Cinderella And The Duke. Janice Preston

bring the tray through when it is ready.’

      ‘Might I trouble you to remove my other boot, in that case, Mrs Pryce?’

      About to add a jest about having to hobble to the sitting room, Leo caught his words, having no wish to add to Freddie’s discomfort and, again, his heart went out to him. How must it feel to a young man to be unable to do the things others took so much for granted?

      ‘I will find you a pair of slippers to prevent your feet becoming chilled.’ Freddie started towards the door.

      Rosalind, who had positioned herself to tug at Leo’s other boot, almost snatched it from his foot. ‘I will do it, Freddie.’ She rushed across the room to forestall him. ‘There is no need for you to struggle up the stairs. If you show Mr Boyton to the sitting room, I will bring the slippers there.’

      ‘If you would care to follow me, sir?’

      Freddie’s wooden expression and voice revealed his resignation. Could Rosalind not see how damaging her cossetting ways were to the young man’s self-esteem? Leo could not doubt it was kindly meant, but was she really so blinkered as not to recognise the effect upon her brother?

      Freddie led the way to an over-furnished, old-fashioned sitting room and gestured to one of a pair of chairs by the fire before sitting on the other. Hector, who had followed them, flopped in front of the fire and stretched out on his side with a sigh.

      ‘You mistook me for my cousin before,’ Leo said, when Freddie seemed disinclined to begin a conversation. ‘I feel it incumbent upon me to apologise for the offence he caused.’

      The preoccupied frown lifted from Freddie’s face and he grinned. ‘You do not doubt he caused offence then, sir?’

      ‘I do not. Quite apart from your reaction upon your first sight of me, I know my cousin and his...shall we say, quite unique way of endearing himself to others.’

      The frown returned. ‘I cannot say I am overjoyed at the prospect of having Mr Lascelles as a neighbour.’

      ‘Was he intolerably rude?’

      ‘Not quite intolerably. I consider myself something of an expert in the art of exercising tolerance in the face of others’ unthinking comments.’ A smile lit Freddie’s countenance and then was gone. ‘Name-calling cannot, after all, hurt.’

      Leo had never believed the truth of that statement. Name-calling, thoughtless comments, sly looks: they could hurt as much as physical pain.

      ‘I should have anticipated he would discover your sister’s whereabouts after our previous encounter.’

      Freddie sat forward. ‘Previous encounter?’

      So Rosalind had not told her brother, presumably protecting him.

      ‘Mrs Pryce did not mention our meeting the other day?’

      ‘No, she did not. Will you tell me what happened?’

      Leo would not patronise the other man by shielding him from the truth. ‘My cousin was, I fear, quite objectionable to your sister. Although, to be fair, we all thought she was perhaps a farmer’s wife or daughter. She was rounding up sheep when we came upon her in the lane.’

      ‘Ah. Now, she did tell me about that.’

      ‘My cousin had ridden ahead of the rest of us—’

      ‘Rest of you? How many?’

      ‘Four in total. We are visiting for a couple of weeks. Next week we return to London.’

      ‘Lascelles, too?’

      ‘As far as I am aware...yes, Lascelles, too. It might set your mind at rest to know he is not a country lover. He purchased Halsdon Manor for its nearness to London, to enjoy the occasional hunting and shooting trip. He is unlikely to pay frequent visits.’

      ‘I doubt we shall be here much longer anyway,’ Freddie said. ‘What did he say to my sister, Mr Boyton?’

      ‘I did not hear his precise words, but suffice it to say that when we came upon the two of them your sister had raised a stick to my cousin and your dog appeared on the brink of attack.’

      He should have found out exactly what had passed between them. Knowing Lascelles had taken the trouble to find out where Rosalind lived did not bode well. The past few days had revealed more of his cousin’s character than he would wish to know.

      Freddie’s hands clenched into fists. ‘I should be able to protect her.’ The words sounded as though they were wrenched from him. ‘Rosalind has spent her life helping to raise us, but even though I am older than the others, it is I who will continue to be a burden upon her.’

      The others? Who else was there? Where were they?

      ‘I am sure your sister does not view you as a burden.’

      Freddie’s eyes glittered, and he blinked rapidly. ‘She is too selfless to think of me as such, but that does not stop me feeling useless.’

      ‘You mentioned others—have you more brothers or sisters?’

      Rosalind had spoken only of Freddie, but Benson had mentioned another sister.

      Unease flickered across Freddie’s face. ‘There are two others, but it is just me and Rosalind now.’

      Leo did not pursue the subject. He had quite enough to ponder as it was.

      * * *

      ‘Why did you not tell me you had already made the acquaintance of our new neighbour, Ros?’

      Bother! Why did I not warn Leo not to mention our previous meeting?

      Rosalind took her time before replying, putting the tea tray on the table and handing the slippers, which she had tucked beneath her arm, to Leo. He took them with a smile and a deep murmur of thanks that melted through her like butter on warm toast.

      Only as she poured the tea did she say, ‘I did not wish to trouble you.’

      As she handed Leo his cup and saucer, she could not miss the knot of muscles on either side of Freddie’s jaw.

      ‘It is not about troubling me, but about sharing your worries.’ His words rang with bitterness. ‘Can you not accept that I can provide moral support even if I am unable to protect you physically?’

      Rosalind paused in the act of handing her brother his cup of tea. When had he become so irritable?

      ‘Oh, Freddie.’ The ever-ready guilt flooded her. Why had it not been she who was injured? Why had she escaped with mere bruises whilst Freddie’s life had been altered beyond measure? ‘I am sorry. You are right. I am thoughtless. I am so accustomed to... I simply do not think at times...after all this time it is hard to remember you are a grown man and not just my younger brother. And after all that has happened—’

      With a lurch of horror, she bit off her words. What was she thinking, running on so in such an ill-considered fashion?

      ‘I apologise, Mr Boyton. What must you think of us?’

      Freddie took his cup from her with a look of reproach. Well, she deserved that. She forced a laugh.

      ‘That is more than enough about our family. Tell me, Mr Boyton, are you familiar with the countryside around here?’

      They indulged in stilted small talk whilst they drank their tea, Rosalind painfully aware of the speculation in Leo’s eyes every time they alighted upon her. Thankfully, it was not long before he rose to his feet.

      ‘I have trespassed upon your hospitality long enough.’

      ‘Not at all,’ Rosalind said, but stood up and led the way to the door lest he changed his mind. ‘It was the least I could do after you rescued my hat. I am certain your stocking will be dry by now.’

      Leo made his farewells to Freddie, who made no attempt to follow them from the room.

      As