The Rough Lord

by Emma Brady

  “I already told you at the inn that there was nothing.”

  “That’s what you said, but I know that’s not the truth. You can’t lie to me.”

  Rory pressed her lips together, stirring her soup around in the bowl. It was true that Darla knew her well enough to make it impossible to hide things from her. If Darla could smell a hidden secret, she would not give up until she knew what it was.

  “There was a moment when I suspected he might make an advance on me, and I convinced him not to,” Rory finally said, then started quickly sipping her soup.

  “Advance? He tried to kiss you?” Darla sounded outraged. Even in the dim lamplight Rory could see her face turning red.

  “No, nothing like that. He was just looking at me...with heat.”

  “Heat?” Darla’s voice went up another notch.

  “Desire. The kind of look a man gives a woman when he wants her.”

  “How do you know about such a look?”

  This was where the differences between Rory and Darla became more apparent. Darla often attended balls and social events with Rory, but she was always there as a chaperone, which meant she sat around the edges and watched the festivities. She never got to be a part of the fun. Not that she was never asked to dance, but she always refused. Darla always kept herself away from the world she didn’t belong to.

  “Men can’t help it when they are in the proximity of a beautiful woman, and I am a beautiful woman,” Rory told her. “You learn to ignore it.”

  “Even this time?”

  Rory bit her lip. Clayton’s look had affected her much more than most of the men she had met in London. Normally when she saw that look in a man’s eyes, she felt revulsion or alarm, occasionally amusement. His look was different though. It made her heart race and her skin tingle. It made her want to move in closer and focus on the details of the man. It felt like a loss of control, and that was a very unsettling feeling.

  “We were in a small space; I couldn’t avoid him. I didn’t want him to do something to cause trouble during the ride.” Rory avoided making eye contact.

  “I feel like you are still leaving something out.”

  Rory ignored the comment and focused on the second course that was brought out to them. It was some simple roast beef and potatoes. She wondered if the dinner choice was because the kitchen was in a bad state. She must remember to check that tomorrow.

  “Stop trying to keep it from me.” Darla pressed her for an answer.

  “I just felt it was better to put him in his place in the beginning.”.

  “Oh.”

  That one-word answer made Rory look up, and she found Darla grinning smugly.

  “That’s the end of it.”

  “I believe you.”

  That smile was so irritating.

  “What is so funny?” Rory asked.

  “All these years, you have been cold toward any of the men who paid you attention. None of them got under your skin. Now look how flustered you are—and from a working man, no less.” Darla giggled, but there was nothing amusing about the situation.

  “It was a temporary lapse in judgement. I corrected it before it went too far.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  Darla might be amused by Rory getting ruffled, but she would never want Rory to ruin her reputation. Rory exhaled as she was finally able to put the entire topic of Clayton away.

  “I was much more productive with my afternoon,” said Darla. “I found your aunt’s office and discovered some very interesting letters in her desk.”

  “You went through her desk?”

  “Not intentionally, but I wanted to see if there was anything that might tell us about the house.”

  “That’s an invasion of her privacy.”

  “She can come back to haunt me for it.” Darla gave her a smirk.

  “Fine. What did you find?”

  Darla moved a stack of papers from the other side of her plate closer toward Rory. They appeared to be letters written in a variety of different handwritings. Rory glanced through them, but she couldn’t read them in such dim light.

  “What do they say?” she asked, knowing Darla would have read them already.

  “They appear to be letters from various people offering to buy the house from your aunt. It seems that she used to host balls and parties here, bringing in some of the wealthiest and most influential people in the country. Some of them were so impressed, they offered to buy the place.”

  “Was she trying to sell it?”

  “No, but they assumed a woman living here alone would want to move away.” Darla twitched her nose. “Apparently, they believed all unmarried women would want to go to London to find a husband. Most of them sounded like they were offering to save her from her own poor choices.”

  “Men,” Rory said, and both women shook their heads. “Clearly, she didn’t want to sell; she died in the house. She must have turned down all the offers.”

  “Yes, even though some of them were very generous.”

  “She must have loved it here very much.”

  It must have been much prettier when her aunt had lived here. Now it wasn’t much to covet.

  “What happened to her here?” Darla’s question surprised her.

  “A fever took her when she was in her forties. I remember my mother saying she was still too young to pass away.”

  “One never knows when life will end.”

  That wasn’t an uplifting sentiment. Considering her unpleasant situation, Rory would rather not think about that.

  “Do you think any of those gentlemen might still be interested in purchasing the property?” Rory asked, her mind beginning to formulate a plan.

  “Perhaps. Some of the letters seemed very aggressive.”

  “I think we should entertain some of the offers, then.” Rory began looking at the letters more closely.

  “You plan to just write them out of the blue? That might seem a bit desperate.”

  “No, I would never be that foolish. I could invite them to visit. Host a small party like my aunt used to have. I will hold it in her honor. If I include these gentlemen on the guest list, perhaps they will approach the new owner with similar offers.”

  “You want to host a party in this place?”

  Rory knew the idea sounded mad considering it was in disrepair, but she knew they could fix just enough of it to make it look good to a lazy observer. It would be something they couldn’t do alone, but she knew where they might be able to find the help. “We will need to go to town tomorrow.”

  “You mean...?”

  “Yes. We will hire Mr. Murdoch to help us get the house in good enough shape to host the party. Then we can sell it for a decent profit.” Rory could almost feel the elation of financial freedom again. “That will be enough to get us back to London.”

  “Will you be able to tolerate him long enough for this plan to work?”

  “That will be the biggest question.”

  Chapter 5

  THEY CHOSE TO STAY at an inn within the Summerhill village before continuing to Chatham. Sleep was difficult for Clayton, and he didn’t know which of his troubles was keeping him up. Every mile down the road brought him closer to home and closer to family. Closer to a mother who had been praying for her sons’ safe return but would learn he was the only one left. Her other son was gone from this world, and it was his fault. Seeing her face when she learned that news was not something he looked forward to. It would have been better for her to think both her younger sons were dead, but Thomas refused.

  Yet there was also that other woman niggling in the back of his mind. Her taunting smile and delicious scent had brought him close to temptation in that tiny carriage. Clayton knew she had felt it too, but she would never admit to such attraction to someone of his station—or the station she thought he held, at least. They were only a few miles away, but he felt as though she was well out of reach.

  “Still thinking about that piece of skirt?” Rex asked him. They had
just finished breakfast, and Clayton was staring out the window. She was what occupied his thoughts.

  “She was just so frustrating.”

  “Both of them were.”

  Clayton raised one eyebrow. “Her companion barely spoke.”

  “Exactly. I don’t trust a woman who doesn’t know how to flirt.”

  “You just don’t like it when they resist your charm.”

  “It rarely happens.”

  Clayton laughed at his friend’s oversized ego. For such a ladies’ man, he was surprisingly sensitive to rejection. “Lady Rory might not have been fresh to the London season, but she is far from on the shelf. I wonder why she decided to leave the London.” Clayton thought out loud.

  “That companion of hers was definitely beyond the marriage mart. I have never been near such a cold fish. Woman gave me the chills all day.”

  “I suspect there was more than meets the eye to both of them.”

  “Are you wanting a second look?” Rex didn’t look pleased by the idea. “You might not need to go out of your way for that.”

  A servant appeared, holding a letter with a lady’s handwriting on the front.

  Clayton took it and read it. “You are right, the lady has summoned me.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “Perhaps she heard us talking about her.”

  “It would be just our luck.”

  “Not feeling up to facing the dragon again today?”

  “I can face any lady.” Rex grimaced. “I just won’t enjoy this one as much.”

  It took very little time for them to travel back to Summerhill Manor. He was surprised to find that both ladies were waiting outside for them. They were having an animated conversation, but they stopped abruptly when the men arrived.

  “Lady Rory,” Clayton said as he and Rex approached them on the porch. “This is a surprise. I didn’t think I would be seeing you again.”

  “Neither did I.” She didn’t sound happy about it.

  “Your note had a sense of urgency to it. Were we wrong to come?” Clayton felt odd standing there in the drive, but Rory made no offer to let them in the house.

  “I have something business related to ask you.” Rory looked up at him from beneath the brim of a very large hat. He didn’t know if that was meant to protect her from the sun or from his gaze.

  “What kind of business?” Clayton watched her gloved fingers played with the edge of her gloves. “I got the impression you looked down on men who were in business.”

  “I never said that!” Her voice went up a full octave.

  “You made it very clear without words.”

  He was beginning to think it was the sound of his voice that made her blush, since it happened almost every time they spoke.

  “I’m sorry if I offended you before. That was not my intention.”

  “I know what your intention was.” Clayton leaned back with his arms crossed. “I’m willing to get past it. Especially for business.”

  She was doing that thing where she nibbled on her bottom lip, and he found it hard to concentrate on much else. “I would like to hire you, Mr. Murdoch.” Her voice wavered as she spoke. “The house I inherited needs more repairs than I expected and I could use your expertise.”

  “To fix your house?” Clayton laughed at how absurd that was. “I don’t just do repairs. I build houses that people pay fortunes for.”

  “Not here, they don’t,” she snapped back. “No one has even heard of you. At least not in London, where it counts. If you are hoping to make a name here, you will have to start somewhere.” Her eyes lit up when she was angry. She wasn’t going to easily give up on something she wanted. They had more in common than she realized.

  “I don’t need your help to make a name for myself here. I already have a client waiting for me in Chatham.”

  “Who?”

  Clayton was shocked that she was insinuating she didn’t believe him. She was offending his honor in public.

  “I don’t have to prove anything to you.” He straightened up slowly, letting his full height stretch out in front of her. She had to take a step back to hold eye contact with him.

  “I’m sorry, but it seems you have a lot to prove to everyone here.” She managed to sound haughty even as she was looking up at him.

  “What are you offering me in exchange for my services?”

  For a moment she stared at his lips, and he wondered if she was going to offer something wicked. That might make the delay well worth it. Instead, she shook her head a little and looked away.

  “I don’t have much to pay you now, but I can give you a portion of the sale.”

  “You are going to sell Summerhill Manor?”

  That was shocking enough to push the air from his lungs in a loud cough. He could see how beautiful that house was in person. Not to mention what he knew about it from growing up so close to the place. The idea that she would be selling such an amazing structure made his stomach sink.

  “Who is the new buyer?” he asked.

  “I don’t have one...yet,” she said quickly. “But I hope to find one soon. I need to make the necessary improvements to it first.”

  “So, that’s what you really want? Me to increase the value for you?”

  “I want your help, yes.”

  Clayton had to admit he would enjoy getting a good look at the place, especially if it was as beautiful on the inside as it appeared on the outside. There could be any number of hidden details that hadn’t seen proper care in a very long time. Bringing a house like that back to its glory was the type of project he loved.

  “Let’s go have a look at it, shall we?” He gave a dramatic bow and pointed toward the door.

  Rex grumbled and cursed under his breath, but Clayton ignored him. He wished he could do the same for Rory. That was much more difficult.

  Regardless of the harsh treatment he had gotten from her before, he saw something in her expression while she was asking for his help that surprised him. It was desperation, and he had no explanation for it. Very curious.

  “Why aren’t you asking your brother for help? You are related to Lord Chadwick, correct?”

  Lord Chadwick was someone Clayton had been familiar with before he had left London. They ran in different circles, but he had heard the two siblings were close.

  “He could easily hire workers to fix up the place. They could get it done much faster and without causing you any discomfort,” Clayton added.

  “Henry is in Scotland at the moment.”

  “That doesn’t stop money from changing hands. He could hire them by post.”

  “I don’t want to bother him while he is away.”

  Her nose twitched. She was lying to him. He chose not to call her on it.

  “Then perhaps you should wait. Go back to London until he returns.”

  “London has grown tired to me. I want something fresh and revitalizing.”

  He turned around to fully take in the dilapidated foyer. “This is your idea of revitalizing?”

  Clayton could see how beautiful the house had once been, and in his mind he was already planning the steps it would take to get it back to its former glory. Like any job, he let the image of what it would be like when he was done guide him, as he walked past the stairs and deeper into the house. Clayton was a careful planner and meticulous in his daily work, but it always started with his imagination.

  “It’s been alone too long. I regret that I didn’t get out here sooner.” Rory fell into step behind him as he walked through the house. “I hope to fix the thigs that are most important first. The things that are most visible.”

  The things that couldn’t be seen, such as the structure of the house, should be first, but he saw that hungry look in her eye again. If her goal was to sell the house, that might be why she only cared about it looking good.

  “The walls would be easy enough, and the floors could be stripped and waxed in a couple of days,” Clayton told her. “We would need supplies from London.”

  “I d
on’t have anyone to spare.”

  Clayton looked at Rex, who gave a casual shrug.

  “Do you have the money to pay for them?” Clayton asked.

  That nose twitched again. “I don’t have the money on hand, but I believe I could get the credit loaned to me. My family name is very well respected.”

  Now they were getting a little closer to the truth. Lady Rory was suffering from money troubles. Clayton wondered if it was something her brother had done before he left. Only a coward would leave his sister behind to clean up his mess. Clayton lost all respect for the man in that moment.

  “I can pay for it,” he offered. “As part of the investment into my portion of the sale.”

  “We discussed a fee, not a percentage.”

  “A percentage is all I will accept.”

  “I’m only going to offer you a flat rate, like any hired worker.”

  Clayton laughed. He couldn’t help it. She looked so outraged, standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. It really was adorable.

  “I never agreed to a payment amount. I haven’t agreed to this task at all. If you want my services, you had better agree to my terms.”

  “What are those, exactly?”

  “I’m going to want half.”

  He knew that demand would shock her, but he wasn’t prepared for her reaction to be so vivid. For a moment he thought she was going to strike him, and the expression on her friend’s face showed that she did too. Darla rushed forward and put a hand on Rory’s arm.

  She visibly vibrated with anger. “That is a ridiculous amount to ask for. You have no ownership here, and I’m only wanting a few weeks of work.”

  “No one else can do what I can in two weeks. You give me that and I will guarantee you a top-dollar purchase offer.”

  He could make that kind of promise because he knew how amazing the place could be.

  “Do you have someone else who can get the job quickly and impressively?” he pushed when she didn’t say anything. “If so, I would be happy to leave. I still have someone waiting for me in Chatham.”