even trying. She knew perfectly well that she should have said her piece tonight, but sheer vanity had prodded her to look more appealing when she coaxed Ryder to let her stay in the cottage for a while.
Anna groaned next morning when she faced her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Looking like this she was in no state to do any coaxing. Her hair was a wild tangle after the steam of her late night bath and her face was milk-pale—something she’d have to put right pretty sharply before her father and Tom arrived and carted her off home to Shrewsbury whether she wanted to go or not.
Later, in a scarlet sweater chosen to lend warmth to her skin, Anna did some skilful work on her face, but her efforts failed to deceive the brace of doctors she was related to.
‘Bad night, obviously,’ said her father, looking worried.
‘My own fault. I took an unplanned nap during the evening,’ she told him. ‘Fortunately I was awake when Ryder called. Bad idea, Dad. You shouldn’t have asked him to do that.’
John Morton eyed her in surprise. ‘I knew he’d be passing on his way home. Besides, I thought you’d be pleased to see him.’
‘I was not looking my best by that time,’ she said tartly. ‘Not that it matters. Have you two got time for coffee before you take off?’
‘Sorry,’ said Tom regretfully. ‘I’m doing an outpatients clinic at two.’
‘And I’m seeing Father’s solicitor on the way back, so I must be off too,’ said John Morton, and peered into his daughter’s eyes as he felt her pulse. ‘How soon will you finish your antibiotics?’
‘Ten days to go.’
‘Good. But you look a bit anaemic to me, my girl. Add some extra iron to your vitamins.’
‘I’m already doing that, Dad.’
Once Anna had persuaded her men that she was perfectly capable of managing alone for a day or two, they drove off, one after the other, leaving her to wait for another visit from the Squire.
Ryder Wyndham arrived promptly at eleven, by which time Anna’s hair was in a careless-looking knot that had taken ages to achieve, and both she and the cottage were immaculate.
‘Good morning,’ said Anna as she let him in. ‘Coffee?’
‘Thank you.’
She opened the parlour door for him, but he followed her to the kitchen.
‘How are you today, Anna?’
‘Absolutely fine. Would you take the tray?’
When they were seated opposite each other in the parlour, Ryder took the cup she gave him and sat back. ‘For obvious reasons I was surprised when you asked to see me. So what can I do for you, Anna?’
She smiled politely. ‘Nothing too arduous. I just need your permission to stay on in the cottage for a few days. I’m supposed to convalesce for a while before even thinking of going back to work, and I’ll do that far better here than in London.’
He shrugged. ‘You don’t need my permission, Anna. It’s your grandfather’s house, not mine. He bought it from the estate years ago.’
‘What?’ She stared at him blankly. ‘Is that true?’
He looked down his aquiline Wyndham nose. ‘I’m not in the habit of lying, Anna. I admit it’s not our normal policy to sell off property, but Hector Morton served the estate faithfully all his working life, so my father made an exception in his case.’
Anna shook her head in amazement. ‘I had no idea.’
‘Surely you wondered why so much work was done here this past year?’
‘I assumed the Wyndham Estate was responsible.’
He shook his head. ‘My total input was to give any advice your grandfather asked for.’
‘It was very good advice, Ryder,’ she conceded. ‘The entire cottage looks a picture. Though I’m surprised he bothered at his age. He knew very well he wouldn’t have long to enjoy it,’ she added sadly.
‘His own enjoyment was never his intention. He was making the place more saleable.’
‘He meant to sell it?’ she said, startled.
‘No.’ Ryder put his cup on the tray and got up. ‘Anna, this puts me in a very awkward position. Hector showed me his will quite recently, but you obviously know nothing about it.’
‘Not yet. Dad’s calling in on the solicitor on his way back this morning. He’ll ring me tonight.’
‘Good. He can put you in the picture. How long will you stay here?’ he added.
‘A few days, maybe. I’ll see how it goes.’ Anna got to her feet, eyeing him in challenge. ‘Do you mind if I stay for a while, Ryder?’
‘Of course not.’ He smiled bleakly. ‘After all, we were good friends once.’
‘Something you forgot one memorable evening,’ she said bluntly.
‘Anna, if I could take back the things I said that night I would. It was a pretty rough time for me. I apologised humbly when I knew the truth,’ he reminded her curtly.
Anna eyed him with scorn. ‘Come off it, Ryder. You don’t do humble.’
His eyes glittered coldly. ‘I had a damn good try in your case! I failed spectacularly, I grant you, but your grandfather told me to give you time, that you’d come round one day.’
‘Did he really? For once in his life he was wrong.’
He gave her a challenging look. ‘Was he? In London you wouldn’t let me through the door, but here you’ve done that twice in two days.’
‘Only because I needed something from you,’ she assured him. ‘Have you heard from Dominic lately?’
‘Yes. I told him about Hector. I wouldn’t pass on the number here without your permission so Dominic asked me to give you his condolences.’
‘If he contacts you again, give him the number by all means, but I doubt that he’ll need it.’
‘You’re not so friendly with my little brother these days?’
Her eyes clashed with his. ‘I never was in the way you mean. In any case Dominic lives in New York now—and soon he’ll be married to someone much younger and a lot more eligible than me,’ she added tartly. ‘Tell me, Ryder. Was it just my advancing years you objected to, or the irrefutable fact that I was your gamekeeper’s granddaughter?’
His face hardened. ‘That’s an insult to your grandfather.’
‘Then I apologise to him. Thank you so much for coming,’ she added graciously. ‘I’m sorry I wasted your valuable time.’
‘Not at all.’ He shook her hand with cold formality. ‘If
