Page 4 of How Not to Marry a Duke

Fortunately, Adeline knew not to be fooled by a handsome face. Her half brother, Lord Foster, was attractive…and spiteful. Mr. Millstone seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

As for Edwin, he’d never accepted Adeline or her mother, who’d been an untitled daughter of an Arabic rug merchant. Not a day went by that he didn’t express disgust over her “mixed blood.” As she’d grown, Edwin’s prejudice had never changed, and he’d taken every chance to bully her and make her feel inferior.

Despite the lack of affection from her half brother, Adeline’s father, the old earl, had loved her mother and had doted on Adeline. Her mother’s death had devastated her father, and he’d passed less than five years after. Edwin had inherited the title and all the wealth that accompanied the estate. The former Earl of Foster hadn’t set up an allowance for Adeline. Rather, he’d left her the unentailed country cottage. Before Edwin got the satisfaction of tossing her out of their childhood home, she’d packed up the cart and left.

Her father had used the country dwelling as a hunting cottage when he’d wanted to escape the hectic pace of London. She’d accompanied him to Chilham several times as a child. Her memories were of a warm and colorful home with rustic furniture, a cheery fireplace, comfortable bed, and maintained grounds.

As such, she’d expected a well-kept and quaint cottage. Instead, she’d arrived in Chilham to find a dwelling that—even described in the most favorable terms by a seller—was in much need of repair. A future owner would see it for what it was: dilapidated. The roof leaked in spots and should be replaced, and almost all the rooms needed carpentry work on the creaky floorboards and the crown molding, as well as a fresh coat of paint. Rugs needed to be replaced where the roof had leaked, and even the furniture was in poor condition. Her father hadn’t visited in years, and the condition of the cottage had deteriorated. No wonder Edwin hadn’t complained when the solicitor had read her father’s will and bequeathed her the cottage without any funds for the repairs.

Still, she was determined to follow through with her plans of helping the country folk with their ailments. Adeline was a healer and she’d learned her mother’s Middle Eastern knowledge of herbs and medicinal techniques to help the sick and injured. Her experience extended to the hunting dogs, Remus and Romulus. Their owner, a country farmer, had planned to shoot the dogs. Adeline had convinced the farmer to let her treat the young hounds first. She could never refuse a person or animal in need of aid.

Her handsome neighbor be damned.

Adeline opened the cottage door and set the basket of carrots on the small table. She’d been pleased to find them in the garden. The previous hired gardener had planted vegetables and only the carrots had survived. The table wobbled from the small weight of the basket. She glanced underneath and sighed. One of the legs was definitely shorter than the others. She added it to the ever-growing list of repairs, just as the door burst open.

“Adeline!”

Adeline turned to smile at an older woman. “What took you so long, Hasmik?”

“I found the yarrow you were searching for.”

Adeline took the herbs from her. “Wonderful! I intend to use it to treat the shopkeeper’s wound.”

Half Egyptian and half Armenian, Hasmik had arrived with Adeline’s mother from Egypt and had served as Adeline’s nursemaid. She was now her companion and dear friend. Hasmik was knowledgeable in herbs and invaluable to Adeline. Thin with reddish hair that she dyed with henna—a natural dye her mother’s people often used—Hasmik had intelligent brown eyes and a wide smile. Hasmik was loyal and had often shielded Adeline from Edwin’s cruelty when her mother was not able to do so. But with her dark skin—much darker than Adeline’s olive complexion—Hasmik had known prejudice, and Edwin had treated her as one of the lowest servants.

“The shopkeeper won’t die, but he is making a fuss about a cut on his hand. He is like an overgrown child,” Hasmik said.

Adeline hoped to treat the shopkeeper in exchange for a new chair in her parlor. With limited funds—which included her remaining pin money—she planned to find other ways to repair the cottage.

“He’s not the only one to complain.” Adeline’s neighbor came to mind. Insufferable man.

Hasmik eyed her, then arched a brow. “Oh? What troubles you?”

Adeline blew out a breath. “What doesn’t? My plans to aid the villagers are in jeopardy. The cottage is in disrepair. The roof leaks. Every piece of furniture is broken. The yard is overgrown. And my neighbor is disgruntled.”

“Pardon?”

“The cottage is in—”

Hasmik held up a hand. “Not the cottage. What’s this about your neighbor?”

Adeline attempted to prop a hip on the table, then remembered the uneven leg. “Mr. Millstone may be handsome, but he’s just as difficult and arrogant as my half brother. Even more so.”

“How handsome?”

Adeline threw her hands in the air. “Hasmik! Did you not hear me? Mr. Millstone is rude. He arrived on my property and rudely accused me of disturbing his peace because of the dogs.”

She chuckled. “Perhaps there is some truth to his accusation. Those hunting dogs bark too much.”

“As I told him, it’s not the dogs’ fault. The farmer gave them chicken bones that upset their stomach. Romulus is doing better on his own. Thank goodness I was able to treat Remus’s vomiting and he has been drinking more and more water. Soon, we can begin feeding him boiled meat. His barking and howling has already lessened.”

“Good news indeed. But is the barking the only reason your neighbor is upset?”

Adeline bit her bottom lip. “At first. But then Henry charged him.”

Hasmik’s jaw dropped. “Your pig attacked a man?”

“I wouldn’t say attacked, per se, though Mr. Millstone believes differently. You know Henry is friendly. The pig reacted to Mr. Millstone’s harsh tone. Mr. Millstone pushed me behind him and attempted to stop Henry. And then we…fell.” More like she fell on top of him. Heat throbbed in her cheeks as she recalled their encounter. The press of her neighbor’s body against hers was hard to forget. Not a touch of fat softened his hard chest.