Death Comes to Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd Page A

near a horse if he can help it.”
    â€œRiding would certainly still be very difficult for him, Mr. Fairfax,” Lucy said carefully. “His whole left leg was crushed under the weight of his horse at Waterloo, and he was very lucky to keep the limb. It is perhaps understandable that he is reluctant to even attempt to ride again.”
    â€œSo I should imagine.” Mr. Fairfax bowed. “He is a brave man and more than deserved his elevation into the peerage.”
    â€œHe blames me for that.”
    Mr. Fairfax grinned. “So he told me. It is a shame that you cannot take on the duties of secretary for the major, Miss Harrington. I believe we would make a formidable team.”
    She smiled back at him. “Then you have decided to stay here and not follow Mrs. Fairfax back to your old home?”
    He glanced around the deserted corridor and lowered his voice. “I am not convinced Mrs. Fairfax has recovered sufficiently from her grief to make good decisions about the estate. I suspect if I returned, she would constantly undermine my authority or use me as a scapegoat if things went wrong.”
    â€œThen you should definitely stay here,” Lucy said firmly. “Major Kurland may be many things, but he would never lie to you or be underhand.”
    â€œI appreciate that, Miss Harrington.” He cleared his throat. “After years of dealing with Mrs. Fairfax’s suspicious nature and being denied the opportunity to get to know my young half brother, I—” He stopped speaking. “I do beg your pardon. There is something about you, Miss Harrington, that makes it all too easy for a man to confide in you.”
    Lucy tried not to blush. “Mrs. Fairfax does seem to be driven by her emotions.”
    â€œYou have no idea, Miss Harrington. She convinced my father that I was out to steal the estate from my half brother, and nothing I could say to him made any difference.” He sighed. “We were estranged at his death, and I could see there was no future for me at my only home.”
    â€œThen one wonders why Mrs. Fairfax came after you.”
    Mr. Fairfax started walking again. “I have wondered about that myself. It is almost as if she has no memory of how badly she treated me before.”
    â€œSome people find it impossible to accept that they are in the wrong, and they pretend that nothing happened. A man in our village ran off to London with his wife’s best friend. After a week or so, the woman decided she had made a mistake, abandoned her lover, and returned to the village. She even had the nerve to try to take up her old friendship with his abandoned wife.” Lucy shook her head. “It didn’t take her long to realize that people here have very long memories and her chances of being forgotten or forgiven were relatively small.”
    Mr. Fairfax chuckled appreciatively. “Ah, the perils and joys of village life.” He paused at the door to the dining room. “I believe Major Kurland is in here.”
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    Robert looked up from his seat at the head of the breakfast table to see Thomas and Miss Harrington framed in the doorway. Judging from Miss Harrington’s approving smile, they appeared to be having a mutually agreeable conversation. It belatedly occurred to him that they would suit each other very well.
    He stood and bowed. “Good morning, Miss Harrington.”
    â€œMajor Kurland.” She curtsied. “Are you still at breakfast? I can wait in your study, if you prefer it.”
    â€œPlease come and join us.” He pulled out the chair to his left. “I’m sure all my guests would appreciate any new information on the welfare of Miss Chingford and her sister.”
    Miss Stanford almost choked on her toast, and Mrs. Green helpfully patted her on the back. “Yes, how are the two young ladies doing?”
    Miss Harrington took the seat Robert offered her, and Thomas sat at the foot of the table,