Page 43 of The Paid Companion

The door opened abruptly. Elenora stormed into the library. Margaret was directly behind her.

“Do not listen to a word Ibbitts says.” Elenora strode briskly across the room. She was flushed with anger. “He is a liar and a blackmailer who takes advantage of the other servants. I have informed him that he must quit this house immediately.”

Arthur rose politely to his feet. “Good morning, Miss Lodge. He inclined his head to Margaret. “Please be seated, both of you.”

Margaret sat down immediately, her face bright with anticipation. “Well, now, this should prove interesting,” she said to no one in particular.

Elenora appeared not to have heard his suggestion that she take one of the chairs. Instead, she halted in front of his desk, her eyes snapping with anger.

“Ibbitts forces the other servants to give him half of their wages,” she announced. “That’s what he charges them to allow them to keep their posts. It is despicable. Sally and Ned told me it is also the reason why the housekeeper, the cook and the gardener left a few months ago, leaving this household woefully understaffed.”

Ibbitts gave her a pitying expression and shook his head. “I fear that Miss Lodge is suffering from an affliction of the nerves, sir. Female hysteria, no doubt. I’ve seen this sort of thing before in unmarried ladies of a certain age. A vinaigrette is sometimes helpful.”

Elenora gave him a look of utter contempt. “Do you deny it?”

“Of course.” Ibbitts drew himself up proudly. “If his lordship wishes to verify my innocence in this matter, he has only to question the servants. I’m quite certain that both Sally and Ned will tell him that I make no such demands of them.”

“Sally and Ned are both terrified of you, Ibbitts,” she said. “They will say anything you order them to say.”

It was interesting to watch Elenora when she was blazing with righteous anger, Arthur thought. Unfortunately, he did not have time to indulge himself in this scene today.

“Will you please sit down, Elenora?” he said quietly.

“In addition to his despicable treatment of Sally and Ned, Ibbitts eavesdropped on you,” she said.

“That is a lie.” Ibbitts whirled back to confront Arthur. “I would not dream of listening to my employer’s private conversations. It was young Sally who overheard you, sir, and came straight to me with the news that Miss Lodge was merely a paid employee. Naturally I ordered her and Ned to keep silent about your private affairs. They will do as they are told. I stand ready to assist you in your plans in any way I can.”

“Rubbish,” Elenora said through her teeth. “He is attempting to blame Sally—”

“Sit down, Elenora,” Arthur repeated. This time he put an edge on the words, making them into a command.

Reluctantly, she obeyed.

Ibbitts gave her a scathing look. “Begging your pardon, my lord, but did you examine Miss Lodge’s references before you selected her for this post?”

“It was your references I failed to examine,” Arthur said. “And evidently neither did Ormesby, due to his poor health.”

“I assure you, my references are excellent,” Ibbitts said quickly.

“Because you wrote them yourself, I’ll wager,” Elenora muttered.

“That is a lie,” Ibbitts hissed. He turned back to Arthur. “I will be happy to supply letters from previous employers, sir. I think you will find them all quite satisfactory.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Arthur reached for one of the volumes that he had brought back with him after paying his respects to the dying Ormesby. “I glanced through these on my way back here this morning. The entries for the past year tell me everything I need to know about you, Ibbitts.”

Ibbitts stared, uncomprehending, at the journals. “What are those, sir?”

“The household accounts.” Arthur opened the most recent journal and drew a finger down the page to the entry he had marked earlier. “It seems that as recently as last month, you regularly submitted requests for the payment of wages for a staff that included a number of people who are no longer employed here.” He looked at Ibbitts. “Among them are the housekeeper, the cook and the gardeners, all of whom evidently departed last fall.”

Ibbitts took a step back, clearly caught off balance. “There must be some mistake, sir.”

Arthur closed the leather-bound volume. “The mistake was not letting you go several months ago, Ibbitts. However, I intend to rectify that error now. You will pack your bags and leave this house immediately.”

“Sir, you said yourself that your man-of-business is ill.” Ibbitts was both furious and frantic. “He must have written down the wrong amounts.”

“He has been too ill to leave his house in order to see what was happening for himself, but he is entirely lucid, I assure you. These amounts were paid to you so that you could, in turn, pay the servants. You obviously did not inform Ormesby when members of the staff gave notice. Instead, you continued to collect their wages. I suspect you have pocketed that money. I want you out of here within the hour.”

Elenora leaped to her feet. “I knew you would do the right thing, sir.”

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