Page 15 of A Rogue to Resist
“Excellent,” the solicitor said, visibly relieved. “Perhaps seeing the land together will facilitate your working together.”
“Perhaps,” Drake agreed, though compromise was not foremost in his mind. He wanted those fields, and he intended to have them—one way or another.
“Shall I accompany you, my lord? To provide legal perspective?”
Drake considered the offer for a moment before shaking his head. “No. This initial visit should be... less formal. I want to understand how she views the estate before bringing legal considerations to bear.”
Mr. Winters nodded, gathering his papers. “Very wise, my lord. Lady Katherine responds better to reasoned discussion than to confrontation. The late Earl never quite understood that.”
The comment piqued Drake’s curiosity, but before he could inquire further, Harrison was announced.
“Lord Marwood, my lord.”
Harrison strode in with his usual confident air, nodding briefly to Mr. Winters. “Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all,” Drake assured him. “Mr. Winters was just leaving.”
The solicitor bowed and took his leave, closing the door quietly behind him.
“So,” Harrison said once they were alone, dropping into a chair and helping himself to Drake’s brandy. “How did the meeting go?”
Drake grimaced. “Not as expected.”
“She didn’t swoon at your feet, begging for mercy?” Harrison suggested with mock surprise.
“Hardly,” Drake replied dryly. “She came armed with ledgers, figures, and five years of detailed knowledge about every aspect of the estate.”
Harrison laughed. “I warned you.”
“You did,” Drake acknowledged grudgingly. “Though you might have emphasized just how, shall we say, formidable she is.”
“Would you have believed me?” Harrison swirled his brandy, studying Drake with amused eyes. “You were quite convinced she was nothing more than a grasping widow who’d manipulated her way into a fortune.”
Drake scowled. “I still believe there’s more to her settlement than meets the eye. No woman needs that much independence.”
“No womanneedsit,” Harrison agreed, his tone surprisingly serious. “But after five years with Edmund Halston, I imagine Lady Katherine considers it essential.”
Drake paused, arrested by his friend’s tone. “What exactly do you know about her marriage?”
Harrison’s expression grew sombre.
“Only what my sister told me, and what was whispered in drawing rooms. Edmund kept a public face of respectability, but in private...” He shook his head. “Let’s just say he had a talent for cruelty that required no physical violence to inflict lasting damage.”
Drake absorbed this in silence. He had never met his predecessor, knew him only through legal documents and financial records. The picture emerging was increasingly unpleasant.
“And yet,” he said finally, “that doesn’t explain why she should retain such valuable assets that rightfully belong to the title.”
“Doesn’t it?” Harrison raised an eyebrow. “Think, Drake. A woman in our society has precious little power. Her property becomes her husband’s upon marriage. Her body, legally speaking, belongs to him. Her very existence is subsumed by his. Most women accept this exchange for protection, security, and social standing.”
“Your point?”
“Katherine Halston received none of those things from her marriage. Instead, she endured years of subtle degradation from a man who, by all accounts, resented her intelligence and sought to undermine her at every turn.” Harrison leaned forward earnestly. “The irony is that her brother negotiated what seemed like generous marriage terms at the time—Willow Park as her dower property—never knowing it would become her only refuge from Edmund’s cruelty.”
Drake felt a flicker of discomfort. Put that way, it did make a certain kind of sense. But it didn’t change the fact that he needed those western fields if the estate was to prosper.
“She’s agreed to show me the disputed land,” he said, changing the subject. “The day after tomorrow.”
Harrison’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “That’s... unexpected.”
