Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Louisa’s mouth drop open. He fixed his gaze on the carriage interior behind her. His heart pounded hard in his chest, but he could not bring himself to look at the approach to the house.

His house.

It had been a long, long time, but it would be the same. The long road lined with old oak trees, the thick columns, the tall sash windows, the generous stables to the side that had been built out of the same stone as the house when his father expanded the building to fit in a new ballroom and drawing rooms.

Nothing had changed and nothing would change. Once everything was settled, he would return to what he did best—skirting on the edge of the law and using his brawn for whatever was needed.

“It’s beautiful, Knight,” Louisa breathed.

He could not help himself. He leaned to peer out of the window to watch the approach. Just as he’d thought, it was all the same with the exception of a new fountain in front of the house, which had likely cost a sizeable fortune. It was not running today and apparently no one had noticed his approach as there were no servants waiting to greet him. Not that he anticipated anyone cared much, but he knew his father always expected as much from the staff.

“I will deal with this business as quickly as possible. Most of it can be managed by letter, but I will need to speak with my father’s lawyer. Then we can return home and ensure Ralph is sent on his way.”

She nodded but kept her gaze on the house. “If this were mine...Gosh, I do not know how I would part with it.”

Knight twisted his lips. “With ease. You would take one look at the cost of maintaining it and flee.”

She chuckled. “I suppose the staff wages alone are outrageous.”

“Indeed.” And no wonder there was no one waiting to greet him. They likely knew they would all be out of a job before long unless the new tenants decided to keep them on. He would have to do his best to secure the jobs that he could.

A heavy weight sat in his stomach as the carriage eased to a halt in front of the house. The façade loomed over him, austere and commanding, much like his father had been. Knight’s size had been the one thing he’d had in common with his father, and his father used it to full advantage, frequently threatening anyone who dare dissatisfy him—including Knight. Finally reaching the same height as his father had been gratifying, but it had taken some time for him to finally stand up to the man.

As Knight opened the door, a man stepped out of the house and remained waiting on the plinth in front of the house. Knight ducked out of the vehicle and aided Louisa down before viewing the servants.

Posture stiff, his gaze unflinching, the butler eyed them both while they approached the house. Knight took in a long breath. The last time he’d seen Hayward, had been when he’d left for good. It was hard to believe the man was still alive. Roger Hayward served his father from before Knight had been born and was loyal to a fault, despite his father’s flaws.

“My lord, we were not sure whether to expect you.” Hayward’s expression betrayed no emotion as his gaze flicked coldly over them both, but Knight doubted he was thrilled at his arrival.  “There is little ready for your arrival.”

Knight nodded. “I will not stay long. Once everything is settled, I shall be leaving.”

Hayward gave a curt nod. “As you will, my lord.”

“Send word to my father’s lawyer if you will. I would meet with him tomorrow to begin settling matters.” He offered an arm to Louisa to lead her into the house. She took it, but the look of awe had yet to fade from her expression. “Have one of the guest rooms made ready. Mrs. Carter will need a bath poured. “

“Of course, my lord.”

“Is the household able to serve dinner?” Knight questioned.

Hayward’s expression faltered a jot. Just enough for Knight to see a hint of annoyance behind the indifference.

“Yes, my lord. We have lost some staff since your father’s death but we are quite capable of looking after you and your...friend.” Hayward’s lips tightened.

“Good.” Knight led Louisa into the hallway.

Patterned tiles made their footsteps echo in the vast space. Two marble columns led the gaze up toward a ceiling painted with cherubs and various Greek gods. The room had been redecorated since the last time he set foot in it, and for that he was somewhat grateful. By the looks of it, the majority of his childhood memories had been rebuilt or papered over. It would make this whole thing much easier.

Knight released Louisa long enough to remove his hat and shrug out of his jacket before aiding her with hers and handing them off to Hayward. With an infinitesimal bow, the man left them in the empty hallway. Louisa craned her neck to peer at the ceilings.

“Goodness me,” she breathed.

“It did not look like this when I lived here.”

She eyed him. “You can be quite commanding when you wish to be. Have one of the guest rooms made ready,” she mimicked.

Knight grunted. None of this felt natural, and he regretted Louisa having to witness it all. However, he could not help but be grateful for her company. Handling Hayward and whatever else he’d face seemed easier with her at his side.

She paced across the room, her boots echoing in the vast space to study the large painting that hung in the entranceway. He avoided looking at it. That was the one thing that had not changed. As soon as his father had inherited the house, the painting had been commissioned and hung there forever, ensuring all who entered knew that this was the territory of Viscount Marsden.

“He looks like you.”

“Without the scars.” Knight glanced only once at the painting.

It was true. In his youth, his father had looked almost exactly the same as Knight. What a disappointment it must have been to his father to realize looks were the only thing they shared. His father’s selfishness and callousness had failed to pass onto Knight and that frustrated the man to no end.

“Where is everyone?” She came back to his side.

“I imagine some will have left once my father passed. Their future is uncertain so they would have applied for new jobs.”

Louisa grimaced. “I know how they feel.”

“We will secure your future, Louisa. Once we have returned, Hugh will pay for his deception.” He shook his head. “You should have returned with Abigail and you could have resolved the matter more quickly.”

“Is my company so terrible?” Her lips curved, but Knight heard the inkling of doubt there.

Not that he knew how to respond. Her company was far from terrible. Torturous, yes. Tempting, indeed. Never terrible, however.

Hayward saved him from responding when he slipped into the room from the door at the rear that was embedded into the wall so as to hide the servant’s entrance.

“Your rooms are ready, my lord.” The butler did not wait for a response and turned on his heel toward the door at the side of the room.

Knight took Louisa’s hand unthinkingly. Her fingers curled around his, a perfect fit. He should have released her then and there but could not bring himself to. So he led her after Hayward until they caught up with him on the grand carved staircase. Once they had worked their way through the long corridor that sliced through the center part of the house into the wings, Hayward stopped and opened a door. “This is the guest room.”

Knight ushered Louisa in. Though the air was a little stale, the room was clean and prepared with an empty bath. Knight knew little of fashion, but he had no doubt the oriental fabric on the walls and the overbearing black and gold furnishings were of the latest fashion—designed to impress whoever his father was hosting.

“Your father’s room has been made ready too, my lord.”

Knight tensed. He knew it was to be expected that he sleep in the master bedroom, but he’d be damned if he’d sleep in the bed his father once had.

“Is there another room that can be used?” Knight asked.

Hayward’s brow raised slightly. “If it pleases you, my lord.”

“It would.” Knight watched Louisa take in the room, running her finger along the tassels that hung from the turquoise bedding. “Will you be well for a while? I’ll have your belongings sent up in just a moment.”

She nodded. “Do what you need to do, Knight.”

What he needed to do was get out of here and never set eyes on it again. His father’s presence could be felt everywhere. For many children, such a house would have been magical, but Knight had never felt anything other than suffocated by it. First by the weight of expectation, then by his father and his demands.

Aware of Hayward watching the interaction, Knight turned to the butler, whose expression remained impenetrable. Hayward showed Knight to a room overlooking an ornamental garden that was sunken into the ground. Knight eyed it with a raised brow. Apparently, his father had spent significant money on the grounds since he’d left. The room was a smaller guest room but the bed was decent in size and would do him just fine.

“Will there be anything else, my lord?”

A moment passed, a slight flicker of disdain curving the butler’s lips before he crushed it. Knight shoved a hand through his hair. This conversation needed to happen at some point.

Knight faced the butler. “You are aware, Hayward, that I have only returned to settle the debts and get this done.” The butler flinched at the word debts. “There are arrears, are there not?”

“I would not know, my lord. You would be better off speaking with the estate manager.”

The words sounded practiced. Knight fixed him with an unyielding stare.  “Is there still an estate manager in place?”

“Well—” Hayward hesitated and looked away. “Mr. Grimes left but a few weeks ago. I am certain he would be willing to discuss matters with you, my lord.”

“Hayward, you always knew everything when I was growing up. I doubt that has changed. Tell me...is the estate in debt?”

He gave a curt nod.

“And the debts are great?”

He nodded again, but barely.

Knight rubbed a hand across his jaw. “I expected as much. The house will need to be rented out, any land sold, and I’ll see what paintings and furnishings can be sold on.”

“Surely there is some other way, my lord.”

“I know my father well enough to know that the debts will be great—greater than anything I can pay off.” Knight shook his head. “The house must be let.”

“But—”

“Without any inherited funds, it’s not possible, Hayward.”

The butler’s hard expression splintered. “I have worked here all my life, my lord. There are many staff. Many tenant farmers. They all need this estate to continue.”

“They need this estate to thrive. My father should have thought of that before he disinherited me, but alas, he did not,” Knight bit out.

“If you had but stayed,” Hayward muttered.

Knight clenched his jaw. “How could I have stayed? My father wanted me gone. He wanted me penniless.”

Hayward lifted his chin. “The young man I knew would have fought for the estate, fought to ensure his father accepted him back.” He sighed. “I heard the argument, my lord. I know what happened between you, and I know how he treated you.”

“Yes, yes, a butler hears all. I bloody well know that.” Knight waved a dismissive hand.

“But you were a fine young man with none of your father’s frivolousness. You could have stayed and ensured the estate was not torn apart thus.”

Knight drew in a long, slow breath. Heat tore through his veins, and he clenched his jaw. He took another breath in a bid to compose himself. He remembered the same heat, the same feeling of unrestraint the night he’d argued with his father and left for good. For once, Knight had been unwilling to take a beating from him, and he was done with excusing his father’s spending.

“I’m going to take a walk, I think. Inspect the estate before dinner.” Knight did not wait for a response from Hayward. The damned man might have known him all his life and even been considered a friend at some point, but he had no right to question Knight’s decisions.

He stormed downstairs and headed out of the door to the rear garden. A vast lawn led out toward another fountain. Closing his eyes briefly, he took the steps down toward the large water feature. He kept going past it until he was far from the house and turned back to eye it.

Damn Hayward. Did he not think Knight had questioned his decision over and over? If he’d stayed, what would have happened? Could he have persuaded his father to change his mind? To change his ways? Could Knight have avoided joining the Army and...and causing irreparable harm to many.

He sank onto the sloped lawns and studied the house as dusk loomed over it. Amber light glowed from one of the rooms—Louisa’s room. Hopefully the servants had poured her a bath by now and she was enjoying a soak. God knows, she deserved a little respite after all she’d been through and their long journey.

A smile tugged his lip up at one corner, entirely out of his control. What a woman she was. So damned determined to protect what was hers while he was resolved to rid himself of this place. Every corner of it was haunted with memories though, and few were good. He doubted Louisa could understand that.

Though he had this unpleasant feeling that she understood him far more than she ought to. He rubbed a hand where the aching throb started up in his chest again and frowned to himself. He’d lusted after Louisa for a long time. He was used to that feeling of distraction when she was around, but this...this was new, and he had little idea what to do about it. She might care for him now, but she didn’t know him truly. Not really. She didn’t know all he’d done. What sort of man he really was.

All he knew was that she deserved better.