by Anne Herries
‘Do tell me, for I cannot see it myself!’
She saw the mischief in his face and blushed. ‘You shall not tease me, Mr Clinton! I refuse to be drawn further. You impressed Mama, for she thinks you astute in matters of business, and you must know that such a skill is desperately needed at Shelbourne.’
‘I was told that the English aristocracy thought it bad form to discuss money?’
‘Yes, in certain matters it is,’ Hester agreed. ‘It would be thought vulgar to brag about what one had paid for one’s possessions, and it is not done to haggle with tradesmen.’
‘But perfectly acceptable not to pay them?’
‘No, of course not,’ Hester said and saw the scepticism in his eyes. ‘Well, yes, I know that gentlemen often leave their tailor’s bills unpaid when things are difficult.’
‘But a gambling debt is a matter of honour?’
‘Yes, certainly. Do you not agree?’
‘A gambling debt must be paid, but I think the tailor is equally deserving of payment, perhaps more so since he has given his time and his goods.’
‘Yes, of course, but one simply doesn’t talk about it.’
‘Not if one is a gentleman,’ Jared said and grinned at her. ‘Personally, I do not like to pay over the odds. I always get an estimate for work before I set it in hand—as I shall tell your grandfather when I see him this morning. If the house is to be restored, we need a price before we begin.’
‘You are right, of course, but…’ Hester shook her head in disbelief. ‘Why are we even discussing it? You have just been shot at! We should be trying to think who might have done it. Do you have enemies—anyone who bears a grudge against you?’
‘We have ruled out the second heir, so who else is there?’
‘We haven’t exactly ruled out Mr Grant,’ Hester said. ‘He is next in line and it is possible that he may think of what he would inherit if you died—but you said the shot came close to hitting you. If it had, your death would have been murder and the suspicion would then fall on him.’
‘Yes, that is a valid point,’ Jared said. ‘He would be unlikely to show his hand so openly—unless he is a rotten shot and meant only to spook the horse.’
‘I believe he told us he enjoyed shooting for sport,’ Hester said. ‘I cannot say for sure, but I would have thought he was possibly quite a good shot.’
‘Then perhaps I do have an enemy,’ Jared said. ‘I may have made enemies in the past, though I am not aware of any that would try to kill me—and why now? These things only started when I came to England as the duke’s heir.’
‘Mr Grant is the only beneficiary of your death, sir,’ Hester said thoughtfully. ‘Unless you think that I…’ She raised her gaze. ‘You heard Grandfather say that he would leave everything to me if he could, and you know that I love this place.’
‘It could not have been you who shot at me—and I do not think you the kind of person who would hire an assassin,’ Jared said. ‘Either I have an unknown enemy or it must be Mr Grant.’
‘If you were wealthy yourself…who would benefit from your death, sir? I know you no longer have a fortune, but you said you had something.’
‘I have a cousin,’ Jared said. ‘At this moment he would inherit most of my possessions…but Red is a rich man. He isn’t interested in anything I have.’
‘Didn’t you lose your casino in New Orleans to your cousin?’
‘In a manner of speaking,’ Jared replied. He toyed with the idea of revealing the truth to her, that in fact he had given the gambling house to his cousin before he left, but he held the words back. ‘Believe me, it isn’t Red—he is still in New Orleans.’
‘You can’t be sure of that—and he could have paid someone to kill you, to make it look as though it had something to do with your English inheritance.’
Jared frowned. There was something in what she said, but he knew Red too well to give her suggestion more than a passing thought. He shrugged his shoulders.
‘Anything is possible, but I would be inclined to rule that one out.’
‘I’m just trying to help.’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘This family has suffered enough tragedies, Mr Clinton—I would rather it didn’t happen again. I do not want to weep at your grave.’
‘Would you?’ His blue eyes were narrowed, intent on her face. ‘Miss Sheldon—or may I call you Hester?’
‘Yes, if you wish,’ she replied. ‘I think we are beginning to know each other, sir. I do not object to the use of my name in private. And, yes, I should weep if you died.’
‘Then I shall not, at least for some years.’
‘It is not amusing!’ Her eyes flashed at him as she saw the gleam of humour in his eyes. ‘You do understand that I said you may call me by my name in private?’
‘Yes, of course I shall be discreet,’ he said. ‘In return I ask that you be discreet about what you saw this morning. I would prefer that no one knew about the shooting incident—and I believe we should keep our suspicions to ourselves about it perhaps being an attempt at murder.’
‘Is that wise? Do you not think we should inform the duke—and make some inquiry into the possibility of an intruder on our land?’
‘I think you may safely leave all of the latter to me,’ Jared said. ‘I assure you that I am more than capable of handling this—and the distress might make your grandfather unwell again if he were burdened with it.’
‘Yes, that is very true,’ Hester agreed, a little surprised that he should show such consideration. ‘But you must take some precautions, sir. If this evil man were to succeed in his aim, it would destroy us all.’
‘I am flattered that you should think so,’ Jared replied. ‘However, I believe that you would hold the family together, Hester. I think you a very capable young woman.’
Hester pulled a face. ‘How dull that sounds, but I shall take it as a compliment, Mr Clinton—or perhaps I should start to call you Viscount Sheldon since it is your title?’
‘Why do you not call me cousin—or Jared in private?’ A smile quirked the corners of his mouth. ‘Or is that too much to ask? You must tell me, for I am not rightly sure what you quaint English folks would think proper.’
‘Cousin Jared!’ Hester gave him a fulminating look. ‘Please do not think you can fool me again. I admit that I was unsure at our first meeting, but I no longer believe you to be either uneducated or ill mannered enough to need any tuition from me.’
‘Do you not? That is a shame. I had thought we would begin our lessons after breakfast. How shall I persuade you to spend time with me if it is not to teach me how I should go on in English society?’
‘Incorrigible! You need no excuse, cousin. I shall naturally defer to you in estate matters. There is a great deal for you to learn about the way things have been run here. Since Grandfather’s last illness, his people have come to me for their instructions. I have always asked for Grandfather’s advice in the important matters, but I have tried to spare him all the small problems. Now that you are here, I shall come to you. Indeed, you must meet Mr Roberts today. He is Grandfather’s agent and takes care of business matters, then there is Johnson—he is the bailiff and I am sure he would be happy to discuss land issues with you.’
‘Ah…’ Jared’s eyes gleamed. ‘I told you, I thought you capable, Hester. You are a remarkable young woman.’
‘I am nearly seven and twenty and I have lived here most of my life. Everyone knows me here, and it has come to me naturally. You may find it harder, though if Mama is right you have experience of business yourself.’
‘You look much younger,’ he replied but his expression was serious. ‘I prefer that you continue to do just as you have been for the moment, Hester—though you may ask me if you think I can help you. I do not want to be seen as interfering. Besides, I have not decided to stay for good and it is better that you should remain in charge.’
‘Oh…’ She was oddly disappointed. ‘I thought…when you showed an interest in the house…I hoped you might
be prepared to stay and do your duty to the family.’
‘I do not consider it my duty to live here unless I choose,’ he replied. ‘However, I may be prepared to marry a lady who meets my criteria—and I may do something for the estate. I believe it may not be beyond my means to restore the fire damage without resorting to a marriage of convenience.’
They were approaching the stables. Hester reined in and stared at him, trying to penetrate his mind, but failing.
‘I have some idea of what it might cost. Mr Grant told me he thought it might run into some thousands of guineas.’
‘Did he, indeed? Had he any thought of obliging you with the money?’
‘No…at least, he said that he would advise me if I wanted to employ the right builders.’
‘Indeed? Tell me, did you ask for his advice or was it given of his own accord?’
‘He said that in his opinion it might exceed five thousand pounds.’
‘Not a gentleman, then, since he was prepared to discuss money,’ Jared said wryly. ‘I should ignore what he told you, Hester. Leave that side of it to me, if you please.’
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he could afford to spend something in the region of five thousand pounds restoring a house he was not sure he wished to reside in, but she held the words back. It would be too personal, offensive—and she did not wish to be accused of vulgarity.
‘Very wise,’ he remarked as he got down and came to her assistance. ‘For I should not answer if you did ask—and it avoids embarrassment.’
Hester gave him a baleful look as he set her on her feet, his hands lingering about her waist a second longer than necessary. Tossing her head, she walked away in a purposeful manner, leaving him to deliver their horses up to the waiting grooms. He might not be the ignorant hillbilly he had tried to make her believe him at the start, but he was still an extremely irritating man!
As Hester went swiftly into the house, she met her mother coming downstairs. She was immediately aware of Lady Sheldon’s air of unease.
‘Is something wrong, Mama?’
‘We have a visitor, Hester. Mr Grant has invited himself to stay. He says he intended to call on you in town, but when he presented himself he was told you had left.’
‘Oh, yes, I should perhaps have written to him. It slipped my mind.’
‘Well, it made him anxious on your behalf and he came posting here immediately to reassure himself that you were not unwell.’
‘He had only to ask my godmother,’ Hester said and frowned. ‘Surely there was no need to come in person. It is not as if we know each other well. We have met only a few times.’
‘He seems to think that you may need him,’ Lady Sheldon said. ‘He did not come right out and say it, but he hinted that Mr Clinton might not be a trustworthy person.’
‘Oh, how dare he?’ Hester exclaimed, forgetting that she was cross with the heir herself.
‘I reminded him that Mr Clinton’s proper title is Viscount Sheldon,’ Lady Sheldon said softly. ‘I do not think he is best pleased. He claims to have come to offer us his protection, Hester—but I think we need protection from him!’
Hester looked at her sharply. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Only that he is so pompous,’ her mother said. ‘Do not look so startled, Hester dear. I dare say he means well.’
‘Yes, perhaps,’ Hester said. ‘When did he arrive and where is he?’
‘A few minutes ago, and he is having breakfast in the parlour.’
‘Then I shall wait for a while,’ Hester said. ‘I shall go up and change, Mama. Please excuse me—and do not worry.’
She ran up the stairs and along the landing to her own rooms. It was a nuisance that Mr Grant had arrived so unexpectedly, especially as she could not help wondering if perhaps it had been he who had taken a pot shot at Cousin Jared.
Hester deliberately took her time changing into a practical morning gown. It was a pale grey with a demure neckline and had a pretty lace collar as its only ornament, in keeping with her advanced years, she decided. Since the heir saw her as capable, she would present him with the image his word conjured up in her mind. She arrived at the breakfast room just as Mr Grant was leaving. He smiled as he saw her.
‘My dear Miss Hester, how pleased I am to see you looking so well. I was anxious when Lady Ireland told me the situation and I came at once to see if I could be of help. And I think it is a very good thing I did, for it must be a difficult situation for you all. Have no fear, I shall protect you to the limit of my ability.’
‘I was not aware that I was in need of protection. However, we must always be glad to see you, sir,’ Hester replied a little untruthfully. ‘Perhaps we should talk later? I went riding earlier and I should like to break my fast. As you have already eaten…’
‘Yes, of course. I have been summoned to the duke’s apartments and must wait on him immediately, but I shall certainly hope to see you later.’
Hester watched him walk away. He was not an unattractive man, being of medium build and height, his features pleasant but not handsome, at least to her eyes. His hair was a light brown, cut very short and thinning a little at the crown, his eyes a hazel green. His clothes were very plain, dark as suited his calling, but his boots, she noticed, were as fine as any dandy’s and shone with a brilliant gloss.
Hester was thoughtful as she went into the breakfast room. She was the only one and she helped herself to some muffins and honey, and a cup of tea, which might have been hotter. However, she did not wish to summon the maid to make more, so she sipped it as she ate in solitary state. As she was leaving, she saw Jared come into the house. He was still wearing his riding clothes. She stopped to speak to him.
‘Have you had your breakfast? Mr Grant has arrived—did you know?’
‘The answer to both questions is yes,’ he replied. ‘As it happens, I had my breakfast with Mr Grant while you were upstairs.’
‘Oh…’ Hester frowned. ‘What did you think of him? It seems a little odd that he should arrive this morning.’
‘A short time after someone took a shot at me?’ Jared nodded. ‘I do not think we should make too much of that as yet, Hester. He seemed a decent enough chap, told me he hoped I would not cause the family any more grief for they have suffered enough.’
‘He did not!’ Hester was shocked. ‘Oh, how dare he say that to you? It is not his place. We hardly know him, for he did not visit us until after Papa died—and…he spoke out of turn, sir.’
‘I thought you were to call me cousin?’
She saw the gleam of humour in his eyes and was immediately suspicious. ‘What did you say to him?’
‘Now why do you suspect me of something?’ Jared asked, a smile quirking the corners of his mouth. ‘What should I have said to him?’
‘He seemed to imagine he had arrived just in time to save us from you. Mama was very cross for she does not like him—and she does like you.’
‘I am much obliged to her, and the feeling is mutual,’ Jared said. ‘I assured Mr Grant that I valued his advice and would try not to shame the family any more than I could help…though I must rely on you to set me right as I did not know how to go on in English society.’
‘Oh, you!’ She shook her head at him, because the sudden gleam in his eyes told her all he had neglected to say. ‘You put on that awful twang, didn’t you—and you acted as if you had come out of the backwoods.’
‘Well, he seemed to expect it,’ Jared said. ‘Darn it, cousin, I didn’t want to disappoint the man.’
‘No wonder he was worried about us,’ she said ruefully. ‘If he insists on staying here to protect us from you, I shall blame you!’
‘But I think we need him to stay—here, where we can watch him,’ Jared said. ‘If he does plan to get rid of me, it will give him plenty of opportunity, and the sooner he makes his move the better—if indeed it was Mr Grant who shot at me.’
‘Does the evidence not point to him?’
‘Yes, very much s
o, but that makes me inclined to doubt it.’ Jared arched his brows. ‘You really must not worry about me, Hester. I am capable of dealing with it, you know. One gets used to these things when one lives and works with hardened gamblers.’
‘Did you truly own a gambling casino in New Orleans? I am never sure whether you are making things up or telling the truth.’
‘Yes, but not the rundown hell your lawyer found me in,’ he replied. ‘I had recently bought that with the intention of pulling it down to build warehouses.’
‘Oh…’ Hester wrinkled her brow. ‘What did you want those for, cousin?’
‘Oh, for certain goods I wished to store there from time to time.’
‘Were you a smuggler of goods to avoid tax?’
Jared’s laughter was warm and delightful. ‘I think you have a vivid imagination, Hester. I have a small import business in New Orleans. It was quite separate from the casino and remains in my possession.’ It was actually rather larger than he had told her, but even this snippet of information seemed to have astonished her. ‘I thought you might think it vulgar—I understand being in trade is not quite the thing.’
Hester pulled a wry face. ‘My dear cousin, when your estate is on the edge of ruin, any source of money is more than welcome. Besides, importing isn’t truly being in trade—and no one needs to know.’
‘Are you a snob, Hester?’
She flushed. ‘I don’t know—am I? I was merely thinking of your image. Being a newcomer, you cannot afford to attract speculation—at least, no more than necessary.’
‘I think perhaps you are a little bit snobbish,’ he said, tipping his head to one side, a gleam of mockery in his eyes. ‘But I don’t mind it. I expect you’ve been taught to think that way.’
Hester smothered a laugh. ‘Yes, I dare say I have. I do not mind it for myself, cousin. I am glad that you are not as short of money as we were led to believe. It did seem odd that you had lost everything.’ She gave him a considering look. ‘Is there a lot more you aren’t telling me, Jared?’
