The Rake Read Online Free Page A

difference,” Merry said hopefully. “I believe I’ve read of Mr. Davenport. Isn’t he some kind of sportsman? Perhaps he’ll live in London and collect the rents and never come down here.”
    â€œIt’s one thing for Lord Wargrave never to visit when Strickland is just one of a dozen estates. But if this is the only property Reginald Davenport has, he’s bound to come down here occasionally. For the holidays. House parties for friends. Hunting. He may decide to live here part of the year.” She came to a halt in front of the fireplace and stared at the flickering yellow flames. “There is a limit to how many ailing relatives I can invent to escape from him.”
    Merry frowned. “You do have a contract.”
    Alys shrugged as she lifted the poker from its brass stand. “A contract isn’t much better than the will to uphold it. Davenport could make my life so miserable that I won’t want to stay.”
    â€œIsn’t it possible that he might want to keep you on? You’ve done wonders with the property. Everyone says so.”
    â€œMuch of the hard work has been done.” Alys stabbed at the blameless hot coals with the poker. “Any reasonably competent steward could run it profitably now.”
    â€œMr. Davenport won’t find anyone more competent than you, or more honest, either!”
    â€œProbably not. But that doesn’t mean he won’t discharge me anyhow.” Alys had heard of Reginald Davenport, though most of the tales were not fit for Merry’s young ears. A rake was hardly likely to have advanced ideas of a woman’s abilities.
    It was so unfair! Feeling her hands curl into fists, she forced herself to relax.
    Still seeking a silver lining, Merry said, “If Mr. Davenport doesn’t want you, you can work for the earl elsewhere. Wargrave Park would be quite a plum.”
    â€œHow long do you think his lordship’s offer would stand after he learned that I’m a woman?” Alys said bitterly, her hands beginning to clench again.
    â€œPerhaps you could disguise yourself as a man,” Merry said with a twinkle. “You’re certainly tall enough.”
    Alys glared, momentarily tempted to box her ward’s ears before the girl’s humor penetrated her mood. With a wry smile she said, “How long do you think I could get away with a masquerade like that?”
    â€œWell ...” Merry said thoughtfully, “perhaps ninety seconds? If the light was bad.”
    Alys chuckled. “The light would have to be very bad indeed. Men and women simply aren’t shaped the same way. At least not after the age of twelve.”
    â€œTrue, and you have a very nice shape, no matter how hard you try to disguise it.”
    Alys snorted. Merry stoutly maintained that her guardian was attractive, a campaign that was more a tribute to her kind nature than her good judgment. Her comment now was intended as a distraction, but Alys refused the bait. “Even assuming that Lord Wargrave is radical enough to hire me, my supervision is needed at the pottery works. We can hardly move that to Gloucestershire. And it would be a pity to take the boys from the grammar school when they are both so happy there.”
    Even Merry’s golden curls drooped a bit before she replied, “I think you are making a great many bricks out of precious little straw. Mr. Davenport may not come down here for a long time, and when he does, he might be delighted to keep you on to spare himself the work. All we can do is wait and see.”
    Alys wished she could share the girl’s optimism. As she glanced at her ward, she remembered what was said about her new employer and his womanizing habits, and felt a stirring of apprehension. What rake could resist a delectable golden sylph like Meredith? The girl had good sense and morals, but she was still an innocent. No match for a cynical, amoral man of the world. It was another