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trouble finding a man who could look her in the eye or had an even chance of beating her in a fight. Theo, at a five ten-ish was considered almost a Munchkin by her standards. However he
was
a gorgeous Munchkin, Miranda was well aware of that, as were half of the girls within a fifty-mile radius. ‘Thanks for passing on the message,’ she said. ‘Now, I’d better make a start on the Health and Safety paperwork.’
    ‘Coward. I’ll be sure to show Theo right up if I see him before you.’ She hesitated before adding mischievously, ‘I wonder if he knows that Jago’s back yet.’
    After Ronnie had left, Miranda picked up the desk calendar perched atop a pile of old
Country House
magazines. The current month featured a shot of the Nanjizal lifeboat vessel racing to a shout. She couldn’t see Theo in the photo but she knew he would have been at the helm. He was the coxswain of the lifeboat, the only salaried member of a crew which comprised volunteers from the local area. He was a proud man; devoted to his job and, if you cracked him open, Miranda reckoned he’d have Cornwall running through him like the letters in a stick of rock. He also had a fan club that ranged from teenagers to great grannies; the combination of rugged good looks and regularly risking his life for the community had made Theo the equivalent of royalty in Nanjizal.
    Mirandaliked him too, he was sexy, he made her laugh and she admired his commitment to the village. But why had Ronnie been interested in his reaction to Jago? Theo wasn’t a fan of the St Merryns, that was true. As well as Cornwall running through his veins, he also had a chip on his shoulder about the family and their power and influence over the local community. Fair enough, Miranda acknowledged that he was entitled to voice his opinion and he’d certainly never mentioned Jago specifically to her face. Why would he? Ronnie was imagining things or, more likely, winding her up again.
    Miranda heard her laptop ping as email messages started to pile up in her inbox. She put down the desk calendar, slipped the elastic band off the letters and reached for the paper knife. She smiled to herself. If only she’d had it when she’d found Jago in the armoury, she could have fought a duel with him.

Chapter Five
    Miranda wasa little surprised when Theo didn’t turn up as expected that week. He usually kept his promises, but the timing of his visit had been vague and, anyway, Miranda had other things to occupy her. For the past few days, Jago had kept out of the offices, but not out of her way. She’d bumped into him a dozen times or more, mostly on the back routes to the castle that were closed to visitors and once, after the property had closed, in the armoury. She wondered if he’d been trying to keep an eye on her or how hard she worked. That kind of pettiness didn’t seem his style, but you never knew.
    She’d gone into the armoury one morning before opening time to find him examining the sword again. He’d laughed at her expression, which, she had to admit, had probably been a mixture of dismay and naked lust.
    ‘You’re quite safe this time,’ he said, replacing the sword on the display
    ‘If you wanted another tour, you only had to call me,’ she said, crossing to the cutlass and peering at it as if checking for damage. ‘Are you aware, my lord, that this is a rare early eighteenth-century cutlass captured by the fifth Lord St Merryn from a buccaneer in the West Indies?’
    Hescratched his chin. ‘And here was me thinking my great-grandfather acquired it from a market stall in the Portobello Road.’
    ‘There is, I suppose, some element of doubt about its provenance but I prefer the more picturesque version.’
    Jago shook his head. ‘Oh God, a romantic. That’s all I need.’
    ‘Not really, the visitors prefer the pirate story too. It’s good for business.’
    He seemed about to say something more but just said, ‘I’d better leave you to your work,’ and marched