Page 68 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
But Susannah had changed all that with a swift stroke of her quill.
He had been pushed away from The Willows, but now, she was inviting him into the very heart of it. Not only that, but she said that she had been melancholy over the way that they had parted and wanted to seriously talk to him about what they had last discussed. She had ended the letter by saying that she was his everlasting friend.
His heart surged again. She had seen the error of her ways and was going to accept his marriage proposal. There could be no other reason for her sudden change of heart.
He grinned to himself. Of course, she had seen the error of her ways; he had always known that she would come around, eventually. He had always realised that she would finally recognise that they were meant to be together, forever.
It had been written in the stars. They were fated to be together. That was all there was to it.
His lip curled disdainfully, thinking about the man that she had been nursing in her home. The man that he had tried to dispose of. She must have decided that the horse master was not worth the effort, after all.
He smiled slowly. Perhaps even though he hadn’t managed to get rid of the man permanently, everything had worked out the way that it was meant to, anyway. Perhaps nursing the man had shown her that he wasn’t worth the effort; that he was common, not worthy of even picking up the hem of her skirt. Perhaps seeing him helpless and injured had made her realise that she needed a strong man in her life.
Yes, he had done both of them a favour when he had smashed that rock into the man’s head.
His smile widened. The truth was he didn’t really care why she had suddenly decided not to pursue her dalliance with the horse master and focus instead on him. It was immaterial, now.
All that mattered was that shehadchanged her mind. Her letter told him everything that he needed to know about her state of mind. All that he needed to do now was walk confidently into The Willows and capitalise on this golden opportunity.
He had been willing to do anything to secure her. He alreadyhaddone things that he had never dreamed he could ever do. If she hadn’t sent that letter, he had been willing to do more. The past few days he had been meticulously planning it.
He smiled, thinking about it. At great expense, he had secured the blueprint for the house, bribing a scribe at the local Whitmere council. He had studied it carefully, over the last few days. He had discovered another way to get into the house.
There was access via an old forgotten tunnel that had been built when the house had been constructed, to allow the occupants to escape quickly and stealthily in the event of attack. The Willows had originally been a castle, in the Middle-Ages, when threats from the Welsh had been constant.
Slowly, a plan had formed in his mind. He would gain access via the tunnel at night when everyone was sleeping. Once inside, he was planning to wake her and tell her that unless she agreed to marry him, he would kill the horse master then and there. That he would take a pillow and smother the man in his sleep.
He hadn’t wanted to force her hand so explicitly, but then, she had forcedhishand with her annoying patrols, trying to keep him at bay. And she would thank him, in the long run. Once they were finally together, she would wonder why she had ever denied him.
He took a deep breath, thinking the plan through. But now, of course, it had been made redundant. She had changed her mind. He could win her the way that he had always wanted to, like the gentleman he was. He simply couldn’t wait to finally make her his. It had been a long wait …
There was a sharp rap on the door.
“Enter,” he barked, picking up his hat off the bed and placing it on his head.
Mrs Timms, the owner of the boarding house, stood there.
“Your carriage has arrived, Mr Green,” she said slowly. “It is ready to leave whenever you are.”
“Thank you, Mrs Timms,” he said quickly. “Could you inform the driver that I will be down presently.”
The old lady nodded. “My, but you look done up! A swanky engagement, is it?”
“Indeed,” he replied, winking at her. “I think that when I return from it this afternoon, you shall be giving me best wishes for my future life, as a married man!”
The old lady looked shocked. “Oh, Mr Green! I did not know that you were courting a young lady in the district! Is it anyone that I would be acquainted with?”
Leonard smiled smugly. “Do you know Mrs Drake, from The Willows?”
Mrs Timms looked shocked. “You are courting Mrs Drake? But she refuses all suitors since her husband passed away! I have heard of so many eligible young men in the district who have tried, and all have been spurned, turned away before they can even get through the door …”
“Yes, well, those others were pretenders, weren’t they? My dear Susannah would never deign to look at any of them.” His voice was disdainful. “Mrs Drake and I are old friends, my dear Mrs Timms. I courted her years ago before she met her late husband, but alas, he won her hand when I did not.” He tried to keep the tight note out of his voice. Even mentioning Gilbert Drake made him seethe with anger.
“Indeed.” Mrs Timms looked surprised. “Well, that is very fortuitous for you, Mr Green! Mrs Drake is a very beautiful lady and has inherited a great deal of wealth from her late husband. She is quite a catch …”
Leonard preened for a moment. “She is the loveliest lady who ever walked the earth, and yes, she is well provided for.” He paused. “However, it is not natural for a woman to be alone with so much wealth. She needs a good man to manage it for her, and I am more than happy to take on that task.”
Mrs Timms raised an eyebrow. “Indeed! Well, I wish you the very best of luck in your endeavour, Mr Green. I shall inform the driver that you are on your way.”
