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lifted a hand when she opened her mouth to argue with him. “I would appreciate if you would write him immediately so we can settle this matter face to face.”
    “I shall.”
    He gazed at her again, and when a soft blush crept up her cheeks, a responding heat touched his own pulse. Perhaps being left alive did have its merits, after all. “And would you please have your groom stable my horse? My kit is fastened to the saddle. If you would have a footman show me to a room, I would like to lie down for a bit. I have a rather stout headache.”
    “We are short of servants at the moment, I’m afraid,” Felicity said, lifting her chin. “I will behappy to tend your horse, but under no circumstances are you sleeping in this house.”
    Annoyance began to push Rafe’s woozy infatuation aside. “Why not? Besides the fact that I own this house, of course.”
    “You do not—” She broke off. “Rusticated as we may be at Forton Hall, Mr. Bancroft, I will not have a male stranger staying under the same roof with myself and my sister. Especially after the way you introduced yourself to us.”
    “You said you’d put me up,” he reminded her. “And I’m hardly in a condition to do any further damage to anyone.” He flashed his charming, rakish smile—the one that generally got him invited to share a bed, let alone a house.
    Felicity looked at him calmly. “You may stay in the stable. It is perfectly warm, and its roof leaks no more than the house does.”
    “I am not staying in a damned stable,” he snapped. Lovely or not, Miss Harrington was being completely unreasonable. Blast it all, they had cracked him over the head.
    “Very well, the Childe of Hale inn is only four miles down the road. I’m sure they will be happy to put you up there. Mr. Davey Ludlow is the proprietor.”
    Despite her confident words she hesitated, glancing toward May and then back again. Rafe stopped the hostile retort he had been about to make. Oddly enough, she seemed to want him out of the house, but not gone. Groggily he forced his brain to put together what he’d seen of Forton Hall and the two young ladies before him. Neither of them had called for help, nor looked as though they expected any. “Who stays here with you?”
    “May and I are perfectly capable of looking after ourselves,” she stated, turning her attention toa stack of damp dresses draped across the kitchen table.
    Rafe wondered whom she was trying to convince. “The two of you live here alone?”
    She faced him again. “Apparently I’ve been speaking too quickly for you in your weakened condition. Yes, May and I live here alone. Until my brother’s return, that is.”
    “Good God,” he murmured, feeling a twinge of admiration. He’d never heard of such a thing. “What if I’d been some sort of maniac? I hope you have something more substantial than a tea kettle to ward off intruders.”
    She sniffed. “The tea kettle seems to have worked perfectly well, Mr. Bancroft.”
    He scowled. “Yes, thank you for reminding me.”
    “Shall I direct you to the Childe of Hale, then?”
    Now she was just baiting him. “Not necessary,” he grumbled, wondering why he felt the need to step in and take charge after they had practically murdered him. If anyone didn’t need him watching over them, it was these two lethal females. Even so, he wasn’t cad enough to toss them out of their home. From the way his head ached, he wasn’t going anywhere for the next few days, anyway. Let their damned coward of a brother come and take them away. “Forton Hall is mine, Miss Harrington. And I won’t have it defended by a woman and a little girl.”
    “I don’t need—”
    “Until your dear brother proves my ownership to our mutual satisfaction, I’ll be staying in the blasted stable, nice and close so I can keep an eye on my property.”
    She looked at him for a moment, something like relief in her gaze. “Just remember,” Felicity returned, “I’ll be keeping an eye on