Page 38 of The Wise Daughter

Aaron cursed Bilford all the way back to the castle. With the baskets half-eaten, and the kitten receiving more of Nora’s attention than he did, Aaron felt his hopes sinking. What was the point of such an astounding kiss if he was going to end the day so miserably?

That kiss…

The sudden most unexpected sensation of her lips against his and her fingers curling around the hair at his neck would forever be one of his most memorable moments.

Even after their tense conversation the previous night, even after upsetting her this morning, she had reached for him.

Even now, as he let the new memory live in his thoughts, he could taste her lips like dew on summer fruit.

His pair of greys, jumpier than they were earlier, must have sensed his addled state beneath the reins. He gave them a good shake.

Curse Bilford for ruining our moment!

Everything should have been perfect after that kiss, but instead of sitting a little more snugly together in the curricle, Nora was edging to the other side, wasting kisses on a cat.

I’m going to regret that purchase, he thought as he eyed the little scamp.

Aaron watched Nora scratch behind the kitten’s ear.

Her silence unsettled him. He should have thought of Bilford.

The man certainly had motivation enough, but would a lord, his neighbor and his father’s old friend, really stoop to stealing from Aaron?

It didn’t make sense, especially if Bilford wanted Aaron to marry his daughter.

As for his other claims, Aaron didn’t think it could be true that his father had needed money from Bilford.

His father, as far as he knew, had carefully managed their estate.

In seasons of plenty, he was always preparing for difficult times.

No, none of it made sense, but he did owe Nora an explanation.

“Nora, I’m sorry for the awkward way you learned about these troubles today.” He waited for her to speak or cry or give him a jab with her elbow. Anything. “Please say something, Nora.”

She looked up at him for only a moment, then stared at the kitten in her lap. “I don’t know what to say, Aaron. Clearly, there is much I don’t know about Lord Bilford or his daughter. Or you.”

Aaron ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath. It was finally time to face a conversation he had been dreading. Without any preamble, he began to explain.

“When I was nineteen, I travelled around with men I thought were my friends and found myself in a terrible position. Much like your father, I succumbed to wager after wager. I lost a painful amount of money and found myself at the mercy of several moneylenders who threatened me with all sorts of crude consequences. I was terrified. I wrote to my father and begged him to rescue me. He was appalled, but he did provide me enough to pay the amount I owed. He still held me accountable though. He lowered the allowance he sent me each month to make up for the debts, and I had to economize.”

“I see.” Her voice was small as she stroked the kitten.

“I felt the shame of my choices deeply. I knew I had caused my father pain and embarrassment. I never wanted to be in that sort of mess again. I haven’t placed a single wager since.

It was a lesson I will never forget.” There it was, his horrible confession laid out between them for her to sift through and reckon with whatever opinions she already had of him.

He could only hope she would understand and believe him.

“And what of the money Lord Bilford claims you owe him? If your father was having financial trouble, that might explain what I heard in the village today. People have been suffering, Aaron. Your father apparently raised the cost of living, which is yet another possible reason you have been targeted by thieves.”

Aaron had to think through all she had said. He had expected her to ask more about his past and current habits.

“I’ll have to speak with Carver about the accountings. If anything looks amiss, I’ll take care of it. I hadn’t heard until today that Bilford might have lent my father money. As far as I knew, it was all a dubious wager.”

“Does that not seem suspicious to you?”

“What do you mean? He said my father asked him not to disclose the details. If what he says is true, my father probably felt embarrassment over having to ask for money. Nora, is there anything else you would like to know about my past? Does it bother you?”

She regarded him, and for a moment, he didn’t think she was going to ask anything. Finally, she spoke. “The only thing that bothers me is that you did not tell me sooner. It really is in the past?”

He could have answered quickly, but he wanted to give her question the thought it deserved. “I’m completely through with gambling. That part of my life remains in the past, but I keep the lessons I’ve learned close.”

She placed the kitten back in the basket on the floor of the curricle. “I suppose that helps me understand why you are so patient with my father. You truly felt sorry for him, didn’t you?”

“It was difficult not to. It hurts to see anyone held captive by their own destructive habits, but it hurts worse to see someone held by the same captors I’ve broken free from.”

“Oh, Aaron. I wonder sometimes if you realize how kind and generous you are.” She brushed a hair behind her ear. “Why did you never mention Lord Bilford?”

“I never thought to trouble you about him. He was my father’s friend. I find him insufferable. Nora, I see the wheels turning in your head, but I’m not convinced a man of his standing, no matter how much I dislike him, would risk such degrading behavior as thieving.”

“And setting my room on fire.”

“That as well, for the sake of a bet.”

Her eyes, lovely and overflowing with warmth only an hour ago grew cold.

“Wagers and the ridiculous debts incurred because of them drive men to desperate deeds. You should understand that even better than I realized. If I hear them spoken of as matters of honor one more time…” She twisted the strings of her reticule and shook her head.

“If anything is rubbish, it is that notion. You must consider all possibilities, Aaron. Who knows what Lord Bilford might attempt if he feels entitled to your wealth or insulted by your rejection of his daughter.”

“I will look into it.” He observed her closely, realizing he should amend his statement.

“We will look into it.” Their earlier moment was gone, but approval entered her eyes, giving him just enough courage to wrap an arm around her.

“Naturally, I am more motivated than ever to bring our thieves to justice.”

Her silence might have discouraged him were it not for the timid smile and pink flush that bloomed across her cheeks.

“Then I assume, Aaron, that you will be careful to also question Mr. Carver’s involvement in all this. As your steward, he should have the accounts of these dealings.”

Aaron shifted as she turned to face him more directly. “Of course, but Nora, I still think we are wasting our time suspecting Carver.”

Her eyes grew thunderous. “But it isn’t Ruthers, and it isn’t Lord Bilford, and it isn’t the servants, so apparently our thieves are merely disgruntled apparitions.”

“Nora, I’m serious.”

“So am I. Lord Bilford is an obvious suspect who we must learn more about, but we cannot discount Mr. Carver. He must have known something about this.”

“Perhaps, but if he didn’t say anything, he was probably respecting my father’s wishes. He’s been Ravenglass’s steward for years. The thieving only started after my father died.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Aaron stopped the curricle, the horses huffing and stomping in place. “What do you mean, Nora?”

“Only that you were not here to see what was truly happening. If your father was ill, he might not have noticed the thieving, especially if it started small. If Carver was managing the ledgers, he could have taken advantage of the trust he was given. There is an abundance of evidence that things have not been right in Holmrook Castle for some time.”

She spoke gently, but all Aaron heard was a subtle accusation. Did she think him incapable of managing all he had inherited? Did she think him negligent or blinded by everyone?

He might have kept a calm appearance, but inside he was shaken.

Nora was opening his eyes to horrible possibilities.

Just when he was gaining confidence, his hold on life shredded, reminding him in the most confusing and mortifying way that he had even less control than he imagined. Perhaps he never had it to begin with.

What must she think of me?

She had kissed him that day, not a timid, testing kiss, but an eager, riveted kiss that made it clear how she felt about him. Yet now, with these unspoken accusations hanging between them, the determination to prove himself and keep her safe surged from his gut through every inch of him.

He would not let his castle crumble. He would not lose Nora.