21
Ashton glared at Charles over his glass of wine. His friend c****d a brow in silent question, which Ashton only answered with a dark scowl.
Regina cleared her throat, attempting to dispel the growing tension in the dining room. “The tenant farmhouses start construction in a few days, I hear.”
Ashton set his wine down. “Yes, Higgins and Maple will be relieved. I’ve employed nearly every able-bodied man in the local villages to aid in the construction.”
Joanna was in animated discussion with Jonathan. Rosalind was picking at her food while Rafe stared into the distance, quiet and a bit pale. Ashton worried that the bullet wound might be giving Rafe trouble. That was something he’d have to see to later tonight, after he’d boxed Charles’s ears for being so free with his opinions.
“Well
