The trouble was that he liked the girl. That was the hard part. He would find it far easier to fight this attraction he felt for her if only he could continue to see her as a frivolous, silly, selfish young girl. An attraction that was merely physical could not survive long. But he could no longer see Lady Rachel that way. There was far more to her than those qualities. He was not sure how much more, but of one thing he was sure. She was a complex character, an interesting character who would be well worth getting to know.

But how could he risk getting to know her? He certainly could not allow any deeper infatuation to grow. He could not allow himself to fall in love with her. He was an impoverished clergyman, pledged to be a servant of the poor. She was the daughter of a wealthy earl. He had his quiet life of service all planned out. She had a dazzling future ahead, perhaps as the bride of the Marquess of Stanford, perhaps as Algie's wife. There could be no question of any connection whatsoever between him and Lady Rachel Palmer, except that of vicar and parishioner.

He must concentrate his mind on finding himself a wife. And he still felt that he could do no better than to court Miss Barnes. He had seen nothing to censure in her character during his encounters with her in London. He was not at all sure that she would be pleased by a marriage proposal from him. Perhaps she hoped for something better. But there was no hurry anyway. She was to be at Oakland for several weeks. He would take the whole business slowly. He would want both of them to be very sure before taking any irrevocable step.

If only it were not at Oakland that she was to be a guest! If only he did not have to see Lady Rachel every time he saw Miss Barnes.

***

Rachel was chattering brightly to Mr. Holland and Mr. Robertson, two gentlemen farmers who had been flirting with her ever since she had left the schoolroom three years before, though Mr. Robertson was now betrothed to Clara Higgins. All the evening's guests were now assembled in the drawing room at Singleton Hall. Algie's butler would be summoning them to dinner at any moment.