Read Online Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney - Free Book Online

had given him another son,” she said, bewildered. “What did he hope to achieve by not accepting that?”
     
    “He was praying for a miracle,” Nicholas said dryly. “Very pious, my grandfather. He was sure that God would provide something better than an heir who was tainted by Gypsy blood.”
     
    Seeing through his mocking tone, Clare regarded him with too-perceptive eyes. “Is that why you hated him?”
     
    Wondering why he had said more to a near stranger than he had ever revealed to his closest friends, he said, “That’s no business of yours, my dear.” He took her arm and headed up the hill to their mounts. “Has anyone ever pointed out that you’re too clever by half?”
     
    “It’s been mentioned. Why do you think I’m a spinster?” She swung into her saddle, then looked down at him gravely. “Your grandfather had a reputation as a good Christian and a conscientious lord. I’m beginning to think that the truth must have been less flattering.”
     
    “Clever, clever Clare.” He mounted his own horse and turned it back the way they had come. “Why do you care about such ancient history?”
     
    “Isn’t a mistress supposed to care about her lover?” she asked softly.
     
    Their glances met, and Nicholas felt something shift deep inside him, creating a moment of strange vulnerability. This woman could hurt him badly if he wasn’t careful. Retreating again to mockery, he said, “A mistress should care a little, but not too much. Money and passion are the foundation of this sort of relationship.”
     
    Refusing to be put off, she said, “Since I don’t want either of those things, where does that leave me?”
     
    “As the patron saint of a slate quarry,” he said promptly. “Perhaps I’ll call it the Great Clare.” When she made a face, he continued, “Speaking of your projects, I want to visit the coal pit. Can you arrange that through your friends?”
     
    “I’m sure the manager, George Madoc, would be happy to receive a visit from the greatest landowner in the area.”
     
    He made an impatient gesture. “It’s not Madoc I want to see, or at least, not yet. I’d rather go into the mine with a knowledgable guide so I can see for myself the problems that you mentioned.”
     
    Once again Clare felt that she was caught up in a tempest. She had not expected Nicholas to move so quickly, or be so determined to live up to his part of the bargain. “The leader of my class-meeting is a hewer in the pit. I’m sure he’d be willing to take you down and explain the hazards.”
     
    “Will doing so put his job at risk?”
     
    “Perhaps,” she admitted. “But if he should be discharged, you could hire him for the quarry. He’s an outstanding worker.”
     
    “Very well. Arrange it for as soon as possible, preferably at a time when Madoc isn’t about. No reason to borrow trouble.”
     
    They both fell silent. It was near noon, and unseasonably warm. Since Nicholas was bareheaded, Clare decided that she too could take off her hat. After a long, cold winter, the sun’s rays on her face felt wonderful.
     
    Nicholas dismounted to open a gate that led into a pasture full of black Welsh cattle. Knowing that he would simply jump the fence if he were alone, Clare appreciated the courtesy.
     
    As he closed the gate behind her, he remarked, “You’re right that the local agricultural practices need attention. Driving the best cattle off to London every year has caused the quality of stock to deteriorate badly throughout Wales. While we’re in London, I’ll see about buying a couple of high quality bulls for breeding stock. Besides using them to improve the Aberdare herd, I’ll make them available to the local smallholders.”
     
    Nicholas’s deviltry must be contagious, for Clare found herself saying, “I suppose that providing a local stud service is the first thing a rake would think of.”
     
    Instead of being insulted, he gave a shout of laughter. “If you aren’t