“I beg your pardon? Again?” She heard the words. Understood them. But she couldn’t make sense of them.

He ran his hand through his hair. “I was married once. It was a marriage of convenience more than anything else. I know I’ve told you I’ve been on a ship. Well, I spent so much time sailing because I have holdings in Barbados. During one of my trips down to check on them, my wife caught a disease of the lungs and died. Here in England. Alone.”

Her heart squeezed in her chest. Why did that mean he wouldn’t marry again? If he hadn’t loved her, why was he so adamant on not taking another wife? How long ago was this? How often did he travel to Barbados? She cleared her throat. None of this should matter. He had a life waiting for him in Barbados, and she was to enjoy the new life that Violette’s marriage would provide for her. New possibilities, including a husband of her own. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t deserve it. I shouldn’t have left her alone for months on end.” He scrubbed his scalp with both of his hands. “I told you I was a rake yesterday to warn you away from me. I’ve no intention of doing anything that would compromise you. I simply wanted you to understand the sort I was. I see that you do, but know that your virtue is safe with me.”

Daffodil didn’t have a clue what to say to that other than to prove he was lying. She didn’t believe for a moment her virtue was safe. He’d told her that story as a ploy to gain her trust. “Why did you scale the garden wall last night?”

“You are curious about my reasons. I knew it. I don’t know why you keep denying it.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“We’ve been over this. I am interested in proving what you just said was complete hogwash.” Her hands come to her hips. “I am very sorry for you loss, I really am. And I appreciate that your friend, my future brother-in-law, sent you here because he trusted you. But I, my lord, do not. You were not scaling a wall to my bedroom to put out a fire.”

He cocked his head to one side. “You’re awfully smart for someone who can’t cook.”

She stomped her foot. “Is that the secret to being a rogue? Never admit when you are acting roguishly?”

His mouth opened, then he shut it, then he opened it again. Then he slowly shook his head.

Her fists, which were resting on her hip, tightened. She was getting nowhere. Turning on her heel, she began stomping out of the kitchen. Might as well check on the doctor. The longer she stayed, the more she worried she’d forget her position and allow him to convince her he wasn’t a rogue even as he attempted to hold her in his arms.

“Petal,” he called. “Come back. I bought hens so that I might show you how to cook them.”

Drat. She stopped, considering for a moment. She should never have requested he teach her to cook. It was a terrible idea to spend time with him. Her sister was marrying a duke, she wouldn’t need to know how. Then again, what if she had to ask Rex to leave? As rakish as he was, needing to remove him from the house was a distinct possibility. She had no money and no means to send her sister a message. They could be on their own again for some amount of time. “You shouldn’t call me Petal, for Pete’s sake. That is a name for family.”

“We’re practically family. Your sister is marrying my best friend.” He opened the stove as he spoke.

“Where is my brother? He needs to chaperone this little lesson. The doctor can not come back and find us together. It’s bad enough he left us alone in the kitchen.”

“Excellent point. I will find him. You stay here. Lesson one is to put one piece of wood on the fire and let it burn to coals. Too much wood and your fire will be too hot.”

She turned then. “So that’s what I was doing wrong.” But he was already disappearing through the other kitchen door. The man was insufferable.

Petal was delightful. Truly. He would help Theo make a match for her, she deserved a man of intelligence and grace who would appreciate her sense of humor.

The thought, however, of another man feeling those supple curves made his insides twist into angry knots. How many men would truly appreciate her intelligence and wit and not just her beauty?

Clearly a man had tried to take advantage of her already. That was one situation he was determined to discover more about.

He found Jacob in the stable, brushing down the one remaining horse. “Hello there,” he called to the lad.

“Hello.” Jacob waved.

“What are you about?” he asked as he approached the horse. More of a pony really, good for pulling a small Primer through the park but not much else.

“Without staff, I’ve taken on caring for our horse, tending to the gardens and the outside of the house.” Jacob gave him a grin. “I quite like it.”

He clapped Jacob on the back. “Every man works on a ship. I think it’s a marker for true men. They don’t sit idly, they mold the world with their hands.” The more time Rex spent with both siblings, the more he liked and admired them.

Jacob gave him a grin, looking pleased with the compliment. “Did you need something?”

“I did. I’d like to give Petal a cooking lesson but we need a chaperone.”

Jacob’s brow furrowed. “Of course. How long do you think we’ll be? I’ve much to do and…” The boy trailed off.

“I’ll make a deal with you.” Rex picked up a brush and began working on the other side of the horse. “Tomorrow, I’ll help you with your chores if you can help me today.”

Jacob nodded. “That would be great. I’ve hay to throw and it’s a much faster job with two.”

“Throwing hay? I’ve been had by a teenager.” Truth be told, he didn’t mind the work and he liked the company. Jacob was a good boy. What was more, there was an easiness to being with both siblings that he hadn’t experienced in ages. He didn’t have any brothers or sisters of his own and his family had been cold to say the least. The only other place he’d ever felt this sort of camaraderie was on a ship as a member of the crew.

“We can do something else if you’re not up for such hard work.” Jacob gave him a sly look. The boy was ribbing him.

He chortled. “Don’t even think it, boy. I’ll throw more than you with one hand tied behind my back.”

“Is that a bet?” Jacob tossed his brush to the side and started pulling the pony into a stall.

“You know it isn’t.” Rex liked Jacob and he respected what a hardworking lad he was but in this moment he admired the man Jacob was going to be. Tough, industrious, and kind.

Jacob locked the gate behind the pony and headed to the water pump. “Fine, I’ll beat you using both your hands. Winner gets to pick the best piece of meat at dinner.”

“You’re on.” He watched as Jacob easily carried a bucket of water to the pony’s stall and hung it on a hook.

“Thinking about it makes me hungry. Let’s go teach Petal to cook.” The corner of Jacob’s mouth pulled up, though he tried several times to make it stay down. “Besides, if I watch and listen I’ll be able to cook if Petal fails her lesson.”

Rex had seen Petal’s cooking. It was a distinct possibility.

But he didn’t say that out loud as they made their way back to the kitchen. Jacob went through first and Rex followed.

Dr. Mayweather stood next to Petal, his arm at her back. A ripple of jealousy washed down Rex’s body near stealing his breath. “Try not to worry. She’s old and frailness is to be expected.”

“How long until she’ll be up and out of bed?” Petal’s gaze darted to his.

“Could be weeks. Could be days. It isn’t broken but at her age her body won’t heal quickly.”

Bloody hell, they didn’t have weeks. He didn’t have weeks. The wedding wasn’t scheduled for another month but it was expected that he’d return almost immediately. The best he could do was send a note to Theo but he knew his friend would not be happy. Even he didn’t trust Rex with a marriageable lady for long.

“We’re going to need another plan.” Rex grumbled, eyeing the doctor who was still patting Petal’s back. He was an older gentleman, portly and bald, but it mattered little. He was touching Rex’s flower. He gave his head a subtle shake. Petal wasn’t his and it was best he not think that way.

“Plan?” Dr. Mayweather asked.

“Lord Casterly is to escort us to our sister’s wedding but we need a proper chaperone.” Petal rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. He’d like to help her with the task. Feel her warm soft skin. Allow her head to fall back in his hand, her silky tresses brushing against his arm.

“Jacob will chaperone.” Dr. Mayweather continued patting as he spoke. It was near obscene. It took near all his concentration not to trip the man’s hand away from her body.

Petal shook her head. “Who will stay with Mrs. Fields?”

The doctor looked at Rex then. Rex gave him a fierce glare and then directed his gaze toward the doctor’s arm. The other man’s eyes widened as he dropped the limb.

With the man’s arm back at his side, Rex addressed the doctor. “Do you know of someone reliable who could complete the task?”

“I do,” Dr. Mayweather nodded. “But I do not believe she finishes her current post until the week’s end. Five days from now? Would that be soon enough? If not, I can make inquiries for another woman, I’m sure.”

“That would be fine,” Rex answered. “We’ll need a caretaker for the outside of the house as well and a housekeeper.”

Petal gave a tiny squeak. He looked over to see her wide eyes giving him an unflinching glare. He winked back which caused her cheeks to flush with heat. “This is all done in His Grace’s name, of course.”

“Of course,” the doctor gave him a single nod of affirmation and held out his hand. It was not meant for a handshake but payment for his services.

“Thank you for your help, Dr. Mayweather.” Rex handed him a large bag of coins.

“Much obliged,” the other man responded, then, donning his hat, he headed for the door. “Lady Daffodil, will you be available to start conducting interviews for the position on Wednesday?”

“Of course,” she answered. “With any luck we’ll have the staff in place by Friday.”

“Excellent,” Rex answered, but regret made his jaw clench. He liked being with Petal and her brother. It was almost like having a family of his own, which he hadn’t had in a very long time, maybe ever. His relationship with his parents had not been one of fuzzy feelings. It had been nearer to staunch responsibility. “If all goes to plan, we’ll leave on Saturday.”