Two Lady Scoundrels and a Duke - Tessa Candle Page 0,8
to shorten the unwanted visit, she decided to bring him to the point. “I am well and hail as you see. I suppose you are also come early to see if I have your rent money for you.”
He tilted his head and smiled, then took a step closer. “I did not bring my bookkeeping with me, but I shall write you a receipt if you have something for me.”
“I do not.” It was best to be direct with the weasel.
“Well, you know, I am not here to press you in the least, Mrs. Sheldon.” He tilted his head with an insincere smile that made him look sickly, and took another step toward her. “And if you find yourself in straitened circumstances, I am sure we can come to some other arrangement.”
The slimy bounder had always made Katherine’s skin crawl, but he had never propositioned her before. And yet, she was not shocked. This was the lot of women without protection or money. Every smoky piece of filth in the kingdom gravitated toward a scene of exploitable desperation. No, she was not even a little surprised: it was precisely what she expected from someone like Atherton. But she was angry.
“Mr. Atherton,” she spoke through her teeth, “you must be aware of what a profound insult you have given me.”
He opened his mouth to object and strode forward, but she held up her hand, signaling him to stop.
“Not a step further, sir. I may be a poor widow, but I am not interested in any other arrangement. If I cannot pay next quarter’s rent, I shall leave.”
“And where shall you go?” His ingratiating smile twisted into a sneer.
“That is none of your affair. But until the rent is due, you are the person who should leave.”
“And are you going to make me?” His voice was a growl.
Luckily the shovel she had used to muck the henhouse was within reach. She grabbed it, and prepared to swing. “I am. And I am reasonably adept with a shovel, so you will come away with more than wounded pride and the indignity of chicken filth on your clothing.”
He raised his hands and backed away. “Only a misunderstanding, Mrs. Sheldon. No need for shovels.” He smirked as he made his way to the doorway, calling out, “But I will be back in a week’s time. We shall see how amenable you are to other arrangements then.”
Or how amenable you are to a loaded pistol. Katherine resolved to start arming herself. She listened to the sound of his footfall crunching through the snow and fading into silence before she lowered the shovel and let out the breath she had been holding. “This is my life now, my sweet hens. I do not know how I shall find another place to put you up, with no money.”
It gnawed at her heart to realize that there was no point in leaving them there to starve, but though she was hungry, she had broken the first rule of farming and gotten attached. Making them into chicken dinners seemed like a cruel reward after they had delivered her these precious eggs. “Thank you for the eggs, ladies. At least starvation will be held at bay for one more day, even if I will soon have no roof over my head. Perhaps the duke will be gone by then, so I will not have the added humiliation of having him witness my eviction.”
The chickens clucked quietly, but gave no reply. The horse snorted and shook his head.
Chapter 8 Offers and Refusals
Foxleigh followed the trail of footsteps in the snow, rounding the bend in the tree-enclosed path as a small outbuilding came into view. Not entirely steady on his feet, he walked slowly toward it, hearing muffled voices. Then he was forced to rest a moment, leaning against a tree and listening.
A man emerged from the outbuilding and called back through the door, “But I will be back in a week’s time. We shall see how amenable you are to other arrangements then.”
The threat in the man’s voice roused Foxleigh immediately, and his first instinct was to rush over and confront him. But realizing, after a few steps, that he was in no condition for a duel, he let the man escape down another path. Foxleigh hastened toward the doorway. He was sure Katherine was within, and he needed to know she was safe. The stink of chicken manure greeted his nostrils, and he recoiled slightly at the threshold, hearing her speaking within.
“Thank