The Countess Intrigue by Wendy May Andrews Page A

searching gaze upon his face, Justice realized she had not been fully distracted by his reply, but she did not pursue the subject. Instead, she accepted his change of subject and asked him for further information.
    “I am sorry to admit to you that I am not quite up to date on the subject of your family. Do you have any relatives living at Heath? I am assuming since you have your title that your father is no longer alive, but is there a Dowager Countess of Heath? And what about neighbours? Shall I know anyone within the vicinity of your home?”
    Justice noticed she was not yet ready to take ownership of his property, not referring to it as their home, but he reminded himself that it would take time. They weren’t even married yet. He would have to exercise patience.
    “Sadly I am an orphan with only distant relations to fend off the loneliness. That is one of the things I find so appealing about a union with you. Since you come from such a large family, our children will not be alone in the world like I was.”
    He hadn’t meant to play upon her sympathies but was delighted to see a softening in her expression at his words. He really wished he could read her mind and know what was going on inside her head, but he contented himself with the fact that she no longer appeared to be searching for ways to reject him. When it became obvious that she had nothing to add to his words he continued to answer her questions.
    “So in answer to your question, no there are no relatives lurking about on my estate. It shall be yours to do with as you choose. As the new Lady of the manor you will have all the authority you might wish. I just ask that you keep your fingers out of my library.”
    “Whatever do you mean? Shall I not be permitted to enter?” She appeared to be surprised but not overly aghast.
    Justice laughed. “Of course you may enter, my dear lady. The house shall be yours, as I said. I just do not wish you to redecorate my own personal space without my permission.”
    It would appear he had offered her an entirely new concept to mull over. “Do you mean by that, my lord, that I shall be permitted to redecorate wherever else I might choose?” Her delighted grin made him glad that he had thought to say it.
    “Why yes, my dear, I had assumed it was what every lady wished to do upon her marriage.”
    Elizabeth shrugged. “I do not think my mother was permitted to touch a single room for at least the first ten years of her marriage. So, no, my lord, the thought had not even crossed my mind to imagine redecorating your home. But I do appreciate the carte blanche you have offered me. I will keep it in mind when we arrive upon your estate.” She paused for a moment, mulling over their conversation. He saw her eyes widen and braced himself for her next question. “How recently have your rooms been redone?”
    He struggled not to chuckle over her choice of words. She wished to know how extensively his first wife had redecorated. Justice had absolutely no desire to discuss his first wife with his future one. But it was a valid question and he tried to answer it fairly. “The previous countess had not turned her attention to the decor much before her death so only her own rooms were started. I am sorry to tell you that the work was never completed, so you shall have to share my rooms.” Feeling her stiffen in his arms even further he realized he ought to offer her an alternative. “Or you can take advantage of another room nearby while you oversee the work to your satisfaction.”
    “Well, at least there’s a silver lining, my lord. If the work needs to be completed, at least I shall be able to make my own choices, and it shall give me an idea of how much work goes into remodelling. If I find it is to my taste I shall be fully informed as to what’s involved.” She paused for a moment and Justice wondered if she was going to say anything more. He was rewarded for his patience as she finally met his eyes with a small