Chapter Three #2
He moved with the easy grace of a man comfortable in his own skin, a sharp contrast to Edmund’s perpetually stiff posture. His clothing was impeccably tailored but understated, suggesting wealth without ostentation.
In short, he looked nothing like the dissolute rake gossip had painted, nor the cold aristocrat she had imagined. This was somehow worse.
“Your Grace,” he said, bowing to Rosabel with just the proper degree of respect. “Wexford.” He bowed again to James.
Then those grey eyes fixed on Katherine, and she felt a disconcerting jolt of... something. Not recognition, precisely, but awareness.
“Lady Greythorne,” he said, his voice a deep baritone that held no trace of Edmund’s nasal tones.
“Lady Katherine,” she corrected automatically. “Or Dowager Countess, if you prefer. But I no longer use the title of Lady Greythorne, as that now belongs to your future countess.”
The words came out more sharply than she had intended, a reflection of her unexpected discomposure.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by what might have been amusement.
“Lady Katherine, then,” he amended. “Thank you for agreeing to this meeting.”
“Did I have a choice?”
The question escaped before she could temper it with politeness, before she could mask the bitterness. Too late now. If he was here to charm her into yielding, he would know from the start that she would not go quietly.
His mouth curved slightly. “There are always choices, my lady. Though some are more palatable than others.”
Katherine was saved from having to respond by her brother’s intervention.
“Lord Greythorne,” James said, his tone coolly formal. “Welcome to London. I understand you’ve been abroad for some time.”
“Indeed, Your Grace. Business interests have kept me on the Continent and in America for the better part of a decade.” His gaze returned to Katherine. “I must admit, the inheritance came as something of a surprise.”
“To us all,” Katherine replied evenly.
“Please, be seated.” Rosabel gestured to the chair opposite Katherine’s, positioning their “guest” for the negotiation to come.
Lord Greythorne settled into the chair with casual elegance, his posture relaxed yet attentive. Katherine found herself irrationally irritated by his apparent ease while her own nerves were strung as tight as violin strings.
“Tea?” Rosabel offered, ever the consummate hostess.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” He accepted the cup with a small nod of thanks before turning his attention back to Katherine. “I believe we have several matters to discuss regarding the estate.”
“Indeed,” Katherine replied, opening her portfolio. “Though I suspect we both know the primary matter that brings us here.”
“The western fields,” he said simply.
Katherine’s spine straightened. She had expected this, of course, had prepared for it, but hearing him state it so directly still sent a chill through her.
“You’ve discovered the boundary discrepancy,” she said steadily, meeting his gaze.
“The Millbrook stream—the actual legal boundary according to the 1680 deed—now runs nearly a quarter-mile east of where the markers stand.” His tone was matter-of-fact, neither accusing nor apologetic. “I assume you’ve been aware of this issue for some time.”
Katherine lifted her chin slightly. “I’ve been managing the risk since I discovered it in Edmund’s papers three years ago. I had hoped the new earl might be too preoccupied with other matters to notice such details immediately.”
A flicker of what might have been amusement crossed his features. “I’m nothing if not thorough, Lady Katherine.”
James shifted forward, his expression darkening. “Lord Greythorne, my sister’s settlement was legally established and witnessed—”
“I’m not questioning the settlement itself, Your Grace,” Lord Greythorne interrupted smoothly. “Merely the boundaries of what was settled. The markers may have been placed in good faith, but if they were positioned incorrectly...”
He spread his hands in a gesture that managed to seem both apologetic and implacable.
Katherine extracted a ledger from her portfolio and opened it to a carefully marked page. “Before we discuss boundaries, perhaps you’d like to see what those fields have produced under my management. Five years of quarterly yields—productivity increased by nearly twenty percent.”
Lord Greythorne accepted the ledger, his expression unreadable as he studied the neatly recorded figures.
“Impressive,” he conceded after a moment. “Though the question of proper boundaries remains unresolved.”
Katherine set down her teacup with deliberate precision. “The markers have been in place for decades, my lord. The interpretation has never been disputed until now.”
“Perhaps because no one examined the original deed carefully enough,” Drake countered. “The document clearly states the watercourse as the boundary, not stone markers that could have been moved—accidentally or otherwise—over the years.”
James shifted forward, his expression darkening. “Lord Greythorne, if you’re suggesting—”
“I’m suggesting nothing untoward, Your Grace,” Drake interrupted smoothly.
“Merely that discrepancies exist which require investigation. The stream’s course may have changed over time, or the markers may have been placed incorrectly from the beginning.
Either way, the matter deserves thorough examination. ”
Katherine felt the familiar tightness in her chest that came with threats to her security. The western fields represented nearly a third of Willow Park’s value—losing them would reduce her from comfortable independence to genteel poverty.
“What exactly are you proposing?” she asked, keeping her voice steady.
Drake leaned back slightly, his grey eyes never leaving hers. “Before any decisions are made—about boundaries, about legal proceedings, about anything—I need to see the entirety of what I’ve inherited. Book learning and solicitors’ reports only tell part of the story.”
“You haven’t visited Greythorne Manor yet?” Rosabel asked, surprise evident in her tone.
“I arrived in London only recently,” Drake admitted. “My priority was to understand the legal situation before examining the physical estate. But now...” He gestured toward Katherine’s ledger. “These impressive yields suggest there’s more to learn from direct observation.”
Katherine exchanged a quick glance with James, who gave an almost imperceptible shrug.
“When did you have in mind?” she asked carefully.
“As soon as can be arranged. The day after tomorrow, perhaps? I’d like to see not just the disputed fields, but the entire estate—buildings, tenant properties, everything.” His gaze remained fixed on Katherine. “I assume you’d want to be present for any inspection of the boundaries.”
It wasn’t really a question. Katherine recognized the challenge in his words—if she refused, he might interpret it as having something to hide.
“The day after tomorrow would be acceptable,” she said. “Though I’ll remind you that viewing the estate won’t change the legal standing of my settlement.”
“Perhaps not,” Drake agreed. “But it will help me understand what Edmund left behind, and what needs to be done going forward.”
The implication hung in the air—that Edmund had been negligent, that the estate might be in poor condition. Katherine wanted to defend against the subtle accusation, but she couldn’t. Not when she knew better than anyone how Edmund had ignored his responsibilities.
“I’ll accompany you, of course,” James announced.
“Actually,” Drake said, his attention still on Katherine, “I would prefer if Lady Katherine served as guide, given her familiarity with the estate. The Duchess would be welcome as chaperone, naturally.”
“I’m afraid I have Parliament that day,” James said stiffly.
“Then the Duchess’s presence will suffice for propriety,” Drake replied smoothly. “Unless Lady Katherine objects?”
Katherine felt cornered. To refuse would seem petty and might weaken her position. But spending a day showing Drake around Greythorne—the site of so many painful memories—while he catalogued Edmund’s failures...
“I have no objection,” she said finally. “Though I warn you, Lord Greythorne, the tour may not be entirely to your liking.”
Something flickered in his eyes—curiosity? Concern? “Why is that?”
“Because you’ll see exactly what Edmund considered worthy of investment, and what he deemed unnecessary.” She kept her tone neutral, but the words themselves were damning enough. “The contrast can be... illuminating.”
Drake studied her for a long moment. “All the more reason for a thorough inspection, then.”
He rose from his chair with fluid grace. “Thank you for your time, Lady Katherine, Your Grace, Duchess. I’ll send my carriage for you at nine o’clock, the day after tomorrow.”
“We’ll be ready,” Katherine replied, standing as well.
As Norman showed Lord Greythorne out, Katherine remained frozen in place, her mind racing with implications.
“Well,” Rosabel said into the silence that followed his departure. “He’s certainly direct.”
“He’s fishing,” James said grimly. “Looking for any excuse to challenge your settlement.”
“Perhaps,” Katherine said quietly. But something in Drake’s manner suggested his interests went beyond simple acquisition. He seemed genuinely curious about the estate itself, not just its value.
“Katherine, you don’t have to do this,” James said. “We can insist everything go through solicitors.”
“No.” Katherine’s voice grew firmer. “If he wants to see what Edmund left behind, let him. Perhaps when he understands the full scope of the neglect, he’ll realize that my management of the western fields is the least of Greythorne’s concerns.”
And perhaps, she thought but didn’t say, seeing the estate’s condition might make him understand why she fought so hard to protect what little independence she’d carved out for herself.
“Besides,” she added with a slight smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “I’m curious to see how the new Earl of Greythorne reacts when he discovers exactly what he’s inherited.”