The Rich Man's Bride

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She shrugged. ‘Mr Right hasn’t shown up yet.’

‘But you lived with someone for quite a time. Hector used to keep me up to speed when I saw him.’

‘Did he also tell you he disapproved? To him it was living in sin.’ Anna pulled a face. ‘In actual fact it was nothing so exciting. Sean and I both worked such long hours we gradually saw less and less of each other. Eventually I discovered that we had totally different ideas about our relationship, so I moved out.’

‘Did he come here often?’

‘No. I preferred to visit Gramp on my own. You met Sean during the only weekend he ever came to the cottage. It never stopped raining and he never stopped complaining—not least because I insisted he slept in the spare bedroom. Gramp didn’t take to him, and not long after that I moved out of Sean’s flat.’

Ryder raised an eyebrow. ‘Because Hector didn’t approve?’

‘It was a contributory factor,’ she admitted. ‘They never said so, but I know Dad and Tom weren’t hugely keen either. But now I share a flat with Clare Saunders, someone my entire family approves of. Gramp took to Clare in a big way when she came to Keeper’s not so long ago.’

‘I met them when they were out for a walk.’ He looked at her. ‘You’d stayed behind. To avoid me, no doubt.’

‘Yes,’ she said frankly. ‘Gramp was keen to show Clare round the estate. I hope you didn’t mind.’

‘You really need to ask that?’

Her eyes kindled. ‘I wouldn’t have done once. But after the accusations you made I felt I didn’t know you any more.’

‘When I discovered my mistake I made sincere apologies,’ he reminded her coldly. ‘Since you flatly refused to accept them, I see no point in apologising again.’

‘Message received, Ryder.’ She got to her feet. ‘Thank you for supper, and for coming to my rescue. I’m a bit tired, so I’ll say goodnight.’

‘I’ll see you to your room,’ said Ryder, and walked upstairs with her in a silence he kept up until they reached the door of the blue room. ‘I hope you sleep well, Anna.’

‘Me, too,’ she said fervently.

He opened the door. ‘If you have nightmares about intruders, just yell. My room’s across the landing.’

‘Thank you. Goodnight.’ Anna closed the door, glad that someone would be close at hand in this big, empty house with its elegant high-ceilinged rooms. She’d been upstairs at the Manor occasionally when she was young, but only on rainy afternoons when Ryder sneaked her up the back stairs with Tom to his old room on the floor above. Now Ryder probably slept in state in the master bedroom that had been off limits to him in the old days.

The bed was comfortable, but Anna had no great hopes of a restful night after an evening that had been a strain from start to finish. And, added to that, she felt guilty about ringing Ryder instead of her father or Tom. It was only because Ryder was the nearest, she argued to herself, but that was only partly true. In spite of their differences, she’d had no hesitation in turning to him for help.

Ryder Wyndham had always been the ultimate hero to her—from the day she first met him, right up to the moment when he came crashing down from his pedestal. But tonight he’d come straight to her rescue and taken over with efficiency she couldn’t fault. If she was going to spend time at the cottage in future, it would be inconvenient to go on harbouring a grudge—much better to remember the casual, taken-for-granted friendship they’d shared as children. But in those days she had been blissfully ignorant of the social differences between them. Now, supposedly classless society or not, the gulf between the gamekeeper’s granddaughter and the Squire still yawned as wide as ever, as Ryder had proved beyond all doubt when he thought she had ambitions to marry into his family.

Anna woke to sunshine and a knock on the door.

‘Are you decent?’ called Ryder.

She scrambled upright, flipping her braid over her shoulder as she yanked the quilt up to her chin. ‘Yes.’

The door opened slowly as Ryder backed in with a tray. ‘Good morning. I saved Martha a trip.’

‘I would have come down,’ Anna protested as he laid the tray across her lap. And would have made sure she looked rather more appetising before she had.

‘Martha says you need looking after,’ said Ryder, shrugging.

Anna looked through a sudden mist of tears at the perfectly poached egg and crisp triangles of wholemeal toast.

‘Anna!’ Ryder stared at her in surprise. ‘You don’t have to eat the egg if you don’t want to.’

‘I do, I do,’ she said, sniffing inelegantly. ‘Sorry. It’s just that Mrs Carter’s so kind and—’

‘And you’ve had a shock and you’re grieving for Hector.’ The unexpected sympathy in his voice almost started her off again.

‘He always poached an egg for me when I was under the weather.’

Ryder went into the bathroom and came back with a handful of tissues. ‘Mop yourself up and try to eat something, if only to please Martha.’

‘Of course I will,’ said Anna, blowing her nose. ‘Sorry to be such a drama queen.’

‘Good girl. Martha will be up with some tea when you’ve finished.’

Good girl, thought Anna derisively as she began on her breakfast. Ryder behaved as though he were thirty years older than her, instead of just three. But from now on she must try hard to be less hostile, she reminded herself, for Gramp’s sake if nothing else. Hector Morton had been very fond of the Wyndham boys, Ryder most of all.

Mrs Carter arrived with a cup of tea and a bag of clean laundry just as Anna was finishing the last piece of toast. ‘That’s the way,’ she said, beaming in approval. ‘I didn’t want Mr Ryder to disturb you so early, but he said you’d be keen to get back to the cottage to put things straight before your father arrives.’

‘He’s absolutely right,’ said Anna with feeling. ‘But thank you so much for the laundry, and my delicious breakfast. I’ll just drink some tea, then I’ll get dressed. Would you tell Ryder I’d be grateful for a lift back in about half an hour?’

‘Very well, dear. Your bits of underwear are all fresh and clean and aired overnight on the Aga,’ said Mrs Carter, putting the bag on the bed. ‘You need to take care of yourself, Anna. You still look peaky to me.’

‘I’m fine, honestly, Mrs C.’ She pulled a face. ‘I have to be. I’m due back in work soon.’

Ryder was waiting in the kitchen when Anna got downstairs. He took her bag, waited while she said her goodbyes and then helped her up into the Land Rover.

‘Martha’s very worried about you,’ he stated as he drove off. ‘In her opinion you need to look a lot better before you can even think of going back to such a demanding job.’

‘Someone else might snaffle my demanding job if I don’t get back to it soon.’

‘Would that be such a tragedy?’

‘Not a tragedy exactly, but I’m good at what I do and it pays well. Now I’m a home-owner I need the money to keep my property up to scratch.’

‘Don’t worry about Keeper’s Cottage,’ said Ryder quickly. ‘I’ll make sure word gets out that I’m keeping an eye on it until the repairs are done.’

Anna shot him a startled look. ‘Heavens, I never thought about repairs. I’d better get something sorted before Dad arrives.’

‘How long is he staying?’

‘Just for lunch. He’s going back this afternoon.’

‘Then we’d better get a move on to inspect the damage.’

She shook her head decisively. ‘You needn’t stay to help me, Ryder! You’ve done more than enough already.’

‘That’s your phone,’ he said, ignoring her.

She fished it from her bag to read the text message. ‘It’s from Dad. He can’t make it today. He’ll ring later. Oh, well,’ she said philosophically, ‘that gives me more time to organise repairs. In which case I needn’t take up any more of your time, Ryder. I’m sure you have loads of things you should be doing.’

‘None of them more important than making sure you’re safe on your own in that house,’ he said flatly.

Anna shot a glance at his obdurate profile. She remembered that look well enough to know it was useless to argue. ‘I’m really very grateful for your help,’ she said at last.

Ryder shrugged. ‘Hector asked me to look out for you.’

‘So that’s why you’re doing it! You’re afraid he’ll haunt you if you don’t.’

He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the ruts in the lane. ‘I’m doing it for your sake as well as his. When we were children you were like a little sister to me—or maybe another brother, because in those days I never really thought of you as a girl.’ Ryder shot her a sidelong glance. ‘In spite of what’s happened between us since, the connection’s still there, Anna. You need help. I can provide it. It’s as simple as that.’

CHAPTER FOUR

RYDER dropped Anna off at the cottage, then took off again to fetch something from the village. When he got back he walked straight past her with a television he set down on the vacant stand in the parlour.

‘Did you buy that for me?’ she demanded, bristling. ‘Tell me how much and I’ll pay.’

He frowned impatiently. ‘It’s not a diamond necklace, Anna—it’s not even new. Brian James does them up in his spare time. Look on it as a present.’

‘Then thank you. It’s very kind of you,’ she added belatedly. She really needed another television. ‘Who’s Brian James?’

‘His father runs the garage in the village. Brian’s a local builder, but he can turn his hand to practically anything. He should be on his way by now to view the damage, so keep a look out for him while I heave mattresses around.’

Anna spotted a white van at the gate as she was finishing up in the parlour. She switched off the vacuum cleaner and called up to Ryder. ‘I think your man’s here.’

Ryder ran downstairs to open the door. ‘Be gentle with him, Anna. He’s a bit shy.’

‘Thank you for coming at such short notice, Mr James,’ she said warmly as the young man reached them.

‘No problem,’ he said, flushing.

‘Good man,’ said Ryder, taking the box Brian gave him. ‘In my opinion Miss Morton needs an efficient alarm system, new locks on all the windows and the two outer doors and a replacement pane of glass in the smallest bedroom, plus a new window ledge and some plastering on the wall below it. Miss Morton will take you up to have a look while I set the television up, and then come down and give me your opinion.’

‘What’s in that box?’ asked Anna suspiciously, after she’d left Brian upstairs assessing the damage.

‘Something else you need.’ Ryder handed it over, then stretched out on the floor to deal with plugs and sockets at the back of the television.

She laughed as she took out a new kettle. ‘Now this I’m really grateful for!’

‘I thought you might be.’ Ryder got to his feet, switched on the television, scrolled through the programmes, then switched it off again and handed her the remote control. ‘All yours.’

‘Thanks a lot, Ryder.’ She eyed him warily. ‘Sorry I was so ungrateful just now. It would have been a bit quiet here tonight without a television.’

He shrugged. ‘My thoughts exactly. Make up for your ingratitude by putting the new kettle on for coffee.’

While he drank his coffee, Brian gave them a rough estimate for the work needed. Anna, secretly amazed that the figure was so reasonable, asked him how soon he could start and, after arranging to begin the following Monday, Brian took off in his van. Anna immediately set to work, aided, to her astonishment, by Ryder, no matter how much she protested that she could manage perfectly well on her own.

‘I was asked to keep an eye on you,’ he reminded her. ‘In my book that doesn’t mean allowing you to exhaust yourself to the point of getting ill again.’