She leaned on the brick parapet, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon, happily unaware of the height until she made the mistake of looking downwards. The paved terrace four storeys below seemed to swim up to meet her as she recoiled with a gasp of alarm.
Marcus took her in his arms and spun her round so that his body shielded her from the drop and she was held hard against him.
Antonia’s eyes were tight shut. She did not like heights of any kind and she had never been so high before with so little between her and the ground. Her heart was beating hard and her breath tight in her chest. Her mind told her she was quite safe, but it did not appear to have convinced her body of that.
‘You are not going to faint,’ Marcus informed her firmly.
With her ear pressed against his shirt front Antonia felt rather than heard the command. The breeze had cooled the linen, but through it she could feel the heat of his body. He smelled faintly of cologne, leather and something which was indefinably Marcus.
‘Are you certain?’ She had never fainted before, but the mixture of sensations she was now experiencing made her feel she might do so at any moment.
‘Quite certain,’ Marcus assured her. He set her firmly at his side, his body between her and the drop, his arm still protectively about her shoulders. ‘You see, you could not possibly fall. Come over here and sit down away from the edge. You cannot go in until I have explained the deficiencies of your rainwater system or Hunt will be quite unable to proceed.’
Antonia glanced up, wondering at his mood, and caught the glint of amusement in his dark eyes. ‘Do you truly understand these matters?’ she asked as he handed her to a low brick wall safely away from the edge.
‘But of course, and so should you. I trust you also understand about the correct dimensions to ensure a chimney draws properly and the desirable fall of drains away from the house.’
‘I find nothing desirable about drains under any circumstances,’ Antonia stated firmly, trying not to wish he would put his arm around her again.
As though answering the thought, Marcus sat down beside her and almost casually tucked her arm through his. The thought of protesting at the familiarity flickered through her mind, only to be dismissed. It was certainly most improper, but then, who was there to see it? And it was broad daylight. He had kissed her in the moonlight yet had taken no further liberty. This was safe enough for propriety, Antonia told herself, although it was wreaking havoc with her sensibilities.
‘Those are fine chimneys on the Dower House,’ Marcus remarked, pointing them out through the trees. ‘Have you decided what to do with it?'
‘The men have begun work on it this week, although there is little wrong with the structure. Donna and I will be quite comfortable there.’
‘Then you will be selling this?’ He half-turned to face her, evidently surprised. ‘You have changed your mind since I made you an offer for it?’
‘No. I have no intention of selling Rye End Hall, it is my family home. I am to lease it out. Do you not recall? You were most slighting about the suggestion. But I am grateful that, thanks to your intervention, I have the capital with which to do the work here. I assumed you knew why I wanted the money. I was quite clear about it, I believe.’
‘I had thought those just hot words thrown at my head.’ Marcus smiled at her. ‘We were, after all, somewhat intemperate in our discussion of the matter, and I must admit I did not take your scheme seriously.’
Antonia stared at him, puzzled. ‘But what did you believe I wanted the money for, if not to renovate the house in order to lease it?’
‘Why, to live in moderate comfort as befits your station.’
‘So you influenced the banker solely out of concern for my comfort? You must have wondered how I intended to repay the loan,’ she exclaimed in a rallying tone. But underneath she felt a sudden surge of hope that he may have acted to keep her in the neighbourhood because he had a partiality for her.
‘I would hope that I always act for the comfort of others,’ Marcus replied drily. 'But there is an overriding consideration beyond that.’
Antonia held her breath, waiting for him to finish the sentence.
‘It is of great concern to me, and our neighbours, that a fine estate such as Rye End Hall should not fall into rack and ruin. It leads to poverty, which in its turn brings about lawlessness and want.’
‘If your motives are so altruistic, Marcus, I am amazed you felt unable to air them the other day when I asked you directly why you had secured the money for me.’ Really. Just when she found she was liking the man – she could not bring herself to even think it might be anything more – he said something insufferable. ‘You will be pleased to hear that I am in hopes of securing a most respectable tenant for the house and the Home Farm,’ she added stiffly.
‘Ah, I thought I smelt a clerk this morning.’ Marcus seemed quite unaware of her discomfiture. Antonia sensed only his satisfaction at placing Mr Jeremy Blake.
‘Mr Blake is no clerk. He is a lawyer with the highest connections. I am most hopeful his principal, who is his uncle, will take the Hall.’
‘You are warn in your defence of, what is his name, Black?’
‘Blake. I found him a most amiable and intelligent person to do business with. And, of course,’ she added slyly, recovering her equilibrium, ‘such a gentleman. It would be a considerable asset to our social circle locally if he were to accompany his uncle here.’
‘I shall look forward to making his acquaintance,’ Marcus said politely. ‘But we stray from the point. You intend taking up residence at the Dower House?’
‘Certainly. Both Miss Donaldson and I expect to be most comfortable there. It is entirely the right size for two unattached ladies, the gardens can be made charming…’
‘So you intend to dwindle into respectable spinsterhood there, do you? No doubt you will be able to devote many fascinating hours to constructing a shell grotto in the grounds or perfecting your tatting.’