The Proud Viscount Read Free

letter from Trelenny Ashwicke was still in her pocket. She’d been about to read it when Mabel interrupted her. Now she drew it out and spread it on her lap. As she read, a smile played around her lips and lit her eyes. Dear Trelenny! Nothing was ever going to tame her high spirits, thank heaven. Fortunately Cranford had realized in time that he loved her for them, rather than in spite of them. It seemed forever since she’d been with them in Bath, and yet it was little more than a year ago. Jane had intended to make the journey for their wedding, and would have, if Richard hadn’t died.
    Richard. How easy it was for everyone else to forget him. Jane had even heard her aunt and her father using terms like “for the best” when they didn’t know she overheard them. Nothing would ever convince her that his death was for the best.
    But Mabel might be right about Richard’s estate. Rossmere certainly would have benefited from inheriting it. What would he have done with it, though? Its only use to him would be in the money a sale would bring. Jane couldn’t bear the thought of strangers owning Graywood. Even now it was hard for her to see the tenants there when she rode past. When their lease was up next month, she would have to decide if she should renew it for another year. Or could she possibly...? No, it would cause far too much gossip for her to try to move there alone. She turned her gaze toward the window.
    Rossmere had stopped under the horse chestnut on his way from the stables to the house. He stood unmoving, except for toying with a furry horse chestnut in one hand. He was not looking in her direction, and she had no way of knowing whether he’d seen her. Somehow she doubted it. His face wore a thoughtful look, with the eyes narrowed slightly and the lips pursed. It was a handsome face, as her aunt had said. He was a much larger man than Richard—not just taller, but more muscular and substantial. Even his hands looked stronger, as though they could crush the hard chestnut to pulp.
    Perhaps it was the coiled strength in him that disturbed Jane. She expected it in a horse, energy ready to be released at the urging of hands or heels. In a man it seemed much more dangerous, an unknown quantity. Did it indicate a terrible temper, or an abundance of energy, or a touch of madness? Jane shook off such fanciful thoughts. Obviously they were only ramblings of her mind, evoked by her reminiscences of Richard. Rossmere was solid and healthy and undoubtedly as sane as the next man.
    With surprising speed, he swung back his arm and threw the chestnut at a gate some distance away. His aim was accurate. The horse chestnut smacked into the upper rail and dropped to the ground. Rossmere continued to frown after it for some time before strolling off toward the hall.
    Jane forced her gaze back to Trelenny’s letter. Perhaps she would go to visit the Ashwickes as her friend suggested...after Lord Rossmere left Willow End, taking Ascot with him.
     

Chapter 2
     
    Lord Rossmere returned to the house with some reluctance. His godmother, Lady Mabel Reedness, had specifically requested his presence in the north drawing room at four o’clock, and Rossmere barely had time to make himself presentable. Without Lady Mabel he would have been ruined years ago. She had lent him money when every banker he approached had refused him a loan. Rossmere suffered considerably under his burden of gratitude to Lady Mabel.
    For some time he had managed to find excuses for turning down her invitations to visit Willow End, but he was in a financial bind again. There was another mortgage payment coming due, and improvements that simply had to be carried out on the estate if he was ever to lift himself out of debt. It would have been grossly uncivil of him to expect his godmother to provide the money he needed while at the same time refusing to accept her hospitality for a month.
    For some reason it hadn’t even occurred to him that bringing Ascot