Free The Christmas Heiress by Adrienne Basso

fact giving him time to carefully consider this
suggestion. And also preparing a rebuttal when
Edward voiced his strong objections.
    The truth was, Edward knew he needed a change.
He certainly couldn't concentrate on work. He was
restless, annoyed, on edge and for the first time in
many, many years, uncertain of himself. He had
always had the ability to focus intently on a task until
it was successfully accomplished. But his goal of becoming a married man was most definitely unattainable, thanks to his disappearing fiancee.
    Whenever he made a business decision he analyzed
it thoroughly, considered every angle, every possible outcome. He did so with fact, and reason and experience. Sometimes with gut instinct. But never with
emotion, because it was such an unpredictable factor,
such an unreliable measure of a situation.

    This approach had made him rich, had built him
an empire of money and power, had given him the
freedom to make choices in his life that few people
had ever dreamed they could. But has it made you
happy?
    The thought came out of nowhere, shocking him
back to reality. He walked to the window again and
stared out at the rain. Perhaps what he needed was
to finally settle the past, to come to terms with all
the obligations of his heritage and somehow reconcile them with the man he had now become, the
man who some considered an enormous success,
based on his impressive bank balance.
    Farmington Manor. The memory of his boyhood
home whispered softly through his head. The beautiful Tudor-style mansion that stood on hundreds of
acres of rolling hills, dense woods and tumbling
streams. The place he had always loved, where he
had always felt safe and happy. The reason he had
sacrificed so much and worked so hard, ensuring
that this glorious piece of his family history would
be preserved for future generations.
    Perhaps Jonathan was right. Maybe it finally was
time to go home.

     

CHAPTER 5
    The day was sunny and cold. The trees were bare
of leaves, the grass a straw-colored brown. The air
smelled clean, crisp and unspoiled. The peaceful
quiet of the countryside was broken only by the
sounds of nature: the chirping of a winter sparrow,
the trickle of an icy stream, the rustling of the wind
through the stiff brush.
    Edward reined in his mount on the high ridge
above the valley and gazed down at the structure
below. Sunlight glistened off the stone facade and
reflected off the many faceted glass windows. It
gave the place an eerie, otherworldly appearance,
as though it were somehow frozen in time.
    Farmington Manor. Edward's heart skipped a beat.
The growing sense of unease he had felt since leaving Town early that morning intensified. What had
initially seemed like a plausible idea at the beginning of the week was not nearly as appealing in reality at the end of the week.
    Though not superstitious by nature, Edward
could not totally dismiss the strong premonition that assaulted him. Trouble lay ahead. Why even
the air felt charged with tension, much like the
swirling winds announcing the coming of a violent
storm.

    If not for the man by his side, he might very well
have turned his horse in the opposite direction and
ridden directly back to the railroad station. Yet having
come this far, Edward knew Jonathan would not allow
him to retreat until he had set foot inside the front
doors of the manor and spoken with their mother.
    The uneventful and surprisingly swift train ride
from London had lulled Edward into a false sense
of ease, had pushed aside the possibility that true
difficulties might await him. Jonathan had taken
care of all the trip details, easing the burden further,
making certain that a fine pair of horses and a lugage coach were waiting for them at the station.
    The brothers had elected to finish the journey on
horseback, taking advantage of the opportunity for
some fresh air. Alas, the ride also gave Edward an
opportunity to think upon his upcoming