better judgement, preferring to fool herself into believing he might miraculously grow to love her one day. As if a beautiful man like that would find something attractive in a gangly, ginger-haired giant. Connie doubted she would ever forget the look of disgust that had passed across her fiancé’s golden features when he had explained why he had agreed to the betrothal. If ever she had needed clarification of how unappealing she was as a woman, then that had been it. Yet Aaron’s words had also wounded. Perhaps more so. What sort of a man would willingly want to bed a shrew like you? She would spare him that ordeal because he had been honourable in marrying her. They rode in silence a little longer, side by side, neither looking at the other.
‘For what it’s worth,’ he suddenly blurted with an irritated expression on his handsome face, ‘I am glad that you never married Deal.’
Connie stared resolutely ahead because she did not want him to see how much talking about it hurt. ‘I am sure you are. It would have been very inconvenient if my father’s plan had succeeded. You would be surrounded by Stuarts and my father would have the upper hand once again.’
‘Stop being daft, Connie!’
She could feel herself bristle at his harsh tone and was about to give him a set down when he surprised her.
‘I do not give two farthings if this estate is positively ringed by Stuarts. I keep telling you that the silly feud needs to stop—and that I refuse to play any part of it. What I meant was Deal is a toad of a man. He’s a gambling, narcissistic lecher. The man brags about his many conquests at White’s and shows no regard or respect for the poor women he has seduced. I have always found him to be quite odious. You deserve better than that, Connie. And it irritates me to hear you sell yourself short by claiming you agreed to marry him simply because he asked.’
He looked irritated and that irritation on her behalf was very flattering. In case he saw that, she encouraged her horse to trot ahead of his before she allowed herself a little smile. She could not remember another man, save her brother, ever coming to her defence before. A little part of her heart rejoiced at that.
They rounded another copse of trees and the sight beyond brought Connie up short.
Redbridge House.
She could see it plainly in the distance, so near that she could just about make out the wisps of smoke coming out of the four large chimneys on its roof. If all of the fires were lit, then that could only mean one thing. Her family were in residence. The wave of longing was so swift and sudden that she could not hide it as he pulled his horse up alongside.
‘You miss your family.’
‘I miss my mother and my brother.’ There was no point denying that. She did not care one whit about her spiteful, critical father.
‘Perhaps you should write to them? I am sure that they would be glad to hear from you.’
It occurred to Connie then that Aaron was not keeping tabs on her, else he would have known that she had already tried. ‘Then you do not know my father. I sent a letter a few days ago. It came back unopened.’
‘Your brother and mother might think differently. Perhaps you should write to one of them.’
Connie turned her horse abruptly away from the painful view. ‘I am sure my father would ensure that any letters would be intercepted before they got to the rest of my family. You were there, Aaron, when he said that I was dead to him. The man never backs down.’ Once again she saw a flash of pity in his eyes and decided to nip it in the bud. ‘Let us not talk about it any more. Discussing it is pointless and will only serve to spoil my ride.’
They meandered slowly back towards Ardleigh Manor, the mood somewhat more sombre than he had been. Aaron said little, which she was grateful for, and was apparently deep in thought. Two stable lads intercepted them in the yard and led the horses away and Aaron offered her his arm as they walked back towards the house. In the spirit of their awkward truce, she took it, trying not to enjoy the solid feel of him beneath her hand or remember how that arm had once held her with such passion.
The sound of another horse arriving behind them had them both turning. ‘That is Mr Thomas,’ Aaron said with a mixture of urgency tinged with disgust. He abruptly disentangled her arm from his. ‘If you will excuse me, Connie, I really need to talk to him.’
He practically sprinted back towards the stable yard, leaving Connie rooted to the spot. Mr Thomas’s eyes met and locked with hers. For an instant he appeared startled, then he inclined his head politely before turning his full attention back to Aaron as if nothing untoward was going on at all.
Except it was. Connie had seen Mr Thomas before. Many times. The last time had been a little over a fortnight ago, in her father’s study.
Connie had no idea how to react or what to do, so she went inside and quickly changed, wrapping herself in a warm shawl before heading back downstairs. Pretending to go out for a walk, Connie wandered nervously up and down the paths closet to the stables, looking for any sign of Mr Thomas and filled with an enormous sense of foreboding. There was more afoot here than she had been aware of and unexpectedly she found her loyalty torn. Eventually she saw him striding towards the building. Fortunately, he was alone.
‘Mr Thomas! Might I have a word?’
He spun around and then gave her a slow smile before walking towards her, then bowed politely. ‘Lady Constance, what an unexpected pleasure.’
‘I hardly think it should be unexpected, sir, not when we both know that you have dealings with my father. You must have realised I would seek you out and demand an explanation the moment I clapped eyes on you. Why are you here?’
‘Have you told all this to your husband?’ The man’s eyes were suddenly cold and his expression, although trying to remain bland, was also hostile. It made Connie feel uneasy.
‘Not yet.’
She watched his shoulders sag with relief before he pinned her with his gaze. ‘Good. Let us keep it that way. I dare say he would get quite the wrong impression. I am merely of an acquaintance of your father’s, though Viscount Ardleigh and his son might not be particularly forgiving of that relationship if they were to find out about it.’
‘You are more than a passing acquaintance, Mr Thomas. You have visited Redbridge House at least once a month for several years. I believe that you are working for my father. He is using you to sabotage the Wincantons in some way. That is why the fields still lay idle, isn’t it?’
The estate manager’s eyes narrowed and his voice became clipped. ‘I can assure you, madam, that I have no idea what you are talking about. I am simply an acquaintance of your father’s. That has nothing to do with my position here. Occasionally, I might tell your father snippets of what the Wincantons are up to, in passing conversation, but that is hardly a crime.’
‘Do you expect me to believe that your only purpose here is to keep my father informed of the latest gossip? I am not a fool, sir.’
His thin lips curled into a snarl as he watched her coldly. ‘Your father would be very disappointed in you if he heard that you had interfered in his personal business, Lady Constance.’
‘My father is already disappointed
