makes me grin like this every damn day, so don’t take it personally.” Then his expression sobered. “How much have you learned? About your responsibilities, the state of the tenants?” He leaned forward. “Do you even know what crops you grow?”
Radley let his head drop. He didn’t know any of those things, beyond the barest. “I know they want me to marry Lady Eleanor.”
Lord Crowle grunted as he dropped onto the bunk beside Radley. “She’s not so bad, as uptight shrews go. She had no use for me, of course, but as the feeling was mutual, I didn’t really care.” Then at Radley’s sideways look, the man shrugged. “I’ve been a scapegrace and an idiot for most of my life. All the smart women avoided me, and Lady Eleanor is no fool.”
“I’m not marrying her,” he said, the words sounding more churlish than powerful. Damn, his head hurt.
“There you go,” the man enthused. “Set down the law right away. Only way to handle those solicitor types. Course, the minute you poke your head into society, you’ll be swarmed by every marriageable woman looking to be a duchess. And that’s not even counting the other women.”
“Other women?”
“In the mood for a mistress? Or a dozen?”
“No!” Then he groaned at the way the word exploded in his head.
Crowle laughed and clapped him on the shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you how to avoid them. You’ll get the hang of it right quick. It’s the estate, though, that you have to worry about. Don’t know anything about how the Duke of Bucklynde was situated, but I do know that with all the sickness and the like, the land has been neglected. And winter’s coming on.”
“I know,” he said miserably. “They told me they’d hired a steward.”
“Well, there are stewards, and then there are stewards. My brother’s the best there is and he’d be able to advise you better than I, but I know the basics. I can help you get started.”
Radley lifted his head, squinting past the pain to inspect the happy-go-lucky nob. “What’s your game?”
The man nodded his approval. “That’s the way of it! Question everybody right now because everyone is going to nibble as much of you as they can get. Well, everyone except me. I’m here trying to make nice with my new father-in-law. He’s right that I did things backwards with his daughter. So when he asks me to help a sailor suddenly turned duke…” He spread his arms wide. “I’m here with alacrity to render aid.”
Knopp’s voice boomed as he stepped into the cabin. “And not laugh too hard at his discomfort. Man’s lost the sea, you know. All but drowned myself in drink when I had to give it up.” He thunked his thigh right above his knee. “Couldn’t walk the rigging anymore. Saddest day of my life.”
Radley groaned as his chest tightened to an unbearable pain. Was he really done? Would he never sail again?
“There, there. Have some more—”
Too late. Radley was retching up everything he’d consumed in the last twenty-four hours. If only he could get rid of the events of the last day as easily.
***
“If you break that, I’ll box your ears before you can draw breath to scream!”
Wendy winced as her mother screeched at Freddie. He was only one of three men sent to cart all their worldly goods to their new rooms, but he was the most ham-fisted. He blushed a bright red at her remarks—especially as the other men snickered—but then he focused on hefting her mother’s prized possession out the door. It was her treadle wheel for spinning, and it was as large as her mother’s short five-foot frame.
“Mind the top, ya dolt! And that crockery—”
“Mama, stop!” Wendy took a breath, her nerves frazzled and her head pounding. She hated leaving their home, dreaded where they were going, and most of all, ached for some nameless something that would make this fear go away. It was foolish dreaming, but she wanted it. And that want made the present all the more
Radley let his head drop. He didn’t know any of those things, beyond the barest. “I know they want me to marry Lady Eleanor.”
Lord Crowle grunted as he dropped onto the bunk beside Radley. “She’s not so bad, as uptight shrews go. She had no use for me, of course, but as the feeling was mutual, I didn’t really care.” Then at Radley’s sideways look, the man shrugged. “I’ve been a scapegrace and an idiot for most of my life. All the smart women avoided me, and Lady Eleanor is no fool.”
“I’m not marrying her,” he said, the words sounding more churlish than powerful. Damn, his head hurt.
“There you go,” the man enthused. “Set down the law right away. Only way to handle those solicitor types. Course, the minute you poke your head into society, you’ll be swarmed by every marriageable woman looking to be a duchess. And that’s not even counting the other women.”
“Other women?”
“In the mood for a mistress? Or a dozen?”
“No!” Then he groaned at the way the word exploded in his head.
Crowle laughed and clapped him on the shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you how to avoid them. You’ll get the hang of it right quick. It’s the estate, though, that you have to worry about. Don’t know anything about how the Duke of Bucklynde was situated, but I do know that with all the sickness and the like, the land has been neglected. And winter’s coming on.”
“I know,” he said miserably. “They told me they’d hired a steward.”
“Well, there are stewards, and then there are stewards. My brother’s the best there is and he’d be able to advise you better than I, but I know the basics. I can help you get started.”
Radley lifted his head, squinting past the pain to inspect the happy-go-lucky nob. “What’s your game?”
The man nodded his approval. “That’s the way of it! Question everybody right now because everyone is going to nibble as much of you as they can get. Well, everyone except me. I’m here trying to make nice with my new father-in-law. He’s right that I did things backwards with his daughter. So when he asks me to help a sailor suddenly turned duke…” He spread his arms wide. “I’m here with alacrity to render aid.”
Knopp’s voice boomed as he stepped into the cabin. “And not laugh too hard at his discomfort. Man’s lost the sea, you know. All but drowned myself in drink when I had to give it up.” He thunked his thigh right above his knee. “Couldn’t walk the rigging anymore. Saddest day of my life.”
Radley groaned as his chest tightened to an unbearable pain. Was he really done? Would he never sail again?
“There, there. Have some more—”
Too late. Radley was retching up everything he’d consumed in the last twenty-four hours. If only he could get rid of the events of the last day as easily.
***
“If you break that, I’ll box your ears before you can draw breath to scream!”
Wendy winced as her mother screeched at Freddie. He was only one of three men sent to cart all their worldly goods to their new rooms, but he was the most ham-fisted. He blushed a bright red at her remarks—especially as the other men snickered—but then he focused on hefting her mother’s prized possession out the door. It was her treadle wheel for spinning, and it was as large as her mother’s short five-foot frame.
“Mind the top, ya dolt! And that crockery—”
“Mama, stop!” Wendy took a breath, her nerves frazzled and her head pounding. She hated leaving their home, dreaded where they were going, and most of all, ached for some nameless something that would make this fear go away. It was foolish dreaming, but she wanted it. And that want made the present all the more
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