Chapter Twenty-One

They rode back together. After their afternoon sojourn, there was an easy camaraderie between them. Perhaps it was the lovely blue sky and pleasant weather. Or perhaps it was him. Either way, Ana felt happy.

Suddenly, she had an impish urge to race, like when she was a girl riding over these same fields. She eyed him beneath lowered lashes. “What do you think about a race, my lord?”

He cocked a brow. “A competition?”

“First to make it to the large oak around the bend wins.”

Without waiting for his reply, she accelerated to a gallop, flashing him a challenging smile as she passed. She heard his shout but didn’t look back.

Too soon, with the sleek power of his stallion, he easily passed her. Her mare followed. He was an expert rider, and she enjoyed watching him as much as she enjoyed the thrill of the race.

She hadn’t felt this alive since…since her venture to the Silver Chalice. By the time she slowed, she was panting.

“It wasn’t a fair race with that stallion of yours,” she said.

He chuckled. “Perhaps. But you are an excellent horsewoman. What other secrets are you hiding?”

Too many. Her smile faded a bit. Growing up riding Rosedown’s prized horses was just one part of her past. The secrets that had kept her safe for years sprang to mind. Tell him just enough of the truth, nothing more.

She shrugged. “I grew up near a horse farm.”

His dark eyes watched her. “In Hertfordshire?”

He was prying. “Close by but not near.” It was the vaguest answer she could think of. From the flash in his gaze, she knew he wanted to inquire, but they were near the stables now.

Ana urged her horse down a slope and into the yard. A stableboy ran out to take their mounts. Once more, Oliver helped her dismount, then offered his arm. Ana rested her fingers on his sleeve. Even through her gloves, she could feel the strength and warmth in his forearm.

“Will you tell me how Minerva fares?” she asked.

“I spoke with her father and Benjamin. I offered both men compensation to release Minerva of her betrothal to Benjamin.”

“May I ask what compensation?”

“Three cows to each of them, Benjamin and Minerva’s father.”

“You didn’t!”

“It is a simple solution.”

She laughed. “You bribed both men for her freedom?”

“I don’t think of it as a bribe. Not if Minerva and Aidan are free to be together.”

Unexpected warmth surged through her. “You are a romantic at heart?”

“I never thought so. It is my duty to solve tenant disputes.”

“You could have forced Minerva to marry Benjamin. As the lord of the manor, Aidan would have had to accept your decision.”

His gaze darkened. “Then maybe you are right. I believe two lovers should be together.”

Her heart fluttered wildly in her breast. Was he speaking of his tenants or themselves?

Impossible. They could never be together. She may have been the daughter of a baron, but the gap between them now was as far and wide as the river that ran through Rosedown.

A herd of cows would not be sufficient to bridge their differences.

The sound of running water drew her attention to the courtyard fountain. Lady Malvern stood on the front steps staring at them, her expression suspicious, her eyes narrowed.

Ana dropped her hand from Oliver’s sleeve.

…

Ana managed to escape her employer’s questioning gaze to flee inside the manor. Oliver must have sensed her anxiety and urged Lady Malvern aside to engage her in conversation while Ana slipped away.

For once, she was grateful for his interference.

Ana was halfway up the winding staircase when someone appeared at the landing. Ana recognized the stout figure of the housekeeper, Mrs. Hannings.

“Miss Gardner, is there anything you need?”

She kept her head down. “No, thank you. I just was on my way to my bedchamber.”

“Are you sure? Would you like to switch rooms, perhaps to your former one when you lived here?”

Ana’s head snapped up to meet the housekeeper’s probing stare. Her heart thudded in her chest. “How long have you known?”

“As soon as you stepped inside Rosedown. You look just like your mother, Lady Woodbridge. You even share her hazel eye color.”

Ana opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. If Mrs. Hannings knew, would others suspect as well?

“No one else knows, and I haven’t whispered a word,” the housekeeper said as if reading her mind.

Ana felt the need to explain before the woman inquired. “The Malverns have no idea,” Ana said. “I took the name Miss Gardner soon after Papa…” She couldn’t even voice that he killed himself, but thankfully, Mrs. Hannings didn’t mention the sinful act, either.

“And your brother?”

“Away at school.”

“How?”

“I buried my mother’s jewels in a box by the oak in the gardens, then sold them to pay for Adam’s schooling.”

She nodded curtly. “That required good foresight. Come, Miss. Let us speak in private.”

Rather than lead Ana to her chamber, Mrs. Hannings took her to the kitchens. The heat from the ovens warmed her cheeks, and she inhaled the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread. “Cook has finished with the bread and will return for the midday meal later. Meanwhile, I have something for you.” She set a plate before her.

Ana’s eyes widened in surprise. “Baklava!”

“It was your mother’s favorite, and Cook still prepares it in her honor. It’s a favorite with the staff as well.”

Made of thin sheets of hand-rolled phyllo dough filled with walnuts and cinnamon and sweetened with a sugar syrup, it was a delicacy. Ana picked up the pastry, and her eyes fluttered in delight as she bit into the flaky dessert. “It’s perfect. I haven’t had this in so long. Thank you.”

The woman’s lips curled in a small smile. “Now that I think about the past, it wasn’t just your mother who had a taste for it. I remember your brother’s sticky fingers all over the pantry from the syrup. I never punished him. I could never resist his chubby cheeks.”

Ana smiled as more memories returned. “Adam had adorable cheeks, but a mischievous nature. He’d beg me to sneak him baklava. Anything sweet, really.”

“Cook makes other dishes, too. Shawarma, shish kebab, and falafel. The old staff remembers your mother well—the kitchen maids and scullery maids. We try to keep many of your mother’s traditions alive. A special celebration for Christmas on January sixth. Roasted lamb for Easter. Traditions she observed, mostly privately.”

“Why privately?”

“She wanted you to be accepted by the aristocracy, not tainted as a foreigner as she was at times.”

Ana shifted in her chair. “She rarely spoke of difficulties.”

“Your mother was a lady. She bore slights with grace so that you would not have to.”

Ana wished with all her heart that her mother was alive. She wanted to learn more, inquire about their shared culture and all that her mother had sacrificed for her.

“That you for telling me.”

Mrs. Hannings occupied the chair across from her. “’Tis a shame what happened to your family. Your parents were lovebirds and happy, but life is cruel and took Lady Woodbridge too soon. Your father’s soft heart was the cause of his ruin.”

Ana swallowed a bite of pastry. “He was selfish! And weak! The baron failed us and left me alone to care for my brother.” Shocked at her outburst, Ana covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Nonsense. There is no need to apologize. I can see you have had a hard go of it. I remember you as a young girl, then a young lady. You were a pleasure. As for your father, he was just a man with a broken heart, a man who made mistakes.”

“Terrible mistakes.”

“Yes, but now you have found your own love.”

“I do care for Penelope.”

“Not your charge, miss. But the earl.”

Shock flew through Ana. “What? I do not love Lord Drake.”

“You care for the man. I saw it the first time I spotted you together. First when your gazes met across the dining room, then today when you returned together from your ride.”

“You saw?”

“I happened to be looking out the window. Your smile captivated the earl. He is a duty-driven man, and I have never known him to grin and laugh so easily.”

Anxiety tugged in her gut. “Does it bother you that the former earl stole Rosedown from the baron at the gaming tables? His firstborn son was no better.”

“I agree the old earl was a bad man as well as his first son. But the second son, the current earl, is different. He takes his position seriously, cares for the estate, and has never mistreated the staff.”

Ana rubbed her temples.

“He is good man, and Rosedown thrives under his care,” Mrs. Hannings continued. “He does not shirk his duties. Nor does he drink or gamble. The servants have never seen him with a woman or mistress.”

She had seen evidence of Oliver’s attention with her own eyes. She had already begun to separate Oliver from his father’s sins. She also trusted him not to reveal her secrets as Lady Scarlet, and she had come very close to indulging in more.

Could she trust him to keep a future liaison secret as well?