Page 79 of Rival to Resist
More hesitation.
“Please,” she said kindly. “Tell me what you mean.”
He grimaced. “’Twas Mr. Yorke who asked me to ’elp ’im build it. Didn’t want Mr. Oswald to know, as ’tis his land, and we’d no right to be there. We done it quiet-like. Afore dawn.”
Caroline’s vision flickered. Mr. Yorke and Ruan had built the stile?
That made no sense.
Eliza had said Oswald was responsible. Indeed, Caroline had thanked him for the stile, and he had accepted those thanks.
Her stomach twisted in a hundred small knots.
Or had he merely let them settle where they did not belong?
What was more, had Mr. Yorke not been with her when Eliza had first told them of it? He had said nothing.
“Are you quite certain, Ruan?” she asked.
Ruan’s mouth quirked up at one edge. “Aye, m’lady. Nearly ’ammered my thumb off, Mr. Yorke did.” He raised it, then his smile wavered. “But please…’e only meant to ’elp Mrs. Penrose. And if Mr. Oswald finds out ’twas us…”
Caroline shook her head, her thoughts in a jumble. “I shan’t tell him, Ruan. I am very grateful to both of you for what you did.” She smiled at him reassuringly.
He broke his gaze away modestly. “’Twas our pleasure, m’lady.”
“Good day, Ruan.” She turned away as the door closed, her gaze fixed on the ground as she tried to sort her thoughts.
Mr. Yorke was responsible for the stile.Hehad built it, along with Ruan.
It was to Mr. Yorke, not Oswald, that Eliza owed gratitude.
It was to himCarolineowed gratitude.
If it weren’t for him, Eliza might still be breaking her back, carrying bucket after bucket of water from downstream all the way to her house and garden.
Caroline looked up at The Silver Pilchard, her heart beating a quick, strong rhythm as she acknowledged something to herself: she no longer simply wanted to see Mr. Yorke; she needed to.
20
FREDERICK
Frederick dismounted in the inn yard, then handed off the reins to Jory.
His gaze caught on a horse drinking from the trough. Lady Radcliffe’s horse.
“Is Lady Radcliffe here?” he asked.
“No, sir,” Jory responded. “She left ’er ’orse while she went down the lane. But she did ask if ’ee were here.”
Frederick’s heart somersaulted. “She did?”
“Aye, sir.”
Frederick digested that for a moment. Had she asked because she wished to see him? Or because she wished toavoidhim? “Did she seem…disappointed that I was gone?”
Jory shot him a funny look, as though the question was ridiculous.
“Jory!” Mrs. Tonkin’s yell came from the back door of the inn.
