closely from now on, when it came to accepting dares. After all, Paul thought it was a fantastic joke that he and Susannah had been engaged. But it was no laughing matter.
He shut off his thoughts with a click. After all, if he stood there brooding, he’d need a drink. And once he started drinking he lost all sense of reason. And he needed all his wits about him if he was going to find a way out of this mess. “I’m on my way out now,” he informed his butler, his tone rough and brusque.
He quit the room, striding down the stairs with purposeful steps. When he flung open the parlor door, Donaldson glanced up from a stack of books, an expectant look on his face.
“You must be Mr. Donaldson.” Daniel offered his hand. “Good to meet you in person. I’m afraid I haven’t had time before, but now...” He trailed off. He really had no excuse at the ready for his lack of interest in the Hall. Not when his head was pounding and his wits had flown.
“Yes, sir.” Donaldson shook his hand but then bowed respectfully. “I am grateful for the chance to meet with you at last.”
“Well, then. I see you’ve brought a library with you.” A little joke, but really—they must hasten the interview. He had to see Susannah, see if she was really furious with him—
“Yes, well, I had tried to talk to your brother about this, but he had fallen ill and could not make any decisions. The tenants are in need of some assistance, and there are some improvements that could be made on the farm. Improvements that could better the lives of your people here and can bring in more income. Make the place more prosperous.” Donaldson indicated his account books with a wave of his hand. “If you like, I can show you. I need your approval before I can start.”
Tenants. Improvements. Income. The old stifling feeling of obligation began to well inside Daniel, and he took a step back. By distancing himself from the account books, could he distance himself from his duties? “Yes, well, Goodwin Hall has always been reasonably profitable. We don’t want for much here.”
“I do understand, sir. But if you’ll allow me to speak frankly—I feel I would be remiss if I did not say anything. The tenants’ homes could use some repair, and the back fields could, if they lay fallow for a season, produce even better next summer. Or we could try planting a different crop there, to give the soil a rest...”
Donaldson nattered on, showing him a line of finely scripted numbers in a column in one of the account books. Daniel clenched his jaw and nodded, but even as he feigned interest, his gaze and his mind wandered. He could walk down to the village and try to speak to Susannah. Yes, that was the best plan. Speaking to her directly was the only way to address the matter. She always responded better to directness than to subterfuge.
“...and I believe all these improvements could be implemented over the course of the year.” Donaldson closed the account book and glanced at Daniel, an expectant smile on his face. “Well, sir? What do you think?”
“I...uh...” Daniel cast around for something intelligent to say. “I—I can see you’ve put a lot of thought into this.”
“Well, it is my duty.” Donaldson stacked the books one on top of the other and shrugged. “So, I should, of course, prefer to have your thoughts on the matters, as well.”
He had no thoughts on any of these matters, beyond the growing feeling of dread that he would be chained to them forever. He had no mind for any of this, and yet these obligations were his. “I don’t know, really. Do I need to reach a decision on any of this today?”
“No, certainly not. I am sure you need time to think things over.” Donaldson stuffed the account ledgers into a worn leather satchel. “However, I would recommend implementing these improvements as quickly as possible, as we are nearing the end of summer. Shall I meet with you again next week?”
“No, not next week.” He needed to shake free of these duties. He was never meant to be the one in charge. That was his brother’s job—and he had been far better suited to the role than Daniel. “I may be out of town then. I shall have to see. I’ll contact you, and we can discuss matters at that point.”
Donaldson nodded, his youthful face wearing the expression of one resigned to the inevitable. “Of course, Mr. Hale. I shall wait to hear from you then.” He grasped the satchel and strode toward the door. “Thank you for your time.” He left without a second glance.
There was no trip out of town, of course. Living out as far as he did, a journey to Bath or London would be a rare excursion indeed. But it was the only way to get the man to stop talking—to leave. Daniel sighed and strolled over to the window, gazing out across the rolling pastures that surrounded Goodwin Hall. These were the pastures he’d played in as a child, the pastures that he’d cantered across on his favorite horse as a youth. And they undulated before him, like waves on a sea.
The sea had called to him, beckoning with promises of adventure. These lands rolled before him, reminding him of all he’d shirked. How he’d left his brother to die alone.
He needed a drink. Or he needed to fix one problem.
A choice, really—to drink oneself into oblivion again or to try to repair one bit of damage.
* * *
“Becky, those curtains are lovely. You’re really outdoing yourself this time.” Susannah glanced over at her sister with a smile as she rubbed at the windowpane. “Once we hang them up, the whole character of this room will change.”
“I’ve never seen this much dust in my life.” Nan gave a hearty sneeze. “When was the last time anyone lived here?”
“I don’t know,” Susannah admitted, stepping back to admire her handiwork. The panes of glass sparkled in the late-afternoon sunshine.
“Judging by the condition of these floors, I’d say it was at least ten years.” Nan sneezed again.
Susannah turned to her sister, frowning. “Here, let me sweep. You shouldn’t be breathing in all that dirt. I’ve finished the windows, and when I’m done with these floors, we shall stop for a little while.”
“For the day?” Nan asked hopefully, handing the broom to Susannah.
“For a while.” Susannah stressed the last word as she grasped the rough wooden handle.
“But we’ve been working since early this morning.” Nan used her most wheedling tone. “Couldn’t we take the rest of it to enjoy our handiwork?”
Susannah surveyed the room with a critical eye. Things did look remarkably better. It didn’t exactly look like a fashionable millinery store yet, but it no longer reeked of abandonment. The windows, free of grime, allowed the sun to gild their humble furnishings, which Susannah had rubbed with lemon oil. Becky’s curtains, made of fine ivory muslin, would soften the room and grace it with a feminine touch. And Nan’s sweeping, which had started upstairs and worked all the way down to the front entrance, had done wonders to improve the appearance of the worn wooden floors.
She turned her attention to her sisters. Dust smeared Nan head to toe, and Becky’s head drooped tiredly as she worked fine stitches into the hem of the muslin. She didn’t dare to glance at herself in the mirror—she must look a fright—but the grime that collected around her fingernails bore mute testimony to the work she’d done. Her heart lurched and she twisted her mouth ruefully. Once again, she’d worked everyone too hard.
“Yes,
