Lord Cavendish Returns (7 page)

“
Who owned it when we lived here then?”

“
It was somebody down in London. Some sort of trust of some
kind. Father made it clear that the house had been placed in trust
for you, and was yours as soon as you came of age. It was supposed
to have become yours when you were five and twenty, but you went
into the army and nobody knew how to find you.”

Harper
always regretted not being at home when his father passed away, and
looked sadly at his brother.

Angus
seemed to read his brother’s thoughts and smiled in commiseration.
“He understood, you know. He was worried sick, but damned proud of
what you were doing.”

“
So the family lived here, rent free, because I owned the
house and would receive it when I was old enough.”

Angus
nodded.

“
Do you have the name of the trust, or the solicitor, who gave
you the information?” Harper knew what the paper Angus fetched out
of a box on the mantle would say. The small card that was handed to
him held the words; Harry Johnson, Solicitors of Law, London,
emblazoned across it. Harper dropped it onto the table as though it
had just burned his fingers and studied it with a deep sense of
foreboding.

“
The fact is, Harper, I have only stayed at the house to look
after it. We didn’t know how to get hold of you or if you would
ever be back. When father passed, we all received a sizeable
portion of his wealth. Because he hadn’t had to pay any rent or
purchase a house, he had amassed a small fortune from his pension,
and the money he received after his parent’s deaths. This money was
divided between all of us when he passed. Robert used his to
purchase the blacksmith business. Joseph purchased his farm, and I
set up my practice here. Unfortunately, most of my patients live in
Moldton, and they have to travel to come and see me. During the
winter, some of them cannot make it and I have to go to them. It is
extremely difficult to get to everybody I need to see and it is
becoming more and more evident that I need to live in Moldton. I
just didn’t want to see this place fall into wrack and ruin. Joseph
has to be at his farm because of the livestock, and Robert’s
customers call upon him at all hours of the day and night. My
practice could be set up anywhere, so I elected to stay here and
run my practice from here until we could find you and encourage you
to come home long enough to decide what to do with the
place.”

Harper
rubbed a weary hand down his face. While he was extremely pleased
that the house was going to remain his, he felt a sickening sense
of dread settle over him that he was not going to like the outcome
of his search through the parish records for his birth
details.

“
Something bothers you,” Angus declared gently. “What is
it?”

“
I think I know why the house has been left in trust to me,”
Harper sighed. There was something calm and approachable about
Angus. His eldest brother had always been the most thoughtful of
the four boys and Harper had always confided in Angus more than
Joseph and Robert. As a result, he had no hesitation taking him
into his confidence now.

In that
moment, Robert appeared in the doorway. When Robert had been
furnished with tea and cake, and Mrs Sanders dispatched to collect
some provisions from the store, Harper closed the kitchen door and
took a seat at the table.

“
Have you ever heard of the Cavendish brothers?”

“
Aren’t they some sort of aristocracy in Leicestershire
somewhere? They own huge estates; I think one has a sheep farm
around Cumbria way.”

“
That’s right. I don’t know too much about them myself either,
but I have recently had a visit from them.”

That was putting it mildly
, he
thought wryly, but didn’t see any point in raising their ire by
giving them details of his kidnap.

“
They claim that my mother is their mother, and wasn’t
Agnes.”

Robert
and Angus looked at each other and then turned back to
Harper.

“
That’s why the house was put into trust for you,” Angus
declared flatly.

Robert held a hand up. “Wait a minute, are you saying that
you are related to the
Cavendish
brothers?”

“
I would be their half-brother if I had the proof, yes.”
Harper sighed deeply and wished the tea was brandy. “I need to
check the parish records to see if my birth was registered there. I
hope to God that Agnes is listed as my birth mother.”

“
What will you do if there is no record of your birth here?”
Robert asked with a frown.

“
If not, then I need to go to London and pay a visit to the
solicitor and find out what happened.” He flipped the small card
over with his forefinger and watched the elaborate script disappear
from view. He hated even to even see the name, much less consider
the fact that the man might be his father.

“
You need to go and see Arrabella,” Robert announced with an
emphatic nod of his head. “Have you seen Joseph yet?”

“
No, I was headed that way next.”

“
Wait a minute,” Angus interrupted loudly. “What do you plan
to do with the house? I mean, it is yours after all. Now that you
are here, I need to move to my practice in Moldton.”

“
Do you have a practice there already?”

“
I do, but I haven’t been living there. I have had to live
here so that I can look after this place. Now that you are here, I
am off to Moldton. The house is yours.” One long finger suddenly
appeared under Harper nose and made his brows lift in surprise.
“However, I would warn you that if you intend to sell, Robert or I
want first refusal on it.”

“
I am not going to sell it,” Harper replied quietly. He adored
the house. It was the only place he had ever really felt he could
call home and, he was rather pleased to admit, it still felt like
home. “It’s mine and I am going to keep it.”

“
Thank God for that,” Robert growled with relief.

“
Can we take it that you are looking to return here to
live?”

“
I am not sure. I have my work in the War Office, as you know.
I just don’t know if it is feasible to do the work I normally do
while living here.”

“
I take it that you won’t be staying with me now?” Robert
asked wryly. He didn’t mind in the least, and fervently hoped that
if Harper was able to make himself comfortable in the old family
home. At least Angus had managed to speak to Harper sooner rather
than later, and was on hand to push Harper to take over the
property now that it was his.

“
Sorry I didn’t tell you about this place earlier,” Robert
sighed. “I just didn’t know what to say. It was such a darned
surprise to see you standing in my workshop that I just couldn’t
think of anything other than making you feel at home.”

“
It’s alright Robert. I understand.” He did. God knows, they
had all contacted him over the last few years, on numerous
occasions, to ask him to return, even for a brief stay. Now that he
was here, there was little chance that he was just going to ride
away in the next couple of days and vanish for several more
years.

“
I am off to sort out my house at Moldton,” Angus declared
firmly and dropped a bunch of keys on the kitchen table in front of
Harper.

“
What do you need in the way of furniture?”

“
It’s all sorted out. The practice in Moldton is all ready to
go. Unless you need me here, I will set about moving the rest of my
things over there when I head over to my afternoon
consultations.”

“
I feel as though I am throwing you out,” Harper grumped and
studied the ironwork on the table.

“
Rubbish. I am overjoyed you are back and will pop by for a
chat once you are settled. I am just glad to be able to get my own
life sorted out now,” Angus argued.

Harper
lifted his brows and watched Angus hurry through the house. The
steady thumps of Angus’ feet on the stairs left Robert and Harper
still seated at the table in quiet contemplation.

“
What do you plan to do now?” Robert really hoped that Harper
was going to stay now, but seriously doubted that they were going
to be that lucky. He seemed an entirely different man to the one
who had left; a stranger almost, and Robert wasn’t quite sure what
to make of the changes.

“
I will stay here for a while and see if I can find the
paperwork that I need. If Agnes is not my mother, then I need to
find out who the hell is and decide what I am going to do about
it.” It didn’t feel right to mention the estate and entailment that
awaited him. He was by far the very last person who wanted or
needed them, and had no intention whatsoever of ever using them so,
right now, they were of little consequence.

“
There is a fortune awaiting you in the bank in Skipton. Go by
there when you have a moment, there are some things you need to
sign.”

Harper
nodded. He couldn’t say much because he was not sure what he should
be feeling. “Right now, I think that the first port of call has to
be the vicarage. I really need to get that information so I can
decide what to do.” He looked Robert straight in the eye. “About a
lot of things.”

“
Well, if you need me for anything you know where I am,”
Robert announced as he stood up and pushed his chair under the
table.

“
Does Joseph know?”

“
About the house? Yes, he was there when father told us. About
you being back? Not yet.”

“
I will go and see him next.”

Robert
held his hands up and shook his head. “He now owns old man Giles’
farm up on the far side of Waddle.”

“
I remember it,” Harper sighed.

Robert
nodded and waited until Angus was on his way to Moldton before he
took his leave and hurried back to his own business. He had no idea
what the future held in store for any of them. If he was honest, he
was far more shaken than he wanted to acknowledge upon hearing the
news that Harper may not be his brother after all, and didn’t quite
know what to say to the man.

CHAPTER
THREE

Arrabella opened the gate carefully and studied the broad
shoulders of the man who was trying to enter the church. She was
fairly certain that he was not from around these parts because she
most definitely would have remembered him. Even from behind, he had
a certain presence about him; an untamed wildness that made her
want to keep her distance.

Don’t be a goose
, she mentally
chided herself.
He is trying to go into
the church, not break out of prison, get a hold of
yourself
.

“
Can I help you?” She winced at the timidity of her voice and
straightened her spine before he turned to face her.

Harper
turned toward the soft voice and felt something in his chest lurch
alarmingly at the sight of her. She was stunning; simply stunning.
By far the prettiest woman he had ever seen in his life. Her
beautiful blue eyes studied him thoughtfully and, had it not been
for the basket of flowers she held tightly in her fingers, he would
have thought she was an angel sent from heaven. From the distance
of the narrow church path, it was difficult to see how old she was
but he placed her roughly around four and twenty. Immediately, he
set to wonder if she was married but then discounted his curiosity
as ridiculous. Of course she was married; women like the vision
before him were usually snapped up as soon as they came of age. He
visibly jerked when he realised he was staring at her.

“
I am looking for Arrabella,” he declared softly, and
fervently hoped it was her. His wish was granted when she
nodded.

“
I am Arrabella. How can I help you?” Arrabella felt somewhat
at a loss to know what to think as she watched him walk toward her.
She was strangely disconcerted to have to tip her head backward to
look up at him; he was so tall, and so powerful that instinctively
wanted to take a step away from him. Although he had been cordial
and polite when he had spoken to her, she was fairly confident that
her initial impression had been correct; he was dangerous. There
was a stern air of command about him that made her feel almost
pinned to the spot by those wonderful green eyes of his, and
vaguely threatened by the sheer magnetism of him.

Still,
she was no timid country miss and refused to be cowed by a handsome
stranger. If only she could ignore the faint flutter of awareness
that jumbled her thoughts, she would hopefully get through the next
few minutes without looking like a tongue-tied idiot.

Harper
coughed to clear the obstruction in his throat and tried to
remember why the hell he was standing outside a church. He usually
only ever went near one to attend a funeral.

“
Sorry,” he muttered and gave himself a mental shake as he
stopped in front of her. “Daydreaming.”

Yes, about her, now get control of yourself you dunderhead or
she will think you are a total idiot,
Harper silently chided himself.

“
I understand from Robert and Angus Lawton that you are the
person who could help me in my quest,” Harper murmured quietly. For
some reason, he felt as though he had to be gentle around this
woman so that he didn’t scare her off. It was suddenly very
important that he not do anything to cause her alarm and make her
run away, and he was fairly certain that it had nothing to do with
his need for her help in locating the parish records he
needed.