Page 36 of A Rogue to Resist
She had done all this despite being constrained by a husband who, by all accounts, had actively hindered her efforts. What might she have accomplished with full authority and adequate resources?
It was a question Drake was not entirely comfortable contemplating.
As they finally took their leave of the Bennetts, having arranged for repairs to begin the following week, Katherine paused to speak with several other villagers who approached with various concerns and questions. Drake stood nearby, ostensibly reviewing notes with Wilkins but actually observing Katherine’s interactions with growing fascination.
“Lady Katherine has always had a way with the tenants,” Wilkins commented, following Drake’s gaze. “They trust her, and with good reason. She’s never made promises she couldn’t keep.”
“Unlike her husband,” Drake surmised.
Wilkins nodded cautiously. “The late earl wasn’t around much.”
“So I’m learning,” Drake replied dryly.
When Katherine finally rejoined him, there was a slight flush to her cheeks and a brightness to her eyes that spoke of genuine engagement with the work at hand. It was a far cry from the cool,reserved widow who had first met him in Wexford’s London drawing room.
“I apologize for the delay,” she said. “Once people realize you’re willing to listen, there’s never a shortage of concerns to address.”
“No apology necessary,” Drake assured her. “It was educational.”
Katherine gave him a curious look. “Educational?”
“Watching you with them,” he clarified. “You know them all so well. Their names, their children, their circumstances.”
“I’ve had five years to learn,” she pointed out. “You’ve had barely a month.”
It was a generous framing of the disparity between them—attributing it to time rather than inclination or ability. Another surprise from a woman he had expected to seize every opportunity to highlight his inadequacies as Greythorne’s new master.
“Nevertheless,” Drake said, “your relationship with the tenants is clearly an asset to the estate. One I would be foolish to discount.”
Katherine studied him for a moment, as if searching for hidden meaning in his words.
“Thank you,” she said finally. “Though they are more than an ‘asset’ to me.”
“I’m beginning to understand that,” Drake replied quietly.
As they walked back toward where their horses waited, Drake watched Katherine greet yet another child who ran up to show her a freshly picked bouquet of wildflowers. She knelt down, admiring the blooms with genuine interest, laughing at something the little girl said.
The scene struck him with unexpected force—Katherine Halston, aristocrat by birth and education, kneeling in the dirt of a humble village, her face alight with shared joy over a handful of common flowers.
He watched her and felt something uncomfortable settle in his chest: the nagging thought thatshewould have been a much better mistress of the estate than he might be, no matter how long he stayed.
The thought was unwelcome, but he could no longer deny its truth.
Chapter Nine
“Katherine, youcannotpay full price for timber simply because you wish to be polite!” Drake huffed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.
Katherine bristled at his tone, acutely aware that Mr. Burnham, the timber merchant, was watching their exchange with undisguised interest. What had begun as a simple trip to the village market to arrange materials for the ongoing repairs had devolved into yet another battle of wills.
“It is not about politeness,” she replied, keeping her voice level with effort. “It is about fairness. Mr. Burnham’s prices reflect the quality of his materials and the cost of transport from the northern forests.”
Drake’s jaw tightened. “His prices reflect what the market will bear, which is precisely why one negotiates. I’ve purchased timber from Maine to Marseilles, and I assure you, these prices are inflated by at least twenty percent.”
They had actually been having a relatively pleasant morning.
The spring sunshine had brought the entire village out to the market day, and their joint appearance had been met with approval rather than suspicion. Several tenants had approached to express gratitude for the repairs already underway, andKatherine had felt a surprising sense of satisfaction in their shared accomplishment.
Then they had reached the timber merchant’s stall, and Drake’s businessman instincts had collided spectacularly with Katherine’s established relationships with the local suppliers.
