Page 25 of The Secrets of Ashmore Castle (Ashmore Castle #1)

‘You’re just sore because she doesn’t fancy you,’ Rose said.

He snorted in derision, and, having passed them, turned and walked backwards for a few paces so that he could say to Dory, ‘Don’t you get mixed up with Mr Richard. He’s limed a lot of little birds in his time, and they all ended up dead.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Dory said, but he’d turned and hurried on.

‘Pay no attention,’ said Rose, and then, curiously, ‘Are you really William’s sweetie?’

‘No. I just feel sorry for him,’ Dory said.

Neither noticed the half-open door of the china room as they passed it, or William just inside about to come out with a tureen in his hands.

Dinner that evening was lively. The girls were chatty as they rarely were in their mother’s presence, and Richard regaled them all with stories, some of which might even have been true. It was a pleasant interlude.

Later, when the ladies had gone to bed, Giles and Richard sat together by the fire in the library, with a decanter of brandy and Richard’s cigarillos, which he preferred to cigars or cigarettes.

Giles, who was not much of a smoker, tried one and quite liked it.

The dogs stretched out between Giles’s feet and the hearth, groaning occasionally with the double pleasure.

‘I see you’ve got Father’s hounds,’ Richard remarked. ‘Are you fond of dogs? I can’t remember.’

‘You know I am. I had a spaniel when I was a boy – don’t you remember Buffy?’

‘Good Lord, yes, now you mention it. He was gun-shy and Papa was going to knock him on the head.’

‘I didn’t endear myself to Father by pleading for the dog. Soft-heartedness was not a trait he wanted to see in his heir.’

‘It all seems so long ago,’ Richard said pensively. The firelight, throwing his face into relief, showed up lines that hadn’t been there before.

‘You have changed,’ Giles said. ‘I thought you were just the same old Richard, the court jester, when you were telling those outrageous stories at dinner—’

‘True, every word, I assure you!’

‘But underneath you’re more serious. You’ve seen things, I suppose.’

‘Too much death,’ Richard said, his mouth turning down. ‘Nobody dies easily in a war. And too many of them were women and children.’

‘It’s not finished yet?’ Giles asked.

‘All but,’ Richard said. ‘The Boers are licked, though they won’t admit it.

“Bitter-enders”, they call themselves, and they’re not wrong.

Bitter it certainly will be. But it can’t last much longer.

They’re only hanging on by keeping on the move, keeping out of our way.

They’re achieving nothing. If you like a wager, put money on a peace treaty by the end of next month.

’ He gestured with the wounded arm. ‘I wasn’t entirely sorry about this.

Excuse to get out. Not,’ he said, rousing himself to smile, ‘that it wasn’t a good lark most of the time.

Galloping about the veld. Chance to broaden one’s horizons. Good horses, good fellows.’

He stopped, and smoked reflectively for a while.

The dogs sighed and turned over to toast the other side. Giles said, ‘Now you’re back, what do you mean to do?’

Richard roused himself. ‘I told you – help you.’

‘But how will you support yourself? I hope you don’t think the estate can support you. Our father left things in a bad way.’

Richard grinned, waving his cigarillo. ‘All that will pass away, old boy, when you hook your heiress. Marrying a rich girl for her money – you old dog!’

Giles was angry. ‘Who told you that?’

‘Keep your hat on! My man Speen got it out of old Crooks that you were looking for a wife with some urgency, and having a fair idea of how my father ran things, I assumed the rest. Your reaction tells me I’ve hit a nerve.

How do you come to have Crooks as your valet, by the by?

I wouldn’t have thought he was to your taste. ’

‘I didn’t have a man when I came back from Thebes. He was there with nothing to do, and I haven’t got time to go looking for a replacement. He does his work well – but if he’s going to be gossiping about my private affairs to strangers—’

‘Oh, Speen can get anything out of anyone. It’s his one talent.

Don’t fret, old dear. All Crooks said was that you wanted a wife.

I told you, I guessed it was the rhino you were after – what else?

You never were a great man for the ladies, were you?

’ Giles still looked angry, and didn’t reply.

Richard went on, ‘I think it’s an excellent idea. I might even try it myself.’

‘You don’t have a title to exchange for a fortune,’ Giles pointed out harshly.

‘Ah, but I have so much else to offer,’ Richard said lightly.

‘Looks, charm – and the entrée into society. I know everyone worth knowing – and, better than that, they like me! You would never take the trouble to please people and, of course, with the earldom to come, you didn’t need to.

But things might be different now. You could do worse than have me at your shoulder, telling you how to go on.

’ His grin widened,. ‘Better still, I can show you! I’ll find a wealthy industrialist who wants to move his daughter up a rung on the social ladder, and promise to get her in everywhere.

She’ll fall so much in love with me, her pa won’t mind that I’m only an honourable. ’

‘You’re serious about this?’ Giles asked, frowning.

‘Why not? Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be good to her once we’re married. I’m not a monster! She’ll be happy, I’ll be rich – and if some accident or disease should carry you off before you’ve managed to get an heir, I shall have the title too. Everyone wins.’

For an instant Giles’s mouth hung open with outrage, until he realised his brother was roasting him, and he laughed awkwardly. ‘Don’t do that!’

‘What? Tease you? I know I shouldn’t – it’s too easy,’ Richard said.

‘But I’m serious about helping you. People can’t help liking me, and some of that will rub off on you.

And if there should happen to be two heiresses, well, you wouldn’t begrudge me the crumbs from under your table, would you? I promise to let you have first pick.’

‘You’re incorrigible!’ Giles exclaimed, still laughing.

‘Ah, but you love me all the same,’ said Richard, with assurance.