The Clarendon Rose Read Free Page B

informed decisions when he had no idea what was involved in taking care of one estate, leave alone the myriad properties, scattered throughout England, that comprised the Duke of Clarendon’s holdings?  
    It wasn’t just a matter of tending to his own affairs—something he hadn’t done too good a job of to this point, from what she had heard—now the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of tenants and other dependents relied upon his wise decisions and proper allocation of resources.  
    The awkward silence stretched between them, while Tina fumed, wondering when he planned on taking her to task for her presumption.   She took advantage of the lull to steel herself for his chastisements.   It wouldn’t do for her to have another outburst simply because she burned at the unfairness of such criticism.  
    His next words gave her a start of surprise.   “My debt to you is greater than I could have suspected.   Please know that you have my gratitude for your conscientiousness in stepping into the breach.”   She glanced at him, unsure what to think of his speech, for though the words were gracious enough, they had been pronounced in a tightly controlled tone.
    “There wasn’t anyone else.”   Then, she paused and took a breath.   When she next spoke, she made a concerted effort to keep her tone moderate, “But you’re welcome.   Though it hardly bears mentioning that I would have done that and more for Uncle Charles.   He had given me more over the years in the form of affection and kindness than I could ever repay.”   To her dismay, Tina found her voice cracking as she spoke of the old duke.  
    The silence stretched between them once again, as Clarendon struggled with his emotions.   Miss Merriweather had been forced to step into the gap and hold things together during his father’s illness.   It should have been me, dammit.  
    But, a glance at Miss Merriweather’s face prompted Clarendon to push aside his self-directed anger.
    He made himself speak, his voice gentle.   “Nonetheless, I do thank you, Miss Merriweather.   We are all very fortunate to have benefited from your expert management.”  
    He lapsed back into silence, and Tina glanced over at him, wondering if he was done and she could safely excuse herself from his company.   He was watching her with those haunting dark eyes.   As their gazes met, he continued,
    “And in fact, I now find myself in the position of prevailing upon your good nature once again.”
    She broke away from his gaze, but her eyes only got as far as the firm sensuality of his mouth, until she forced herself to look away, directing her stare at an undistinguished portion of the wall behind his shoulder.   “Oh?”
    “These last days, as I’ve pored over the ledgers and documents you sent me in London.   But, I still have a long way to go.”
    Tina’s throat had gone dry as he spoke.   He can’t possibly be asking what I think he’s asking.  
    “And so I’m wondering if you could possibly help me in that regard.   For now, there are many ongoing projects and issues that must be overseen—and you know what they are.   You are also the only person who can easily instruct me in all the various aspects of what needs to be done to ensure the proper upkeep of the properties.”
    She forced herself to swallow.   It was she who had been feeling upset at the idea of relinquishing all the duties she had assumed after her uncle fell ill.   Yet, if she agreed to what he was asking, then she would be spending most of the day, every day, in the duke’s company.   “I tried to be comprehensive in my notations.   I knew that someday you would return and take over, so I wanted to make everything as clear as possible,” she said finally, keeping her gaze fixed on the wall, without actually seeing it.
    “And you have.   But there is still much for me to learn.   Having you on hand would ensure a smoother transition.”
    Tina nodded slowly.   “I do