Page 14 of A Rogue to Resist
Drake scoffed. “Protecting her interests would be ensuring a comfortable income. What she received goes well beyond that.”
“Nevertheless,” Mr. Winters insisted with uncharacteristic firmness, “her settlement is legally binding. The only matter open to interpretation is the boundary dispute concerning the western fields.”
Drake drained his glass, the brandy doing little to soothe his irritation. The western fields. Prime agricultural land that, by any reasonable reading of the original deed, should be part of the entailed estate. Yet Lady Katherine had been farming them as part of her dower property for years, apparently with considerable success.
“She knows those fields are rightfully mine,” Drake said, refilling his glass. “Yet she sits there citing yields and improvements as if productivity could override legal ownership.”
Mr. Winters shifted uncomfortably. “The boundary markers—”
“Were placed incorrectly, or the stream changed course after they were set,” Drake interrupted. “Either way, the deed clearly states the water course as the boundary, not stone markers that could be moved by anyone with sufficient motivation.”
“Are you suggesting Lady Katherine moved the markers, my lord?” Mr. Winters asked, sounding alarmed.
Drake waved a dismissive hand. “No, of course not. The discrepancy likely predates her marriage. But she’s certainly taking advantage of it.”
The meeting played through his mind again—her cool composure, the way she’d simply handed him that ledger as if the figures themselves were argument enough, the quiet authority in her voice when she’d warned him about what he’d find at the estate. There had been no hysteria, no feminine wiles, no attempt to manipulate him through flirtation or tears.
Just clear-eyed determination and a thorough understanding of her legal position.
“What do you make of her?” Drake asked suddenly, turning to study his solicitor’s face.
Mr. Winters blinked, clearly surprised by the question. “Lady Katherine? I... that is to say... it’s not my place to—”
“Speak freely, man. I value your insights, however limited they may be.”
The solicitor straightened in his chair. “In my professional dealings with her, I have found Lady Katherine to be forthright, intelligent, and exceptionally well-informed about estate matters. The late Earl often... that is, he frequently left such concerns to her discretion.”
“Did he indeed?” Drake murmured, recalling Lord Carrington’s comments at White’s. “And what of her character? Beyond business matters.”
“She is well-respected by the tenants,” Mr. Winters offered cautiously. “When the harvest failed three years ago, she personally ensured no family went hungry, even advancing funds from her own accounts when the Earl was... indisposed in London.”
Drake’s brow furrowed. This didn’t align with the grasping widow he’d constructed in his mind. “She seems extraordinarily involved for a woman who merely married into the family.”
“Lady Katherine has always taken her responsibilities seriously, my lord.” A hint of admiration crept into the solicitor’s voice. “More so than many who are born to them.”
The implied criticism was not lost on Drake. He fixed Mr. Winters with a hard stare, but the solicitor merely looked back placidly, apparently having found his courage.
A knock at the door interrupted the tense moment.
“Enter,” Drake called, relieved at the distraction.
His valet appeared, bearing a silver salver with a sealed note. “This just arrived for you, my lord.”
Drake broke the seal, scanning the brief contents with narrowed eyes.
Lord Greythorne,
As you proposed, I will tour the properties with you the day after tomorrow. My sister-in-law, the Duchess of Wexford, has graciously agreed to accompany us, ensuring all proprieties are observed.
I shall expect your carriage at nine o’clock.
Lady Katherine Allingham-Halston
Her signature was as precise and elegant as she was—no flourishes, no embellishments, just clean, confident strokes of the pen.
“Good news, my lord?” Mr. Winters inquired cautiously.
Drake folded the note deliberately. “Lady Katherine has arranged to show me the western fields. We depart the day after tomorrow.”
