Pit Bank Wench by Meg Hutchinson

Author:Meg Hutchinson [Hutchinson, Meg]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Hachette UK
Published: 1999-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

‘Did you have the man dismissed?’

Standing in the beautiful octagonal drawing room, Paul Felton confronted his brother.

Seated beside the fire, Carver turned a page of his newspaper with slow deliberation.

‘I asked you, Carver, did you have the man dismissed?’

The anger behind the question quite obvious, Carver kept his eyes fixed on the newspaper. Paul had returned unexpectedly early from his last assignment and his first act had been to ride over to Doe Bank.

Flicking over a page, Carver answered noncommittally. ‘His work was not up to my expectations.’

‘Wasn’t it!’ Paul’s voice, harsh with anger, rang around the lovely room. ‘Or was it the man’s daughter who was not up to your expectations? That’s it, isn’t it, Carver? Emma didn’t match up to your requirements, she was not a suitable candidate for marriage into the Felton family. Isn’t that nearer the truth?’

He turned another page, his eye travelling slowly over it before he answered. ‘Since you already know my opinion on the matter, why bother to ask the question?’

‘So you trumped up some excuse about her father’s work at the Topaz, just so you could get rid of him!’

Lowering the newspaper, Carver lifted his glance, coal black eyes cold and indifferent to the fury obvious in those of his brother.

‘I need no excuse to give a man his tin and certainly need give you none for my actions. I am in control of the Topaz mine and of you, brother. Both are subject to my decisions.’

‘And it was your decision to evict the Price family,’ Paul answered scathingly. ‘To turn a whole family on to the road just to make sure you got your own way. Well, no doubt you have heard and taken joy in the fact that Caleb Price, his wife and his daughter, died that same night. Died in the flames that reduced the house to ashes.’

He had been told. Carver returned his glance to the paper in his hands though it remained unread. He had been told of the fire and of the daughter who had not been home at the time. The elder daughter. His fingers tightened on the paper. Emma had been away on some errand, so Barlow had reported to him, returning when the blaze was at its height. Others from the village had been forced to hold her, to stop her from racing into the heart of the flames. And the next day she had left Doe Bank.

He had not asked where she had gone. For a moment he saw again in his mind the vision that came so often to haunt him in the night: a vision of a lovely young face wreathed in silver-gilt hair, eyes wide and terrified as they stared back at him. No, he had not asked where the girl had gone, nor had he admitted the reason why. Acknowledged his fear he might be forced to follow after her.

‘But Emma didn’t die.’ Paul laughed scathingly. ‘So you see, Carver, all your underhand conniving was for nothing. Emma’s alive and I intend to bring her home.

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