Page 24 of Needs Must
He lowered his head and softened his gaze. ‘I am so very glad,’ he said softly.
‘You are glad that my husband is dead?’ She canted her head and glanced up at him from beneath the brim of her bonnet, sending a scattering of raindrops onto his arm. ‘And that I was forced to watch his passing?’ she shook her head. ‘I do not understand you at all.’
‘It isn’t comfortable speaking here,’ he said, glancing up at the partially bare branches of the oak. Leaves fluttered onto his hat, sent on their way by a strong breeze and fresh rain. ‘But there is a great deal that I have to say to you.’ The earl thought for a moment. ‘My western gatehouse. It’s vacant and a short distance away.’
‘You expect me to come unchaperoned to your vacant property?’ She sent him a speculative look. ‘You really do have a low opinion of my morals, don’t you?’
‘We were alone two days ago. But fetch your maid if you so desire.’
‘Hardly the same thing.’ Donna lifted one shoulder, intrigued rather than insulted. She looked into his eyes for a moment and made her decision. ‘Very well, then. Lead on.’
Instead of returning to the track, the earl walked further into the woods, taking a well-worn path. She followed in his wake, nodding her thanks when he held back branches that would otherwise have snagged at her clothing.
After a short time, during the course of which neither one of them spoke, they came to a clearing in which a cottage sat beside what was obviously a seldom-used entrance to the earl’s estate. The fact that the tall iron gates were locked bore witness to that fact. The earl opened the door to the adjoining lodge and ushered her through it ahead of him.
‘Isn’t it dangerous not to lock the door?’ she asked, stepping into a parlour that was twice the size of the one in Denmead Cottage and considerably better furnished.
‘No one would dare to intrude,’ he replied dismissively. ‘Let me take your cloak.’
Donna untied it and handed the damp garment to him. He took his own coat off too, removed his hat and hung the garments on hooks in the hallway.
‘Take a seat,’ he said, returning to the parlour. ‘I regret that I cannot offer you refreshment.’
‘You can however offer me an explanation,’ she replied with asperity. ‘You dragged me away from my home comforts, such as they are, and look as though you would like to murder me. I think it only reasonable that you explain why – before you do away with me, that is.’
‘You hit upon this area by chance,’ the earl suggested.
‘Certainly. I returned from Jamaica just a few weeks ago. We stayed in Chichester, but I needed to find a more permanent place to live. And one that was less expensive. Besides, I dislike busy cities.’
‘Tell me more about your circumstances and how you came to marry Harte. I believe he was a lot older than you.’
‘Why?’ she asked bluntly. ‘What business is it of yours? And why should you care for that matter?’
‘Indulge me.’ And for the first time he offered her a full smile. It had a most disconcerting effect upon her equilibrium, but also decided her. It would be hard for her to deny this man anything, despite his brusque manner and lack of civility. A littletoohard, and she was not at all happy to acknowledge that fact. Personal feelings aside, if she was to remain in Arndale it would be unwise to set herself at odds with its leading resident; a man who could make her life very uncomfortable if he so chose.
‘What is there to tell you?’ she asked, spreading her hands. ‘My father was the Viscount Heston. He died when I was ten, and I barely saw him before he did so. As for my mother, she died a year before him giving birth to my brother, who also did not survive.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, sounding sincere. ‘That could not have been easy for you.’
‘What you have never had, you don’t miss,’ she replied, shrugging. ‘I was left in the care of guardians whom I seldom saw. They were lawyers who had been appointed by my father for that purpose. But there were benefits too. I was well educated by a governess who ran out of things to teach me, and no impediments were placed in the path of my appetite for knowledge. That, as I’m sure you are aware, is a most unsuitable way for a lady of quality to spend her time.’ A mischievous smile slipped past her guard. ‘With her nose always buried in a book, I mean.’
‘Absolutely outrageous,’ the earl responded, matching her smile.
‘I always had Miriam, of course, and she became more of a mother to me than my actual mother had ever been.’
‘I am very glad that you had someone.’
‘Yes well, when it came time for me to be presented, my guardians were left with a dilemma. There was no one to sponsor me, you see. Happily for them, I had no desire to go through that rigmarole and so I was left more or less to my own devices.’
‘What happened to the Heston title?’
‘It died out because there was no one for it to pass on to. No cousins, or uncles or … well, anyone at all. Anyone male, of course. Papa was absolutely sure that he would father a son and all would be well, but I have already explained how badly that turned out.’
‘Where was home?’
‘In the wilds of Northumberland.’ Donna allowed herself a wistful sigh. ‘A beautiful part of the world that I still miss, which probably accounts for my dislike of crowded cities.’
The earl shifted in his chair and turned to give her his full attention, almost as though his previous questions had been leading up to this point. ‘How did you come to meet Harte?’ he asked.
