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way pleases you.”
         Lucinda jerked her gaze to her sister-in-law, but Jane’s calm expression hadn’t changed. She wasn’t referring to Ronan. She wasn’t referring to the offer he had made to Lucinda that Jane certainly knew nothing about. But as she slipped from the room, Jane’s words haunted Lucinda nonetheless. Without meaning to, she had given Lucinda some kind of permission to pursue… well, whatever she liked while she was residing in the country estate.
         And that idea was becoming more and more bewitching with every passing moment.

Chapter Five

         In all Rage’s life, three days had never passed so slowly, not been so utterly uncomfortable. His days had been filled with the business he truly had to attend to on Nicholas’s behalf, but even as he fulfilled those duties, he had been distracted with thoughts of Lucinda back in Ironfield. And the nights… well, those had been pure torment, filled with dreams of her kiss, with everything he wanted to do with her and to her that went much further than that kiss.
         He shuddered as he pulled Jezebel to a halt in front of the house and climbed down. After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the servant, he entered the foyer and tugged his gloves from his hands. The house was quiet, not that he had expected to be greeted by anyone. Although perhaps in his deepest fantasies, he had pictured Lucinda waiting for him with open arms, but that was beyond foolish.
         “Mr. Riley, I was told you had returned.”
         He turned to find Gerald Foster entering from the rear of the house, carrying a ledger book under one arm. He ran the day to day operations of the estate in Ironfield and reported to Rage, who oversaw a far wider scope of Nicholas’s business. Although they had come from very different spheres in life, he liked Foster and knew the other man respected him, as well.
         “Good afternoon, Mr. Foster. I trust everything ran smoothly in my absence.”
         The other man gave a good natured smile. “Indeed. I have a list of the tenants who paid their rents yesterday if you’d like to look over them. Mr. and Mrs. Winston’s home needs a roof repair. If you are amenable, I can get my men on that this afternoon.”
         “Of course,” Rage said, settling into the comforts of running the estate. “And while you’re at it-”
         “There you are!”
         Rage and Foster turned to see Stone coming down the hallway from the direction of his study. He was smiling wide and open and Rage returned the expression.
         “Stone.” He extended a hand and his friend shook it. “Was just discussing some estate business with Foster here.”
         “That can wait, can’t it Foster?” Stone asked. “I think my friend and I require a stiff drink.”
         Foster nodded. “Of course, my lord.”
         Rage sighed. Sometimes Stone did remember he was a lord and acted accordingly. “Foster, have the other roofs checked while your men are out. It’s been a while since we did upkeep in that manner and if one is damaged, others may require repair, too. We can speak about the rest later.”
         Foster made a quick note, gave a bow to his employer and headed back toward the kitchen exit of the house. Stone clapped an arm around Rage as the two men made their way back to Stone’s study and the promised drinks.
         “So,” his friend said as they entered the study and he closed the door behind them. “Should I be worried about my interests in Littlefield?”
         Rage blinked. “No. Why?”
         “Well, one moment you and I were discussing that at some point in the next six months you would go over there and appraise the property, less than twelve hours later you saddled up your horse and took off to take care of my business there without anything but a note about where you were going.”
         “Ah.” Rage shifted uncomfortably. “I apologize if I