She stared up at her brother’s face and added,
‘Oh, David, how could you have been killed when you should have been here? Somehow we would have managed to keep the house going and the estate, because we love it.’
She felt the tears come into her eyes as she went on,
‘Papa was right about Cousin Roland and Sheridan must be like him in every way, spoilt, selfish and detestable! I hate him. I hate him and nothing I can say to him will make any difference.’
Because she not only hated the Duke but felt that she herself had failed the family in not convincing him how much his inheritance mattered, the tears ran down her cheeks.
When she finally climbed into bed, she cried herself to sleep.
*
Nevertheless, although there were lines under her eyes that had not been there the day before, whe
