The man could not be that foolish. Perhaps he had come to ask her to plead with Ian on his behalf. That would be an intelligent thing to do. Not that it would make any difference of course. Ian had remained impervious to both her threats and her pleas. She would have to explain this to the squire. “Show him in, Creswell.” At the look of disapproval on her butler’s face, she sighed. “Please call my aunt down as well.” The servant’s demeanor lightened infinitesimally. Moments later, a shaken-looking squire entered the drawing room. He fell on his knee by Annabelle’s chair. “My dear. I am so sorry to have caused you distress.” She frowned at the man on the carpet at her feet. “You may not address me so familiarly, Squire Renton. You have greatly mistaken yourself and caused us both a good deal of trouble.” The squire dropped his graying head, his chin touching his chest. “I know. I am terribly sorry, Lady Annabelle.” “Perhaps if you said that to my fiancé, he would not feel the need to act out this farce.”
