three books together, rearranged their order, and inserted them neatly onto the empty shelf. “I don’t envy you the task of sorting it all out.”
“I actually enjoy the intricacies of finance,” Colin confessed as he gathered up more loose pages. “There is a certain satisfaction in making the books balance at the end of a quarter.”
His father had scoffed at him for such a nonsensical notion, stating that tradesmen and menials existed to wait on their betters and should be grateful to have a peer’s patronage and be paid at all.
Miss Leyton continued putting the books away, bending and stretching in a graceful way that reminded Colin of the dancers he’d ogled on the London stage during his misspent youth. This revelation made him feel rather uncomfortable, seeing as Miss Leyton was undoubtedly a lady .
“Have you heard any more news about the duke?” Miss Leyton inquired. “We are all wondering who on earth he will be. Great-Aunt Maude is already combing the family tree to see if she can ascertain in which branch the heir resides.” She sighed. “It seems as if the Beckworth male line is remarkably thin.”
“Unlike my family where there are so many males that there is no room in the family Bible.”
“You come from a large family? How lovely.”
Colin grimaced at the warmth in her voice. “I’m the fifth son of an impoverished earl. I have seven siblings.”
“Good Lord.” Miss Leyton turned to him, her mouth open. “Then I assume you were expected to make your own way in the world.”
“It was that or starve.”
“And the army and the church did not appeal to you?”
“I have two brothers in the army and one in the church. My father had no funds left for a commission, or for me to go up to Cambridge.”
She neatly lined up another shelf of books. “Would you have liked to be in the military?”
“By Jove, yes.”
“Even during the current conflict?”
He scooped up several crumpled pieces of paper and attempted to straighten them out. “I would’ve been glad to serve our monarch against the French threat. I feel so… useless here.”
“At least you are safe.”
Despite the fact that she’d turned her back to him he looked up. “You have family in the military?”
“My brother and my betrothed, yes. They are best friends and are in the same regiment.”
“That must be hard for you.”
“Indeed, but I know they wouldn’t wish me to worry about them and that eventually they will come home.” Her tone was bracing as she continued to shelve the books. “They are currently in Portugal, so their letters tend to arrive together or not at all.”
“My brothers aren’t the kind of men who write letters.” Colin unfolded yet another piece of paper. “In fact Declan, who is a lieutenant in the Ninety-fifth, can barely form a sentence. For some reason he insists the letters get all muddled up in his head and writing becomes impossible.”
“My younger sister had the same problem. It didn’t matter how many times our governess corrected her work, she could not seem to learn.” Miss Leyton sighed. “Not that it stopped her making an extremely advantageous marriage. Beauty is its own passport to success in this world, isn’t it?”
Colin nodded as he set the strongbox on the table. “My brother looks so splendid decked out in his regimentals that the ladies seem to adore him as well.”
They shared a smile, and he realized she wasn’t quite as plain and mousey as he had first imagined. And as she was betrothed, he didn’t have to exert himself to win her favor or be anything other than his normal self with her. It was quite refreshing.
“How did you come to be living at Beckworth Park, Miss Leyton?”
“I resided with my brother and sister in our house in Hertfordshire, but when David went off to war and Violet married, I had to find alternative accommodation. The late duke’s great-aunt is a vague connection of my family, and she offered me a home.” She
“I actually enjoy the intricacies of finance,” Colin confessed as he gathered up more loose pages. “There is a certain satisfaction in making the books balance at the end of a quarter.”
His father had scoffed at him for such a nonsensical notion, stating that tradesmen and menials existed to wait on their betters and should be grateful to have a peer’s patronage and be paid at all.
Miss Leyton continued putting the books away, bending and stretching in a graceful way that reminded Colin of the dancers he’d ogled on the London stage during his misspent youth. This revelation made him feel rather uncomfortable, seeing as Miss Leyton was undoubtedly a lady .
“Have you heard any more news about the duke?” Miss Leyton inquired. “We are all wondering who on earth he will be. Great-Aunt Maude is already combing the family tree to see if she can ascertain in which branch the heir resides.” She sighed. “It seems as if the Beckworth male line is remarkably thin.”
“Unlike my family where there are so many males that there is no room in the family Bible.”
“You come from a large family? How lovely.”
Colin grimaced at the warmth in her voice. “I’m the fifth son of an impoverished earl. I have seven siblings.”
“Good Lord.” Miss Leyton turned to him, her mouth open. “Then I assume you were expected to make your own way in the world.”
“It was that or starve.”
“And the army and the church did not appeal to you?”
“I have two brothers in the army and one in the church. My father had no funds left for a commission, or for me to go up to Cambridge.”
She neatly lined up another shelf of books. “Would you have liked to be in the military?”
“By Jove, yes.”
“Even during the current conflict?”
He scooped up several crumpled pieces of paper and attempted to straighten them out. “I would’ve been glad to serve our monarch against the French threat. I feel so… useless here.”
“At least you are safe.”
Despite the fact that she’d turned her back to him he looked up. “You have family in the military?”
“My brother and my betrothed, yes. They are best friends and are in the same regiment.”
“That must be hard for you.”
“Indeed, but I know they wouldn’t wish me to worry about them and that eventually they will come home.” Her tone was bracing as she continued to shelve the books. “They are currently in Portugal, so their letters tend to arrive together or not at all.”
“My brothers aren’t the kind of men who write letters.” Colin unfolded yet another piece of paper. “In fact Declan, who is a lieutenant in the Ninety-fifth, can barely form a sentence. For some reason he insists the letters get all muddled up in his head and writing becomes impossible.”
“My younger sister had the same problem. It didn’t matter how many times our governess corrected her work, she could not seem to learn.” Miss Leyton sighed. “Not that it stopped her making an extremely advantageous marriage. Beauty is its own passport to success in this world, isn’t it?”
Colin nodded as he set the strongbox on the table. “My brother looks so splendid decked out in his regimentals that the ladies seem to adore him as well.”
They shared a smile, and he realized she wasn’t quite as plain and mousey as he had first imagined. And as she was betrothed, he didn’t have to exert himself to win her favor or be anything other than his normal self with her. It was quite refreshing.
“How did you come to be living at Beckworth Park, Miss Leyton?”
“I resided with my brother and sister in our house in Hertfordshire, but when David went off to war and Violet married, I had to find alternative accommodation. The late duke’s great-aunt is a vague connection of my family, and she offered me a home.” She
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