With his hands tucked into his pockets, Colin crunched up the drive toward Elmthwaite Hall, after seeing Nora to her lane. She’d encouraged him to return to the party rather than walking her to her doorstep, and he’d agreed. The temptation to kiss her again—more soundly this time—might have proven too great if they’d lingered in the dark by her cottage. So he had contented himself with placing a kiss on her palm before bidding her good night.
Ahead of him he spied Lyle standing in the alcove of the front doors. Colin lifted his hand in greeting. “Escaped the party, did you?”
Lyle shrugged. “Lady Sophia is looking for you.”
Colin frowned at the news. “No chance she’d buy a story of my drowning in the lake during a midnight swim?”
His friend chuckled. “Might be worth a try.”
“You don’t like her?” Colin came to stand next to him, his eyes on the few stars he could see through the clouds.
“Wealthy, beautiful, and extremely smug. Most definitely not my type.”
They stared at the sky in comfortable silence until Lyle asked, “Did Nora enjoy the party?”
“I believe so.” Colin thought of their kiss. If her response was any indication of her feelings, he felt confident she was ready to put the past behind her and consider him a true contender for her heart.
“What now?” Lyle’s question wiped the grin from Colin’s face.
Colin turned to him. “What do you mean?”
“Are you going to marry her?”
He wanted to, and that desire increased every minute he spent with Nora, but would Sir Edward ever allow it? “My father has his hopes pinned on someone else. Someone like Lady Sophia and her father’s pile of riches.”
Lyle frowned and shook his head. “I’ve never seen you this happy before, Ashby. And that’s Nora doing.”
Colin ran a hand over his jaw as the old guilt and doubts assailed him. “It’s complicated.” How much should he share? The burden he’d been carrying since meeting Nora begged to be lightened. “My father wants her land—to build a hotel.”
“What does Nora say about that?”
Shame coated Colin’s throat so he could hardly voice his response. “She doesn’t know.” Lyle’s eyebrows rose in challenge, bringing a frustrated sigh from Colin. “He charged me to get to know her and persuade her to leave. I tried, at least in the beginning, but…well, I failed, Lyle.”
“Because you’re in love with her.”
“Yes,” he murmured to the gravel. “But that doesn’t change the fact that my father needs this hotel. It’s the reason we converted the stables—to bring in more cars and provide guests with transportation from the railway to Elmthwaite.”
Lyle leaned against the nearby stone wall, his cane clutched in both hands. “Is the estate really in need of the revenue?”
“Yes.” Colin kicked at a pebble and sent it skipping over the drive. “If we do nothing and I choose not to marry someone wealthy like the earl’s daughter, we’ll have to sell Elmthwaite eventually. And that is something I promised Christian I would never do.”
“What will you do then?”
Colin gave a bitter laugh. “I was hoping you might have some advice.”
A sad smile settled on Lyle’s face. “I don’t think I’m qualified to give the best advice in terms of marriage or women. But…” He threw a pointed look at Colin. “Nora Lewis seems to be the kind of woman a man ought to fight for. She’s worth a hundred of those stuffy heiresses here tonight.”
The truth of Lyle’s words pierced Colin deep, scattering his worries like bits of wool. How could he stand by and let someone like Nora walk away? While Elmthwaite Hall might mean the world to him now, his world meant nothing without Nora. “You’re right. It’s time I told her what she means to me.”
“What about your father and his plans?”
A sense of loss moved through Colin at the reminder. He wouldn’t live up to Sir Edward’s expectations after all and he would let Christian down in the process. But Nora was worth far more to him. “He’ll have to make other arrangements.”
Lyle met his level gaze and seemed to understand the price of Colin’s simple statement. “Good luck, ol’ chap.” He clapped a hand onto Colin’s shoulder.
“We’re both going to need it,” Colin said with a chuckle.
“And why is that?”
He turned toward the door. “Because Lady Sophia will be staying on a few more days.”
“Ah, but it is your illustrious company she desires.” Lyle grinned as he shuffled past Colin.
“Don’t remind me.”
“Forget luck then, Colin. I’d say you’re going to need something much stronger.”
* * *
Nora let Phoebe out the back door. The morning air drew a shiver from her, but it couldn’t erase the smile playing at her lips. She might have felt out of place at the party last night in the company of women like Lady Sophia, but not in Colin’s presence. With him, she felt cherished, beautiful, important. And when he’d kissed her…it didn’t matter if she was a sheep farmer and he was the son of a baronet. They were simply a man and a woman in love.
The faint sound of someone knocking at the front door reached her ears. Who would be coming around at this early hour? Could it be Colin? Her heart leaped in anticipation.
“You wait here,” she told Phoebe.
She quickly tied the dog’s rope to one of the gate posts and hurried back into the house. Thankfully she’d already dressed and brushed her hair. Another knock drew her down the hall. At the front door, she smoothed her hair back.
“Good morn—” She choked on the words as she threw open the door and found Sir Edward standing there.
The older gentleman looked equally uncomfortable. “I apologize for coming here so early, Miss Lewis, but there’s an important matter I wish to discuss with you.”
Nora swallowed her surprise and stepped back. “Come in then.”
Sir Edward crossed the threshold and stopped in the entryway. Nora managed to close the door behind him, but he remained where he stood.
“It’s been more than thirty years since I was last inside this house,” he murmured, his eyes taking in the parlor and the dining room.
Though she wasn’t sure he’d give an answer, she couldn’t help asking, “What was my mother like back then?”
The slightest smile crinkled the corners of his mouth. “She had a contagious passion for life and was very beautiful.” He frowned at the cap in his hands. “I wanted to attend her funeral, but I wasn’t sure your grandfather or the other villagers would appreciate my presence. I don’t know that they ever forgave me for breaking her heart all those years ago.”
“She did marry for love later on,” Nora said, hoping to dispel the sadness and guilt hanging like a shroud around him.
“Yes, Matthew Galbert. A good man, though very ill. And you’re their daughter?”
She nodded and maintained a steady gaze, despite the way he scrutinized her. Why was he willing to acknowledge her and her mother today when he hadn’t last night?
“I’d heard Eleanor had a daughter, who went to live with relatives, but I had no idea you’d been sent all the way to America.”
A strained silence clouded the space between them. “Would you like to sit down?” Nora waved in the direction of the parlor.
Straightening to his full height, Sir Edward marched into the parlor and took a seat in the armchair. Nora sat on the settee.
“I’ll get straight to the point, Miss Lewis.” Something in his curt tone told her he wasn’t here to reminisce. “I want to buy your land.”
“What?” She gave a startled laugh. “Whatever for?”
“I want to build a hotel on this property, to bring tourists to Larksbeck and Elmthwaite Hall.”
He wasn’t joking. Nora frowned at the realization. “I don’t understand.”
He glowered at her as if she were a simpleton. “You have the best view of the lake, apart from Elmthwaite Hall, of course. So naturally this would be an ideal setting for guests to experience the Lake District.”
She drew herself up. “But this is my home.”
“Yes, and Elmthwaite is mine,” he shot back. “Or it will be as long as we move forward with this plan. We need the extra funds, I’m afraid.”
“We?” Every piece of this conversation was proving to be a study in confusion.
Sir Edward lifted his boot onto his knee, a hard sort of smile twisting his face. “Yes, myself and Colin.”
The air felt sucked from Nora’s lungs. “Colin?” she repeated in a strangled voice.
“Of course. The boy’s to inherit my title and the estate someday. Naturally he wants to see it continue to flourish. A hotel here would ensure that.”
Why did it feel so difficult to breathe? Nora pressed a hand to the base of her throat. Colin wanted her land for a hotel?
“I asked him to charm you, to convince you to go elsewhere, but I realized last night that you may have charmed him instead. Therefore, I’ve taken it upon myself to deliver my request.”
Nora’s thoughts were a snarled mess. Colin had been given the task to charm her? To convince her to leave? She thought of their kisses, their time together. It had all been an act? Heat crept into her cheeks. She’d been a fool to think the son of a baronet would take sincere interest in her.
Anger followed on the heels of her embarrassment when she thought of the broken window, the destroyed garden, the fallen stone wall. Colin had clearly grown desperate these past few weeks to stoop to such means of persuasion.
She dug her nails into the palm of her right hand, the very palm Colin had the audacity to kiss last night. He’d even promised to find out who was doing the vandalizing when all along it had been him.
“What do you say, Miss Lewis? Are you willing to sell?” Sir Edward lowered his foot to the floor. “I’ll pay you enough to give you a fresh start somewhere else.”
A fresh start was the reason she’d come here in the first place. Nora scanned the simply decorated room, taking in the things her parents and grandparents had owned. Could she leave this place, now that she knew it was the place of her birth, a place where she still had family?
Her eyes fixed upon the gramophone. Memories of listening to it with Colin and Lyle traipsed through her mind. This cottage held more than forgotten times with her family—it held countless moments with Colin, too. Could she remain here with those recollections, knowing all the while it had been a ruse?
Tears blurred Sir Edward’s image, but she blinked them back. She would not cry in front of this arrogant man. “I’d like a week to make my decision. I’ll let you know then if I intend to sell.”
“Very good.” He jammed his cap back on and stood. Nora didn’t bother to join him. He could let himself out. “A pleasure doing business with you, Miss Lewis. I’ll be in touch in one week. Good day.”
At the click of the door behind him, Nora dropped onto her side, her cheek pressed to the couch. The tears fell from her face onto the worn fabric, but they did little to ease the hurt lancing through her. She’d given her heart away, only to lose it all over again. But this time, there wasn’t the knowledge she’d been loved in return. No, this gaping hole couldn’t be partially filled with happy memories of the deceased.
“Oh, Mother,” she whimpered, not sure if she meant Eleanor or Grace, or both. A wave of loneliness crashed over her, stealing her breath with its intensity. She hadn’t felt this alone and abandoned in a long time. At least she still had Phoebe.
She sat up and dried her cheeks with the back of her hand. Wherever she ended up, she still had the puppy. In that, she could be thankful for Colin.
Grabbing her sweater from the kitchen, Nora stepped out the back door. She needed a walk, a chance to clear her head and think carefully over her decision. “Ready for a walk, Phoebe?”
She shut the door and turned toward the gate. Phoebe wasn’t there, straining at her rope as usual. Concern gripped Nora’s heart as she walked to the post. The top of the dog’s rope was still tied, but somehow the rest of the line had snapped in half.
“Phoebe?” she called. “Phoebe, come here.”
The dog didn’t appear. Nora pushed through the gate into the field, looking for the puppy. There was no sign of her. Her worry churned to desperation in her stomach and brought a resurgence of her earlier tears. She brushed them away and leaned over the stone wall, scanning the ground for paw prints. After a few moments, she caught sight of something long and thin lying in the grass.
Nora scrambled over the wall and reached down to pick up the rest of Phoebe’s rope. It was still attached to the dog’s collar. How had the puppy managed to wriggle out of it? There was no telling where she’d run off to now. Nora lifted her eyes to the fell, rising into the gray clouds in front of her. Would Phoebe venture that far from the cottage? There was only one way to find out.
She started up the face of the mountain, her shoulders pulled back in resolution. “Phoebe?” she yelled every few feet. Rainy mist soon dampened her sweater, but she didn’t turn back. She had to find Phoebe—the dog was the only thing she had left.
* * *
A firm knock at Colin’s door had him glancing at the mantle clock. It was early in the morning still, but Gibson was already helping him dress. He didn’t want to wait any longer than he had to before going to tell Nora how he felt.
“Come in,” Colin said, curious as to who else in the house had awakened early. Perhaps it was Lyle.
The door opened and there stood his father. A feeling of dread began to fill Colin’s gut at the sight.
“Will you excuse us, Gibson?” Sir Edward directed as he entered the room.
“Yes, sir.” Gibson finished buttoning the cuffs on Colin’s sleeves before he exited the room and shut the door.
“What can I help you with, Father?” Colin worked at the buttons on his shirt, his jaw clenched in forced patience.
Instead of answering, Sir Edward dropped into one of the armchairs and leaned back. Colin caught the man’s self-satisfied smile in the mirror. What was his father so happy about this morning?
“I believe congratulations are in order, my boy. I have done in one morning what it’s taken you weeks to do.”
Colin’s fingers stilled as he slowly turned around. The trepidation inside him grew stronger, heavier. “What are you talking about?”
“Miss Lewis, of course. I simply walked over and made her my offer.”
The words sliced through Colin like knives, each one leaving him more bloodied and battered than the last. He gripped the cushioned back of the other armchair. “That is not what we agreed to. You told me I had until the end of the month to talk to her.”
“Yes, and we both know that wouldn’t have happened.” Sir Edward drew one foot onto his knee. “I’m not blind, boy. I saw the way you looked at her last night. You’ve gone soft over a pretty face.” He tugged at the top of his shoe. “Just like I did with her mother, all those years ago.”
“What did you say to her?” Colin challenged, his fury giving bite to each syllable.
“I told her I wanted to buy her land, for the hotel. She didn’t refuse outright, which I’d fully expected. Instead she told me she’d let me know in a week.”
Something inside Colin snapped at his father’s casual tone. Nora wouldn’t give up the cottage so easily. Which meant Sir Edward had clearly said more than he was letting on. He stalked to his father’s chair and stood over him, his hands clenched into fists. “What else did you say to her? Did you mention me?”
Sir Edward frowned up at him. “Well, of course I did.”
Colin ran his hands through his hair and paced back toward the mirror. The happiness and dreams he’d enjoyed last night had vanished like morning fog against the heat of the sun. What must Nora think of him now? He’d managed to win her heart, but now she must think it was only because he wanted to gain her land for the hotel.
He hurried to do up the last of his shirt buttons and jerked his jacket off the bed where Gibson had placed it. Forget his vest and tie. Shoving his arms into the jacket, he marched to the door.
“Where are you going?” his father demanded as he rose to his feet.
“To explain the truth…to Nora.”
“Nora?”
“Miss Lewis.” Colin threw open the door.
“I forbid you to leave. I’ve already settled things there and you’ll only make matters worse.”
Colin spun around. “You still don’t understand, do you, Father? I love her.” His finger shook with anger as he pointed it at his father. “And I will not sit back while you run her off. Just like you allowed your father to do with Nora’s mother.”
Sir Edward’s face twisted into a hard glare. “You don’t know the first thing about the past. I had to choose, as you must. I could not afford to throw my life away on the daughter of a penniless farmer, and neither can you. You must choose this estate over young love, as I did. I chose Elmthwaite. And so must you. Without more capital, we cannot build the sort of hotel I intend to or continue to run the estate until this business venture begins to pay for itself.”
Colin fought the urge to take his father by the collar and shake him. He would not be ordered into a loveless marriage. “You are mistaken if you think I’ll marry for money alone as you did.”
“How dare you.” Sir Edward’s voice held no warmth, only stony reserve. “Your mother and I have been happy all these years. Even if love took time to grow, I have cared for and respected her from the very first. Unlike my own father, my eyes have never wandered to another woman. It has been your mother, and her alone, whom I have honored.”
Shame doused some of the flames of Colin’s anger. Whatever his faults, his father had always been faithful to his mother. “I’m sorry, Father. But do not force me to choose between the estate and my heart.” He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Because I will choose differently than you did.”
Sir Edward turned his back to Colin. “Christian wouldn’t,” he threw over his shoulder.
The accusation punctured Colin’s heart, leaving him breathless with the pain. “You’re right. Christian wouldn’t. But I am not Christian, and I never will be.” He straightened to his full height, reining in the hurt, as he spoke the words he’d longed to since coming home. “I’m Colin, your other son. Remember? The one who’s still living.”
His father didn’t turn around, but his body no longer stood erect and proud. He seemed to slump forward as if unable to bear the weight of the painful memories.
“You raised Christian to successfully take over for you, but none of us imagined he wouldn’t be here to follow in your footsteps.” Colin took a step back into the room, wanting to make him understand. “But I’m still here. To help, in my own way.”
“You go after that woman,” his father countered, “and you’re throwing away all we’ve worked for. What the Ashbys for three centuries have fought for.”
“What they worked for is the desire of their hearts, Father. That’s something Christian understood, perhaps better than all of us. Elmthwaite was the object of his heart.”
“But not yours?” Sir Edward asked, his tone low and despondent.
Colin shook his head. “It is important to me, yes. But it isn’t first in my heart.”
He waited for his father to speak, to reassure Colin that he did understand, but Sir Edward remained silent. After several moments, Colin strode out the door and down the hallway. He stopped when he saw his mother standing in the doorway of her sitting room. Her pale face told him she’d caught a good portion of the shouted conversation between him and his father. Was this the first she’d heard about Sir Edward and Eleanor? From the look on her face, Colin guessed not.
“I have to go to her, Mother.”
She nodded, tears shining in her eyes. “I know.” She gripped his hand as she walked past him. “And I must go to your father.” Her unyielding devotion softened Colin’s heart in ways Sir Edward’s angry words and accusations never could.
Colin bounded down the stairs and out the front door. He would have to face his father again—and the consequences of his choice—when he returned from Nora’s. But he put those thoughts from his mind. A sense of urgency propelled him down the lane toward the cottage at a fast walk. First things first, he had to set things right with Nora.