Page 6 of Down Bad with the Iron Duke

“How observant of you, Miss Dawson,” he murmured.

Her jaw went slack. Was that…Was he mocking her? Jesting?

He gestured to his right. “You can set up there. Then walk me through the damages and implications of the fire.”

She followed his hand—his very large hand—to a table prepared and waiting for her things, complete with quill and ink and fresh paper. Well, then. This was it. Her opportunity to prove she was worthy of this position.

“The fires were vast, and unfortunately, even in areas where the blaze was contained, this time of year leaves seedlings especially vulnerable,” she said as she settled her satchel on the tabletop and withdrew her ledgers and documents. “Fields prepared for planting were scorched and are now unsuitable for sowing. Thanks to the quick thinking of the tenants, we lost no livestock. But barns were destroyed, along with hay stores and grazing land.”

“Were there casualties?”

Her gaze flicked to His Grace. The question was unexpected. Especially the first one to be asked. Most peers would have concerned themselves first with financial damages.

Theo swallowed hard. “One.” Her chest tightened. “Mr. Yates. He was one of the men working to free the plow horses. He didn’t make it out before the barn collapsed.”

Her attention shot to the Duke’s balled fists, the leather of his gloves stretching tight.

“Family?”

She lifted her gaze back to his. “Wife and five children, Your Grace.”

“You have ensured they are taken care of?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

His eyes searched hers. Then he nodded. “Let’s get to the damages then.” He stepped up to the table on her left.

She drew an unsteady breath. Which was a mistake. Because he smelled like earth and wind and man. Oh, Lord. He smelled like everything she loved. She frowned. She did not love man. Very few were tolerable in her opinion. She was losing her wits. It was like he’d sucked up all the space, all the air, and her ability to use her faculties right with it. Theo didn’t feel small often in her life. Right now? She felt bloody insignificant. It didn’t help that the man’s mien was set in a permanent “I plan to dismember you” expression. With a daunting scar to boot.

She flattened out the map of the estate and explained where the fires had occurred and what specifically was affected. He listened intently—so much so that his attention was like a physical touch lingering over her skin. Only amplified by his silence. He gave an occasional grunt of acknowledgment, but that was all. Which had Theo chattering more to fill the prickling silence.

“The fires spread quickly. The weather had been dry leading up to it, which didn’t help. A blaze that size isn’t easy to put out even with an organized brigade. The entire village came together to put it out. It was quite incredible, really. You have some of the most hard-working and steadfast tenants.

“But we were fighting an uphill battle. Confronting an enemy armed with guns when all we had were knives. We were able to hold the fire back from the village proper and the majority of food stores, but there was little we could do for the fields until the rain came.”

“Implications?” he murmured.

“Immediate losses are estimated at five thousand pounds, including the destruction of stores, barns, carriages, ploughs, and other equipment. Then there is the harvest from three fields—lost for both spring and autumn planting. A reduced yield is expected for the next few years. The tenants working those plots will require additional support. We are looking at our typical income reduced by forty percent this year on top of losses and most likely down a third for the next three years.”

“Is that enough to maintain the castle? My other estates?”

Theo swallowed. No. “I’ll make sure it is, Your Grace.”

His unnerving gaze landed on her again. It took every fiber of her being not to shift. It was like he was seeing inside her.

He turned and walked out of the gazebo. “Show me the damages.”

She scrambled to shove her things back into her satchel. Once she had everything packed away, she threw the satchel over her shoulder and half-walked, half-jogged to catch up with the Duke. This was good. He’d heard her out. Wanted her to show him the damages.

But when she reached his side, huffing and red in the face, she couldn’t stop herself from blurting, “So, does this mean I’m not sacked?”

He side-eyed her, then looked straight ahead again. “Why would I sack my exceedingly capable steward of nearly a decade?”

Theo preened. Oh, that praise was lovely. But she kept her face impassive. “Because, as you so cleverly pointed out yesterday, I’m a woman. Many would not be pleased by that discovery. And would be looking to rectify it.” Bloody hell, Theo. Shut your gob. It was as though she was trying to convince him to sack her.

He said nothing for a few strides. Sweat trickled down Theo’s back—and now she was grateful she hadn’t brought her overcoat. Then he stopped abruptly, and Theo stumbled into him. He caught her, a hand coming to her hip. She froze. His touch. His steely-grey stare locked on hers. It burned a path through her veins like a line of gunpowder lit on fire.

“I can’t sleep with you if I sack you.”