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“Are you planning to bring an infantry unit to my land, Lady Rosamund?” Peregrine demanded.

Another day. Another attempt from the most troublesome lady in all England.

“Of course, not!” Rosamund protested, but the minx looked so self-satisfied. He would not doubt that she had other plans in mind.

“I am merely reminding you that if you want to bring in the troops, you must first provide a written notice. That is only fair,” Peregrine said.

“Why do I have the feeling that even the War Office will take your side?” Rosamund retorted. “Then again, I feel like sending a written notice will result in lemon cakes being served.”

This time, Lady Rosamund had decided to infiltrate Ashbourne land by passing through the south pasture. It was young Jamie Barnaby, a servant boy, who saw her standing there. His Ma and Pa used to serve the Earl of Ashbourne, but Jamie himself was not too certain who Rosamund was. He just knew that there was a “strange lady” standing with the flock of sheep.

Peregrine did not bother with his horse, Perseus, at all. He just strode toward the pasture and found that Rosamund was there. She had been venturing in his area almost every day. Sometimes, he would not know about it until it was too late and she had already left. Today, he ran to see if he could catch her.

“The sheep seem to love you,” he remarked. “They seem content shuffling near you.”

“It must be because I am wearing white,” she deadpanned. “Jamie here, though, is not too happy to see me. He cannot believe that I knew him when he was a wee baby.”

“Well, Jamie, you can tell your Ma and Pa that the former mistress of the house has come for a visit. She may have a sharp tongue, but she is not particularly scary,” Peregrine explained to the boy, nodding earnestly.

“I beg your pardon, my lady,” the boy said, looking at her rather shyly.

Now that the initial fear was gone, Peregrine was afraid that the boy was on the path to becoming smitten with the hellion in white.

“Now, I believe that I had Cook prepare lemon cakes, anyway. Do you want to join us inside?” Peregrine invited.

What harm could it do to invite someone who was in the vicinity of Ashbourne Hall almost every day. Did she not have time for books or embroidery? What about her friend?

“I believe that sheep are not that particularly obedient, but are only curious about me and the fact that -” Rosamund faltered.

“That you look like them today?” Peregrine asked. “Look at one of them trying to get even closer to you.”

He stepped closer. Did he have a reason? He should have sent her away, with a warning, to end this, once and for all.

“I do not look like them,” Rosamund said, but her voice had a certain uncertainty that almost made Peregrine laugh, but he dared not to.

“Well, the other day, you came with a flock of birds,” the Duke reminded her, even as he was distracted by a stray strand of her hair hanging over her face. He reached out to place it behind her ear.

“Geese!” she yelled, as if startled by his fingers touching her hair.

“Oh, I beg your pardon,” he said, not even slightly sorry. “Geese.”

“I did not come with them. You saw that I was trying to catch them for one of your tenants.” She grimaced when she said the word “your.” It still hurt her terribly that she did not have a legal hold on Ashbourne Hall.

“Yes, I did see that. It just amuses me that a second group of animals seems to have been attracted by your obstinacy,” he murmured.

“My obstinacy? I tried to play by the rules and collected an amount that you and I agree upon to be a fair payment for Ashbourne Hall. You keep on rejecting my offer, without a clear reason. And you call me obstinate?”

If only she knew that there were things that Peregrine could not explain, or else things would go from bad to worse. Instead of replying to Rosamund, he turned to the boy, “Jamie, you can take your flock into the lower yard. You can pass them by the side gate.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Jamie said, giving a quick bow before turning around. The sheep followed him. Even the one that was curiously sniffing Rosamund reluctantly followed. Peregrine could not help but chuckle.

“Now, you have sent them away,” Rosamund muttered.

“Are you relieved or angry?” Peregrine asked, looking at how she followed her small army with her eyes. “Would you like them to stay?”

“I believe Jamie would fare better away from here,” she admitted.

“All right, then,” Peregrine said, stepping back a little. She was so close. She smelled like citrus and sunshine, not quite what one would expect from someone who had been fighting with him since everything fell apart for the Harcourts. “Now, it is time for you to return home before you provoke anything else.”