Page 52 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman (The Marlow Family Secrets #3)

Rob enjoyed his morning looking over farm stock at the market. Apparently he had an eye for picking out good breeding cattle when it came to pigs, sheep and cows. He chose animals, Drew checked them over and told him the details of why the animal was a good choice.

The more Drew asked, ‘Which do you think, Rob?’ and the more times Rob selected a good animal, the more interested Rob became.

Drew bought many of the animals Rob had liked.

They were on their way to his home farm, now, which meant decisions Rob had influenced would benefit the estate for decades.

His choices would run through the bloodline of the stock.

The thought of leaving a legacy in farming intrigued him even more.

So much so, on their way back to the house, Rob shared his political plan with Drew and discussed the possibilities of farming alongside it.

Partly because he trusted Drew not to interfere, and because he hoped that in a couple of hours he would be asking Drew for Caro’s hand in marriage .

Drew’s eyebrows had risen in surprise, then he had smiled, slapped Rob’s shoulder, and said, ‘You will make a very good politician.’ He had offered his support, of course, but not with money, through friendship. ‘I will take every opportunity to speak for you.’

Rob smiled broadly as they climbed the steps to John’s house, excited to tell Caro about his decision. The glow from good emotions was definitely pride in his achievements today. He did not feel inferior, but he had never felt inferior in Drew’s company.

When he walked upstairs to the family drawing room, Rob hoped Caro would agree to his written proposal, then he would tell her that farming was the answer he had been looking for.

But as soon as he walked into the drawing room, he saw there would be no opportunity to speak to her.

The room was full of visitors. Because the family had been out yesterday, these people must have come today to discover what had happened during her dance with Kilbride.

They would leave knowing nothing more. Caro would not speak of it.

She looked at him and Drew but there was no smile and the only other acknowledgement that Rob had walked in was a blush in her cheeks, as though his presence embarrassed her.

There were no seats free, so he remained standing at the edge of the room.

‘Tea,’ Mary offered.

‘Yes, please.’

He drank his tea, staring at Caro, who did not look at him once.

This change in her behaviour was starting to annoy him.

Rather than risk showing his annoyance, he decided to leave.

He walked over to the table where Mary sat, put down his cup and asked, ‘Where are you going this evening? May I join you?’ He would have a private moment with Caro this evening, whether she willed it or not.

He was starting to think she had taken against him since her incident with Kilbride.

Does she think I should have prevented that dance…?