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P erry awoke with a start, terror filling him so much that even the scream was trapped in his throat.

He gripped the bedclothes about him, feeling them soaked in his sweat.

He told himself over and over that he was safe.

In England. At Beauville. Not on the blood-soaked battlefields.

Gradually, his racing heart calmed, though he felt drained from the nightmare, the second one of the night.

He had never experienced two in a single night and worried his condition was deteriorating instead of improving.

He also worried at the lack of sleep he had gotten, especially with today being a big day at Beauville since dawn would be the start of his own tenants’ harvest. He had spent Monday at Huntsworth, bringing Rankin along with him so that he and his steward might observe how the harvest was conducted at Lord Huntsberry’s estate.

Immediately, Rankin had paired off with Wayling, the Huntsworth steward.

Mr. Hollis had also been present, as had Lady Dru.

He had not known for certain that she would be there, but she said she was interested in observing how a harvest worked since she had never viewed one during her years growing up at Marleyfield.

After a day at Huntsworth, Perry had learned quite a bit, adding to his knowledge about harvests in general.

What stayed with him most was how Lord Huntsberry had been eager to pitch in and encouraged both Perry and Mr. Hollis to do the same.

All three men had discarded their coats and rolled up their shirtsleeves, joining the tenants in the field.

Lord Huntsberry said he knew the men and women who worked his land spent long hours doing so, and he wasn’t above a bit of physical labor himself in order to help them bring in the crops.

Perry was ashamed that he would never have thought to physically participate in a harvest and vowed that he would model himself after Lord Huntsberry and do so today with his own people.

One thing had been obvious to him, and that was the fact that Mr. Hollis was quite taken with Lady Dru.

The man made no secret of his admiration for the young lady and had dominated her time on Monday.

Beyond greeting her when he first arrived, Perry had not exchanged a single word with Lady Dru throughout the long day.

He supposed a possible match between the pair would be a good thing for her.

Hollis would take over his uncle’s title and lands someday.

If he wed Lady Dru, she would become an active part of the neighborhood, enjoying the fact that she was so close in proximity to her sister and cousin.

If Mr. Hollis pressed his suit, Lady Dru might not even need to make her come-out next spring.

Hollis seemed a decent fellow and would most likely make for a good husband.

The had even mentioned his interest in having children.

Wedding Lord Tilsbury’s heir would give Lady Dru the best of all worlds, something Perry himself could not do.

Just look how he had awakened this morning.

He would never escape the damage to him caused by his years at war.

Though mightily attracted to Lady Dru, he refused to saddle her with such a burden.

No, he would do what most every gentleman in Polite Society did.

Find a bride on the Marriage Mart and make a marriage of convenience.

Get an heir and a spare off his chosen wife. Lead a very separate life from her.

It would be hard to do so, however, when his heart belonged to another.

If Lady Dru did wind up marrying Hollis, Perry would need to spend the majority of his time in town.

He didn’t think he could stay in the country, running into her often, seeing her happily wed to another man.

Jealousy ran through him, thinking of her body swelling with Hollis’ babe inside her.

No, if she were to remain in the Surrey countryside, he would need to avoid Beauville at all costs.

How ironic that he seemed to be destined to spend the bulk of his time in town, much as his own father had done.

Perry could not see himself following in his father’s footsteps, though, bedding women left and right and gambling and drinking far into each night.

Knowing a busy day lay ahead, he decided to rise. He did not ring for Grilley and merely dressed in breeches, a shirt, and waistcoat. He found his boots and put them on before making his way down to the kitchens as the clock struck five.

He spied Cook sitting at a table by herself, a cup of tea before her, along with a steaming bowl of oats.

She sprang to her feet. “My lord! Whatever are you doing here?”

“It is the first day of harvest time, Cook. I plan to work alongside my tenants. I could do with a bit of breakfast sticking to my ribs before I head out, however.”

She smiled at him approvingly. “What might I make for you?”

“I will have the same as you, Cook.”

He took a seat at the table as she bustled about, first pouring him a cup of strong tea. He sipped on it while she dished up a hearty portion of oats, hoping he wasn’t stealing the breakfast of another servant. They chatted easily, the usual barrier of class nowhere evident.

“Thank you for a hardy breakfast,” he told her once he had finished eating.

She beamed at him. “This is first time I have had the pleasure of dining with nobility, my lord.”

“I went to Huntsworth this week to observe the beginning of their autumn harvest. I have been invited tonight to come to a celebration, as well. While the tenants will bring many dishes for this feast, the Huntsworth cook also provides a good portion of food. Might this be a task you would be willing to take upon, Cook?”

“I’d be happy to do so. What might you wish me to prepare for Beauville’s tenants?”

“I will have a much better idea after seeing this evening’s feast. I could meet with you tomorrow morning and discuss some of the foods which were served.”

“It would be a wonderful tradition to begin, my lord. Your servants and tenants already revere you.”

Left unspoken was how they had not felt the same about his father.

“Then we shall talk again tomorrow morning,” he promised. “Mr. Rankin tells me he thinks we can harvest everything in two days. That would give you all tomorrow and the next to prepare. I hope that might be enough time.”

She frowned slightly. “If I had another day, it might be better. Then again, if the other tenants’ wives all bring dishes, that would help.”

He thought a moment. “I will make certain that Rankin and I spread the word this morning, but the workers may be too tired to celebrate if we try this tomorrow night. Why don’t we have our feast and dancing come Friday instead?”

“I am grateful for the extra day of preparation, my lord.”

“Thank you for agreeing to do this, Cook. I hope it will be a tradition which will continue for many years.”

Perry excused himself and went down to the stables, finding his steward there, saddling his own horse.

“You are up early this morning, Lord Martindale.”

“I am ready for the harvest. I hope you do not think that I believe you have been remiss in performing your duties, Mr. Rankin. I merely wish for us to go to Huntsworth to observe how harvest is organized there.”

“I have found you are a man who speaks your mind, my lord,” Rankin replied.

“If you were unhappy with my performance, you would have spoken up by now. I appreciated being able to see firsthand what Mr. Wayling does at Huntsworth. He is young but has excellent ideas. I think we will both learn from one another. We plan to stay in touch now that we have been introduced.”

“Good. I did speak to Cook now about providing some food for us to hold our own harvest feast. She was agreeable to the idea, but she will certainly need help from the tenants’ wives.

If you would help me in spreading the word regarding our celebration, I would love to host the feast Friday evening. ”

Rankin smiled broadly. “The tenants will be excited to hear about this. It will give them something to look forward to after their hard labor. In fact, if you are amenable to doing so, we might do it twice because we will also harvest our apple crop come October.”

He had almost forgotten that the apples needed a few extra weeks on the branches and they would not be a part of today’s gathering.

“Excellent idea, Rankin.”

Perry saddled his horse, and the two men set out for the fields.

By the time the sun had risen, both men had joined the farmers, and they put in several hours of work, stopping at noon when the other farmers did.

He ate and drank his fill of bread, cheese, and cider, provided by the wives.

Several of the women told him they were excited to hear about the upcoming celebration and even described to him several dishes they would bring to the feast.

They returned to work, and Rankin said to him, “Thank you for participating in the harvest today, my lord, and not merely observing. It means a great deal to your people. This is not something they are used to seeing at Beauville, but it lets them know how invested you are in them and the future of the estate.”

“I am happy to work side-by-side with them,” he replied. “It will be interesting to tally things and see how productive this harvest is.”

“All in good time. I am already keeping a count, both in my head and on paper, so we have an idea of what has been gathered. I believe this will prove to be the most productive autumn harvest Beauville has seen in many years.”