I want to welcome Connie
Crow. First I’d love you to introduce
yourself.
I'm a transplanted Kansan, born and raised in Hutchinson.
But I've lived in Bellevue NE, for 50 years. It's my second home. Married to a
wonderful man all that time. No children, but a series of spoiled Brittanys.
Millie is ruling the house now. She just turned five.
I've always been a writer; had my first piece published
while in junior high-an editorial comment in my home town paper. Seeing my name
in print at that early age was the spark that kept me writing, no matter what.
I starting seriously writing for publication in 1995. Signed
a contract with an early e-book publisher and was e-published in 1996, before
most people had ever heard of e-books. It's been an interesting 18 years.
Tell us about your
latest release.
My latest book is All
a Lady Wants. It's a Regency
Romance, set in London in 1816. It's the sequel to No Place for a Lady, which came out a few years ago. It's available
from Mundania Press or Amazon, among other places. Mundania takes care of
placement. All my books are available in
both print and e-book format.
Now I have a few
questions for you – I have found readers do like to know fun things about us
writers.
1.) Who is your favorite
villain – it can be from a book (even one of yours), movie or TV show. And why?
Favorite Villain:
Canaan Hargrave, saloon owner, claim
jumper, murderer in Daughter of the
Dragon. Hargrave is out to steal a claim, own a town, and marry the
heroine, Sun Lee Chaikov, whether
she wants to marry him or not. He's thoroughly evil and thinks he's totally
justified in doing everything he does.
2.) Who is your
favorite character out of your books? Why?
Favorite Female: Corinna
McGinnis: Feisty redhead from Moonlight
Fire. The book is set in 1819, in the early Nebraska Territory. Corinna
fights to take care of herself and others as the army column makes its way to
establish the first outpost in the lands discovered by Lewis and Clark. I love
Nebraska history and I love strong heroines.
Favorite Male:
Captain Noah Stewart: Tall, dark and handsome hero from Daughter of the Dragon. A rollicking historical set in the Idaho
gold rush, in Florence, a booming mining town. Noah leaves San Francisco to
find his sister and finds a heroine in need of saving, even though she doesn't
think so. Noah embodies my hubby in many ways, who found Florence and the
essence of this story for me.
3.) What genre do you write? What made you pick that
one?
I write historical and contemporary romance. I didn't pick
the genre, I picked the stories. They fall wherever they fall.
4.) What are you
working on now?
Something completely different. A contemporary
disaster/thriller set in Kansas. Working title: 600 Feet to Hell. I've
written six straight romances, so I decided to try a different twist. This
story's time has come.
5.) What got you to
start writing?
Like I said, I've always written; stories, essays and poetry
all through school (yes, I was good in English). No matter what job I held, I
ended up being the "writer" in the office. I actually worked on a
large company newspaper for several years for our local and regional telephone
company. I love writing; my scribbles
and notes and ideas are all over the house.
6.) Where do you get
your ideas from?
Ideas run after me. I have binders full of notes and ideas
and treatments and plans for books. I read newspapers and magazine, looking for
the tiny filler clips of ideas and interesting tidbits that may lead to
stories.
7.) What would people
who read your work be surprised to find out about you?
I'm a serious doll
collector and have written several non-fiction articles for various doll
collecting magazines.
8.) Do you have any
special talents?
I'm a good chorus singer. I've sung with Sweet Adelines for
nearly 35 years. I'm also a good
seamstress. Used to make most of my clothes "back in the day".
Nowadays I'm content to sew for my dolls. Much easier.
9.) What was the one
piece of advice you received when you were an aspiring author that has stuck
with you? Why?
My dad was a wonderful influence. He always said,
"whatever you decide to do, commit to doing it the very best you can.
Don't cut yourself any slack." That holds in writing and in life.
10.) If you could talk
to any famous figure (present, past or fictional) who would it be and what
would you talk about?
First Lady Dolly
Madison-- She presided over the White House at such a critical time in our
history. I'd love to hear her thoughts on the future of the country back then.
11.) What song would
you say describes your life?
I Will Survive! My health has not always been the best, but
I'M STILL HERE! But my very favorite song would be Hello Dolly! Love the show, love the sentiment, love the song.
12.) If you could come
back as any animal – what would it be?
Hmm. I think I'd be a tiger. They're such magnificent
animals. But then maybe I'd be a meerkat. They look like they have such fun.
who knows?
Blurb:
All a Lady Wants
by Connie Crow
Lady Sarah Evanston wants to reclaim her life after losing both parents
in quick succession. Mourning them has kept her from society. Now she must find a suitable husband or risk
being a spinster and living the rest of
her life alone. She has promised herself she will reopen her family home and
live there on her own, rather than marry
someone she does not truly love. She
risks becoming a social outcast, finding neither husband nor happiness.
Lord
Reginald Guilworth, the Marquis of
Ellswarren is feeling family pressure to assume responsibility, marry and
produce an heir to the Guilworth fortune and to eventually hold the ducal title
he himself will inherit. He contemplates a marriage of convenience to shield
himself from being hurt by love, again. He has a bevy from which to pick, but
none that interest him. His secret dealings for the crown keep him away from
home and aloof from society much of the time.
Sarah
and Reggie have been close family friends since her childhood. Sarah has always
adored him, yet he has never taken notice of her. She has resolved to move
forward, giving up her childhood dream of becoming the next Duchess of
Guilworth.
Reggie's
cousins, members of the exiled French aristocracy, come to stay with the
Guilworth family, embroiling them all in international intrigue involving the
teetering French government and upheaval of the aristocratic class of France.
Among the political chaos and the horrific year of natural disasters, Reggie
and Sarah are drawn together and realize they do share an abiding love for one
another.
But events conspire to tear them
apart, with deadly consequences for all those involved, threatening to end
their happiness almost before it begins.
Released Feb. 2014 - Mundania Press
Available in e-book and print
Excerpt:
****
Reggie stepped out of the garden,
the clattering of stones on the drive interrupting his morning walk. A frantic
voice caught his attention. “My Lord! Excuse me! My Lord?”
He turned to see the stable groom
gasping for breath, evidently winded from a run up from the stables. ”Calm
down, man. What is it?”
“The ladies, my Lord. They have gone
off by themselves, they have. They came down to the stable and asked for a gig.
I didn’t like it one bit, sir, but they would not let me drive ‘em, sir. No,
they would not. Had to go by themselves.”
Reggie took a step back in
amazement. “What? The Duchess is driving a gig?”
“Oh no, sir, beggin’ your pardon. The
young ladies. Lady Sarah and Lady Janette. They’re off to Sweet Briar. Without
an escort! Not a good idea, sir, you’ll pardon me saying so.”
Reggie shook his head. “What will
they think of next? Saddle Midnight and bring him ‘round. T’is a fine day for a
ride. I will be able to catch them.”
The groom’s face brightened in
relief. “Yes, m’lord, just so.” Recovered, he started back toward the stable.
Reggie turned on his heel and headed to his suite. He needed riding clothes. He
shouted over his shoulder. “Bring two horses. Mr. DeLong may want to go with
me.”
“I will, sir.”
Back in his suite, Reggie yanked off
his jacket and shirt, substituting garments of a rougher cloth, more suited for
horseback. “Crumbly, find Mr. DeLong. Ask him to meet me in the drive, ready to
ride. We must catch up with the ladies.”
Crumbley’s eyebrows shot to his
hairline. “Very good, sir. As you wish.”
In no time, Reggie’s transformation to
riding master was complete. He stalked out of his suite, meeting Drew in the
hall. Drew looked properly mystified. “Where are we going? Crumbley sounded
concerned. Should Toddy come with us?”
Reggie smiled. “No, I do not believe
we will need that sort of back up today. Lady Janette and Lady Sarah have hied
themselves off to Sweet Briar, alone. The groom mentioned it to me. He was
concerned they had no escort.”
Drew laughed. “They are a most
independent pair. I do not know who is worse. What one does not think of, the
other does.”
“You are right about that. But, with
conditions the way they are, brigands abound in the countryside. Two gentlewomen
alone could be an easy target. We shall make sure they get to Sweet Briar and
back.”
“Without injuring their delicate
feelings, Reggie. Janette seems to have little patience these days. Her
independent nature is asserting itself more and more.”
“That seems to happen once the
ladies are safely married, Drew. I have seen it more than once. We must protect
them, even though they think they are perfectly capable of taking care of
themselves.”
Drew nodded, laughing as he pulled
on his riding gloves. By now they were in the drive, where the horses were
waiting. Reggie swung onto Midnight and Drew followed suit. “Let us depart.
They are not too far ahead of us.” The two thundered out of the stable yard,
toward Sweet Briar.
It didn’t take long for them to
catch up to the ladies in the gig. Janette caught sight of them. “Oh, look,
Sarah. We have company. How nice.”
Sarah threw a glance over her
shoulder. She struggled to dismiss her initial angry reaction. She did not need
an escort or a baby sitter, even as handsome a sitter as Reggie. The delight on
Janette’s face at seeing Drew silenced her complaint. The new wife thoroughly
adored her handsome husband.
“I suppose we should have invited
them along.” Sarah pulled the reins, slowing the rig to a stop. The two riders
cantered to a stop beside the gig. “Gentlemen, you have picked a lovely day for
a ride.”
Drew smiled. “I have never seen your
home, Sarah. I thought it unfair only Janette should see it.”
“Well, it is in no condition to
receive visitors, really. Mrs. Harris has opened enough for me to take a look
at what needs to be done to re-open the manor house.”
Reggie could not help himself.
“Well, shall we all take a look? Perhaps I can help you assess what needs to be
done.”
Sarah shot him a frigid look. “I am
sure my staff will be able to do that quite well, my lord. But you are
certainly welcome to join us for lunch. Shall we continue?”
Not
waiting for an answer, Sarah snapped the reins again and the horse charged
forward, rushing toward the big house on the hill in the distance.
Drew gave Reggie a questioning
glance. “She is certainly not pleased with you, Reggie. What happened?”
Reggie shook his head. “She has
given me that icy glare since your wedding. Nothing I say seems to suit her. However,
I promised Mother I would look out for Sarah’s interests, since the countess is
her only family. I mean to do just that. And part of that is convincing her she
has taken leave of her senses to want to live at Sweet Briar with just her aunt
and staff. “
“Is that why she has come here
today?”
“I think so. She has mentioned it to
mother. She is convinced she has the funds to restore and re-open the manor
house.”
“Does she?”
“Well, yes, but that is not the
point. She could be cut off totally from the social world and they could be in
real danger out there with only servants in the house to protect them.”
“Good luck, old man. Sarah and Janette
are both very determined when their minds are made up.” Drew spurred his mount
to rejoin the gig, now disappearing over the hill. The two caught up with the ladies
in the great drive at Sweet Briar. Stable hands were already holding the horse
and helping the ladies from the small carriage.
Drew and Reggie slid down from their
horses. A groom rushed to take their mounts. “I shall cool them out, gentlemen,
then feed and water them. They will have a nice rest in our paddock until you
are ready to leave.”
Reggie nodded. “Good. You may want
to put Midnight by himself. He gets a bit cranky with others.”
The groom patted the jet-black
beauty. “A great stallion he is, sir. We will be careful of him.”
Reggie turned away and followed the
others into the foyer of Sweet Briar. His gaze swept the space. He pressed his
lips tightly together, determined not to comment on the run-down, neglected
look of the place. It obviously not been dusted or swept in a long time. Nearly
all the furniture was covered with linens and sheeting to keep out the worst of
the dust. Spider webs inhabited the corners and draped from every piece of
statuary in the hall.
His gaze stopped on Sarah’s face and
his heart sank at the tears he could see welling up in her eyes. He could tell
she had not expected it to be this bad. A sudden urge to take her in his arms
and comfort her nearly overwhelmed him. She seemed extremely vulnerable and
alone, standing in the middle of her family home, with no one to help her and
an immense job ahead of her. The place was an absolute mess. What had her
people been doing?
The feeling surprised him. Comforting
others was not something he normally did. He left that to his mother. He forced
his hands to remain at his sides, even though he ached to take her in his arms;
try to comfort her. From her look earlier, she would not welcome his embrace. As
he watched, the look on her face changed from sadness and despair, to stubborn
will. He could almost hear her spine snap to attention.
Sarah’s tears disappeared, unshed.
“Well, we certainly have a lot to do, right, Mrs. Harris?”
The housekeeper stepped forward. “Yes,
my lady. If you are ready, we will see about rehiring a house staff and get
this place in order. Mr. Anderson would not approve the expense until you were
ready to use the manor house again.”
Reggie held his tongue. Anderson,
the accountant, was a miser, which was well known. That explained the wretched
condition of the main house. Following that logic, the stables should be in
excellent condition, since Evanston Stables was famous for well-bred horses. The
jumper stock breeding program was still in full swing, even after Sarah’s
father’s death.
“Mr. Harris will take your things.
Then if you’d come into the dining room, I have a light lunch laid on for you.”
Sarah slipped out of her plisse and
handed it to her manager. “Thank you for filling in on such short notice, Mr. Harris.
We really will need a butler again.”
“No trouble at all, my lady.”
Reggie frowned. The last thing Sarah
needed was for the hired help to encourage her to come to this house again.
Sarah glanced around the group. “Are
you all ready for something to eat?” She
led the way to the dining room. Another sheet-covered room greeted them. The
table had been cleared and the chandelier above it polished, but the rest of
the room was in dire need of cleaning. The chairs, having been uncovered,
allowed sitting without danger of ruining clothing. A platter of sliced beef
graced the table, along with hot bread and butter. A small selection of fruits sat
in a big silver bowl. A lovely custard pie steamed on the sideboard, giving the
room a delightful aroma. Nice, but not extravagant. Mrs. Harris twisted the
corner of her apron. “You’ll forgive the scarcity, my lady. The local market
does not get the fruit and vegetables as we once did. We started our own garden
this spring, but the vegetables are not ripe yet. This weather has stunted
everything.”
“Do not give it another thought,
Mrs. Harris. There is more than enough food here for the four of us. Thank you
for such an effort. The food in London is in short supply as well. We are not
going to stay long. I just wanted a look at the place so that I may plan to
come home. I wanted Mr. and Mrs. DeLong to see my home, even in this sorry
state of affairs.”
“Yes ‘m. Please, eat, enjoy.”
The four fell to eating, quickly
polishing off the beef, fruit and bread. The pie disappeared as well. Janette
patted a napkin to her lips. “I do believe I am going to need a bit of rest
before we return. You must forgive me.”
“Of course. Mrs. Harris, is the sun
room open?”
Mrs. Harris’ grey head appeared
around the door frame. “I can have it open in a few moments, my lady, If you
will wait right here?”
In no time, she reappeared. “I have
the fainting couch uncovered and the small table and chairs, Ma’am. If you
would please follow me?”
Drew took Janette’s arm and helped
her to the sunroom. Sarah watched them go. “He does take good care of her. I
did not realize this short trip would tire her so.”
Reggie laughed. “You couldn’t have
kept her away. No matter how tired she gets. She loves to go with you, as you
do her.”
Sarah smiled in spite of herself.
“Yes. We did become fast friends last summer. But I do need to see what the
house needs if I am going to re-open it this summer.”
She took another deep breath and
glanced around the dining room. It was in such a shambles compared to the way
her mother had insisted it be kept. It was all she could do to keep the tears
from cascading down her cheeks. How disappointed her mother would be,
especially in her, for allowing this to happen to the family belongings.
Cobwebs in the dining room? Disgraceful!
She tossed back her curls and took a
firm hold on her emotions. She would set things right. She would make her
parents proud of her, a little late perhaps, but better late than never.
“I do want to re-open the house for the summer
at least.” She waited for an explosion from Reggie, but none came.
Instead, he took a deep breath and
began very calmly. “Do you really think that is wise? Mother said you mentioned
living here, by yourself. Frankly, you should know that is nearly impossible
for one of your station.”
A great sigh escaped Sarah’s lips. “I
know. Both your mother and Aunt Hortense impressed upon me the impossibility of
that idea. But I would not be alone. I would be properly chaperoned if Aunt
would come and I hired a full staff. I know the aristocrats will still be
scandalized. I have never cared that much for the haute ton so their being scandalized does not bother me as much as
perhaps it should.”
Reggie hid a smile. He felt much the
same way, but did not want to encourage Sarah’s idea any more than necessary.
She continued.
“I do think though, to find me, I must
reclaim my home and my birthright. You have several homes. You can pick and
choose where you’d like to reside. Right now I have only one choice—with my
aunt. I am ready to claim my other choice, this house.”
“But to live here in the countryside,
Sarah? That just begs trouble.”
“Mr. Anderson tells me I can afford a
full staff. That would put townspeople to work, people who need the money now.
Refurbishing the house and grounds would also put the trades people back to
work. They will be glad to see me back. This place certainly will need some
repairs. I have neglected it shamefully.”
She gave the dining room drape a
shake. Dust flew everywhere. “See? I should have paid more attention to Mr.
Anderson’s money saving measures. This is unacceptable. Really.”
“You were quite young when your
parents died, Sarah. You were not ready for all the responsibility for this
house.”
“I suppose. Nineteen is young, but I
have had five years to mature. I have been avoiding coming back. Shame on me.”
They walked into the main hall. Sarah
looked up at Reggie. “I know you are not happy, but you offered to assess what
needs to be done. Did you mean it?”
Reggie raised an eyebrow. “Of course,
I meant it. I said it. If you like, we will take a walk about through the house
while Janette rests. It should not take long to get a general idea of what
should be checked.”
“Thank you.” Sarah placed her hand gingerly on
Reggie’s arm and they strode into the main parlor. She forced herself to
breathe slowly, to not be overwhelmed by his nearness. No matter what she said,
she did have strong feelings for this charming, but sometimes overbearing, man.
It was vital to keep those feelings at bay. He could cajole her into most
anything if he tried.
Reggie left her standing in the middle
of the room. He went to one of the huge leaded glass windows facing the front
drive. Pulling the drape out, he peered behind to the top of the window. “Just
as I feared. Sarah, look here, please.”
Sarah stepped to his side and stared
up to the top of the twelve-foot window. She could see an ugly brown stain on
the wall next to the casing, and an even worse stain running down the wall. “Oh
dear.”
“That is rain water damage.” Reggie
dropped the drape and stepped back, shaking his head. “The caulking on the
outside of the windows has disintegrated. I would guess every window in the
place needs at least some work.”
Sarah placed a hand over her mouth,
holding back her exclamation of dismay. Those three beautiful windows facing
the drive had been her mother’s pride and joy.
“Oh, Reggie, I remember when the
windows were installed. Mother thought the room was too dark, so Father had the
one window taken out and these three gorgeous ones put in instead. He had the
stained glass top pieces done especially for her.”
“Really?”
She continued. “The scenes are places
from mother’s childhood. What if one of them slipped or fell in a windstorm,
because they’re no longer properly secured? How horrible!”
She looked toward Reggie. He shook his
head. “That would be too bad. They are irreplaceable.”
She nodded. “In my heart as well. That
is a memory I never want to lose.”
Reggie moved on. “The caulking is not
the only problem. If the windows are that bad, you will lose all the heat from
the fireplaces. The spring rains will make it miserable. This place will be
frigid come the winter if it is not resealed all the way ‘round. Resealing has
to be done immediately to make this livable again.”
Sarah counted windows in her mind. “We
have more than 50 windows.”
Reggie frowned, peering at the other
windows in the room. “It is too bad Anderson did not at least pay for outside
structural repairs. It would have been much easier to caulk the windows a few
at a time, than completely redo them now.”
Sarah nodded, numb from the thoughts
racing in her mind.
Reggie sensed her dismay, but felt
obligated to continue. He hated causing her this distress. “Could we go
upstairs? To a room that would show if there’s any roof damage?”
“Oh, yes. We might as well see it
all.” Sarah led the way up the staircase.
Reggie shook the banister on the way up. “At
least the inside wood is solid. I do not see any termite damage.”
“Termites?”
“Yes. Without people around, the nasty
little buggers sometimes get inside and wreck havoc with the woodwork.”
Sarah ran her hand along the banister.
How many times had she slid down that banister, causing consternation among the
help? “Reggie, did you ever slide down a banister at Guilworth Hall?
They stopped, midstairs. Reggie ran
his hand along the polished wood, remembering his own childhood hi-jinks. “Yes,
I did. Drove the servants bonkers as I recall. They were worried I would hurt
myself.”
“Then you know what trouble I got
into. I slid down this one every chance I got. Totally unlady-like, but such
fun.”
Reggie enjoyed the look of absolute
orneriness that popped up on Sarah’s face. It startled him as he realized there
was another side to this quiet lady, one he had never been privileged to see.
That made what he had to do even more onerous. She might be able to run this
place; but it was utterly out of the question if she were to find the husband
she needed. Even with her aunt as chaperone, being out here would completely
cut her off from the society she had to be included in, if she hoped to make a
match this season. He glanced away, not wanting to meet her gaze. She needed a
husband just like he needed a wife. How he rued his thoughtless comment to her
about a marriage of convenience. She would make a wonderful partner, of that he
was certain.
Sarah ran her hand along the railing again.
“Even my father’s scolding was not enough to get me to stop.”
“I cannot imagine your father scolding
you. He adored you.”
Sarah laughed. “I know. He tried to
scold, but he was not very good at it. I would just give him a kiss and promise
to do better and he would be done.”
“Just as I thought.”
“Oh yes, I was an indulged child. This
was such a happy home. My parents made sure plenty of children visited, so I
had lots of playmates, even though I was an only child. The house was full of
laughter and love.”
She stopped, staring into the
upstairs. “Not quiet and empty, like today.”
The hurt registering in her face
grabbed his heart. He took in a breath. He could not let her feelings stop him
from doing what he knew needed to be done. “We really should continue.”
She nodded. “I know.”
She took another step up, smoothing
the banister as she went. The long curving piece of wood lent itself to amazing
rides. The thought of insects eating it away was just too awful to contemplate.
Her gut tightened as she probed and scanned carefully to make sure none of the
nasty critters escaped notice.
Sarah led him into the master bedroom.
“This was my parent’s suite.”
Reggie turned ‘round the room, eyes
fixed on the ceiling. He muttered, “There, and there.” He looked back to Sarah.
“Do you see the damage?”
Sarah did her own turn ‘round. “Oh
dear, in those two outside corners; the same dark stain. The roof is leaking,
is it not?”
“I am afraid so. Let us look at a few
more rooms up here; on the other side of the hall and the back of the house. We
will see how widespread the leaking is.”
Sarah led the way down the main hall.
They stopped to peer into several rooms, finding damage in almost every one.
She stopped before one last set of double doors.
“This was my room.” She gave a gentle
push and the doors swung in, to reveal sheet covered furniture, a carpet
sprouting mushrooms and a pile of plaster in the middle of the floor, spilling
over the sheet-covered rocking chair. Ragged lath boards slashed across the
gaping hole in the ceiling, marking clearly the source of the chalky plaster
all over the floor. The rocker had been her favorite spot for sharing secrets
with her mother. What if they had been sitting there?
“Oh, no!” That was the last straw.
Sarah burst into tears. Reggie took her in his arms, holding her gently,
allowing her to cry. Sweet Briar meant much more to her than Guilworth Hall
meant to him. That huge place had stood for centuries, much the same. This home
was more like Meadow View was to his mother. His mother would feel much the
same if she could not go there whenever she wished. Convincing Sarah not to
move here would be much harder than he first thought. Sarah was very much like
his mother, which was a good thing. He sensed her sobs lessening. He hated to hear
her cry, see her so upset. She was such a special woman; one who deserved
better. He gave her a gentle squeeze, then murmured, “Let us rejoin Janette and
Drew. You can think about what you have seen and we will talk about it later.”
He offered her his handkerchief, which
she took, dabbing her eyes. “Thank you. I had no idea it would be like this. I
do not want to see any more. Please, let us go.”
“As you wish.” He wrapped her arm
around his own and led her back downstairs. Practically, this trip had gone
much better than he had anticipated. He had not needed to fuss at all with her.
The house showed her its worst points, all by itself. She was overwhelmed with
the mess. He hated that part. He hated to see her so upset; the last of her
childhood memories ripped apart by the reality of today.
But it was still her property. It
should be taken care of quickly, before the damage got any worse. Once it was
repaired, perhaps he could convince her that allowing it to be rented would be
a better idea.
They met Janette and Drew coming out
of the sun room. Sarah brushed away one last tear. “Are you rested? Shall we go
back to Guilworth Hall?”
Janette looked hard at Sarah’s face.
“Are you quite all right, dear?”
Sarah sniffed back a tear. “Yes. Just
upset at all the damage we have seen. I really do not want you to see any more
right now. It is too awful.”
Janette wrapped her arms around Sarah
in a quick hug. “I know what it is like to see your home in ruins. It hurts to
the bottom of your heart. We will leave and come back when you are ready for us
to see it.”
Sarah and Janette accepted their
plisses from Mr. Harris. "Your gig is outside Miss, as are the gentlemen’s
horses."
“Thank you, Mr. Harris.”
“We hope you return soon, my lady. The
house is lost without you.”
Sarah looked away, unable to reply.
They went out to the gig. Once the ladies were safely inside, Sarah drove off,
making no comment.
Drew and Reggie rode along. Drew
glanced to Reggie. “Sarah certainly is upset. What ever did she see?”
Reggie shrugged. “A pile of ceiling
plaster in the middle of her old bedroom and mushrooms growing out of the
carpet, among other things. I showed her every bit of damage I could find,
never saying a word against her idea, just pointing out what had to be
repaired.”
“It is that bad then?”
“It could be. It may need an entirely
new roof. That will be expensive. At least the windows must be caulked and
roofing needs to be checked and repaired. The one carpet is totally ruined, but
the majority of the house is sound. Unfortunately there is a roof leak right
over her old suite, but the plaster falling is new. This nasty weather this
season has most likely uncovered a spot. If that is fixed immediately, it won’t
be too big a problem."
Reggie leaned back in his saddle. “The
good thing is, she thinks it is bad. That should keep her from entertaining
this moving-out-here idea any time soon.”
“But, what about the house?”
“Anderson is being too tight with her
money. He must keep up the house to ensure its value for her, even if she is not
living in it.”
“But once Anderson gets it repaired,
won’t she be even more ready to move?”
Reggie sent a sharp look Drew’s
direction. “There is that possibility. I hope by that time we can change her
mind.”
Drew shook his head. “I do not know,
Reggie. If it were you, you would want to go back to Guilworth Hall, would you
not? If something happened, you would want to return it to perfect condition.”
Reggie considered Drew’s comment. “I
suppose I would. Mother is certainly attached to Meadow View, her childhood
home and dowry. I simply had not given that much thought."
Drew nudged his horse into a walk. “I
would say Sarah is very attached to Sweet Briar. Much as Aunt Beatrice is
attached to Meadow View. I would wager your own mother would react in exactly
the same way if something bad happened to Meadow View. You would do well not to
minimize Sarah’s feeling, Reggie. Especially if you are trying to bring back
that beautiful smile of hers.”
“Hmm.” Reggie’s frown covered his
forehead. Did he really want to bring back that beautiful smile? Did he have
more than a "family interest" in Sarah's happiness? He was beginning
to think his interest in Sarah was much more personal in nature.
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