“Oh.”

Louisa turned to find a maid in the doorway to the bedroom. A hand to her chest, Louisa twisted away from the window where she’d been watching Knight pace back and forth. He likely did not realize she had watched him doing the same thing last night too.

“Forgive me, ma’am. I thought you would still be abed.” The maid stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

Louisa frowned at the gown slung over the maid’s arm. “I’m used to waking early.” And in such a luxurious bed, she had slept solidly, despite worrying about Knight. Since entering the house, he’d adopted a constant look of strain. He’d been quieter than usual during dinner—if that was possible—but he would tell her little.

“The lord sent up a gown. He thought you might like it.” She laid the dress over the bed.

Pale green and sumptuous, the gown was unlike anything Louisa had ever worn. It looked to be about her size, if a little tight around the bust. She reached out to stroke the silken fabric then drew her hand back, almost fearful it might scold her if she touched such a thing.

“Whose is this?”

“Lady Julianna’s,” the petite maid explained. “She left much behind when she...well...” The maid sighed. “The lord mentioned you know her.”

“I do.”

A smile curved the girl’s lips. “Is she well? We heard that her...um...fiancé did not treat her well and that he was punished for his crimes.”

“He was indeed. And yes, she is very well. Married now to an excellent man.” Louisa could not help but grin.

“I’m so glad.” The girl clapped her hands together. “Now, what would you like to do with your hair?”

“Uh...” Louisa lifted her palms.

“Shall I decide for you?”

Louisa nodded gratefully. She usually did whatever was practical. Running an inn rarely called for something glamorous. She sat while the maid—Flora—did her hair then was helped into the dress. Fingering the silk, Louisa eyed her reflection and almost did not recognize herself. Flora cinched it tight, emphasizing Louisa’s generous bust.

“I think if you do it any tighter, I shall explode out of it.”

Flora laughed. “It is meant to be tight, ma’am. But you are a little more endowed than Lady Julianna.”

“Let us leave it as it is now. I fear I will not be able to breathe otherwise.” Twisting, she glanced at herself in the mirror once more. Flora had toyed and tugged and pinned until her hair was an elegant posy of curls. She had to admit, she felt more beautiful than she had ever felt in her life, and it was hard to believe Knight had taken the time to ensure she had a beautiful gown that would help her fit in better with her surroundings.

“You are a miracle worker, Flora.”

The maid blushed. “You have lovely thick hair, ma’am. It is easy to work with.” She gathered up the spare hair pins and paused. “Ma’am, do you know what the viscount intends to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“With the house. Mr. Hayward said he intends to let it out.”

Louisa winced. With all that happened with Hugh, there had been little time to discuss what Knight intended. Or she supposed, they’d had time, but Knight had been unwilling.

“I believe he does.”

Flora nodded sadly. “I should have tried to find work sooner. I just hoped that he might...” She let her shoulders drop. “Mr. Hayward said that the lord was a good man and he hoped he might wish to take the estate on.”

“I think the debts are too great, Flora. But I am certain he shall try to look after you all and ensure your employment.”

“I hope so. I have three little brothers at home and they seem to eat everything!” Flora motioned to the pull rope by the bedside. “If you need anything else, just pull on that.”

“Thank you, Flora.”

Louisa took another minute to admire herself. She would not get used to wearing such finery, but she could not deny it was pleasant pretending to be a fine lady—even if just for a short while. Especially when she considered that it sounded as though Knight had picked it out for her.

Rolling her eyes at her reflection, she turned away and headed downstairs. She paused at the front door. There had to be some other way of accessing the rear of the house and finding Knight, but she was not sure she dare. She’d probably get lost in the maze of corridors and rooms, so she opted to exit out of the main door and head around the side of the house to catch up with him as he paced up and down the neat lawns.

He stilled when he saw her, and his eyes warmed. Her chest tightened.

“You look...” He frowned and seemed to search for words. “You look very fine.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. “Flora said you picked out this gown.”

He tugged at his cravat. “Um, yes.”

“You have excellent taste, Knight.”

He shrugged and several moments of silence passed between them. He cleared his throat. “Would you like...that is...shall I show you the grounds?”

“Yes, please.”

“There are some new additions since I left but the general layout has not changed.”

He led her away from the house toward a sizeable pond, lined with stone and scattered with lily pads. They looped around it in silence for a while but it was not uncomfortable. No doubt being here and dealing with his father’s death left him needing time to contemplate.

“I should have everything settled by tomorrow, then we can return home.”

“So soon?” Louisa asked. “I am surprised you do not want to stay longer.”

“There is nothing to stay for. The lawyer has agreed to arrange the renting of the house and settle the debts on my behalf. I shall speak with the tenant farmers and ensure that their tenancies continue under the conditions of the rental. After that, there is little more I can do.”

“I think I would find it hard to give up such a home.” She paused to peer at the farm land that was separated from the formal lawns by way of a brick wall. “Is all this yours too?”

“Yes.”

“It is beautiful. I had no idea that Northumberland was so striking.” From the fields, great hills curved upward, flecked with red and tawny brown. They had passed mountains and great rocks with waterfalls carved between them on their way here. Though she loved the sea, it was almost as stunning as Cornwall.”

“It reminds me of home,” Knight muttered.

“It does a little. Though there is less water.” His lips curved when she looked at him. “You think of Cornwall as your home then?”

He paused and nodded slowly. “I was not certain until I came here, but yes, I do.”

They followed the length of the brick wall until it snaked back toward the house. A gray bust of a man interrupted their stroll back, and Knight paused in front of it, his lips curled into a smirk.

“Typical of my father,” he explained. “His vanity knew no bounds.”

Louisa peered at the writing on the plinth then up to the aristocratic features that were so similar to Knight’s. However, even in stone, his father’s image revealed an arrogance she had never seen in Knight and doubted she ever would. She looked to Knight. He might not realize it, but he was grieving in a way. If only she could help him.

“Has he already been buried?” she pressed.

“Yes.” He pointed toward the spires of the church that edged the estate. “It took them a while to try to find me so he was buried in the meantime.”

“Would you like to visit his grave together?”

Knight paused. “No.”

“But—”

“I said no.”

Louisa twined her hands in front of her. She could not fathom what he’d been through with his father and his life after being disinherited, but she understood the need for closure. Surely if he visited the grave, he would find it?

“I really think you should,” she said quietly.

He remained silent as they strolled on, following a path that cut through a thatch of trees. He pointed down the path as it forked. “I used to bring Julianna here. She liked to hide behind the trees but could never quite understand that she was not small enough to be hidden behind the trunks.” A faint smile crossed his lips.

“I bet you pretended you could not see her, though.”

He let out a dry chuckle. “I did.”

“You are a good man, Knight. And good men need to visit their father’s graves. Even if they do not wish to.”

“Damn it, Louisa, must you be so persistent.”

“Yes, always.” She lifted her chin.

He shook his head and grunted and gestured to the left trail. “This path leads back to the house. I need to finish signing some paperwork.”

“And then all will be finalized?”

He nodded. “It will not take long for me to ensure it is all settled.” He peered at her. “The estate manager visited me this morning and suggested we turn over some of the land to mining as a way to fund the estate.”

“Mining?”

“There’s a coal field under some of this land. It is mined not four miles from here, but it would be destructive.”

“And profitable, presumably?”

“Indeed.” He clasped his hands behind his back.

“If you mined the land, you would not have to let it out? You could stay here?” Her stomach twisted at the thought of him remaining here. Was he trying to decide if that was the better thing to do? Is that why he was speaking of this? The estate was beautiful and luxurious. What man would want to give up such a thing?

“If I mined it, I could fund the house, yes.” His gaze latched briefly onto hers. “But it changes nothing. I still intend to let it out and return home.”

The tightness in her chest eased. She noted the flicker of warmth in his eyes before his expression shuttered.

“Besides, there is nothing here for me.”

The words were said with a hard edge and yet she could not help hear the undertone in them. Did that mean there was something in Cornwall for him? And did he mean her?