Page 99 of A Cinderella to Redeem the Earl

‘Dart,’ the Duke said. ‘Good of you to see me so soon after your journey.’

‘I didn’t realise the Duke had come to call and came to fetch my needlework,’ Pamela said, scooping up both bag and reticule. ‘I will leave you to your conversation.’

‘You are Dart’s hostess,’ Camargue said. ‘I have heard about you.’

She gave Damian a panicked glance.

‘Mrs Clark is a distant cousin,’ Damian said. ‘She serves as my hostess while I am a bachelor.’

Camargue looked from one to the other with a knowing expression. ‘Cousin, eh? Dear me. Is that what they are calling it now?’ He put up a hand when Damian opened his mouth to speak. ‘’Tis no matter. Perhaps Mrs Clark can convince your butler to provide a cup of tea for an old man who is fair drookit after walking here in the rain.’

‘You walked?’ Damien sounded astonished.

‘No sense in spending an hour putting the carriage to for the sake of a ten-minute walk.’

‘Perhaps you would prefer something stronger,’ Damian said. ‘I have whisky if you prefer.’

‘No, no. Tea will be perfect.’

‘Of course.’

Pamela rang the bell and ordered tea. No doubt the Duke would expect her to pour it also. She looked at Damian whose expression was one of resignation.

She sat down and waited for the tea to arrive.

Damian seated himself on the sofa near Camargue’s chair.

‘To what do I owe the pleasure of your call, Your Grace?’ Damian said.

‘My man of business said you returned our offer unsigned. I came to find out why. You won’t get more elsewhere. It is more than generous for such a scabby bit of land.’

Damian smiled briefly. ‘Possibly.’

‘If you think you will wring more out of me, my boy, you are off by a mile,’ the old man growled.

‘I have no intention of selling the lands at the moment.’

‘Is that right?’ The old man chuckled. ‘Then you are a fool. There is no access to that land except by way of mine.’

Damian’s shoulders stiffened very slightly.

If she had not known him so well, Pamela might not have noticed.

Damian expression remained mild and polite. ‘Not fool enough to believe you are going to so much trouble for a half a dozen sheep.’

‘A half-dozen, is it? More like a hundred dozen. There’s money in wool.’

The butler entered with a tray followed by a footman with a plate of petit fours.

The Duke rubbed his paper hands together. ‘Tea. Just what I need.’

Pamela poured him a cup. Damian waved his off and she poured one for herself.

‘No, lad, I will not be put off. You will sell me the land and the longer you wait the lower the price will be.’

Damian’s eyes twinkled. ‘Your Grace, I believe you are neglecting one salient fact.’

The Duke looked up sharply, the vague, decrepit old man seeming to disappear in an instant. ‘And what would that be, pray? Oh, is it the future of a few miserable crofters now occupying the land? My man tells me most of them haven’t paid their rent in years. I have a plan to solve that problem.’