Rebecca's Refusal by Amanda Grange Page A

have left you in charge if you had been that. But a hard taskmaster, perhaps.'
    ‘I am a hard man,' he acknowledged, 'but I am not a monster - as I hope you will soon discover.'
    His eyes washed over her disturbingly, and she was pleased when Charles spoke.
    It looks like you two have more in common than you thought,' he remarked.
    Rebecca nodded. She had wondered, when she had become aware of Joshua's ruthless streak, just how far this would carry him in his running of the mill, and she had been prepared to stand up to him. But she was pleased to learn that, although he undoubtedly had a ruthless streak - and, in business, she knew, a ruthless streak was necessary - it was tempered by fairness.
    Joshua, she was learning, was a man she could respect.
    'Still, the mill needs to be profitable,' remarked Charles.
    'And I mean it to be.' Joshua took his eyes reluctantly away from Rebecca and gave his attention to Charles. T3ut not at the expense of other people's misery. There is no reason why the mill can't be run in a civilised manner and still show a healthy profit.'
    It's a good thing you two see eye to eye,' said Charles, blissfully unaware of the fact that on everything else they were at daggers drawn. It doesn't do for partners to be always falling out. It's bad for business. But it seems that my father knew what he was doing when he left you each half of the mill.'
    You don't mind him having left the mill to us?' asked Joshua, looking at Charles.
    TMot a bit of it,' said Charles, holding out his hands to warm them in front of the fire. In fact, I'm glad he did. I've no head for business.'
    'Nonsense, Charles,' said Hetty loyally.
    Charles smiled. I'm good enough at managing the property my father left me, but I wouldn't have liked to learn about something new. And besides, the mill is so far north it would have been impossible for me to keep an eye on it. An absent owner is never a good idea. As you say, it provides an opportunity for a corrupt manager to operate undetected. No, I didn't want the mill. It would have been a burden to me.'
    The door opened and dinner was announced.
    Charles gave Rebecca his arm, and Joshua offered his arm to Hetty.
    Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness! The custom that did not allow wives and husbands to go in to dinner together had served her well tonight.
    They went through into the dining-room, an elegant high-ceilinged apartment decorated in duck- egg blue. White mouldings adorned the walls, and their brightness was echoed by an Adam fireplace, which was decorated by a line of dancing nymphs. In the grate burned a roaring fire.
    Hetty indicated their places, and they took their seats at the long mahogany table. A group of candles were lit in the centre, casting their sparkling light over the glass and silverware. It was a most attractive sight.
    Hetty looked a little anxious as the soup was brought in, but the first mouthful showed it to be good and hot and Rebecca saw her relax.
    Good! thought Rebecca. At least Hetty will be able to enjoy the evening!
    'Do you know,' began Charles, once he had taken the edge off his appetite, 1 think -'
    But whatever Charles had been about to say was lost for ever as there was a sudden crash and something came hurtling through the window, narrowly missing Joshua's head. It passed over his left shoulder and landed with a splash in his soup.
    What. . . ?' asked Rebecca, aghast.
    She looked at Joshua, relieved to see he had not been hurt. If the stone - for a stone she could now see it to be - had been an inch to the right it would have struck him forcibly on the back of the head.
    Joshua, throwing down his napkin, was already striding over to the window and looking out onto the lamplit street.
    'Do you see anything?' asked Rebecca, joining him.
    But as she looked out of the window she could see as well as he could that the street was empty.
    'No. Nothing.' Joshua's voice was grim.
    'Oh! How dreadful!' said Hetty. 'Lady Cranston was telling