I’m a bit worried about Jane. I think she’d sell her grandmother for a shilling.’
‘Probably less.’
They laughed.
‘How soon can we rebuild the house?’ Caroline asked. ‘Is it possible?’
‘Not until the snow clears, I’m afraid.’
‘I suppose Mr Prentice did his best?’ Caro sounded doubtful.
‘I’m sure he did. Although he doesn’t feel as strongly about finding the girls work as we do, he has always followed my instructions.’
‘As far as you know.’
‘Your biases are showing.’
‘He’s too nice. Too friendly.’
Merry sighed. ‘He’s young. He tries too hard and I wish Grandfather’s old manager had stayed on. He was crusty, but he knew everything there was to know about wool. He would have known how to handle the other mill owners.’
‘Did he retire?’
All the old anger returned in a hot rush. Her hands curled into fists. ‘He didn’t want to work for a woman. Said if I got married he’d be happy to come back.’ She’d been terribly hurt.
‘Oh, Merry. That is ridiculous.’
‘I know.’ She sighed. ‘Sometimes I wonder if I’m making a mistake.’
‘Why should you give up something you’ve worked so hard at all these years?’
‘Grandfather always used to say I was just as good as a son. But honestly
Caroline winced. ‘You are as good. Clearly you are.’
It wasn’t the first time they’d discussed the appropriate roles for men and women, and in the past they’d been in accord. Merry glanced down at the figures in her book. Was she wrong after all?
‘We will find a way,’ Caro said. ‘I didn’t have a chance to ask you how your game of billiards went. You were in high form last night.’
Merry felt heat creep up the back of her neck. ‘He won.’
‘Then I suppose you will be wanting a rematch this evening?’
Hardly. ‘Perhaps you’d care to join us for a game of cards.’
‘You need four for cards,’ Caro said.
‘We could ask Jane.’
Caroline giggled. ‘Poor Tonbridge. He wouldn’t know what hit him.’
Jane had fleeced the other girls of their pin money the first night she arrived at the house in town. Merry had the feeling she would not succeed with his lordship, but was not going to put her theory to the test.
‘Perhaps I’ll ask him to play chess.’ And there would be no removal of garments either. Her insides fluttered pleasurably as the image of his naked chest popped into her mind. Perhaps she should go straight to bed.
She almost groaned at the unfortunate thoughts that idea conjured. It would be better if she’d never known the pleasures a man could bring to a woman.
‘You will join us for dinner, though?’ Merry asked. ‘I can hardly entertain him alone.’
‘Naturally. I will see you in the drawing room at six as usual.’
Caro glided silently out of the room and Merry turned back to her accounts. It was only to be expected that the mill wouldn’t be as profitable as it had been under her grandfather. The army no longer needed the number of uniforms they’d required during the wars and the clothiers had cut back on the quantities of cloth they bought from the mill. If things didn’t improve, soon, she’d have to cut back on the number of workers she employed. With the price of bread continually rising, even those fully employed were barely surviving.
Nothing but problems, no matter which way she turned.
She began adding the column of figures again. The door opened. With a sigh, she looked up.
Tonbridge. The aristocratic lines of his face stark in the cold light from the window. Gorgeous. She blinked.
‘Ready for our sleigh ride?’ he asked. ‘I have taken the liberty of requesting the horses put to.’
Oh, she had promised, hadn’t she? She glanced out of the window. No help from the weather. It looked like a perfect afternoon.
‘It would be good to get some fresh air,’ he said, seeing her hesitation. ‘I want to take a look at your phaeton. Make sure it isn’t a hazard to other travellers.’
‘Oh, no, really. You did enough yesterday.’ The image of him heaving the carriage out of the way returned. One would never guess he hid such strength beneath the dark burgundy superfine of his coat. Why did she have to think about that now? ‘Jed will see to it.’
His gaze drifted to the papers. He hesitated a fraction, then gave her a boyish grin. The kind of grin that no doubt made ladies of the ton swoon. And didn’t do such a bad job on her either. ‘All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.’
Her heart gave a small thud of excitement. Her knees had the consistency of mashed turnip as the force of his charming smile hit her full on. Escaping from her account books sounded terribly tempting. Temptation seemed to personify this man.
‘All right. Why not?’ Decision made, she leaped to her feet. ‘But the sleigh hasn’t been used for years.’
A vague impression of the sharp bite of the wind on her cheeks and the feel of her parents’ large, warm bodies on either side of her teased at her mind.
And laughter. So much laughter.
‘It’s been well maintained, like everything else in your stables,’ he said.
‘Jed wouldn’t have it any other way. I know he is mortified by that axle.’
A shadow flickered over his face. ‘It can happen to the best-maintained equipages, as he well knows, and so I will assure him if you wish. Would Mrs Falkner care to accompany us? The sleigh easily holds four.’
‘I will ask her.’
She suddenly felt lighter, as if the problems looming over her these past few days had disappeared, or at least become less monstrous. ‘It will be fun.’
Chapter Six
Cloaked in a fur-lined rug, with a hot brick at her feet and Tonbridge’s large form beside her, Merry felt toasty and warm. She curled her fingers in her swans-down muff and breathed in the crisp clear air.
The snow glinted and sparkled like fairy dust. ‘This was a good idea,’ she said,
