Page 28 (2/2)

They visited three e ca tiles, dalect went beyond the five years Miles had been away, beyond his e the estate

Gilligan was not the only one to blame

Miles had borne witness to his father’s culpability Within days of his wife producing an heir, his father abandoned his family to reside in London, close to the theatre where his ular visits to the manor, there he res but was just as starved of funds as the poor tenants

But his parents were dead And now the blah to bear the weight of responsibility, broad enough so he s of the past

“We’ll cross the field as it will save the twenty-hts She stood at the stile, her attention flitting between the cottage in the distance and so trees in the adjacent field “But I should warn you You’ll not get a elcome here”

Her tone lacked the heavy conte Now, he heard a hint of coly for him

“As master of Greystone Manor I have failed these people, and so must deal with their hostility not hide from it” Miles climbed the stile and offered his hand “Allow me to assist you”

Miss Lovell and her loved hand, and then at each other

“Having witnessed the dilapidated state of the cottages, I feel like the worst of scoundrels,” he said It was true The crippling sense of inadequacy left a dull ache in his chest “Please allow entleman at least once today”

A faint so first” She ushered her e “I think we’ve established that Lord Greystone is not the devil”

With bulging eyes, the maid stared at his hand as if it were the claw of a two-headed beast “But he’s not earing gloves, miss”

Miss Lovell sighed “Lord Greystone will cup your elbow”

The lady , but he could read the unspoken words in her dazzling blue eyes She cared for the ed him silently to tread carefully with the delicate servant

Miles held out his ar with a hawk “Hold on to my arm if you need to steady your balance”

Theto herself, she stepped forward and cla, fleard and knocked Miles to the ground