Chapter Five #3
“As for the bridge and drainage work,” Lord Greythorne continued, “I’ll need to review the estate’s finances before committing to a timeline. But you have my word that these issues will be addressed.”
The farmers’ gratitude was palpable, though Katherine detected a lingering concern in their expressions.
“There’s something else troubling you,” she observed. “Please, speak freely.”
Hobbs twisted his cap in his hands. “It’s just... begging your pardon, my lord, but we’ve heard promises before. The late earl would agree to repairs when pressed, but somehow the funds always seemed to evaporate before the work was done.”
Lord Greythorne’s expression darkened momentarily before settling into something more carefully controlled. “A fair concern, given your experience. I can only ask that you judge me by my actions, not my predecessor’s failures.”
His candid acknowledgment of Edmund’s shortcomings startled Katherine. There was none of the false loyalty that so often accompanied transitions of power—just a straightforward assessment of the situation and a clear commitment to improvement.
“There is the matter of funding, however,” Thompson interjected cautiously. “The estate’s liquid assets are... limited, my lord.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Katherine could feel the weight of unspoken concerns hanging in the air—the farmers’ fear that necessary repairs would again be deferred, Lord Greythorne’s barely concealed frustration at inheriting such a financial mess.
“Perhaps,” she found herself saying, “I might offer a temporary solution.”
All eyes turned to her in surprise.
“The western fields’ harvest last year was exceptionally profitable,” she continued, hardly believing what she was proposing. “I could advance funds for the mill repairs, to be repaid once the estate’s finances are on firmer footing.”
Lord Greythorne’s eyes widened slightly, the only indication of his astonishment at her offer. “That is... unexpectedly generous, Lady Katherine.”
“It’s practical, not generous,” she corrected, unwilling to give him the wrong impression. “The mill serves my tenants as well as yours. Its failure would affect everyone, including me.”
But they both knew it was more than that. Katherine could see in his expression that he understood what it cost her to offer assistance to a Halston, to voluntarily entangle her finances with the estate she had been so eager to escape.
“Nevertheless,” he said quietly, “it is an offer I appreciate and will consider carefully.”
The meeting concluded shortly thereafter, with the farmers departing in notably better spirits than they had arrived. As Thompson showed them out, Lord Greythorne turned to Katherine, his expression thoughtful.
“You continue to surprise me, Lady Katherine.”
She lifted her chin slightly. “How so, my lord?”
“You claim to have no attachment to Greythorne, yet you’re clearly beloved by its tenants and staff.
You insist you had no authority here, yet you somehow managed to maintain parts of the estate despite Edmund’s neglect.
And now you offer financial assistance to an estate you profess to have gladly left behind.
” His head tilted slightly as he studied her. “It’s a puzzle.”
“There’s no puzzle,” Katherine replied. “The tenants and staff of Greythorne were kind to me during a difficult time. I have no desire to see them suffer for Edmund’s failings or—” she caught herself before adding “yours” — “or anyone else’s.”
Lord Greythorne’s mouth quirked in what might have been amusement. “A sentiment that does you credit. But it still leaves us with the question of the western fields’ ownership.”
Katherine sighed. After the morning’s revelations about the estate’s condition, the boundary dispute seemed simultaneously more and less important.
More, because she now understood how desperately the estate needed the resources those fields represented.
Less, because she had begun to see Lord Greythorne not merely as an adversary, but as someone genuinely concerned with the welfare of Greythorne and its dependents.
“The fields are legally mine,” she said finally. “But I am not unsympathetic to the estate’s needs.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I am willing to discuss arrangements that might benefit both parties,” Katherine clarified.
“Though not today. There’s much to consider, and I would prefer to do so away from.
..” she gestured vaguely at their surroundings, unable to articulate how the very walls of Greythorne Manor seemed to press in on her, heavy with unwelcome memories.
To her surprise, he nodded understanding. “Of course. You’ve already shown more flexibility than I had any right to expect, given our brief acquaintance.”
As they prepared to depart, Katherine found herself lingering in the entrance hall, her gaze drawn to a portrait of Edmund that hung above the grand staircase. His pale, aristocratic features stared coldly down at her, a reminder of all she had endured and escaped.
“He doesn’t seem like a man who inspired much affection,” Lord Greythorne observed, following her gaze.
“No,” Katherine agreed softly. “He didn’t.”
They stood in silence for a moment, both contemplating the painted figure that connected them in such an uncomfortable way.
As they prepared to depart, Drake stood studying the manor house with an expression Katherine couldn’t quite read—part frustration, part determination, and something else that might have been humility.
“Lady Katherine,” he said abruptly, turning to face her. “A word before you leave?”
Rosabel tactfully moved toward the carriage, giving them a semblance of privacy while remaining within sight for propriety’s sake.
“I believe I owe you an apology,” Drake said, surprising Katherine with his directness. “I came here with certain... assumptions about both the estate and your role in its current condition. I see now that I was mistaken.”
Katherine waited, unsure where this was leading.
“The scope of work required here is far greater than I anticipated,” he continued, his grey eyes holding hers steadily. “And it’s become clear that you possess knowledge I lack—not just about the land and accounts, but about the people, their history, their needs.”
“Lord Greythorne—”
“I find myself in an unusual position,” he interrupted, clearly struggling with his pride. “I need guidance. Your guidance, specifically. Someone who understands both the tenants and the land itself.”
Katherine’s breath caught. “What exactly are you proposing?”
“A collaboration. Your knowledge and expertise in exchange for my postponing any legal challenge to the western fields.” He paused, then added, “We would work together on the restoration—you provide the insight, I provide the resources and authority.”
“For how long?” The question escaped before Katherine could stop it.
“As long as our collaboration proves mutually beneficial to the estate. Indefinitely, if it works well.” His expression grew serious. “I’m not fool enough to dismiss valuable expertise out of pride, Lady Katherine. The question is whether you’re willing to involve yourself with Greythorne again.”
Katherine glanced toward the carriage where Rosabel waited, then back at Drake.
Every instinct told her to refuse, to maintain her distance from this place that held so many painful memories.
But the tenants’ faces rose in her mind—Mrs. Collins, the Parsons family, all the people who had looked to her for help during Edmund’s neglect.
“I would need certain assurances,” she said carefully. “My involvement would be strictly advisory. I won’t be undermined or dismissed as Edmund used to—”
“You would be a full partner in all decisions affecting the restoration,” Drake interrupted firmly. “Your opinions would be not just heard but actively sought. I may be many things, Lady Katherine, but I’m not fool enough to repeat my predecessor’s mistakes.”
The sincerity in his voice decided her.
“Very well,” Katherine said finally. “I accept your proposal—on a provisional basis. But I reserve the right to withdraw if our collaboration proves... incompatible.”
Drake’s mouth curved in what might have been relief mixed with amusement. “Naturally. I would expect nothing less from someone who increased field yields by twenty percent.”
He extended his hand as if she were a business associate rather than a lady, and after a moment’s hesitation, Katherine took it. His grip was firm, warm, and surprisingly callused for a gentleman.
“We begin tomorrow?” he asked.
“The day after,” Katherine corrected, withdrawing her hand perhaps more quickly than necessary. “I have matters at Willow Park that require attention first.”
“The day after, then.” Drake bowed formally. “Thank you, Lady Katherine. I believe this arrangement will benefit everyone involved.”
As Katherine rejoined Rosabel in the carriage, she wondered what she had just agreed to. Working closely with the new Earl of Greythorne—this complex, prideful, yet unexpectedly reasonable man—would be challenging in ways she couldn’t quite anticipate.
“Well?” Rosabel asked as the carriage pulled away.
“It seems I’m to help restore Greythorne after all,” Katherine replied, her voice carrying a mixture of resignation and something that might have been anticipation.
“And the western fields?”
“Safe, for now. As long as our collaboration continues.”
Rosabel studied her carefully. “You don’t sound entirely displeased by this arrangement.”
Katherine turned to watch Greythorne Manor disappear behind the trees, unwilling to examine too closely the flutter of excitement she felt at the prospect of working with Drake Halston.
“It’s purely practical,” she said firmly. “For the tenants’ sake.”
“Of course,” Rosabel agreed, though her knowing smile suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.