Chapter Six
Nell’s face stiffened. Responses leapt to her tongue: a cold and haughty I beg your pardon? A tart That’s none of your business. But Black didn’t strike her as a man who asked irrelevant questions.
The silence lengthened, and lengthened some more, and then Nell made herself reply in a tone that was neither cold nor tart, but merely neutral. “I didn’t have many choices, Mr. Black. As you noted earlier, my portion is exceedingly small. Only three men offered for me, and I judged Roger to be the best of them.”
“Three?” Black’s eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment he said, “Roundhay?”
Nell nodded.
“Old enough to be your father.”
Nell nodded again.
Black’s eyes narrowed further, but he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking through her. He seemed to be making a mental calcul
