Page 2 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
“What nonsense,” Susannah scoffed, her face colouring. “It is not because of my supposed beauty or youth, my dear. It is because they all know that Gilbert was a very wealthy man, and by default, I am now a very wealthy woman. They are trying to get their greedy mitts on it. That is all.”
Amy stared at her sadly but didn’t say anything. Susannah quivered inside, feeling tears spring up in her eyes once more.
Her late husband, Gilbert Drake,hadbeen a very wealthy man. But he had also been an orphan, with no siblings. He had no one to leave his vast wealth too, besides his wife. If he had even had one male cousin or nephew, the burden of his wealth would not be hers at all.
It was a curse, rather than a gift. If she hadn’t had the wealth, she probably would have gone home to Lincolnshire straight after the accident, to live with her parents again. But as it was, she had felt an enormous responsibility to keep The Willows going just as it always had. For him, because she knew how passionately he had loved the place.
The Willows, she thought, gazing around the room again. It had become her home, too, after Gilbert had brought her here, all those years ago. A sprawling, rambling house, perched on the Welsh border, deep in the countryside. She had fallen deeply in love with it; so deeply that the thought of leaving it was still anathema to her. But she wouldn’t have had a choice if it had just been taken away from her; if some distant cousin of her husband’s had inherited it. She would have had no choice but to pack up and leave it all to memory.
It might have been a blessing.
If she hadn’t inherited the wealth, all of these sycophantic young gentlemen would have left her in peace, too. She would simply have been a poor widow. She could have retreated to Lincolnshire, licking her wounds, without having the constant irritation of these gentlemen callers.
“There is some good news,” said Amy, interrupting her reverie. “I have had word that your new colt is arriving tomorrow …”
Susannah sat suddenly upright as if a bolt of lightning had suddenly pierced her from above.
“The colt!” she whispered, her eyes alight. “I declare I had forgotten that I had purchased him! I had forgotten entirely!”
Amy laughed, her own eyes alight. “Just as well that I did not forget, then! I have been in contact with the horse master, as well.” She paused. “He and his apprentice shall be arriving tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, it will be around the same time as when the colt arrives.”
Susannah nodded distractedly. She didn’t care about the horse master and his apprentice; she didn’t even care to find out what their names were. All that she could think about was the colt.
She had purchased him a month ago at a local horse auction. He was beautiful; black as the night and spirited. Something had broken inside her when she had seen him; for some strange reason, he reminded her of herself, when she had been young. He had reminded her of that feisty Lincolnshire girl before everything had happened …
She had bid on him breathlessly, her heart in her mouth. She knew she would have paid anything for him; she would have paid five times his value. Eventually, all the other bidders had bowed out. She had been triumphant.
Tomorrow, he would arrive. He would join the other horses in the stables. The horses that she didn’t like to ride anymore. There was one, especially, that she avoided …
She shuddered. She didn’t want to think about that horse. Her husband’s horse.
The horse that had sent him to his death.
“I will clear my schedule entirely,” she said to Amy. “Let me know as soon as the colt arrives, and the horse master and his apprentice, of course.”
Amy nodded. “I will.”
“Amy.” Her voice grew suddenly firm. “If any more gentlemen callers come, throw the cards on the fire. I do not want to deal with any of them. Do you understand?”
Amy nodded, gazing at her sadly. “I understand. But if I may be so bold …”
Susannah shook her head firmly. “No, I know what you are going to say, Amy, and I do not want to hear it. I am not ready. I may never be ready.”
Amy nodded again, standing up. “As you wish.” She hesitated. “I will try to discourage them. But I think they will be persistent, my dear. It may take a while for them to get the message.”
Susannah nodded glumly. It was exactly as she thought, too. But she had to do it; soon, they would understand that she just wanted to be left alone, surely?
Chapter 2
Jasper adjusted himself on the saddle, gazing around. He had been born and raised in Shropshire, but he had never travelled so far in this direction of the county before. Right on the edge of the Welsh border.
It was wild country; mountainous and green, covered in trees. Beautiful, but untamed. In the distance, perched at the bottom of a big hill, he could just see the property that was his destination. He knew now why it had been named The Willows. It was surrounded by many tall, willow trees, their branches sloping towards the ground, skimming it like fingers.
The Willows. Owned by the Widow Drake, one of the wealthiest women in the entire country. Or so he had heard, on the grapevine.
He turned to the man riding alongside him. His apprentice, David Bragg, was staring at the property as well, his eyes wide.
“It is magnificent,” the younger man breathed. “I do not think I have ever seen a house so grand.”
