Page 18 (2/2)

“Punctuality is a virtue as far as I am concerned, Lord Riverdale,” she said “I am a businesswoman, as perhaps you are aware To run a successful business, one must respect other people’s time as well as one’s own You are on ti on the mantel “It is twenty-five uests”

His s back at Wren “I see,” he said “Perhaps you had not realized, Miss Heyden, that neither my mother nor my sister came into the country with me Or perhaps you did not realize I have no wife to acco your pardon I have no wish to cause you any embarrassment or to compromise you in any way” His hands closed about the arnal that he was about to rise

“But my invitation was addressed to you alone,” she said “I aed about with relatives to protect entlehbors of sorts, Lord Riverdale, though ton House from Brambledean Court and I am not always here and you are not always there Nevertheless, now that I a for my aunt and uncle, I have taken it upon hbors I entertained Mr Sweeney here last week and Mr Richman a few days after Do you know them?”

He was frowning, and he had not removed his hands from the arms of his chair He still looked unco to his feet at the earliest excuse “I have an acquaintance with both gentleh I cannot claim to know either one I have been in possession of my title and property for only a year and have not spent much time here yet”

“Then I a room doors opened and the tea tray was carried in and set before her Shewithout conscious intent slightly to her left as she did so, and poured the tea Maude came silently across the room to hand the earl his cup and saucer and then to offer the plate of cakes

“I did not know Mr and Mrs Heyden, your aunt and uncle,” he said, nodding his thanks to Maude “I am sorry for your loss I understand they died within a very short while of each other”

“Yes,” she said “My aunt died a few days after taking to her bed with a severe headache, and my uncle died less than a week later His health had been failing for sole after she had gone He doted upon her” And Aunt Megan upon hies and the hurried nature of their o

“I aain “They raised you?”

“Yes,” she said “They could not have done better by me if they had been my parents Your predecessor did not live at Brambledean, I understand, or visit often I speak of the late Earl of Riverdale, not his unfortunate son Do you intend to take up permanent residence there?”

The unfortunate son, Wren had learned, had succeeded to the title until it was discovered that his father had contracted a secretman and that the secret wife had still been alive when he married the mother of his three children Those children, already adult, had suddenly found theitimate, and the new earl had lost the title to the man now seated on the other side of the hearth The late earl’s first hter, who had grown up at an orphanage in Bath, knowing nothing of her identity All this andthe earl to her list The story had been sensational news last year and had kept the gossipfor weeks The details had not been difficult to unearth when there were servants and tradespeople only too eager to share what came their way

One never knew quite where truth ended and exaggeration or an, of course, but Wren did know a surprising a the fact that she had absolutely no social dealings with them She knew, for example, that both Mr Sweeney and Mr Richentlelected by the late earl, who had left it to be ed alraced the taproom of his local inn more often than his office By now the house and estate needed the infusion of a vast sum of money