brandy glass on a small table at his elbow. “I wish to affect a huge refurbishment to the manor house. Completely update the fixtures and have some of the furniture reupholstered. It is in quite a sad state.”
Tears sprang to Belle’s eyes, but she blinked them away. “I have done the best I can, but outside of the main living areas, the other rooms are pristine. There is no need to go to the expense.”
“There is every reason, my dear. I’ve had a look at the ledgers. The estate is bleeding money. You are by far too lenient and generous with the staff. To say nothing with your charitable contributions.” He shook his head. “That coin would be better spent going back into the estate instead of flowing away from it.”
“People are hurting just now, Philip. I cannot turn a blind eye to that.” When a tear slipped to Belle’s cheek, Hawk offered her the use of his handkerchief, which she accepted with a grateful nod. “For five years I have lived here alone with only the servants to keep me company. You certainly didn’t object to that, and during your absence, I have done what I have seen fit with this estate.”
Despite his own personal admonition not to become involved in the lady’s life, Hawk was drawn into the drama. Why was that? “It seems to me the lady has done well. From all accounts, the tenants are happy, and what is more, they adore her.”
The viscount narrowed his gaze on Hawk. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, Captain. Regardless of what Amelia has done with the property, it is mine.”
Oh, there was no doubting that. He tossed back the remainder of his brandy and swallowed it in one gulp. Ignoring the burn of the spirits in his throat, Hawk rested the glass on the low table in front of him. “Then I assume you will make the rounds and visit with the tenants as soon as you can? After all, from what I understand from Belle, some of them will mingle with the gentry during the ball, so it will be to your advantage.”
That was one thing he admired about her. She had absolutely no desire to treat people differently or according to their stations in life. The woman extended a hand of welcome and help to everyone she’d ever met. And that reputation had preceded her in the village. Before he’d ever come out to Ravenscroft land, he’d known what sort of person she was. When she glanced at him with both amusement and gratitude in her expressive eyes, needling the viscount was more than worth breaking his own rule.
“I haven’t decided yet. However, on the morrow, I intend to go riding, survey the acreage, look over a few things.”
“There is not much in the way of horseflesh,” she said with a look of skepticism. Did she fear he would explode in anger?
Just what was their history together?
“I have my own.” He rose to his feet and frowned down at her. “Fair warning, Amelia. Once I have settled in sufficiently, I will most likely staff the manor with servants of my own choosing. I refuse to have a lax household.”
A tiny gasp escaped her. She held a hand to her throat, as if the man were literally torturing her. “But they have been with us for years! They depend on the wages.”
