Page 24 of A Rogue to Resist
“It’s the least I can do,” Drake replied, uncomfortable with gratitude he felt he’d done little to earn. “The estate should have addressed these issues long before they became so severe.”
Lady Katherine gave him an appraising look, as if she hadn’t expected such a ready solution.
“The gamekeeper’s cottage will need some preparation,” she noted. “It’s been empty since old Mr. Farley passed last winter.”
“I’ll send people today,” Drake assured her, wondering why he felt a need to prove his competence to her. “Mrs. Collins, gather your essential belongings. I’ll have a cart sent for you within the hour.”
As the family hurried to collect their meagre possessions, Drake turned back to Lady Katherine. “You still haven’t explained what you’re doing here. Willow Park is five miles away, and I know for a fact you were in London three days ago.”
“I arrived at Willow Park yesterday,” she said, moving toward the door to escape the cottage’s damp interior. “After our visit to Greythorne Manor, I felt compelled to see to certain matters personally.”
Drake followed her outside, where the spring sunshine was doing little to dry the muddy ground surrounding the cottage. “Matters that are no longer your concern, Lady Katherine.”
She stiffened but continued walking, examining the exterior of the cottage with the same critical eye she’d applied inside. “The welfare of people I’ve known for years will always be my concern, Lord Greythorne. Particularly when they specifically request my assistance.”
“They are my tenants now,” Drake reminded her, frustration colouring his tone. “My responsibility.”
“And yet they still turn to me,” she replied, not unkindly but with undeniable firmness. “Perhaps because I’ve earned their trust over time, while you remain an unknown quantity.”
It was a fair observation, but it stung nonetheless.
Drake prided himself on his ability to manage people and resources effectively. In America, he’d built a reputation for fair dealings and sound business practices. Yet here, on his own inherited lands, he found himself constantly a step behind this woman who seemed to know every tenant by name and every building by its history of repairs.
“If they came to you,” he said carefully, “why not simply direct them to me or to Thompson? Why make the journey yourself?”
Lady Katherine paused in her inspection, turning to face him fully. For a moment, she seemed to be weighing her response.
“Because I promised them,” she said finally. “During my time as countess, there were many promises I couldn’t keep—improvements I couldn’t make, hardships I couldn’t alleviate—because Edmund controlled every sovereign spent. The few promises I did make, I kept. It matters to me that they know I’m still a woman of my word, even if I’m no longer mistress of Greythorne.”
The simple honesty of her answer caught Drake off guard. There was no artifice in her expression, no calculation—just a straightforward sense of obligation that resonated with his own principles.
Before he could respond, Thompson appeared around the bend in the lane, his expression registering surprise at Lady Katherine’s presence.
“My lord, Lady Katherine,” he greeted them with a hasty bow. “I’ve brought the carpenter to assess the damage, as requested.”
“Excellent timing,” Drake said. “Lady Katherine has already noted that the problems extend beyond the roof to the foundation and north wall.”
Thompson glanced between them, clearly uncertain about the dynamics at play. “Indeed, my lady has always had a keen eye for such issues.”
“A necessity when one must justify every repair to a reluctant purse,” Lady Katherine said dryly.
The carpenter, a stocky man named Wilkins, touched his cap respectfully to Lady Katherine. “Good to see you again, my lady. Been a while since we worked together on repairs.”
“Too long, Mr. Wilkins,” she replied with genuine warmth. “I hope you’ve been well?”
“Can’t complain, my lady. Though there’s been precious little work from the estate this past year.”
Drake frowned. “That will change immediately. I want a complete assessment of this cottage’s needs, and any others in similar condition.”
Wilkins nodded eagerly. “Yes, my lord. There’s the Bennetts’ place over by the west pasture that’s nearly as bad, and the row of cottages near the old mill all need new thatch before autumn.”
“Make a list,” Drake instructed. “I want to address the most urgent cases first, but I intend to implement a comprehensive repair program for all tenant properties.”
Lady Katherine’s eyebrows rose slightly at this declaration, but she said nothing.
As Wilkins began his inspection, joined by Thompson and two labourers who had accompanied them, Drake found himself once again alone with Lady Katherine.
“A comprehensive repair program will require substantial investment,” she observed. “Are you certain the estate’s finances can support such an undertaking?”
