The Deserving Mistress

David’s gaze became guarded as he looked at that possessive arm about her shoulders. ‘And you would be…?’ he prompted slowly.

‘I would be a friend of May’s,’ Jude answered harshly.

‘I see,’ the other man murmured, obviously not seeing at all as he turned to look questioningly at May.

‘I would really much rather not talk about this any more, David,’ she told him regretfully. ‘I-it was a nice dream while it lasted,’ she added wistfully. ‘But it really isn’t for me. I’m sorry.’ She grimaced.

Her visitor drew in a ragged breath, hunching his shoulders as he thrust his hands into the pockets of his sheepskin jacket. ‘I’m not giving up,’ he assured her decisively. ‘I’ll be back.’ He nodded firmly. ‘Perhaps we can talk then.’

‘I wouldn’t count on it,’ Jude put in raspingly, his patience wearing very thin where this man was concerned. Couldn’t he see, and just accept, that May wasn’t interested? That she wanted him to leave and not come back to bother her?

Was this how Max and Will had felt, too? he wondered a little dazedly; protective, but at the same time finding their Calendar woman incredibly attractive?

Except that May Calendar was not his woman. Would never be his woman. Not if he had anything to say about it. And he most certainly did.

‘Are you staying with your sister again?’ May was talking to the other man again now. ‘I’ll ring you there some time tomorrow,’ she added quickly as she received confirmation of that fact with David’s nod.

‘I’ll be waiting for your call,’ he assured her huskily before turning his hard blue gaze on Jude. ‘Goodnight,’ he added coldly.

‘Goodbye,’ Jude returned with a challenging lift of his dark brows.

The other man gave a humourless smile of acknowledgement at the obviously male challenge before turning to walk across to his car, a sporty Jaguar, Jude noted with displeasure; obviously this David, whoever he was, was wealthy enough to help May if he wanted to. And, from their conversation, he obviously did.

And yet she seemed uninterested in whatever the other man had to offer, so perhaps—

‘And just what the hell did you think you were doing just now?’ May’s angry challenge was accompanied by the slamming of the door as she turned to face him, her cheeks fiery red with anger, her eyes glittering deeply green.

He raised mocking brows at the unexpected attack. ‘Trying to be helpful?’ he prompted pointedly. ‘The man was obviously bothering you, and so I—’

‘Helpful? Helpful?’ she repeated incredulously, hands clenched at her sides. ‘Can you drive a tractor?’

He blinked frowningly. ‘Unfortunately not.’

‘Milk a cow?’

He grimaced. ‘Definitely not!’

‘Nurse a weak lamb?’

He shrugged. ‘Probably not.’

‘Feed the hens and collect the eggs?’

He drew in an impatient breath, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. ‘Look, May—’

‘No, of course you can’t do any of those things!’ she answered her own questions impatiently. ‘But I can, and I do. And those are the only ways that you could possibly be of any help to me, Mr Marshall,’ she told him scathingly. ‘I really don’t know where you got the impression that I’m some helpless female that needs rescuing—’

‘Don’t you?’ he rasped pointedly.

She had the grace to blush, her exhausted condition earlier having been unmistakable. ‘That was an exceptional circumstance,’ she dismissed firmly. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind leaving…?’ She stood pointedly away from the door, her expression challenging.

Jude gazed at her frustratedly. She really was the most—

Were those tears he could see in those incredible green eyes? And if so, were they tears of sheer frustration with all the work she had to do, or were they for some other reason?

‘We haven’t finished our meal,’ he pointed out softly.

She gave a shake of her head. ‘I’m afraid I’ve completely lost my appetite.’

‘May—’

‘Will you just go?’ she cried emotionally, the tears welling against the darkness of her lashes now.

‘No—I won’t just go,’ he answered impatiently. ‘May, I don’t think for one minute that you’re a helpless female.’ How could he, when she had obviously been the female mainstay of this household since she was nothing but a child herself? ‘But you are wrecked, anyone can see that from just looking at you—’

‘Thanks!’ she snapped scathingly.

He sighed heavily. ‘There’s just no reasoning with you, is there?’

‘None at all,’ she bit out coldly.

Jude shook his head. He had never met a woman like May Calendar before. Had never felt like shaking and kissing a woman at the same time before, either—

Kissing…?

Damn it, yes, he wanted to kiss May Calendar! Wanted to sweep her up into his arms and kiss her until she was senseless. Until they were both senseless.

Which was why he most certainly wasn’t going to do it! ‘Fine,’ he rasped harshly, picking up his jacket from the back of the chair before walking determinedly to the door. ‘Any message for Max or your sister if he should happen to telephone again?’ he challenged hardly, already knowing from her reaction earlier to his casual mention of having spoken to Max that she did not want her youngest sister to know she was coping alone here.

She swallowed hard, her cheeks suddenly pale now. ‘No—’ she moistened dry lips ‘—no message. Except—’

‘Yes?’ He paused at the door.

She gave the ghost of a smile. ‘You could tell January that Ginny and the twins are all doing well. The ewe from last night, and her two lambs,’ she explained ruefully at his puzzled frown.

Jude gave an acknowledging inclination of his head, not having particularly enjoyed scoring that point, where Max and January were concerned, over a woman who was so exhausted she could hardly see straight. ‘I would get that early night if I were you, May—before you fall over!’ he rasped.

She gave a shake of her head. ‘I still have things to do.’

He gave an impatient shrug at her stubbornness. ‘Your choice,’ he bit out harshly. ‘But, from the look of things, they will still be there for you to do all over again tomorrow.’

She gave the hint of a smile. ‘My father used to say that.’

Used to. Because, as Jude now knew only too well, having checked up on the Calendar sisters a little more thoroughly after Max had got himself engaged to one of them, neither of the Calendar parents were still alive, the mother having died while the three girls were still very young, the father only a year ago.

Which really made him feel good about trying to buy the farm out from under them!

‘Then you should have listened to him!’ he rasped, no longer sure whether it was May or himself that he was angry with.