The Mistress of His Manor by Catherine George Read Free Book Online

so the neurologist encouraged him to paint as therapy. It worked. When he was well enough my sister took him off to Italy to convalesce, and Rufus decided to resume his studies there instead of returning to Oxford. He’s very talented. But for him that entire night, the events that led up to it, and most of his stay in hospital still remain a complete blank.’ March thrust a hand through his hair, frowning as he saw the look on her face. ‘I’m sorry, Joanna. I didn’t mean to put a damper on our evening.’
    ‘Did you search for this friend you mentioned? Do you think he was to blame?’
    ‘No. I simply thought if I could set Rufus’ mind at rest about the friend it would help him recover.’
    She braced herself. ‘What was the name he kept repeating?’
    ‘Joe Logan.’
    Although she’d known, deep down, what his answer would be, the words struck her like a blow to the heart.
    March eyed her with concern. ‘What’s wrong?’
    ‘I’m afraid that’s me.’ She met his eyes bravely. ‘I’m Jo Logan.’
    ‘ What ?’ March stared blankly.
    ‘I’m Jo Logan,’ she repeated unhappily.
    ‘You said your name was Sutton!’
    ‘No, I didn’t. You saw that in my school book. Sutton was the name of my adoptive parents. When I was thirteen they died, and I came to live with Kate. When she married Jack Logan I took his name.’
    March’s eyes suddenly hardened. ‘So you knew Charles Peel, the driver?’
    Jo nodded miserably. ‘Oh, yes, I knew Charlie. He was my boyfriend at the time. I was supposed to be in the car that night, too, but I wouldn’t set foot in it because Charlie was well over the limit. As usual. I did everything I could to make him see sense, even fought him physically for the keys, but we had such a blazing row he pushed me away and roared off in a rage to pick up a friend. I knew his friend as Red…’ Jo halted, biting her lip.

Chapter Four
    ‘T HAT was the name my brother went by at Oxford.’ March shook his head as though to clear it. ‘You, of all people, are Jo Logan? My God! It never occurred to me that the missing link was a girl.’ He took in a deep breath, his eyes suddenly arctic. ‘After the accident I went to see the driver. But Charles Peel categorically denied knowing any man called Joe Logan—which was true, of course. You are not a man.’
    ‘I don’t blame you for feeling angry,’ she said unhappily.
    ‘I’m not angry, exactly. I just wish it hadn’t been you,’ he said harshly. ‘In the end the police decided not to press charges, and young Peel was utterly frantic with anxiety about my brother, and so desperately guilt-ridden and penitent we felt he’d been punished enough.’
    Jo smiled cynically. ‘Charlie always did really great penitence.’
    March frowned as he resumed his place on the sofa. ‘That’s very cold.’
    ‘I speak from experience.’ She gave a mirthless little laugh. ‘If you’d tracked me down I would have given you a rather different take on the accident. I wondered why Charlie asked if anyone had been in touch with me. He tried to convince me that he’d turned over a new leaf. He even cried and swore he was on the wagon for keeps. But he’d done the dramatic penitent act before, so I didn’t believe him.’ Jo took in a deep breath. ‘Ihaunted the hospital for a while, for information on how Red—your brother—was doing. I knew I couldn’t get in to see him, but one of the girls on my staircase in college had a relation in Admissions there, who made enquiries for me and reported back. I was desperate to go home, but there was no way I could leave Oxford until I knew Red had been discharged.’ She paused to look at March. ‘Though I have no idea why he was muttering my name. I didn’t know him very well. We weren’t even in the same college.’
    He shrugged. ‘He seemed convinced you’d been in the car and injured, even killed. I suppose I should have asked later, but I was so damned relieved when he started getting