Table of Contents

Cover Page

Praise

Excerpt

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

Copyright

Praise for Jackie Manning’s first book, Embrace the Dawn, written as Jackie Summers

“…delightful, fast-paced romance…a facsinating debut novel.”

—Romantic Times

“This fast-paced, captivating novel makes for an incredible and enjoyable reading experience.”

—Affaire de Coeur

“…great, scintillating, five-star reading!”

—Rendezvous

“…a stunning debut…will live on in the reader’s heart long after the book is finished.”

—GEnie Romance Exchange

“I think we should shake on it,” Nick called after her.

The thought of touching him caused a fluttery sensation deep inside Becky. “Of course,” she said.

When his large, warm hand captured her small one, she almost gasped. A charge like summer lightning ripped through her. He studied her, his brilliant gray eyes staring through her. His straight black lashes shadowed his cheeks—or was it the trick of sunlight on this glorious day?

Becky stood, lost in the smoky depths of his eyes. She felt as though she was peering at an ancient rock wall. Light and dark sparkles glittered from the depths of his soul.

“Agreed.” He released her hand.

Her mouth felt as dry as hay. She nodded, afraid to trust her voice. She wiped her hand on her skirt, then strode back to her horse, forcing herself not to run like the devil…

Dear Reader,

In A Wish for Nicholas by Jackie Manning, a young widow who has been draining the income from her profitable land to improve the lives of the crofters is dismayed to learn that the crown has given away her estate as a prize to a handsome young naval hero, a man determined to uncover her secrets and win her heart. Don’t miss this delightful tale.

Margaret Moore’s popular WARRIOR SERIES is still going strong, as you will discover with A Warrior’s Bride, the wonderful tale of a peace-loving knight and a fiery noblewoman who make an unlikely match in a stormy marriage of convenience. And we are very pleased to have USA Today bestselling author Merline Lovelace back in our midst with her new Western, Countess in Buckskin, the passionate story of a Russian countess who falls in love with the rough-hewn American lieutenant who has been forced to escort her through the untamed mountains of California.

Cassandra Austin also returns this month with a ranch story, Hero of the Flint Hills, about a woman who is engaged to an aspiring politician, but finds herself drawn to his rugged half brother.

Whatever your tastes in reading, we hope you enjoy all four books.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farrell

Senior Editor

A Wish for Nicholas
Jackie Manning

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JACKIE MANNING

believes in love at first sight. She and her husband, Tom, were married six weeks to the day after they first met and he proposed, many happy years ago. Home is a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old colonial in Maine, where they live with their two dogs, a Shih Tzu and an Aussie Terrier. When Jackie isn’t writing romances, she’s researching and visiting interesting places to write about. She loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 1739, Waterville, ME 04963.

A Wish for Nicholas is dedicated to a true hero—a man whose love, gentle strength and quiet wisdom mean more to me each day. Bear, you’re truly the wind beneath my wings.

My special thanks for the love and support from my writer’s group. Mechele Cooper, Terri Hibbard, Carole Lambert, Prudy McMann, John Wells and Meg Wickes. Thanks for making Monday and Thursday nights so marvelous.

And to my three guardian angels, Vicki Hinze Barrett, Elizabeth Sinclair and my special sister, Kim Kowzlowski. Love ya, guys.

Prologue

London, England

July 1666

“He looks dead,” said Barbara Villiers, the countess of Castlemaine, as she watched the royal physician remove the black leeches from Captain Nicholas Sinclair’s brawny chest.

“He should be dead for what he’s been through,” King Charles replied, leaning over the doctor’s shoulder and peering at the wounded man.

Handsome devil, Barbara mused. The loss of blood from the mortar wound hadn’t diminished his rugged good looks. When Sinclair recuperated, he’d make a decidedly fresh addition to the royal court.

If he lives.

The king’s dark brows knotted with worry. “England needs him alive, William. You mustn’t let him die.”

“Of course not, Your Majesty.” The court surgeon choked on the words.

Barbara smiled. If the doctor thought differently, she knew he’d not dare speak his mind in the monarch’s presence. Her attention returned to King Charles, the man she had known intimately for more than six years. Why had he insisted Sinclair be brought to a suite in the palace when the other wounded officers had been sent to hospital? And why had the king personally kept a vigil over him? Never had she seen His Majesty so concerned, except when his own children were ill.

Feeling ignored, Barbara moved to the other side of the canopied bed to stand beside the king. She teasingly brushed her breast against his velvet sleeve. “Come, Your Majesty. Why don’t you retire to your bedchamber? You must get your rest, too.” She winked, then gave him her most inviting smile, charged with anticipation.

Charles never glanced up from the patient. “You go, my dear. I want to stay with him.”

Barbara bit back her irritation. She forced a sweet face. “If you want to stay, then I’ll keep you company,” she replied, her voice silken.

The king rewarded her with an appreciative smile. She exchanged an intimate glance with him, then took a seat beside the bed.

The patient moaned. The king held his breath.

Barbara studied the young man who drew such royal attention. His thick black eyebrows and black hair contrasted sharply with the cream satin pillows behind his head. An appreciative glint brightened her blue eyes as her gaze lingered over the man’s sun-bronzed face. Were his eyes brown or blue? The thought struck her that she might never find out.

“I think he’s coming round,” cried the physician, his voice openly relieved.

The king clapped his hands. “Sinclair, can you hear me?”

His eyes opened, and Barbara noticed they were gray as the Thames on a January morning. And just as cold.

“My, God, where…where am I?” The baritone voice caused a flutter of feminine response in her.

“You’re with His Majesty, King Charles, at the royal apartments in Whitehall Palace.” The physician drew in a loud sigh. “You’re a very lucky man, Captain.”

Nicholas Sinclair sat up, and the silk sheet slid from his bare chest, pooling in soft folds at his waist. “My men! Where are my men?”

A breath caught in Barbara’s throat She had noticed his broad shoulders before, but until he sat up, she hadn’t been aware of how perfectly molded his body was. She felt the king’s gaze upon her, and she averted her glance to the floor.

“We’ll talk of your crew later,” the king said finally. “Now, you must rest—”

“No. I—I’ve got to…my men.” Sinclair grimaced as he pushed the physician aside with surprising strength. As his bare feet touched the floor, the gray eyes locked with Barbara’s for the first time. He stopped, as though suddenly aware of his nakedness. He groped for the sheet that almost slid from his lap.

Barbara smiled, aware from his expression that he recognized her as the king’s mistress. He met her bold stare, making no embarrassed move to glance away.

As if Sinclair realized that Barbara wasn’t offended by his state of undress, he pulled the sheet around him and tried to stand. He staggered back, and when the physician helped ease him against the pillows, Sinclair didn’t resist.

“You’ve cheated the devil this time, Sinclair,” the king said. “I wouldn’t tempt him again too soon.”

“Aye, you may not be so lucky next time,” the doctor added.

Sinclair clenched his jaw against the pain. Then he shouted, “Where are my men?” The veins in his neck distended when he yelled.

The physician paled at Sinclair’s insubordinate tone in the king’s presence.

The king ignored the outburst, his swarthy face solemn as he studied the man. “Very well, Sinclair,” he said finally. “I fear you’ll not rest until you know.”

Sinclair winced as he drew a breath and waited. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”

The king closed his eyelids and nodded. “Most of the lads.” When his hooded eyes opened, they were bright with moisture. “Your ship took a direct mortar. You were knocked unconscious, and the few men left brought you to safety. The physicians believe your leg can be saved.”

“My leg!” Sinclair’s bandaged fingers clenched at his sides. “I don’t give a damn about my leg.” He thumped his fists on the bed, his biceps bulged with the effort. “I should be dead with my crew.” He writhed back and forth against the pillows. “Damn it to hell! Damn! Damn! Damn!”

The king took a fortifying breath, then straightened his shoulders in reluctant resignation. After a moment, he stared back at the officer. “The Dutch have beaten us bloody, Sinclair. England needs a hero, and you’re that man.

“When your ship chased the Dutch fleet, saving the Royal Charles, you salvaged England’s pride. Think what joy the Dutch would have had if they’d sunk my royal yacht.” The king’s black eyes snapped with pride. “You’re the hero England needs, Sir Nicholas Sinclair.”

Sinclair’s eyes rounded and his black brows arched in surprise. “Sir Nicholas—?”

“Aye. I’ve awarded you the title of baronet as well as the country manor that goes with it.” Barbara kept the surprise from her face. Usually the king shared everything with her, but this was the first she had heard of it. Something strange was at hand; her curiosity edged up a notch.

Sinclair shook his head. “It’s a ship I want, not a manor! My life is the sea. I’m not some sheep farmer—”

“Indeed you’re not,” the king said, trying not to smile. “But Thornwood Hall is now your property and your responsibility. Besides, I have a special favor in mind.” He paced back and forth by the bed, then turned to face Sinclair. “Before the Restoration, Thornwood Hall was awarded to one of Cromwell’s generals.” The king hesitated a moment. “Decent man, even if his politics were misguided. When I regained the throne, instead of removing General Forester from the estate he had made exceedingly profitable, I made a bargain with him. I offered the old man a special condition of taxation. He and his wife could remain on the crown’s property providing they paid taxes based on the estate’s annual profits. They readily agreed.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Sinclair asked, obviously in much pain.

“The general died several years later. Since then, Thornwood Hall hasn’t shown much of a profit. I want you to find out why. Besides, it’s a lovely estate. An idyllic spot to convalesce while you’re discovering what’s wrong with the place.”

Barbara wondered if the king had noticed her interest in Sinclair and wished the handsome officer away from court during his recuperation. The thought gave her a race of pleasure.

“I’ll recover at sea, fighting the Dutch, Your Majesty. I’ll go mad watching sheep.” Sinclair’s voice grew weaker, and Barbara knew he had overtired himself.

The king’s face grew serious. “I wish England had the money to give you a ship, Sinclair. But the royal treasury is bankrupt due to these damnable Dutch raids. Unless the treasurer can secure a loan from our allies abroad—”

“The Dutch won’t wait.” Sinclair grimaced as he raised himself on one elbow. “De Ruyter must be stopped…”

The king stepped closer. “I agree.” His black eyes snapped. “That’s why it’s vital that England gain a war hero. We can’t let the Dutch or our allies know how seriously they’ve beaten us. We must put on a brave show, then our friends abroad will lend us the funds we need.

“Meanwhile, you’ll recuperate at Thornwood Hall, overseeing your new estate. Once it was the most flourishing estate in the shire. Now it’s so poor, the crofters can’t pay their rents.” He shook his head. “Something foul is afoot, Sinclair. It’s your mission to find out why.” The king scowled. “Once you discover what’s ailing the place, you can sell it for all I care. But not before then.”

Sinclair sighed and fell back against the pillows. Although the officer said nothing in rebuttal, Barbara thought his appeasement was more from exhaustion than obedience. Dark circles ringed his gray eyes, which did nothing to diminish his appealing masculinity.

“If you’re up to it, Sinclair, one of your crewmen is waiting to see you,” the physician said. “Michael Finn. That is, if you’re not too tired—”

“Finn?” Sinclair’s mouth lifted in surprise. “Finn is here, at Whitehall?” he asked, struggling to sit up.

The king smiled. “He’s one of the men who saved you, Sinclair.” He glanced at the physician. “William, keep me informed.”

The doctor bowed. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Then we’ll leave you, Sinclair.” The monarch’s voice gentled as he took Barbara’s hand. “Come, my dear.”

Barbara gave Sinclair a wry glance as she swept past.

Nicholas Sinclair said nothing as he folded his arms, impatient for them to leave. Thank God, Finn was safe. He couldn’t wait to see him.

His head throbbed as he fought to remember the order of what had happened. The screams of his gallant crew still rang in his ears. He remembered the mortar blast ripping the ship apart, then the cold water engulfing him. Nothing after that.

Sinclair squeezed back the tide of sorrow that threatened to overwhelm him and glared at the physician, who stood collecting his medicines. “How long before I can ride a horse?”

“A horse?” The doctor barked with laughter. “At least a month before you’re strong enough to walk, let alone ride.”

A jolt of pain shot down Sinclair’s leg. “Bloody hell,” he mumbled under his breath. “We’ll see about that.”

“What’s your hurry, Sinclair?” The doctor tucked the herb packets back into the drawers of the medicine cabinet. “You have every luxury while you’re at Whitehall.” He grinned at him. “And the pick of the loveliest ladies at court.”

“Beautiful women are in every port,” Nick replied dryly. “All the luxury I want I’ll find on board a warship.”

The doctor shook his head and chuckled. “I’ll be in later to see you, Captain.” He gathered up his things and strode toward the door.

Nick barely heard the physician leave as he pondered how to raise the necessary capital to buy another ship. Maybe Finn could think of something. Between the two of them, they’d find another vessel if it were the last thing they did.

A few minutes after the doctor had left, the door flew open and a blond-haired man with ruddy features burst into the room.

“Captain!” The lumbering Irishman placed his arm on Sinclair’s shoulder in a manly salute. “A damn feast for these ol’ eyes, y’are, Nick.”

Very few men had ever called him Nick, and the familiar name felt comforting. “So are you, Finn.” His throat tightened and he feared his voice would betray his emotions. “Are you all right?” he managed. “The last time I saw you, you were reloading cannon near the stern.”

Finn’s smile faded and he lowered his blue gaze. “Right after that, we took a direct hit. You were knocked out by the blast. Smitty, Morrah and I brought you to shore, then I brought you here, the king’s orders.” Finn’s gaze lifted to meet Nick’s stare. “Do you remember how you led the Hesper against the Dutch fleet?” He took a step back. “You’re a hero, Nick. All of our ships were saved except the Hesper, and everybody who survived that night has you to thank, lad.”

Sinclair squeezed his eyes shut. “Damn it, Finn. I’m no hero. The true heroes went down with the Hesper.” He swallowed back the lump in his throat. “I’m their captain. I should be with them.”

Finn shifted uneasily. “You’ve had a shock. It’s natural you feel like that now—”

“No. I’ve got to go back. I’ve got to get another ship, Finn. You’ve got to help me.”

Finn’s jaw dropped and he looked aghast. “How?”

“I’ve got an idea.” Nick told Finn about the King awarding him the estate and the mission he had to do. When Nick had finished, Finn shook his head. “A baron with your own estate. Lord be!”

Nick rubbed his scraggly beard and studied his friend. “You’re the one man I can trust, Finn. The king said I can’t sell Thornwood Hall until I find out why the estate doesn’t make a profit,” he said, “but he didn’t say I couldn’t secure a loan against the place.” The idea filled him with hope.

Finn’s ruddy face darkened and he swore.

Nick ignored Finn’s surprise. “The land must be worth something. I’ll wager Thornwood Hall will provide enough collateral to buy a ship.” He reached out and tapped Finn’s shoulder. “I want you to negotiate it for me.”

Finn scratched his fair head. “But we don’t know anyone in London who would—”

“No, but I think someone at court will help us.” Nick thought of the chestnut-haired mistress to the king, Barbara Villiers. “Perhaps the countess of Castlemaine might be persuaded to find a moneylender for us.”

“The king’s mistress?”

“Aye.”

“And why would she do that?” Finn asked skeptically.

“Because I’ll offer her a share of the profits,” Nick answered.

“But what if the king finds out?”

“He won’t find out. I’ll leave for Thornwood Hall as soon as I’m able and solve the riddle. That’s the least of our worries.”

“Damn it, Nick. I’m not so sure—”

“Finn, I’m depending on you. Get a message to Barbara Villiers that I want to see her, then leave the rest to me.” Through the pain, Nick forced a smile.

“All right, lad.” Finn strode toward the door, then paused. “Luckily, I’ve made the acquaintance of one of her ladies-in-waiting. Ye can count on me, Cap’n.” He winked as he shut the door.

Nick sighed as he leaned back against the pillows. His body throbbed; hot sharp pain traveled from his hip to his toes. He fought it away with the vision of his hands on the ship’s rail, while he barked orders to his crew. Somehow, he’d find a way to get another ship and avenge the death of his men.

A mockingbird flew from a tree outside the open window and landed on the sill, bathed in sunlight. Suddenly, the room was filled with the bird’s melodious song. Nick closed his eyes and drank in the sound. He hadn’t heard a bird sing since he left for war, more than two years ago.

He took it as a very lucky sign.

Chapter One

County of Surrey, England

One Month Later

A high-pitched squeal pierced the humdrum stillness of the country lane. Sir Nicholas Sinclair shifted in the saddle, gauging the direction of the sound. The stand of sycamores near the bend ahead? Aye, the perfect place for robbers to hide, ready to lift a purse or to steal a horse from an unwary traveler.

Nick’s hand hovered over his pistol holster. He almost hoped a highwayman would charge. Anything to break the tedium of the long ride since leaving London.

A feminine giggle, more distinct this time, alerted him to the dense elderberry bushes growing near the river. Drawing the seaman’s telescope from his pocket, Nick brought it to his eye.

A trail of scattered clothing led from the riverbank to the thicket A man’s patched leather breeches and faded shirt poked through the reeds. The tangle of russet skirts billowed atop a mound of wild daisies, and a black corset lay momentarily forgotten amid tufts of grass.

Nick recognized the russet skirt as similar to the one the tavern wench wore only last night at the Seven Swans. While serving him venison pasty and ale, she’d winked and brushed her mountainous white breasts across his hand. When he refused her offer, she sniffed scornfully. He’d have followed her gladly, but he had no time to linger. The sooner he settled his matter with Thornwood Hall, the sooner he’d be at sea where he belonged.

But if he arrived at the estate dressed as the king’s dandy, the locals might not trust him enough to tell what he heeded to know about the estate. Not one to miss an opportunity, he dismounted and strode toward the garments half-hidden in the weeds. A low passionate moan drifted from the elderberries. Nick chuckled as he saw the moon-shaped elder blossoms shake and the bushes rustle in the familiar age-old rhythm.

Nick snatched the man’s breeches and shirt and assessed the owner’s height and size. Grateful the man was tall, as well as randy, Nick quickly undid the ribbons at his neck and cuffs. Within minutes, he had discarded his ruffled silk shirt, robin’s-egg blue velvet breeches and jacket, and dropped them upon the grass beside the other garments.

Before the lovers’ cries ceased and the thrashing stopped, Nick had changed into the man’s clothing and mounted his horse. He tossed his wide-brimmed hat—the last evidence of the court clothing he’d been given—and watched it sail through the air and land atop the strewn garments. With a sense of freedom, he galloped down the lane toward Thornwood Hall.

Fancy clothes meant nothing to him. He much preferred his naval uniform, but until he was back at the helm of the new ship, he’d settle for comfort. His new ship! Thank God for Finn, who had managed, with the help of the king’s mistress, to obtain a loan for the new ship, using Thornwood Hall as collateral. Now, all Nick needed was a buyer for the estate so he could pay back the loan from the moneylender.

He’d set himself a new course: to find out what ailed the estate, then sell the damn place and repay the moneylender. By then, his ship would be built and he’d return to war, the king none the wiser.

A short while later, Nick found the lane had dwindled to a well-worn sheep run. The overgrown hedges grew so tangled that even the devil would have trouble gaining foot. From what he could see as he peeked through the rare openings, the land lay barren. Spindly corn stalks choked with weeds fought for their place in the sun. In the distance, the crofters’ shacks, like untidy hay bundles, dotted the wildflower meadow.

He stared at the holding in dismay and growing irritation. Obviously Thornwood Hall had fallen into neglect after the general had died, but who could imagine such a pile of beetles and weeds? Apparently the king hadn’t known; otherwise he couldn’t have kept a straight face when he’d awarded this run-down pile of brambles as a reward for Nick’s bravery.

A string of loud curses broke his thoughts. Nick wheeled his horse around. Unable to see anything through the fence of brambles, he dismounted and crept to the hedgerow. He tried poking a hole through the fence, but a stout sweetbriar thorn snagged his arm. With a growl, he jerked free.

“Damn!” he muttered. Remembering his telescope, Nick extended the tube and thrust it through the hedge like a sword.

He gazed through the lens. In the meadow, a tall whip of a man, his shirt stained with splotches of sweat, flailed an enormous black bull with a switch. The man yanked on the rope attached to the ring in the animal’s nose, shrieking oaths that would have raised a blush from the crew of the Hesper. The bull snorted, pawing the ground. Then the man whipped the beast again.

In the distance, a rider sped hell-bent toward man and beast, the horse’s hooves tearing up clumps of sod as she sped across the meadow.

Aye, the rider was female. Nick’s fingers squeezed the spyglass. Ebony ribbons of hair whipped behind her head as she swooped upon her target, like a Harpy in Virgil’s Aeneid. She brought her mount to a stop and slipped from the saddle in one fluid motion.

The girl charged at the bully, her blue skirts billowing behind her. She tore the whip from his fist and cracked the strap across his back.

Damn, if the man struck her back, Nick thought, how would he cut through the damned hedge in time to save the plucky lass? But instead of shielding himself, the bully cowered like a boy.

As though satisfied, the girl threw down the switch, then whirled to face the animal. Nick blinked. For the first time, he noticed the monstrous bull in detail. Long horns poked out from the wide brim of a hat lying atop its head. A Cavalier’s hat, by God! A red-feathered plume curled along the band.

What the hell was she doing? Fascinated, Nick watched as the girl gently stroked the animal’s chin. Then she began to sing. Or was he hearing an angel? High, lilting tones, like harp music, floated on the summer breeze.

The king had said that General Forester was in his eighties when he’d died. Now, his widow ran the manor, with the help of the general’s bastard son. Maybe this lass with the siren’s voice was the old man’s granddaughter.

In less than a wink, the bull moved from standstill to trot. The girl, holding the rope, ran alongside, as if they were one. The man took up beside them. Finally, she relinquished the lead, flinging the rope back at the man. With an arrogant toss of her head, she mounted her horse, then watched at a distance.

The bull kept its pace. The red feather bounced jauntily with each jerk of the animal’s ponderous steps. The man bobbed up and down, his arms and legs windmilling at his sides, laboring to keep up. Nick couldn’t help but laugh.

He moved his telescope back to the amazing girl. Woman, he corrected. Through the scope, Nick watched her pert breasts lift and drop with her laughter. Her lovely face flushed with amusement as she watched the man and beast trot off.

She was not more than twenty and some, he decided. From her plain dress, she was a servant, but her bearing was that of a queen. Only when she turned and rode in the other direction did Nick realize he had been staring at her longer than necessary.

A while later, Nick continued riding, periodically ducking his head under the low-hanging limbs. The path had dwindled to a trail of dense weeds.

Ahead, stood a three-story, Tudor-style stone monster of a house. Knee-high twitchgrass grew to the entrance. Shutters hung askew from most of the windows. Nick shook his head and swore.

Irritation curled along his spine. Damn the king for thinking that Thornwood Manor could be brought around to the profitable estate it had been under Cromwell. A magician couldn’t turn this pile of stones into a gainful venture again.

Nick swore under his breath. There was no excuse for unkempt buildings. Run a tight ship, he always proclaimed. No wonder the estate lost money year after year. The king had best forget any thought of receiving tax monies from this dung heap.

Thornwood Hall. Remembering the ghastly hedgerows, he realized that whoever named it had a rich sense of humor.

“Come, Rex, let’s find a grassy spot by the river, where I’ll hide you until dark.” The horse nickered in answer.

Yawning, Nick remembered that he hadn’t slept last night at the Seven Swans. The drunken singing drifting from the taproom would have wakened the devils in hell. His gaze fixed on a small stone outbuilding attached to the barn. The perfect place to grab a few winks and rest his leg before he began exploring his land.

Nick dismounted, his thoughts going back to the black-haired beauty who had taken the man to task for whipping the beast.

Why hadn’t the king mentioned her? he mused.

Still flushed from her ride in the meadow, Becky paused to glance up from her planting and take in the familiar sight of her favorite flowers. Bees buzzed amid the blue delphiniums in front of the open window of the hay barn. The exposed earth waited for the seeds of verbena, lavender and coltsfoot she had yet to plant.

Why was she wasting her time planting seed? She and her sister and brothers wouldn’t be at Thornwood Hall to see them flower. She brushed back the wrench of anger and loss that sometimes threatened to overtake her. The bees’ buzzing drew her attention as they hugged the blossoms. She had no time to squander on such thoughts. She had work to do, for God answered those who tried solving their own troubles.

“Ah-ah-ah-a choo!”

Startled, Becky jumped. Her basket slipped from her lap, seeds scattering along the ground. Pox and calamity! Who was in the haybarn? She grabbed her husband’s sword, which she always kept close to her side, and got to her feet.

She leaned into the open window and peeked inside. Shielding her eyes, she peered against the darkness. All she could see was her shadow, casting a wide-brimmed silhouette upon the sunlit patch of golden hay strewn about the floorboards. A few feet away stood the bulging hayrick; a man’s leather boot stuck out between the wooden slats.

So that was where the lazy arse had hidden himself, Becky mused, remembering that Molly’s son was to have shown himself this morning for the first honest day’s work since he returned from God knew where.

Becky charged into the barn, her sword drawn. “Get your lazy arse out of that wagon or I’ll run you through!” She thrust the sword’s point an inch above where the dusty leather boot poked through the straw. Bits of golden chaff burst into the air.

“What the…” The man leaped up in the hay wagon, his legs shot under him like a marionette at the Punch and Judy show. “Watch that sword. You’ll do some damage—”

“Aye, I will, an’ that’s a promise, Ben Twaddle. Now, out from that rick and show yourself. On your feet. Let me see what sort of an ill bargain I’ve bought myself this time.”

Instead of obeying, the man stared at her with sharp gray eyes. Sly, cunning eyes. She hesitated a moment as their gazes locked.

In the half-light of the barn, he appeared older than she thought Ben to be. She was barely six years old when the nine-year-old Ben had left home. Aye, left his mother to bring up all the children when his father, the thief, went to jail.

She eyed him cautiously. He looked more like thirty and five than the twenty and seven he would be. She sniffed. Years on the road had aged him, no doubt.

Yet she hadn’t imagined Ben to be so…Becky took in the tousled black hair, strong jaw and high, arrogant cheekbones. The arched black brows gleamed like blackbird’s wings against the sun-burnished face. She stopped and mentally shook herself. Sun-burnished from lying in the weeds with the barmaids from the Seven Swans Tavern, no doubt. Not from scything hay or weeding turnips in honest man’s toil.

Aye, Molly’s troublesome son didn’t have his father’s weak chin, or low forehead. No, this pigeon was most handsome. Cocksure of himself, too, by his outright gawk. No wonder he’d given Molly such fits since he showed up on her doorstep last week.

“Up, up, I say.” Becky whirled the sword in a menacing arc. “I haven’t all day, Ben Twaddle.”

“Who the hell are you?”

Becky stopped dead still. Molly had said her son was shiftless and crafty, a man who’d put more struggle into getting out of a decent day’s work than if he’d settle straight to the task. But Molly never said Ben was stupid.

“Surely you remember the scrawny, pigtailed lass, whose pet pig you stole and sold to market?” She narrowed her eyes. “The years have changed us, Twaddle. Today, I’m mistress of Thornwood Hall, and you’re the same worthless bag of bones that ran off all those years ago with my pig.” Becky blew a black wisp of hair from her face. “Surely your mum told you that I married General Forester, God rest his soul. I’m your new employer,” she answered, wondering which of his artful tricks he would ply her with. She watched as the look of surprise spread across the planes and angles of his face.

Just let him try to play stupid with her. She poked into the hay, about where she imagined his hip to be.

“Ouch, you little…” He glared at her, his left hand rubbing his hip.

She couldn’t hide the smug feeling of satisfaction as she poked him again. “This little nudge will sharpen your wits, Twaddle. Now, do you remember your promise to your mum to work off her rents in exchange for your labor?”

The gray eyes frosted over like icy steel, and for a flash, she thought he might be dangerous.

“You’re a peppery little spit, I’ll give you that, but if you don’t put down that sword, you’ll damn soon regret it.” His square chin hardened into a stubborn wedge as he pulled himself to the cross rails of the wagon and peered down at her.

Becky could only gape at what was none other than blasphemy. In the seven years since her husband had died, she had never been shown disrespect by the servants—who were mostly kin—or the crofters, whom she thought of and treated as her family.

“How dare you speak to me like that!” She glared at this giant, who had probably never broken a sweat in honest toil. Becky felt her temper boil. “It will be my pleasure to break your spirit, you shiftless waste of skin.”

The man climbed down from the wagon and stared at her. She glanced at the familiar shirt with the wooden buttons that she remembered Molly sewing when she had last visited her. The breeches and shirt had belonged to Ben’s father, as well. Ben was taller than his father and much more well-developed. His arms almost bulged the seams.

He limped toward her, favoring his left leg, then stopped a few feet from where she stood.

She studied him, then sniffed. “Playing for sympathy with the game leg trick, aye?” She threw back her shoulders as she decided how best to teach him a lesson. Despite his rumpled shirt and breeches, he loomed with attractive masculinity.

“I’ll teach you to respect your betters, Ben Twaddle,” she said, feeling suddenly unsure of her words.

His black brows knitted into a scowl as he glowered down at her. “What sort of fool are you, woman?”

Fueled by his outrageous lack of respect, Becky tightened her fingers through the sword’s hilt and whirled the blade around his ear with record speed. A black lock of hair sailed to the barn floor. His mouth slacked open with surprise, then he shot her a look of inflamed, disbelieving shock.

“Now, who’s the fool?” She couldn’t help but smile when she saw the open astonishment on his face.

He leaned over her, hands on his hips. “Put the sword down this instant, or I’ll—”

Becky lunged toward him. He sensed her move this time. He shot out of her way with lightning speed, the tip of the blade missing the top of his sleeve by inches.

His hand shot to his shoulder, his face open in amazement.

Becky’s laughter rang out like crystal bells. “What a pity the maids at the Seven Swans can’t see you now, Twaddle.” Her blade whirred in the air as she spoke.

His steely eyes held a warning as they locked with hers.

“Oh, Twaddle,” she cried, “I see your hose needs changing.” The tip of the sword whirled to take aim at the fasteners tied to the sides of his knees. In a wink, he moved, but not soon enough. The fastener below his knee gave way, the hose disappearing into the wide cuffs of his boots, exposing a few inches of hairy leg.

She giggled. “Perhaps now you’ll remember who I am?”

His eyes glittered dangerously like live, burning embers.

“I’m afraid I’ve taken too much off one side of your hair,” she said, unable to keep a straight face. “Let me straighten the other side for you.” Laughter almost doubled her over.

“You’d better think carefully, woman, before you best a defenseless man.” The cold threat in his voice caused her to pause. The man’s arm slid behind him and he withdrew a light saber from the hay wagon. In a motion so quick only the rush of air fluttering the drawstrings at her neckline gave warning, the arc of steel sliced through the blue ribbons of her bodice, releasing her gown as it slid from her shoulders.

His mouth curled in a sardonic smile. It did nothing to relax the steely jaw or the dangerous glint in his eyes.

Becky gaped as the blade sang through the air a second time. With a snap, the glint of steel sliced again, this time, releasing the delicate ribbon tied in a prim bow at the neckline of her chemise. The soft muslin fell from her shoulders and slid down her arms. Her hands flew to her bosom, covering herself with the loosened fabric.

“How dare you!” Only when she heard her sword clang to the floor did she realize she dropped it.

“Not giving up so soon?” He smiled, his saber tip playing about the hem of her skirts. “I’m just beginning to enjoy your little sport.”

“You…you…” Becky steamed as she watched his enjoyment grow with her outrage. “Your mother praises you when she calls you a shiftless…”

“Shiftless waste of skin?” he offered, cocking a brow.

“Exactly.”

“I’m much worse, I’d wager.” Amused interest replaced the anger in his gray eyes. The tip of his sword hovered in the air, waiting. “Give up?”

“Never!” Becky’s fingers tightened the loosely gathered fabric at her breasts while she whirled around and picked up the sword with her right hand, exposing her bare back to him.

“What an interesting birthmark you have, mistress.”

Ignoring his comment, she positioned her sword in her right hand and lunged it at him. But he moved so quickly, she didn’t even see his blade. Only the soft whoosh sound below her right arm drew her attention in time to see her outer skirt fall to the ground.

“How—?” She stared in disbelief.

“Did anyone ever tell you that the birthmark on your back resembles a golden butterfly?” His mouth quirked with arrogance.

“I’ll have you shaved bald for your insolent tongue!” Becky lunged again, but he stepped out of her way, just in time.

“I think I’ll remove the red underskirt first, or perhaps the white…” She gaped in horror to see the point of his sword lifting her skirts as he peeked at the hems of her undergarments. “Or should I just flick all of them off—”

She jumped back out of the reach of his sword. “I’ll see your arrogant hide tied to the fence, and your mother and I will watch as—”

“Mum?” He lifted a questioning brow as he stepped to within a foot of her and appraised her lazily. “What will Mum think when I describe your birthmark on your enticing lower back.” His mouth twisted in a grin. “A golden butterfly, I’ll tell her.”

“If you tell anyone about my birthmark, I’ll say you…you tried to take advantage of—”

“Now, now, now.” A playful twinkle lit his eyes. “I’m sure you know what Mum and the others will think?” He returned his sword to the sheath at his side.

Becky narrowed her eyes and drew the loose fabric closer. “What do you mean?”

His chiseled mouth lifted in smug exaggeration. “If my reputation is so dishonorable, fair lady, are you not afraid that my mum might believe you’d fallen for my charms?”

“That’s absurd! Molly would never believe such a thing.”

“Then how will you explain my knowledge of such a personal matter as your birthmark?” His bold eyes met hers with a warm, intimate look.

She felt a blush creep to the roots of her hair. She stepped back, but the horrible realization hit her that what he said was true. Damn Ben Twaddle’s cunning. He was the sort to scrounge off women, and most women would be all agog over his handsome face.

Even though she was innocent, her reputation would be ruined if a whisper of scandal were to touch the Forester name. Sinclair would never allow her to manage Thornwood Hall for him.

Sir Nicholas Sinclair. No, she’d not think of that creature. One revolting scoundrel was enough to deal with at a time!

Becky drew in a resigned breath. “I gave my promise to Molly that I’d stiffen your spine with honest toil, and I aim to keep that promise, Twaddle. You’ll not be getting out of work this time, regardless of your brazen tricks.” She glowered at him. Despite her words, nothing would pleasure her more than to send this dog packing.

He answered her with an amused smile. “Brazen, dear lady? It’s not brazen for a man to defend himself. After all, you flew at me. An unarmed man. I was only protecting my…virtue.”

“Your virtue?” She laughed. “Twaddle, you don’t give up, do you? Playing daft won’t lose your job. Nothing you do will keep me from breaking my vow to your mother!”

He took a step closer.

She’d wipe that expression from his face before the month was out. She sniffed disdainfully as she picked up her skirt from the hay-strewn floor. She gave it a shake, then glared at him over her shoulder.

“You can start by grabbing that pitchfork and mucking out the stalls in the livery stable. Geer will be in later to see if you’ve finished. Only then will he give you your supper.”

In an attempt at dignity, Becky lifted her chin and strode toward the door without looking at him, but he moved to her side in three long strides and barred the door with his arm. “And what if I don’t want to?”

“What you want has nothing to do with it, Twaddle.” She moved past him but he took her arm.

“Very well, I’ll do your tasks, but we have one thing to settle, first.”

Becky thought to run, but she knew that was what he wanted. He was used to having his way with women. She wouldn’t show that his charged masculinity and dangerous presence affected her. She forced herself to meet his gaze.

Thick black lashes fringed his silver gray eyes. She was reminded of the silver of April rain upon the river as it flowed along the gaming fields. Vibrant, changeable eyes. His black hair fell in loose waves, touching his broad shoulders. She blinked. “What do we have to settle, Twaddle?”

He held her close, and she wondered why she didn’t break away. What was he going to do?

“You said I was bold.” His metallic gaze fell to her lips and her stomach clenched. “This is bold…”

His mouth took hers in such haste she could only gasp. Her body trembled as the kiss deepened. Her fingers squeezed the fabric in front of her, her heart beating double time. His arms tightened around her, and she felt herself swirl helplessly into exciting sensations.

When he pulled his mouth from hers, she blinked back into consciousness. “How dare you—” Becky recovered quickly. She drew back, wanting to slap that grin from his face, but her hands were full of the gathers at her bodice. Repressed anger coursed through her at the pompous audacity of the man and her own blatant reaction to him.

She kicked open the barn door. “Out!” she screamed. “Get off my property and don’t ever let me see you again!”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Very well, little butterfly, I’ll go. But I’ll take the thought of your sweet kiss with me, its memory warming my heart.”

“Out! Out! Out!”

He bowed with a flourish, then walked into the sunlit yard, his rich laughter filling the air.

Becky clutched her dress to her. Pox and calamity! How would she explain to Molly that she had let her son worm himself out of the first honest position that was ever offered to him?

Besides, if Twaddle didn’t work off the money Molly owed, how would the poor woman pay her rents?

She held her fingertips to her lips, the warm feel of his mouth still upon hers, and she felt herself blush.

Ben Twaddle was another scourge on Thornwood Hall, and she’d had more than enough of scoundrels. There was no way she’d hire that blackguard. A man like that was dangerous.

Now, if only to find a way to explain it to Molly.

Nick was still smiling when he brought the pail of water from the river to his horse, staked in the secluded glen nearby. Becky Forester was nothing like the wizened old woman he had imagined. Decidedly beautiful, with those flashing violet eyes and heavy mane of shining ebony hair.

He wondered why she hadn’t married again. Surely the lively widow had given up trying to squeeze a profit from the overgrown, weevil-ridden rubble known as Thornwood Hall. The king had said the estate hadn’t made a profit in years, and the Widow Forester had paid little in taxes for want of a good harvest.

Nick rubbed his scraggly beard. Odd. The hay in the wagon where he had bedded down was rich and fresh. The orchards, away from the path, hung heavy with green fruit. The cows in the back pasture had full udders waiting for the milkmaids. Yet the roadside fields lay untended or bore nothing but stunted crops.

Nick unwrapped the cheese that he had taken from the sack that hung from the saddle. Becky Forester didn’t expect him for another fortnight. Perhaps he should have accepted that job she had offered, or rather ordered him to take. His lips curved in a rakish grin at the memory. It might have provided just the opportunity to find the answers to his questions.

He smiled again, and he was reminded that he had smiled more today than he had in a very long time.

Chapter Two

The pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread and blackberry tarts that Becky had brought did little to dispel the gloom that pervaded Molly Twaddle’s croft. The old woman sat in front of the fire, and her frail shoulders, wrapped with a thick woolen shawl, shook with muffled sobs.

“Molly, please try to understand…” Becky’s voice faded, her hands twisting in despair as she paced a tight circle in front of the hearth.

Molly wiped her cheeks with the edge of her apron, then gazed at Becky with a look that said it was Becky who didn’t understand. “Maybe if ye’d ask Ben to work for ye again.” Her lips pressed into a brave line that caused her chin to quiver. “Give ’im a week t’ show ye what ’e ken do.” Her sweet face beamed with the eternal hope all mothers have for their wayward offspring.

Becky groaned and twisted her hands again. She should have told Molly about yesterday’s encounter with Ben. But would she have believed that her wild son had removed almost all of Becky’s clothing with two swipes of his blade, then brazenly kissed her?

Perhaps, but for the moment she preferred to keep the incident to herself. Her throat went dry as she remembered his commanding presence and the way she felt when he held her in his arms. Was it the man who filled her with such exasperation, or her foolish reaction to him?

“We can’t force Ben to do what he doesn’t want to do.” Becky swallowed, gaining her composure. “It might be best if he went back to where he came from and never returned.”

Molly’s squall of fresh tears brought a tug of guilt to Becky’s heart. Kneeling beside the old woman’s chair, Becky wiped a tear from Molly’s dumpling cheek. How she’d like to tell Molly that her son would probably rob her blind and bring trouble from the sheriff, just like his father. But she bit her words. Loyalty was the strength that bound families together.

“I know how you feel,” Becky said instead. “But it’s—”

“Nay, ye don’t know how I feel.” Molly’s chin quivered, but her voice held steady. “‘Cause ye don’t know ’bout Nelda.”

Becky rose to her feet. “Nelda?”

“Aye, Nelda.” Molly lifted her white-capped head, her blue eyes brimming with tears. “I was ashamed t’ tell ye before, but now I see I must. Ben wasn’t alone when ’e came home last week, Becky. Me son ’ad a lass with ’im. Nelda’s gonna ’ave ’is babe.” A watery smile brightened her face. “Me first gran’babe.”

Becky’s understanding mixed with disgust. She thought of his kiss and rage fired within her. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The man was a rutting goat!

Becky reined back her anger. “Where’s Nelda now?”

“Next door with me sister, Clara. I ’ad no place fer ’em to sleep, an’…” She tugged on Becky’s skirt like a hungry tot begging for a crust. “Please, Becky. I ain’t askin’ ye this time. I’m beggin’ ye to give Ben a job.”

A lump formed in the back of Becky’s throat.

“If ye don’t, I’m afeared Ben’ll turn to thievin’. If the sheriff catches ’im, then what’ll Nelda and the babe do?”

Becky glanced at the dear woman, and her heart melted. Besides, she had no choice. The crofters knew it was her duty to provide for them and their kin. “Very well, Molly. When Ben comes home, tell him to see Geer about a job weeding in the turnip fields.” At least she could keep the rogue a safe distance from the womenfolk. Besides, who knew what might happen to all of them when the new owner of Thornwood Hall arrived in two weeks? Everyone might be out on their arses.

The old woman beamed. “You’re a saint, Mistress Becky. A blessed saint for not forgettin’ yer promise to yer mum an’ da. How proud they would’ve been to see ’ow ye take care of us.”

The mention of her parents brought the familiar tug of sadness to Becky. It had been almost a year since they were stricken by the plague, along with her older sister, Betty. “Of course I’ll take care of the crofters. You’re my family. I’ll never forget that I was a crofter’s daughter.”

“Botherin’ with us, when ye ’ave yer ’eart full of yer own troubles.” Molly tucked back a gray strand under her white cap, her expression serious. “What ’ave ye figured to do when Sir Whatsis ’ighness comes t’ take over ’is property?”

“It’s not his property, Molly. Sir Nicholas Sinclair’s been awarded my property. I don’t care what the king dictates. In my heart, Thornwood Hall will always belong to me, Peter, Baby Harry and Aphra.”

“Aye, but yer brothers and sister will be grown one day. Ye should remarry and have yer own babes. Peter’s almost a man. Aphra will be leavin’ the nest ’fore long. Ye don’t want t’ end up like me in yer old age.”

Becky chuckled. How she loved this dear soul, who had been like a second mother to her since her parents’ death. “You’re hardly lonely with your growing family,” she teased, thinking of the added grandchildren Ben would surely breed for Molly to raise.

Molly shook her head, as though she knew she was talking to a lost cause. “You need to marry a man who’ll take care of ye.”

“That’s why my mother wanted me to marry the old general. Poor man was dead in less than a year, and I still have to manage on my own. Besides, no man will marry me with a baby brother and a sister who’s unable to speak. He’d insist they be turned over to an orphanage, or worse. Marriage isn’t the answer, Molly.”

Molly’s brows knitted together. “I ’eard Willoughby knew of a gentleman offering to buy the estate from Sinclair.”

Becky had heard the rumor, too. Willoughby had a keen business sense, almost as astute as her own. He leased the river rights for his livestock from Thornwood Hall, but that was no guarantee he’d continue to do so unless he made friends with Sinclair. But there was no reason to worry Molly about it.

“Sinclair might keep the property and ask me to manage it,” Becky answered with confidence, despite the wrench of fear in her stomach. She dared not reveal her plan to frighten any prospective buyers away, including Squire Willoughby. Not yet, anyway.

“You and the other crofters have nothing to worry about, Molly. I’m taking care of everything.” She winked, then put on her riding gloves while she strode toward the cottage door.

“I’ll see that your sister has extra bedding brought around for Nelda, and I’ll tuck in a basket with a ham joint and an extra bowl of eggs,” Becky said.

She was rewarded with Molly’s broad smile. “God bless ye, Becky. Yer mum an’ da would be so proud of ye.”

No need to upset Molly with the facts. If Becky’s plan failed, the new owner would throw out the old, frail crofters who couldn’t pay their rents, thus forcing them to join the bands of paupers who went on the tramp for food, only to be greeted by scorn and little charity.

Becky forced a smile as she waved goodbye to Molly, then strode purposely toward her mare, waiting at the fence.

A few minutes later, Becky rode along the hedgerow path, her thoughts tumbling around the greatest challenge of her life—Sir Nicholas Sinclair. For whatever reason, she couldn’t push back the threat from her mind.

She chewed on her lip. Aye, she’d be thrown in prison, if Sinclair knew all the facts. What if he discovered her duplicity with the business ledgers? What if he found out she kept two sets of accounts? One ledger recorded the true profits, the other—kept for the tax assessor—registered only a tiny sum of the manor’s true bounty.

But Sinclair wouldn’t find out. The servants were family, and the merchants who purchased their goods were related to her in some way. Furthermore, they were paid handsomely for their loyalty.

She was safe. Besides, hadn’t Squire Willoughby’s wife said that Sinclair was a navy man who’d return to sea when his wounds healed? Aye, he’d only remain in the country long enough to see Thornwood Hall for himself and to find a buyer.

And he wouldn’t find a buyer. For what man would purchase an estate that was haunted by the avenging ghost of her late husband, Ol’ Winky? Crops would be stunted, cattle would drop in the fields, all manner of bad luck would follow. Or so word would spread.

Usually, thinking of her plan to invent her late husband’s ghost raised her spirits. But not today, for some reason. She needed to go to the one place that always brought her peace.

Becky pressed her heels into the mare’s sides and rode across the field toward the wildflower meadow. She needed to talk to The Family.

A short while later, Becky brushed aside the sun-dried flowers from her mother’s gravestone that the wind failed to blow away from yesterday’s bouquet. Then she laid the freshly picked buttercups and blue larkspur at the foot of the stone cross.

Head bowed, she prayed silently. Afterward, she adjusted the sash, which held the general’s sword she always carried, and stepped back. Her gaze swept the tall, hand-carved headstone.

“Mum, you’d be so proud of Baby Harry. Yesterday, Aphra dressed him up in Da’s Roundhead uniform. He paraded around the study, grabbed the poker like a sword and marched like a glorious little soldier.” Her throat felt thick and dry.

“Sally is teaching Aphra to sew. Aphra tried to stick her with a pin, but I think it was because Sally had taken apart your yellow silk gown and was fitting it to her…” Becky bit back the sting of tears. To see her mother’s favorite gown in pieces had triggered a jolt of sadness in her.

Becky squeezed the hilt of her sword. “I keep praying Aphra will speak again, Mum. It’ll be a year next month since…” Her bottom lip trembled.

Becky paced back and forth. “This morning, I told Peter he could try his hand at repairing the old boat that Da had built. He gave me one of his rare smiles…” She grinned at the memory. “When Peter smiles at me like that, Mum, he reminds me so much of you. His warm brown eyes light up like yours when he’s happy.” She swallowed hard to fight back the tears while she poked at the grass with her sword. “Next month, Peter will be ten and two, and already he’s as tall as I am.” She smiled as she thought of her quiet, sensitive brother. “Remember what fun we had when Da took us to market in that boat? Peter says he remembers, but he was too young. He was Baby Harry’s age, then.”

Becky closed her eyes, the sun warming her face as the memories comforted her. “So many years ago. I wasn’t much older than Aphra, myself.”

The sun hid behind a cloud, and Becky opened her eyes. She stepped to the next grave, a massive stone cross and circle.

Her dear da. She laid a few yellow wildflower sprigs on the tufts of green grass beside the stone column. “Geer and I sold the best pieces of furniture at market last week, Da. Got three times what I had hoped for them. You’d have been proud at how I wrangled the bid. Told the story of how Cromwell, himself, had lain on the table while his aide dug a musket ball from his arm.”

She chuckled. “Those royals will believe anything.” She rubbed her hand over the carved letters on the marker. The stone felt warm in the July sun.

“Don’t worry, Da. I’ll find a way to send Sir Nicholas Sinclair back to sea before he sells our home. I’ll keep my promise to take care of everyone.”

Becky strode past the shady rise to the three distant headstones. Her older sister, Betty, lay beside their grandparents. Betty had been taken ill within a fortnight before the plague had claimed their parents.

Becky scattered the buttercups among the remaining graves. Memories rushed at her like an unsuspecting gale. She could hardly put her feelings into words.

“God help me, I’ll take care of Aphra, Peter and Baby Harry, just as you took care of me.” Her eyes stung with unshed tears while the memory of her sister’s high spirits rang on the soft breeze of the sunlit meadow. Her heart wrenched with loss.

A few minutes later, Becky climbed the steep hill near the cemetery fence. Scattering flowers onto the bright green blades of grass surrounding the older headstones, she moved to the last marker. She released the remainder of the wildflowers at the bottom of the stone of her late husband.

“General,” she said, addressing him by the title she had always used in his presence, although she referred to him since his death as Ol’ Winky, as he was affectionately known by everyone. “I’ll stand fast against this Sinclair fellow. I won’t give up Thornwood Hall without a fight.”

She wondered what the old general might have done if he were alive. Ol’ Winky had been almost seventy when she’d married him. Even in his dotage, his iron will and feistiness earned him respect among the shire.

She rubbed her fingers across the rough stone. “I’m sorry for the lie I’m about to tell, General. But I thought if you knew that a Royalist was taking over your estate, you’d tear off on one of your rides, like you did on the anniversaries of the great battles, your shouts echoing throughout the valley.” She smiled. “So loud even Squire Willoughby and his wife will hear you.”

For a moment, she thought she heard his low laughter on the breeze. She turned and faced the wind, the hayscented air drying her lashes. She shook her head. No, she had only imagined it. But the idea was real.

If Ol’ Winky’s ghost were seen racing across the fields, surely the sight might give pause to a prospective buyer.

Becky smiled. “The plan will work, General. Keane has agreed to dress in your uniform and ride the fields as your ghost. He’s been as upset as I have with the king awarding Thornwood Hall to a Royalist. We’ll see how Sinclair likes owning a haunted manor.”

Her smile faded when she thought of Keane. Did he truly believe he was Ol’ Winky’s son? The two men were so different in so many ways. But if Keane thought so, perhaps he felt he should have a part of Thornwood Hall, too.

Picturing Keane in her mind, on Ol’ Winky’s charger in the dark of night, even she might be fooled that the ghost of her late husband had come back to seek revenge against the new owner.

Her hand patted the gray stone, then she loosened the ribbons of her straw hat and wandered along the path toward the fence row. The wind lifted her hair on the breeze. Her eyelids closed while she delighted in the small pleasure.

She hoped to find her courage among the silent counsel, and she hadn’t been disappointed. She knew her duty. When Nicholas Sinclair arrived, she’d spread the word that Ol’ Winky’s spirit rode the fields, and when the neighbors saw his ghost, no one would dare offer for the estate. Sinclair would return to the sea, she and Keane would manage Thornwood Hall. The crofters and her siblings would be safe, and all would be well with the world.

Her horse whinnied, and she glanced up.

Although the man was more than several furlongs away, she immediately recognized the slant of broad shoulders and the limp. He ambled along the path toward her, and she wondered how long he had been watching her.

“Mistress Forester,” he said a few minutes later. Doffing his hat, he gave her a sweeping bow that was exaggerated with sarcastic ardor. “We meet again.”

“I see you remembered my name.” Her gaze fell to the blue glints of sunshine on his black hair. “Are you on your way to visit your mum?”

“I was hoping to see you, actually.” His gray eyes glittered mischievously beneath black arched brows. “I thought it best that I apologize for my…outrageous behavior.”

Becky couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you up to one of your tricks, Twaddle? Because if you are—”

“Fair lady, I have no tricks up my sleeve. I ask for the job you had so kindly offered. For how can I face my dear mum if—”

“And best you not forget Nelda.”

Surprise darkened the gray eyes as though he were truly caught unaware. If Becky hadn’t known better, she’d have believed he didn’t know Nelda. The man was a cunning devil!

“Forgotten Nelda so soon?” Outrage flared with disgust as she remembered how he had boldly kissed her, and her foolish response to it. Now that she had her good sense again, she’d straighten the matter out.

“Nelda, who’s big with your child, in case you’re suffering from another bout of scattered wits,” she said.

His mouth pursed carefully, but he remained silent.

“Aye, I know all about Nelda.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s because of Nelda that I’m giving you another chance.”

“You’ve pointed out the error of my ways, dear lady. I’m here, begging you for a job.”

Becky almost laughed. She’d seen trickery by experts, and this performance was pitiful. The mischievous glint in his vibrant gray eyes told her he was no more chagrined than she was.

No, there was more to his ruse than a change of heart. If she stood here until All Souls’ Eve, he’d never tell her what had changed his mind. It didn’t matter. She’d find out from Molly.

“So you’re wanting to labor under the July sun from morning to night, a hoe handle breaking the soft skin on your palms?” She tried not to smile.

“My hands are hardened to work, mistress.” He opened his fists. Hard calluses covered the insides of his handsomely shaped long fingers and hands. She felt her breath catch. Her reaction was only surprise, she decided as she met his gaze.

“Very well, but I’ll never believe you weathered your hands by honest toil.”

His smile told her she was right. “I’ll take you on,” she said. “With a condition.” She thought of Molly, alone all those years, longing for her son to return. “You’ll spend the Sabbath with your mum, take her to church and do whatever she chooses to do for the day.” She watched his expression. “Agreed?”

His mouth moved as though he had tasted something bitter. “Aye,” he said finally.

“And you’ll provide for Nelda and the babe. Make plans to marry her, for a start.”

He almost choked. Becky tried not to laugh.

“Marriage is a big consideration.” He glanced back at her, his eyes like diamonds. “I’ll need more pay if I’m to become a family man.”

“Should have thought of that before you—” She stopped herself, ignoring the blush that warmed her cheeks. “Do you agree to the terms?”

“Aye.”

Something strange was afoot. Becky had dealt with sneaky devils before, but this rogue was planning something devious. The fine hairs on her arms stood up in warning. “You’ll make an honest woman of Nelda, you’ll work from dawn to dark, you’ll spend the Sabbath with your Mum?” She raised a brow, waiting.

“I’ve seen the error of my ways, and I’m here to make amends.” The corner of his mouth lifted, and the glint in his gray eyes told her he was lying through his handsome white teeth.

“One more condition.” She held his gaze. “Till the end of the month, you’ll have no credit at the Seven Swans Tavern, and you’ll stay away from Lily.”

“Lily?”

“Don’t play simple with me, Twaddle. You’ve only been back a few days, and already the servants are buzzing with tales of you and Lily and who knows of how many others?” She stiffened her spine and folded her arms in front of her. “I’ve your promise?”

He folded his muscled arms across his broad chest in mocking imitation. “Agreed.”

“Very well, Twaddle. You’ll meet the crew at four o’clock tomorrow morning by the cattle gate.” She turned toward her horse, her sword clanging against her thigh with each step.

“I think we should shake on it,” he called after her.

She stopped. The thought of touching him caused a fluttery sensation deep inside her. “Of course,” she said, bounding back toward him.

She extended her arm, but when his large, warm palm captured her small hand in his, she almost gasped. A charge like summer lightning ripped through her. He studied her, his brilliant gray eyes staring through her. His straight black lashes shadowed his cheeks, or was it the trick of sunlight on this glorious day?

She stood, lost in the smoky depths of his eyes. She felt as though she was peering at an ancient rock wall. Light and dark sparkles glittered from the depths of his soul.

“Agreed.” He released her hand.

She swallowed, then put on her hat, tugging at her hat brim to cover her nervousness. Her mouth felt as dry as hay. She nodded, afraid to trust her voice. She wiped her hand on her skirt, then strode back to her horse, forcing herself not to run like the devil.

The late-afternoon sun filtered through the alders as Nick curried his horse by the river. For the past half hour, since he had seen Becky Forester again, he couldn’t get the picture of her out of his mind. Her manner was regal, despite the faded gown she wore. Running through the buttercups, she had held her skirts as she ran, revealing the flash of shapely ankles amid her underskirts. Her hair flew behind her like black silk.

Her face reacted with surprise when she saw it was he. More than startled, had he imagined she was somewhat glad to see him?

Damn, it wasn’t like him to show conceit with a woman. She doubtless thought him some impossible rogue. It was dismay, not attraction, that had brightened her cheeks so becomingly.

Ducks quacked as they swam past, diving for their dinner amid the last lull before twilight. Nick’s thoughts returned to his task at hand. “You’re growing fat on this rich grass, Rex.” He smiled as he swept the currycomb along the animal’s back.

For a moment, Nick sensed that he wasn’t alone. Rex lifted his head, ears twitching, as though sensing something, too. Nick slipped the curry rack in the saddlebags and pulled out his pistol from the saddle holster.

“Stand and deliver,” came a shout from behind.

Nick dropped the pistol in the holster and lifted his hands above his head. A man stood a few yards away, dressed in the familiar velvet breeches and frilly shirt that Nick had been wearing before he exchanged them with the ones he found beside the river this morning. Nick guessed the robber was Ben Twaddle.

Ben Twaddle’s eyes widened in surprise as he appraised Nick’s clothing, obviously confirming the same conclusion.

“Yer the one who took me clothes?”

Nick lifted a brow. “Aye, and you’d never come by a better deal, Twaddle.”

“‘ow’d ye know me name?”

Nick watched Ben’s right hand shake as he waved the pistol. He would guess that Ben was new to the occupation of thievery. “What do you want from me? Your clothes back?” He couldn’t quite hide a smile.

Ben frowned in bewilderment. “Why’d you do it? Yer’ a…a gentleman, by the look o’ yer clothes.”

“Ben, my arms are getting tired. Put that damn thing down or use it.”

Ben blinked, then lowered the weapon. “I want yer horse.”

“I’ve given you my clothes, do you think I’ll just hand over my horse, as well?” Nick sat down by the tree and glanced up.

“I’m taking yer horse, so it don’t matter what ye think.” Ben kept his gaze on him. Obviously mistaking that Nick wouldn’t mind, Ben took several steps toward Rex.

“You could hang for stealing a man’s horse,” Nick warned.

“I’ll be gone before they find me. Besides, who’ll believe a rogue like you, dressed as y’are?” Ben narrowed his small pig eyes. “How’d ye get a ’orse like this? Steal ’im?” The idea brought a light to his eyes. “Aye, I’d wager ye stole this ’orse and clothing from a wealthy man. Then ye tossed ’is clothes to me so I’d be caught for the act.” Ben glanced at the horse again, as though he were reconsidering taking the animal.

“You’re a sharp lad,” Nick said, trying not to grin. “You’re much too smart for me.” He shook his head. “If you steal this horse, you’ll be caught before you ride past Ferry’s Crossroads.”

“Then ye did steal ’im?”

“I’ll forget you asked me, lad.” Nick lifted a brow while he pretended to study the matter. After a considerable pause, he spoke. “Let me make you a deal, Ben Twaddle.”

The young man looked surprised. “Tell me ’ow ye know me?”

“I know many things about you, lad. Many things.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I know about Nelda and the babe. About your poor old mother, Molly.”

Ben’s long, thin face paled. “‘ow’d ye know ’bout them?”

“I know everything.”

Ben looked as though he’d seen a ghost. “Everythin’?”

Nick nodded. “I know your soul’s going to hell, lad.”

Ben’s eyes bulged. He ran a finger around his velvet collar.

“I’ve been sent as a messenger from above.” Nick rolled his eyes heavenward. “And I’ve a message for you, lad. A last chance to save your soul.”

Ben’s black eyebrows knotted, his hands trembled. “A message, sire?”

Nick forced the amusement from his face. “Make it up to yer poor mum. Take her to church on the Sabbath and spend the day with her. Stay away from Lily at the Seven Swans. Spend time with Nelda, and help with the chores.” He narrowed his eyes and grabbed Ben by the collar. “Because if you don’t—”

Ben’s Adam’s apple protruded in his bony throat as Nick’s fingers clenched tighter. “I’ll come after you. I’m faster than the west wind. You can’t hide from me.”

Ben’s white face froze with terror.

“Disobey me and I’ll snatch you up, and you’ll never be heard of again.”

Ben’s arms and legs shook at his sides. Nick lifted him up off the ground and gave him a shake. “All that’ll be left of your miserable body will be the low howl in the pines when I’m through with you. Do you understand, Ben Twaddle?”

Ben bobbed like a duck. “Aye, sire. I—I promise, sire.”

Nick released him. The lad stumbled to his feet.

“Go home to your mum, and beg her forgiveness.” Nick’s voice was stern. “Off with you, now.” He strode to his horse as the scurried footfalls of Ben’s huge feet sped down the path.

Damned superstitious lot. Nick couldn’t keep from laughing as he watched the sight of Ben Twaddle running across the cornfields toward the crofters’ shacks.

He wondered what Becky would think when she heard of Ben Twaddle’s sudden reformation. He smiled again. Aye, she wouldn’t be fooled. Suspicious, perhaps, but he didn’t think the lovely lady believed in miracles, if he was any judge of women.

Chapter Three

The following morning was hot, with no promise of a breeze to cool the coming swelter. Nick stood up from hoeing and wiped the beads of moisture from his forehead. Across the meadow, he noticed Becky on the sorrel mare, galloping along the hedgerow.

He’d hoped she’d ride out to check if he’d shown up for work. He’d enjoy seeing her again, if only to observe if the dark shards in her lovely eyes were as violet as he remembered.

Damn, what the hell did he care what color her eyes were! He’d best find out as much information as he could from Geer before Becky discovered that he wasn’t Ben Twaddle.

But he’d like to see her again, because she was nothing like any other women he’d known. His fascination was only business, he decided, pushing back a rush of unwelcome arousal. She knew the answers to the questions about the estate that he needed to know.

Nick watched as Becky and the mare vaulted gracefully over a stone fence. She controlled the sorrel with the same mastery of skill that she had shown yesterday with the bull.

After a few moments, Nick grasped the hoe and was bending over the next row of turnips when a voice called out to him.

“‘ey, Twaddle.” Geer came up behind him with a water pail and tin cup. The old man squinted at the long, neat row of dark green leaves Nick had finished hoeing. “This ain’t a race, lad.” His wrinkled face creased when he smiled. “Save some of that muscle for this afternoon’s toil.”

Nick took the offered drink of water and drained the cup. Geer’s smile faded. “Noticed yer limp. ’ow’d ye hurt the leg?”

“Nothing serious.” Nick hoped to deter the man’s curiosity. If Geer were to see the red zigzag pattern of scars along the length of his thigh and calf, he would pry all the more.

“Put yer hoe down, Twaddle. I’ve a better chore fer yer strong muscles.”

Nick hesitated while Becky brought the mare to a sharp halt in front of them.

“How’s the work going?” Her gaze was fixed on Geer, but Nick could tell that she was aware of him by the faint flush that rose from her neck to her cheeks.

“We’ve got an able worker, here, Mistress Becky.” Geer said. “Ben hoes twice as fast as the regulars.”

A tinge of surprise flitted across her face.

Taking advantage of her refusal to glance his way, Nick drank in the sight of her. Her eyes were truly as violet as he had remembered. Her plain blue gown contrasted brilliantly against the riot of cascading black curls that fell unbound across her shoulders. In her unadorned dress, she appeared more lovely than any of the overadorned women he’d seen recently at court. Her rounded bosom lifted and fell as she caught her breath. He tried to imagine what the dark cleft between the soft mounds would look like—

“Twaddle! Get in the wagon,” Geer ordered. Then he glanced up at Becky. “I’m takin’ Ben to where the crew’s fixin’ the crumblin’ rock wall. No need wastin’ his strong back on weedin’ when those rocks need movin’.”

“Just see that Twaddle keeps out of trouble.” Becky wheeled the mare around and took off across the field, her black hair whipping behind her straw hat.

“Mistress Becky isn’t ’erself of late,” Geer said as he trudged beside Nick toward the wagon. “Her mind is full o’ troubles.”

“Because Sinclair is arriving to take ownership of the estate?” Nick asked uneasily.

“That bugger!” Geer sputtered the words. “What kind o’ man takes away a poor widow’s livelihood?”

Nick’s interest grew. “What are her plans when she leaves here?” He curbed his step to the older man’s slower gait.

“Our Becky won’t leave without a fight.” Admiration, pride and loyalty filtered through Geer’s words. “It’s Sinclair who’ll be runnin’ with his tail ’tween his legs before our Becky is through with ’im. Just wait an’ see.”

Nick’s curiosity edged up several notches. “How will she manage that?”

Geer shot him a silencing look. Nick knew that he’d have to be more tactful if he wanted further information from Geer.

“It must be hard for a woman to manage alone,” Nick said into the growing silence.

“Keane oversees the manor for ’er, ’though I’m not sure how much of a help ’e is.” Geer wiped the beads of sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve.

“Keane?” Nick didn’t recognize the name.

“Ye remember Keane, surely.” Geer squinted at him. “Some say he’s Ol’ Winky’s son, born on the wrong side of the blanket.”

“Ol’ Winky?” Nick asked carefully. Although he remembered Becky saying that Ben Twaddle had left Thornwood Hall when he was nine years old, Nick didn’t want to alert Geer by asking questions about things that Twaddle should have known.

“You remember Ol’ Winky.” Geer crinkled his brow as though Nick should have remembered. “General Forester, God rest ’is soul.” Geer shook his head. “Ol’ Winky never admitted if Keane was from his own seed or not. Don’t rightly blame him none.”

Nick was more interested in Becky Forester. “Why hasn’t the widow remarried?”

Geer chuckled. “No man’s good enough, I’d say.”

A few minutes later, they arrived at the horse-drawn farm wagon. Climbing next to Geer on the driver’s bench, Nick asked offhandedly, “Does the estate make much profit?”

Geer only grunted. His mouth remained as tight as his grip on the leather reins. Nick knew better than to ask any more.

The wagon creaked and wobbled as they traveled along the back fields where wheat and corn grew tall and green. Nick wondered about the spindly crops growing beside the lane he’d first seen on his way to the manor. Had the untended fields, unkempt hedgerows and fallingdown fences been neglected for a reason? Had someone purposely wanted Thornwood Hall to look unproductive? And if so, who and why? The first things he’d insist upon reviewing were the account ledgers. But another thought bothered him.

It’s Sinclair who’ll be runnin’ with his tail ’tween his legs before our Becky is through with ’im.

Something in the way Geer had said those words. Nick sensed that the lovely Becky had a plan to rid him of Thornwood Hall. Damn, he could feel it.

Ten minutes later, the wagon rumbled to a stop in front of a crofter’s shack. A tall, wiry man stood overseeing a group of men loading stones on a skid. Nick recognized him as the same man who had tried to lead the bull from the pasture yesterday.

“That’s Keane, the overseer,” Geer said. Before they had stepped from the cart, the man approached them.

“Who’s this?” Keane asked.

“Twaddle, Molly’s son,” Geer answered. “I thought he’d be best used to load stones for the cutter.”

“Yer not paid to think, Geer.” Keane’s attention remained fixed on Nick.

“Ye look nothin’ like yer mum.” Keane’s mouth twitched, then his face lit with an idea. “Twaddle, stay in the wagon. I’ve got just the chore fer that strong back of yers.”

Geer’s mouth drew tight. “But Mistress Becky says—”

“Git back to the fields, Geer, before I take me whip to ye.”

Nick had all he could do not to put an end to this charade and call this clodpoll out. He hated bullies and never tolerated such behavior aboard ship. He decided to wait and see what Keane had in mind.

Geer climbed out of the cart and lumbered back toward the fields. Keane said nothing as he climbed into the wagon and picked up the reins.

For the next ten minutes, the men didn’t speak until they reached the other side of the crest.

“Let’s see what yer muscles can do with Tumbledown Dick,” Keane muttered as he climbed from the wagon.

Nick glanced at him with curiosity. “Tumbledown Dick? Who’s he?”

Keane sneered. “Mistress Becky’s pet bull.” He rolled his eyes. “She’s mighty fond of that animal.” He spit on the ground.

Nick said nothing for several minutes, then he asked, “What are your plans after Sinclair arrives, Keane?”

Keane’s mouth dropped open, then he shot him a sharp look. “Ye know a lot for only bein’ back a few days, Twaddle. Who filled yer noggin about Sinclair?”

Nick knew he had said too much. “My mum, who else?”

Keane snorted. “From what I ’ear from Lily at the Seven Swans, ye ’aven’t been ’ome enough to hear much from Molly.” Keane lifted a black brow and grinned knowingly.

Nick decided to press the subject. “So what will you do when Sinclair takes over?” Nick asked, climbing down from the wagon.

“I’d worry about yerself, Twaddle.” Keane ambled toward a grove of sycamore trees. “I want ye to bring Tumbledown Dick back to where Geer and the lads are filling the skid.”

Nick glanced around. “I don’t see—”

Suddenly, a piercing snort shattered the stillness. The enormous black bull Nick had seen yesterday lay in the shade of the tree’s umbrella of leaves. The bull’s eyes bulged as he glared at them.

Nick swallowed. “That’s Tumbledown Dick?”

“Aye, ’e is.” Keane smiled at Nick’s apprehension. “Ye’ll find the way back by the wagon’s tracks in the weeds,” he added, barely keeping a straight face. “And don’t be long, Twaddle. The lads will have the skid filled with stones within the hour.”

Keane flipped the reins, and the horse lunged forward. The wagon wheeled around in a tight arc toward the direction from which it came.

Nick glanced back at the bull. Tumbledown Dick tossed his head and snorted. Noticing the sharp horns, Nick swallowed hard.

Keane’s dark laughter echoed across the meadow as the creaky wagon disappeared behind the rise.

* * *

The sun had barely reached the ten o’clock position in the morning sky when a black-lacquered coach rumbled up the weedy lawn of Thornwood Hall. Chickens, pecking crickets from the grass, flew in the air, cackling in annoyance.

From the study, Becky glanced up from her account books to peek through the lace-curtained window. “Pox and calamity! It’s Willoughby.” She turned to her cousin Sally. “Quickly, help me hide these books—”

“It’s not Willoughby, it’s his wife, Hazel,” interrupted Sally, who stood beside Becky at the window.

“Saints! What does Hazel want now?” Becky watched as the liveried footman helped a short, stylishly dressed woman from the vehicle.

“She must want it pretty much to fussy herself up in this heat.” Sally wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. “Well, we’ll soon find out. She’s practically running to the front door.”

Becky glanced back at the pile of gold coins from the sale of furniture Keane had taken to market. “Show Hazel into the withdrawing room, Sally. I don’t want her to see what I’m doing.” Becky yanked the floral scarf from the back of the sofa and covered the desk with it. The coins and ledgers were safely hidden from view.

Satisfied, Becky straightened her gown, patted a few wisps of hair from her face and strode into the withdrawing room as though she hadn’t a care in the world.

“Hazel, what a lovely surprise.” Becky greeted the older woman with a dazzling smile. If Hazel had come to see how Becky was enduring the loss of Thornwood Hall, she’d be damned if she’d show her.

Sally hovered uncomfortably, unsure whether to stay or leave. “I’ll bring a tray—”

“Oh, stay, Sally, and hear my plans, too.” Hazel began most sentences with “oh” as if it gave importance to everything she said. Becky also thought it made her face look like a trout’s.

“Oh, wait until you hear about the social!” Hazel fluttered her hands in her lap.

“Social?” Becky hoped to get rid of her so she could finish posting the accounts. “For what occasion?”

Hazel’s pink cheeks flushed with heat and excitement. She pulled out her beaded fan and waved it dramatically. “First, please tell Molly Twaddle how sorry we are for what happened to her son.”

“Her son?” Becky felt a prickly sense of unease. “Ben Twaddle? What happened to him?”

“Oh, an unfortunate accident last night” Her round mouth pinched in sympathy. “Ben was running through our gaming fields and fell into the ravine. His howling woke the gamekeeper’s dogs, who woke the gamekeeper, who woke Mr. Willoughby.” She rolled her eyes. “Imagine a grown man bolting through the fields in the dark of night, jabbering on about being chased by the devil.” She closed her eyes dramatically. “Poor dear Molly. What is she to do with a son like that?”

Becky and Sally exchanged glances.

Hazel shook her head. “Thought his back was broken, for sure.”

Becky listened skeptically. “Was he deep in his cups?”

Hazel shook her head. “Stone sober.” She made a face. “Oh, Ben Twaddle’s a rascal, they say.” Hazel’s thin brows knitted together. “But he won’t be rustling the skirts at the Seven Swans for a while, from what Dr. Rivers said.”

“You sent for Dr. Rivers?” Sally asked.

“It was our Christian duty, dear. Twaddle was howling like he’d seen the devil.” Hazel whirled the fan in her lap. “The doctor said Twaddle should remain abed for a week or two. Then Mr. Willoughby ordered our lads to lift Twaddle into the wagon, and they drove him to Molly’s croft, this morning.”

The back of Becky’s neck prickled with alarm as she listened to Hazel’s tale. Something wasn’t right. She’d just left Ben Twaddle in the turnip fields, a little more than two hours ago. And from every indication Geer had given her, Twaddle had been hoeing since sunup.

But if Ben Twaddle was the lad found tripping through the Willoughby fields last night, then who was the man hoeing her turnips?

An ominous thought crossed Becky’s mind, and she almost gasped. “What did Ben Twaddle look like, Hazel?”

“Covered with dirt and twigs, it was hard to tell. But he had the Twaddle chin. Aye, he takes after Molly’s husband.”

For a moment, Becky couldn’t move as Hazel’s words sank in. Why hadn’t she realized it before?

“Becky, dear. What’s the matter?” Hazel leaned forward and fluttered the fan in Becky’s face. “You’re white as a cloud.”

“It’s the…heat,” Becky said, the terrible truth crashing around her with the weight of an anvil.

She should have known by his commanding presence. His skill with the blade as his sword whirred through the air, touching the ribbons at her bodice with chilling exactness. The muscular strength of his warrior build, the callused hands, the arrogant challenge in those gray eyes.

Sir Nicholas Sinclair!

She had aided him in his intrigue as easily as if she were his willing accomplice. Pox and calamity! She’d let the fox in the henhouse, now what was she to do?

Becky glanced at Hazel and Sally, who were both watching her with a worried frown. “I—I’m sorry, Hazel. I don’t know what came over me.” Becky took a fortifying breath and moved near the door.

“Thank your husband for me, and for your time, Hazel.” Becky opened the door, waiting for Hazel to take the hint. “I’ll see to Molly and Ben immediately.”

Hazel frowned. “But I haven’t had the chance to tell you of my social.”

Becky forced a smile, then reluctantly shut the door and took a seat beside Sally, who offered her a sympathetic look. Despite her best efforts, Becky couldn’t keep her mind on Hazel’s droning monologue.

Why had Sinclair tried to fool her into thinking that he was a common laborer?

“Dear Becky, I don’t think you’ve heard a word I’ve said.”

Becky sat up with a start “Of course I have, Hazel. You were talking about your social.” Becky’s lips froze into a smile.

“Aye, for Sir Nicholas Sinclair, of course.”

“Sinclair?” Becky strangled a whisper. “Do I understand that you’re planning a social to welcome that—”

“Oh, I know it wouldn’t be appropriate, under the circumstances—” Hazel’s voice lowered “—for you to do it. Besides, your lack of furniture and…” She glanced around the cavernous room, frowning at the few chairs and sofa.

Becky stood, her hands flew to her waist. “I can’t believe you’d give a social for that…that stuffin’bob who is removing me and my family from our home at the end of the month.”

Hazel stiffened. “Oh, my dear. We must remember that Sir Nicholas Sinclair is a wounded war hero. He distinguished himself at the battle on St. James Day, defending our country against those barbarous Dutch.” She lifted her chin. “Mr. Willoughby says Sinclair is the talk of London.”

“Humph!” Becky paced to the window and stared at the overgrown driveway. What would Hazel think of the war hero if she knew Sinclair as Becky did? Her cheeks flamed with the memory of his mouth taking hers and the riffle of feminine pleasure it had given her.

If only Hazel would leave. She tapped her foot as she gazed out the window. Afternoon sunshine glimmered off the Willoughby coach, while four perfectly matched, high-spirited black horses snorted impatiently. From the rear of the coach stepped Becky’s eight-year-old sister, Aphra, and three-year-old brother, Baby Harry. The children stood wide-eyed, as they watched the magnificent coach and four.

Just then, the red-and-gold-liveried footman made a face at the children and shooed them away. Aphra scurried off with her younger brother in tow.

Becky bristled at the footman’s snub. What did Hazel know of defending oneself against snobbery? Easy to talk when one is born to wealth and security.

“Oh, besides,” Hazel went on, her hands fluttering like a startled wren, “Thornwood Hall is much too much work for you, Becky. My dear, you’re not getting any younger. You should marry again, not worry over those crofters.” She made a face as if she smelled something rank.

Sally’s head bobbed from Hazel to Becky, her blue-eyed gaze finally resting on her cousin, waiting for her defense.

“Those crofters,” Becky said, her voice even despite the emotion she felt, “are my family, in case you’ve forgotten, Hazel. My parents were crofters, and their parents, as far back as the time of King Harry. If I hadn’t married Ol’ Winky, I’d still be grubbing in the soil, paying my rents to the master of Thornwood Hall.”

Hazel’s face blanched. “Oh, Becky. Oh, Becky, I meant no disrespect, dear.”

Becky sighed, immediately sorry for her outburst. She rubbed her temples. “Aye, it’s I who am sorry, Hazel. This heat has me out of sorts.” She smiled. “If you and your husband want to welcome the man who’s tossing me out, I can’t stop you. But don’t expect me or my family to attend or to be festive about it.”

Hazel’s green eyes rounded. “Oh, I daresay I’m shocked by your words, Becky. Your dear mother and father, God rest their souls, would expect you to leave here with your pride.”

“Aye, but not throw rose petals in Sinclair’s path when he comes to throw me out.” Becky turned and glanced out the window. Thornwood Hall stretched as far as the eye could see. She had put her heart and soul into the land since her marriage to Ol’ Winky, and she wouldn’t give it up without a fight.

“I’m sorry, Hazel. You’ll have your celebration without us.”

“Oh, Becky, it’s not a celebration. It’s our Christian duty to welcome a new neighbor. Mr. Willoughby says Sinclair is a war hero, rewarded by the king with a title and an estate.”

“My estate,” Becky shot back.

Hazel’s eyes widened, and she drew back, her fan clucking like an angry hen.

Becky regretted her outburst at once. What Hazel said was undeniably true, but when she thought of that gray-eyed Sinclair kissing her as bold as sin…

“Oh, I think having Sir Nicholas Sinclair assume the affairs of Thornwood Hall is divine intervention,” Hazel said.

So that was it, Becky thought, finally realizing what was behind the Willoughbys’ support of Sinclair. They wanted to toady up to Sinclair in order to retain the free use of the water rights that Becky had allowed her neighbor, as Ol’ Winky had done.

Becky felt the threads of her best-laid plan begin to unravel. Fear, revitalized by the threat of loss, rushed at her. She gripped her hands together. She had hoped for Willoughby’s support against Sinclair.

Becky whirled back toward Hazel. “When will this affair take place, Hazel?” Her voice was so sweet, Sally glanced at her with a suspicious look.

“Oh, in two weeks. I’ve just now posted the invitations. Sir Nicholas Sinclair will be staying with us until…” Her voice dropped, as though she wished she hadn’t divulged the fact that they had obviously offered Sinclair their hospitality until he took over Thornwood Hall.

Hazel rose to her feet, averting her gaze.

“Until Sinclair takes over Thornwood Hall,” Becky finished for her.

“Oh, Becky, I wish there was something I could do.” Hazel’s mouth sagged with frustration.

Becky sighed. More than likely, the party was her husband’s idea, and poor Hazel was only playing her required part. She moved beside Hazel as they crossed the room and paused at the door. “I understand your need to do your Christian duty, Hazel. Truly, I do.”

Appreciation lit Hazel’s round face. “Do give it thought, dear. With the proper attitude, Sir Nicholas might make you an offer of compassion.”

Pity was more like it. But Becky bit back the scathing reply. Suddenly, she thought of the ghost of Ol’ Winky. What a perfect time for the spirit of the general to appear. Besides frightening off the prospective buyers, Ol’ Winky’s ghost would terrorize most of the guests, and the news of the haunted estate would spread through the shire like a grass fire.

“I’ll not need time to think about my duty. You’re absolutely right, Hazel. It’s my Christian obligation to meet my enemy with forgiveness. After all, I’m General Forester’s widow.”

Sally shot Becky a look brimming with questions, but thankfully kept them to herself.

Hazel’s face froze with surprise. Becky could only imagine how Hazel would try to explain to her husband this evening that she’d persuaded Becky to accept their invitation.

Becky forced a dazzling smile as she escorted Hazel to the waiting coach. “Thank you for inviting us.”

After the footman had helped Hazel into the coach, and the rumbling vehicle clacked down the drive, Becky buckled her sword’s belt to her chest and grabbed her bonnet.

“Where are you dashing off to, Becky?” Sally asked.

“I’m off to see Ben Twaddle,” Becky tossed over her shoulder. “Both of them!”

Chapter Four

Nick glanced around for a place to run in case the enormous, black bull suddenly charged. He noticed several sycamore trees that might provide a few stout limbs if he needed an immediate haven. Damn Keane, he thought. He’d deal with that bounder when—

The beast bellowed, charging to his feet. For a moment that felt as though time stood still, Nick froze, not wanting to show fear as he stared at the bull. Eyeing the nearby arm of the tree, Nick held his ground, waiting for Tumbledown Dick to charge.

Neither man nor beast moved. The bull stared—not with anger, Nick decided after a few minutes, but with curiosity. The huge brown eyes were as soft as a spaniel’s; the thick fan of eyelashes brushed his black curly cheeks when he blinked. Finally when Tumbledown Dick swung his massive head in the air, he swiped at a clump of daisies nearby, chomping a mouthful.

Nick’s experiences with bulls were the few times cattle had been freighted as cargo aboard ship. Although this bull was enormous and sported a deadly pair of horns, Nick remembered the scene in the pasture yesterday. He doubted Keane would have browbeaten the animal before Becky came roaring in to stop him if the bull possessed an ornery disposition.

Nick took several strides toward the beast, whose watchful eyes remained fixed on him. A rope dangled from the ring in his nose, and Nick decided that if a slip of a woman like Becky Forester could bring the beast to heel, then damned if he wouldn’t do the same.

Cautiously, Nick crept toward the tree where the lead rope was tied to the trunk. He hesitated, watching. The bull returned to his grazing, a serene look on his curlyhaired face.

With a steady hand, Nick reached for the rope and untied the loose knot. When he’d finished, he tried not to think that at the end of the rope was a beast that could gore him to shreds if he had a mind to.

Tumbledown Dick munched happily, seemingly oblivious to him. Nick presumed that Keane would expect him to yank on the bull’s ring. Likely, Keane would wait, then drive back, making sport of Nick the way Becky had done to him.

“What a sweet boy you are, Tumbledown Dick,” Nick crooned softly, ready to lunge for the overhead tree limb, if necessary. Instead, the bull ignored him, munching noisily.

The idea to sing in the bull’s ear was ridiculous. Besides, although Nick’s singing carried fair for the sea chanteys he’d sung with his crew, he doubted his voice would calm wilder beasts.

“Tumbledown Dick, I think you’re all bluster.” Nick reached to scratch the glossy curls between the bull’s eyes.

The animal blinked, stretching his powerful neck closer, obviously enjoying the attention.

“Let’s be off,” Nick shouted, coaxing the animal to move forward.

The bull ignored him, rubbing his head among the wildflowers, chewing contentedly.

Nick moved to within a foot of the animal’s ear. Glancing over his shoulder, Nick felt exceedingly foolish. But no one was around, he reminded himself.

He surveyed the pasture and the woods one more time, in case someone might be watching. Finally, convinced that no one was about, Nick knelt on one knee. In a soft baritone, he sang a sea chantey as though it were a lullaby to a babe.

Heave-o-ho, me mates. Heave-o-ho.

Hang yer gib on a crow-o.

Heave-o-ho, me mates. Heave-o-ho.

Immediately, the bull tossed his head and glanced about. As Nick continued to sing, the bull stepped forward and plodded alongside Nick’s limping gait as they made their way through the fields.

A few minutes later, Nick couldn’t help but laugh out loud, despite the pain in his wounded leg. He was filled with a sense of triumph he hadn’t known for the longest time. How he’d relish Keane’s surprised expression when he brought the bull to where the men were loading stones.

For the first time, Nick noticed the brute’s excellent conformation. Surprised at such quality, Nick made a mental note to check the account ledgers to see what breed the animal was. Indeed, this beast would bring a handsome fee for stud. He wondered again who was in charge of the manor’s account books.

By the time Nick and the bull had reached the lower valley, the sound of horse’s hooves broke the afternoon silence. He turned to see Becky ride along the ridge toward them. Nick smiled at the look of absolute astonishment on her face when she came up alongside him a few minutes later.

“How did you get Sir Richard out from under the tree?” she asked, reining the mare to a walk beside Nick. Although her mouth held suspicion, reluctant admiration shone from her eyes.

For an instant she looked so appealing, flushed from her ride, that Nick almost forgot his thoughts. “Keane told me his name is Tumbledown—”

“The bull’s registered name is Sir Richard. Keane has a singular wit, I’m afraid. He doesn’t like the animal and insists upon the insulting name.”

Becky had no idea how Sinclair had made her pet bull obey, but she knew it must have been with kindness. Sinclair was cocksure proud of himself, too. How she longed to ask him why he would masquerade as Ben Twaddle on his own property. And she still wasn’t certain if she’d been glad or sad, just a short while ago, to have found the real Ben Twaddle, taken to bed with a sprained back, with Molly and Nelda happily taking care of him, just as Hazel Willoughby had said.

Ben Twaddle had told the same story as Hazel Willoughby—that he’d accidentally fallen from a cliff while running from the devil.

Becky couldn’t help wondering if the mysterious Nicholas Sinclair had something to do with it, but at least Molly and Nelda were happy that Ben was finally home. And when they promised to keep secret Ben’s accident, for a few more days, Becky was relieved. She needed as much time as possible if she was to convince Sinclair that she was a capable manager who could run the estate for him after he returned to sea.

She glanced down at the intriguing man who limped beside the bull. Suddenly Hazel Willoughby’s words came to her mind:

Sir Nicholas Sinclair is a wounded war hero.

A touch of sympathy caught her unaware as she remembered the physical chores he had performed that day. He must be in excruciating pain, but he gave no hint of it, other than his limp. Why would he toil like a peasant when he could be languishing at the Willoughby estate, being pampered as his position dictated? Why, indeed?

To spy on her, of course. A surge of anxiety welled up inside her at the truth of it. The tax officials might have reported the estate’s long history of meager earnings to King Charles. Maybe Sinclair was sent here to gather evidence against her that she was skimming profits that were rightfully the crown’s. What other reason could there be?

Nick noticed the blood drain from her face, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on the reason. “Are you unwell, mistress?”

Becky blinked. “I—I’m…” She hesitated, then forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m quite well.” She glanced back toward the bull. Then, as though changing the subject, she said, “I see animals take to you, Twaddle.”

“Animals, like the fairer sex, can sense if one likes them. They’ve always responded in kind.”

Her answering glare brought a smile to his lips.

“Was it Keane who asked you to bring in the beast?” she said finally.

“Aye. He’s waiting where the men are loading rocks.”

“Indeed!” Her mouth lifted. “Well, let’s not keep Keane waiting. Climb behind me, Twaddle. We’ll both bring in Sir Richard.”

Becky reached out and took the bull’s lead, while Nick climbed on the horse. He put his arms around her waist. Her body stiffened in response to his touch. “Hold on to the saddle, Twaddle,” she said, but the horse bolted slightly, and he tightened both arms around her waist to steady himself. He felt Becky’s quickened pulse beneath his fingers with each breath she took before he gripped the saddle and held on.

She dug her heels into the mare’s sides, the horse beneath them picking up speed. Her hair brushed Nick’s face, the scent of lavender filling his nostrils. He didn’t have to see her to know her jaw was set and her chin jutted in the air.

Cantering through the fields of buttercups, Nick felt the same sense of freedom that he had at sea. The July sun beat hot against his back. The fresh air whipped his face. For the first time since his ship had taken the direct mortar, he felt aware of being alive.

Was it because he impersonated the bounder, Ben Twaddle, that brought this brief respite from melancholia? When he became Sir Nicholas Sinclair again, would the heavy mantle of remorse clamp its weight upon his shoulders and around his heart?

Or was it the relative peace of the moment, with the magnificent beast of burden keeping pace at their side? Or was it this unique experience of riding behind the mistress of Thornwood Hall, leading him across the sea of wildflowers? Becky, so like the beautiful figurehead he planned to fashion for his new ship.

As they rode, he thought of the carved woman who would grace his ship. She’d have a mane of ebony waves that flowed to her tiny waist. Violet eyes set wide in a face of creamy ivory. Her head would meet the storms with a proud lift of her chin, and her breasts would be the size to fill a man’s hands.

Beneath the pounding rhythm of the horse, he wondered if the spirited Becky would bring her zest for life to his bed.

Damn, what was the matter with him? He’d never been inquisitive about a woman before. But he was more than curious about this woman, and the thought bothered him.

Beautiful women were in every port. He’d paid for what he wanted, with no unsettling loose ends. Neat and orderly. That was the only way he wanted women in his life.

Poor Ben Twaddle. Falling for every skirt who gave him the come-hither, and look at the tangle they made of his life. And why was Becky so concerned with Ben Twaddle—the no-account son of one of her crofters? This woman, who carried a sword as easily as a man; who sang to beasts instead of whipping them; who took up the thankless chore of devoting herself to her orphan siblings instead of trading her beauty for an easier life? Each new thing he discovered about Becky made her all the more mysterious.

Aye, there wouldn’t be enough days to come to understand a woman like that, so why try? And why did he care, anyway?

Damn, he was not here to be pleased or attracted to anything. He was here to get a job done, then get back to sea. He wondered if Finn had met with the shipbuilders by now. In the meantime, the less Nick thought of the secrets of the night with the lovely Becky, the better.

Keane stood in the shade beneath the sprawling oak tree and watched the other four men strain to lift the rocks onto the skid. When the sound of horse’s hooves announced Nick and Becky’s arrival, Keane’s shoulders tightened, and he scowled as they rode up beside him. Becky dropped the rope from Tumbledown Dick’s lead at Keane’s feet.

“Keane, report to me in my study before supper.” Her voice held none of the tension Nick saw in her stiff spine and shoulders. She had spared Keane’s authority rather than demean him in front of the men, and he respected that.

Nick slid from the horse, then brushed himself off. “Here’s the bull, Keane. Just as you asked.”

Keane glared beneath the straw-brimmed hat he wore. “You’ll get no lady’s help with the next job I give ye, Twaddle.”

“That’s enough, Keane.” Authority laced Becky’s words, and Keane’s face flushed.

“For the rest of the day, Twaddle will be under my charge.”

Everyone’s gaze fixed on Becky. Nick wondered, as well as the other curious men, what chores she had in mind for him.

“Get back on the horse, Twaddle. We don’t have all day.”

“I don’t mind walking,” Nick said lazily.

“Let you walk alone?” She tossed her head and huffed. “You’re not going to be out of my sight, Twaddle. Jump back on and be quick about it.”

Nick did as he was told, but not before he witnessed the resentment deepen in Keane’s face. If Keane was the overseer, as Geer had said, Keane acted as the puppet with Becky controlling the strings. Yet she cut him no slack when they were alone, as Nick had witnessed in the pasture yesterday. A man like Keane wouldn’t enjoy being ordered about by a woman.

Becky forced the mare to a steady gallop, and for the next few minutes they rode silently over the fields and meadows toward the manor house.

When they came in sight of the horse barn, a small boy ran out from the bushes alongside the path in front of the horse.

Becky pulled on the reins. The animal whinnied, reared back from the child and missed trampling the youngster by mere inches.

Nick was at the child’s side in seconds. He picked up the boy, who was at least three years old, by the size of him. Sandy gold curls framed the face of an angel. Blue-violet eyes, wide with surprise, stared back at him.

Becky slipped from the saddle in one fleeting motion. When the tot saw Becky, a wide smile flashed across his cherub face. Her hands shook when she grabbed her brother and cradled him to her. “Baby Harry.” She buried her face in his curls.

Nick remembered that Becky had lost her parents and older sister with the plague only last summer. No doubt the close call reminded her of the loss. The idea recalled his own memories as he gathered the reins of the startled mare and tied the animal to a tree.

By the time he came back to where Becky and her brother were, she had composed herself, and the child smiled happily in her arms.

Becky glanced around, then held up the boy’s hand to Nick. “Hold Harry while I see what happened to Mary. She should have been watching him.”

Nick stared at the child, then back at Becky. “You’re not leaving me with this babe, are you?” As the only surviving child in the family, Nick had run off to sea as a young lad, so he’d never been alone with a child.

“You’re staring at him like he’s going to bite! Just hold him while I find my cousin Mary.”

“Hurry back.” Nick took the child, whose smile faded immediately. Nick felt more terrified than if he were staring down the barrel of a cannon on one of De Ruyter’s ships.

Nick held the baby with outstretched arms, its chubby legs dangling in the air.

“Pox and calamity! I’d swear you never saw a tad before.” She glared at him, then a slight smile brightened her face. “I’ll be right back,” she shot over her shoulder. Both Nick and the child watched Becky dash along the bushes and disappear inside a small shed beside a pinkflowered hedge.

Then Nick and Baby Harry stared at each other. The boy’s pink mouth flew open, and he howled the most bloodcurdling scream Nick had ever heard.

Becky burst out of the shed, along with a flushed young girl who looked around ten and six, and a young man whose beet-colored face told a tale all of its own. The young couple headed in different directions.

Becky sailed toward Nick, cheeks the color of the pink blossoming hedge, her skirts flying behind her. He was reminded of a tall, beautiful ship, banners flying, as she made course.

“Best you get used to crying babies, Twaddle. It seems that Mary, who was Baby Harry’s nanny, is leaving to get married.”

Becky chuckled as she took her brother from him. Harry rubbed his eyes, the screams immediately turning into hiccups.

“So? What does that have to do with me?”

“I’ll explain, but first follow me.” Only the slight smile Becky tried to hide warned Nick that she was planning some devilment. He limped behind her, taking one step to her every two. Over her shoulder, Baby Harry peered at him, eyes round and distrusting.

Nick swore under his breath. He wasn’t afraid of hard work, but as they approached the crumbling stone entrance to the old manor house, his sense of wariness increased.

The mixed aroma of sour milk, molasses and vinegar rushed out at him as he stepped inside the small storage room off the galley—kitchen, he reminded himself. He glanced around. Bloody hell, she wasn’t going to stick him here, in the cook’s quarters, was she?

But she pushed past the servants, who were busy with supper chores, and he was reminded that whatever she had in mind might be a blessing in disguise. For how else would he be able to seek entrance to the house if she didn’t assign him duties here?

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