Free Beatrice by Rebecca King Page A

do just
that.
    Decision
made, she gave him a grateful smile. “If you are sure that I am not
putting you out too much, that would be wonderful. I have to
confess that I really would feel considerably better if I had
someone with me. Thank you.”
    “Excellent. That’s settled then. One point I would like to
make though,” he added and gave her a pointed look. “I think that
before we go and knock on any doors, we need to get these notes
transcribed. Then, once we know whether the notes relate to the
plant in the study or not, we will have a better idea of what
questions to ask them.”
    Beatrice
thought about that for a moment and then nodded. “I agree. We
cannot really ask anyone anything if we don’t know what we are
asking about.” She frowned at that and wondered if it made
sense.
    Ben
seemed to understand though because he nodded. “Let’s go to the
university tomorrow morning. I am sure there will be a Latin
scholar there who will be able to oblige.”
    Beatrice
realised then just how little she knew about him and stared at the
floor for several minutes while she contemplated how to ask him
what he did for a living. She opened her mouth to speak only for
him to interrupt her.
    “How are
your drawing skills?”
    “Pardon?”
    Ben
smiled at her and nodded in the direction of the study. “I think
that we need to draw a picture of the plant. We can hardly take it
with us to meet anyone. If we take a sketch with us, at least we
will have something to show the men on the list when we go to see
them.”
    She
studied him and wondered why she hadn’t thought of it herself.
“That sounds like a good idea, but I cannot draw.”
    “I will
do it,” he assured her secretively. “Look, I know that your ankle
hurts but, if you are able to hobble around tomorrow, why don’t we
go to see the first person on the list once we have been to the
university? The sooner we can find out who owns the plant, the
sooner we can move it on to its rightful owner. If the plant does
turn out to belong to the stranger, and he can prove who he is,
then we can hand it over and call this mystery solved.”
    “I think
you are right,” she agreed, pleased to be able to have some idea of
how to handle the situation.
    “Tomorrow morning then?”
    “That
would be wonderful,” Beatrice beamed.
    “Dinner’s ready,” Maud called from the doorway only to lift
her brows in surprised wonder at the winning smile Ben gave
her.

CHAPTER
SIX
     
    The
following morning Beatrice rolled over in bed and sighed
contentedly. The morning sunshine bathed her in gentle warmth that
soothed her right down to her soul. It helped to eradicate the
lingering worries from yesterday, and she smiled gently up at the
ceiling as she remembered the rather unusual events of
yesterday.
    Now that
she was safely tucked up in bed, she felt a little foolish for her
nervousness.
    If she
was honest, she was a little shocked at just how much could change
in a short period of time. She had once considered Ben to be cold
and aloof, but knew now that he was anything but. He was tender,
compassionate, caring and incredibly gentle, as well as strong,
determined, logical and considerate. He was everything she had ever
considered she wanted in a mate, and more besides, and she was more
than a little thrilled that he appeared to be as interested in her
as she was in him.
    Wait a minute, when have you ever started to consider him a
prospective mate? That thought was enough
to make her sit up in bed and frown into the dressing table mirror
at the end of the bed.
    She
wasn’t quite sure what to make of that particular thought. While
she was thrilled that someone as strikingly handsome as Ben was
interested in her; she was a little nonplussed at the prospect of
sharing her life with any man. She had been orphaned at a
relatively young age, and her world had careered wildly out of
control for a very long period of time. Now, as an adult, she liked
to control the world around her as much