Captain Jones's Temptation - Audrey Harrison Page 0,17
way that raised no suspicions but gave him a sense of who visited and worked in the area. He needed to be alert to any change, however small.
He avoided the children in the main, and even when outdoors, one or two might glance in his direction if he was close by, but none would approach him. With Matthew it was a completely different situation; he had quickly become a favourite of the children and the staff.
An outsider would presume Samuel was completely relaxed, but Esther could see he was extremely observant, attuned to every occurrence.
One afternoon, a fortnight into their arrival she joined him on the terrace, which overlooked the largest part of the lawned area. A wooded thicket started where the lawn ended, which led to the boundary wall. He had regularly explored that area but often chose to place himself here, knowing the staff presence protected the front entrance of the building.
Esther walked around the corner, carrying two glasses and a decanter of wine. She smiled as she approached. “I’ve been doing my accounts and need a break. Would you care to join me in a fortifying drink?”
“It would be rude not to.”
She poured two measures and, after passing Samuel a glass, took a sip of the velvety red wine. She sighed as she gazed over the peaceful scene.
“Are your accounts in such a terrible state that you are reduced to drinking before luncheon and sighing into the distance at the thought of returning to them?”
Esther smiled. “No. Not at all. I am very efficient in my book-keeping, but it still isn’t a pleasant task. I keep the school and the land separate in my finances, so although more informative, it is more work.”
“Do you have a steward?” Samuel could not help being curious about her or her way of living.
“Yes. It is the same one who worked for my uncle. He is very efficient and was patient with me at the start, for I knew nothing about running a house and estate, let alone a school.”
“Yet you don’t have a housekeeper, which would save you some time and relieve you of some of your duties.”
Esther smiled at him. “I see nothing gets by you, Captain Jones.”
“I am paid to notice everything.”
The shrug he gave with his words riled Esther a little. She sometimes felt unaccountably drawn to him, and then he would act the arrogant cad and she wanted to shake his self-assured nonchalance away. “I have Dawson and Cook. Between the three of us we manage. I am not a complete spendthrift when it comes to my inheritance,” she answered, referring to his comment at the beginning of his stay, about her doubling her cost by hiring teachers and nannies.
“I would not dare to presume anything of the kind.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t be the first nor the last to suggest such a thing. I realise my decisions are seen as a little eccentric by some of the townsfolk here. I am not naïve in thinking staff don’t talk and gossip; it is the way of the world. Thankfully, I can do as I please within reason. My respectability is extremely important to me, of course, and has been hard earned.”
Samuel glanced at Esther with a frown. It was an odd thing to say. “Your position as heiress to all of this would guarantee your standing in the community. I am surprised you hint that it was not easily come by.”
“Not all of us are as assured of our place in the world as you seem to be, Captain Jones.”
“Your words would suggest that you are wasting effort over something that does not matter, for as I’ve said, all this garners respect.”
There it was again. The arrogance that bubbled to the surface. What did he know about struggle, uncertainty? Nothing! He was as sure of his upbringing and his heritage as every other aristocratic person was. It grated on her nerves, but she had to live by the rules, for she wanted to forget the past and focus on who she was now.
“Are you beginning to think a lot of fuss has been made about nothing?” she asked, changing the subject onto a safer topic.
“I won’t interpret your question as a sign that you are tiring of our company so soon,” Samuel responded. “I don’t think we would have been sent if the threat wasn’t perceived as serious.”
“I suppose not. It just seems so unlikely that we will be attacked.”
“Kidnap isn’t that uncommon,” Samuel said. “My best friend’s