Page 16 of A Duke Changes Everything
She expected him to sit and savor the first moment of reclining on the worn leather throne from which his father had ruled Tremayne lands with a merciless fist. Instead, he perched his backside against the front edge, crossed his arms, and watched her expectantly.
“Mr. Lyon.” She dutifully tested the name on her lips. “I wish to apologize for not being clear in my correspondence with your solicitor.”
“I hate deception, Thorne.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But I can understand seeing an opportunity and seizing it.”
“Youdon’tunderstand.” He made her sound like one of the card sharps who played at his gambling tables. Mina’s hands balled at her sides. “I view my father’s post as a duty, not an opportunity.”
“None of the staff here owe me or my family a lifetime of employment. There are always others seeking work.”
“Others without loyalty to Enderley.” Mina gritted her teeth. Emma had been wrong to hope the new duke would be better. She was beginning to think he was worse.
“Ah, loyalty.” The man had the audacity to chuckle, a low, resonant sound that echoed in the spacious room.
Was he laughing at her? For caring about his family home. For trying her best to step into her father’s shoes and keep his brother from bankrupting Enderley. But it was clear he wasn’t. His gaze took on a faraway look, and any mirth he felt was quickly replaced with a creased-brow frown of unease.
“My only loyalty, Miss Thorne, is to my business.”
“Is Enderley not your business now?” Her father thought of the estate that way, not as some collection of ancestral acres but as a living, breathing enterprise that took in the work of the staff and tenants and, in return, gave back a good living for everyone, including the Lyon family.
“Enderley is my burden.” He shifted his shoulders like he felt the weight of his inheritance clinging to his back. “So they’re a loyal lot.” He waved toward the doorway, as if fully aware there were half a dozen ears pressed to the other side of the wood. “I know Wilder and have memories of Mrs. Squibb, but I’m unfamiliar with the new staff.” With one sweeping glance, he took her in from the hem of her skirt to the fringe of hair across her forehead. “Like you.”
“I hardly consider myself new. I’ve lived here my whole life.”
“Why did you stay?” He studied her intently, as if her answer mattered.
“I never seriously considered leaving.” It was what she knew she should say, but her cheeks began to warm the moment the words were out. She had considered leaving but never taken a single step toward independence. Mostly childish fancies, and that one single moment of romantic folly that had ended in disaster. “I never wish to leave Enderley.”
He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“You still distrust me, Mr. Lyon?” Mina huffed out a sigh. She needed to earn his trust. “As long as my father was here, I couldn’t truly imagine living anywhere else.”
He looked around, lifting his arms to encompass the room, the whole estate. “He’s not here anymore, and yet you are.”
“Enderley is my home. Wilder and Mrs. Scribb are like family to me.” Mina felt heat creeping up her neck.
She’d revealed too much. Duty was only part of why she stayed. The rest of what rooted her at Enderley was a tangle of sentiment and what she hated admitting most. Where would she go? What would she be if she left Enderley? There was guilt too, for even thinking of abandoning the estate her father loved so much.
“I don’t consider staying a burden.” She winced, knowing she shouldn’t have thrown the word back at him. “But if you feel you cannot trust me or wish for another steward”—Mina fought to keep her chin up, back straight, as all the morning’s anxiety rushed in—“that is, of course, your prerogative.”
“Keep your post, Thorne.” He pushed off the edge of the desk and stepped closer. “I do consider this estate a burden, and I’d like your help managing it.”
“I would be pleased to, Your Grace. Er, Mr. Lyon. There is much to be done.” Mina swallowed against a knot in her throat.
His eyes widened a bit, as if her enthusiasm surprised him.
Relief. A sweet, heady balm rushed through her veins. She could keep her position. “And the other staff? None will be dismissed?”
“I didn’t say that.” The hint of a smile that flickered near the duke’s mouth faded. “I have other plans for the estate.”
Chapter Five
Ah, the gold sparks again.
Miss Thorne’s eyes flared with irritation. The lady went from the thin edge of insolence to absolute fury faster than any woman Nick had ever known.
But he didn’t mind. He had some experience with beautiful women. With claiming a dukedom, he had none. Looking at her, focusing on her flushed cheeks and clenched jaw, Nick could almost forget where he was. He could almost keep all he loathed about Enderley at bay.
Not just the title he never wanted and duties he had no idea how to embrace, but being in the room where he’d withstood his father’s cruelty for years. The man’s vicious condemnations had thundered to the ceiling, and the sting of his lash had drawn Nick’s blood countless times. Glancing down at the carpet, Nick traced the familiar vine pattern. His father always bid him to avert his gaze, unable to bear his cursed eyes.
