Page 76 of Down Bad with the Iron Duke

“Looking forward to it, Miss Dawson.”

And he was. He looked forward to every moment with her.

He rode off toward the castle.

That thought should probably concern him more than it did.

28

Theo

Theo finished tallying up the funds they’d secured from quarry leases. When she’d met with the surveyors a few days ago, they’d confirmed the limestone deposits were workable and of extremely high quality. The offers from buyers had flooded in after that. There were two sites they’d been able to sell to interested buyers. Combined with the timber proceeds, they’d recovered just over 2,000 pounds.

“Your father would be proud.”

Theo glanced up at Perry, who was standing at her side at her desk. Her lips tilted up. “Thank you, Perry.”

“It amazes me how much of him I see in you. You both had this odd obsession with estate business. His face would light up when discussing his latest idea.” A sad sigh slipped from her clerk. “Him and his ideas.”

She chuckled even as her heart clenched. Papa loved nothing more than finding ways to improve the estate. Most of those ideas never came to fruition, but his mind never stopped. He’d sort through each one and determine if it was worth pursuing.

“You’re the same way. You practically vibrate when you get an idea. The challenge the fire presented you—it lit that light in you.”

She stroked the feathers of her quill softly. Sometimes when she was working through a problem, she could almost feel her father’s presence, hovering by her shoulder. A sentinel of support. She missed him dreadfully. Her gaze dropped to the ledgers spread out in front of her. All of this—it was her father. It was her connection to him.

“I do like having something to solve,” she murmured, stifling the melancholy that’d just swept over her. “Though I’d prefer it not be a result of something quite so dreadful.”

“His Grace seems quite impressed.”

A frown pulled at her brow. “I’m very fortunate he has allowed me to stay on. I don’t think either of us was certain that would be the case based on our first meeting with him.”

Perry rested against her desk. “I can’t deny I’m shocked. But he is different from when he first arrived. Still mysterious. There’s a wariness about him when he walks the halls. But…he’s different with you.”

Theo steeled her expression and glanced up at her clerk. “I believe he trusts me. I have given him no reason to think otherwise.”

“Perhaps. But I’ll step out of my place just this once. He doesn’t look at you like he would look at his steward, Theodora. I am not blind. You know the opinion your father held of the Dukes of Ironcrest.”

“I am aware,” she said slowly. “His Grace is not like his ancestors, Perry. You must see that.”

“I do. But we don’t truly know him.”

She chewed on her cheek. Did she? Did it matter?

“You know I love a juicy tidbit of gossip as much as the next person, but I don’t want that gossip to be about you.”

Her lungs froze. “Are you saying there is gossip around me and the Duke?”

He watched her closely, and she forced herself to remain still under his examination. “No. But I see the way he looks at you when he joins you here in your office.” He paused, then lowered his voice. “I see the way you look at him.”

Her gaze skittered away. She was sure she didn’t look at the Duke any special way.

“Be careful, Theodora.”

“There’s nothing to be careful over, Perry.”

He hummed.

She wasn’t so certain she believed herself either.