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with, who would chase away the frightening memories of his own past and the dreadful time he had growing up in circumstances no child should ever have to endure.
    It was not that he did not like Lucie. Indeed, his ability to abstain from seducing her had tested his control to the limit. In every way, she was a strong contender for the role as his countess. As much as he did not care to admit that Eleanor was right, she had been bred for the position. The trouble was that, unless he came to a decision of his own making, he spurned anyone else making it for him. Shades of his father! Was he still upset with the commands that had piled continuously on his head until in desperation he had broken free of his familial bondage? It was more than likely.
    With luck, everything would soon be resolved. Lucie would find someone she was happy to marry. Although the prospect of her marrying someone else did not sit well either, bringing a sour taste to his mouth. He thought of her sweet lips and the fragrance of her hair, and the obnoxious concept of someone strange making free with her body, and realised he couldn’t bear it to be anyone other than himself. As he realised the direction of his thoughts, his horse suddenly lost its stride, and tossing its head up and whinnying, it yanked at the bit. Pulling Jamal to a stop, he dismounted and went round to his head to gentle the beast who was breathing heavily through his nose.
    “Sorry, old fellow. Crass idiot that I am, I was lost in my thoughts and rough with your mouth, but I would never hurt you on purpose. I’m not thinking straight, that’s for sure. Perhaps these days in London will help me get my mind in order.”
    He spent a few minutes soothing his horse, remounted, and continued his journey.
    Once in London and booked in at the Regency Hotel, he set himself to accomplishing all the tasks he had listed. He sent a note to Thomas Whitaker, his father’s solicitor, who he’d decided to retain for himself, and the man promptly invited him to dinner. He was happy to find he was satisfied with the choice. They discussed a great deal during the meal, most significantly the way his father had conducted his business affairs. Even though he’d tried to give wise counsel, Whitaker was unable to persuade his father to use this advice. He was completely honest about his failure and the rows he’d had with the Earl when Edward Martell spurned him.
    “You would have inherited a great deal more if his lordship had only listened to me. I despaired at times with his choleric nature. I can only assume I was not the only one who bore the weight of his tongue. Your own history, milord, bears witness to that.”
    It enabled Richard to put his mind at rest in selecting Whitaker to guard his business affairs. The candid revelations that the solicitor revealed told Richard the man knew of the vicious temper his father possessed but had still tried to pursue a sensible course. Nothing mattered now. He had inherited a title and little else except a tract of land, a rundown manor house, and a castle ruin. Fortunately, his riches were enough to overcome the loss of finance and would be enough to restore his estate to a reasonable level.
    Finally, Thomas Whitaker sat back and gazed at the glass of port he held in his hand and said, “We seem to have covered the ground of everything that needs doing in the immediate future bar one, my lord. Naturally, it is hardly something I normally give advice on, but it appears to me you have taken a great burden on your shoulders with the intent of managing alone. Have you any thoughts of marriage? A household runs well with a woman in charge to see to the house and one’s comfort. The best position is to have jurisdiction over the whole without suffering the trying complaints of staff and the like.”
    Richard smiled wryly. “My godmother was at pains to point that out. I explained I had no time just now to choose a wife, meaning I did not want to be landed