Page 48 of Beauty and the Rake
Arthur jerked his head in Graham’s direction. “Did I hear you right? Did you say Gregory Crenshaw?”
“I did.”
“You do realize who he is?”
“Yes, I do. He’s the man your parents were supposed to meet in India about a business deal, but never did,” Graham said.
“Why would you even consider purchasing a ship or anything else for that matter from him?”
Graham said nothing for a moment, as though choosing his words carefully. “Because he’s not the man he represents himself to be. He’s in great need of money to finance this new railroad scheme, and no one will lend him the money.”
“So he’s turned to liquidating assets in hopes of making the money he needs.”
“Exactly.”
“We’ll have to be careful. The man’s not to be trusted. Everything pointed to him being involved in my parents’ disappearance, but it couldn’t be proved.”
Graham arched a brow. “It’ll be interesting to see his reaction or lack of when I introduce you.”
“Yes, it will. I take it from the way you talk, you’ve been looking into him?”
“Absolutely. I recognized his name immediately. I’ve hired someone to look into him, everything we need to know.”
“What will you do? Contact the authorities?” Arthur asked.
“Once there’s enough information to give them. For now, I’ll rely on this gentleman I’ve hired.”
“Do me a favor and let’s not mention anything about Gregory Crenshaw to Roxanne. All she needs to know is we’re looking at a ship to purchase,” Arthur said.
“I concur. Planning for the wedding and settling into her new home will keep her busy for quite a while.”
It was no exaggeration that Roxanne would have plenty to keep her busy for the next few months. She was meticulous about nearly everything. Since her marriage to Casper had been forced on her, she would want to plan the perfect small wedding. Graham wouldn’t deny her that. Nor would he deny her wish to redecorate the residences.
A knock at the study door caught both men’s attention. It was the butler. How long had they been sitting here since he took the dinner menu change to the cook?
“Dinner is ready, milord.”
“Thank you. You set us in the breakfast room?” It was so much easier for just one or two people to eat in the smaller room than be lost in the large, cavernous dining room.
“Yes, milord.”
“Excellent. We’ll be there momentarily.”
Chapter Fourteen
Roxanne was gladto be back in London. The country estates were equally wonderful, but London had so much to offer, including shops a village wouldn’t have. She hadn’t seen either her brother or Graham since they hit town yesterday. Not during the day. She knew they had business affairs to attend to and Graham would be seeing the bishop about getting a special license. She had an appointment with her dressmaker today, and hopefully something could be whipped up for her wedding or the woman might have something in stock. That alone would set the tone for when they’d marry. She was hoping for Thursday, but if it was impossible to pull off, they would marry the following Tuesday or Wednesday. So much to do and her list just kept getting longer. There wouldn’t be a large number of people invited; in fact, outside of Arthur, there was no one. That was fine with her because that was what she truly wanted. Something small and intimate.
There was much to be done once they were wed. She and Graham needed to have a discussion about what he expected. Baby Mary came to mind. Another thing to be discussed. Would she raise the child alongside Graham as their own? Would they at some point tell her the truth about her birth mother? Graham had discussed perhaps telling people she was the daughter of a cousin who, because of his cousin’s sudden and unexpected death had left the infant under his protection. Yes, they needed to have the matter settled quickly.
Though she wasn’t going to redecorate until after she settled into Graham’s residences, Roxanne decided to begin to make notes of what she wanted to change, colors, carpets, wallpapers, and furnishings. She would try and write down things she found in shops, perhaps bring samples home. Graham had already mentioned speaking to the gardener about letting her have a bed so she could grow what she wanted. He was also giving her an older greenhouse to use. Once she cleaned it, she could use the greenhouse to grow startups and seedlings. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but the idea of having space of her own made her happy. And another new project she was going to have to learn to be efficient in was all that photography equipment he’d purchased for her when he first found out what drew her to go beyond painting. Though she was adequate at painting certain things, she never felt she’d captured the essence of her subjects. In her mind, there had to be a connection.
She arrived at the dressmaker for her appointment with lots of ideas and expectations. While she waited on Mrs. Levi, Roxanne admired some of the new fabrics placed on a table. She wanted the gown to be something she could use again. Something elegant but practical. A deep-plum silk fabric caught her eye. She could see herself in it, perhaps with lavender for piping. First, though, she needed to study some of the many fashion plates to find something similar to what she’d sketched a few days prior to leaving for London.
Studying a fashion plate with a recent design from Paris, she sighed. It was a style she loved but knew in the back of her mind that it was not one that looked very flattering on her body type. There were too many ruffles. She needed a dress that wasn’t so exaggerated.
“Your note said you needed something for a special occasion,” Mrs. Levi said as she approached Roxanne. The dressmaker was, as usual, dressed impeccably, not a hair out ofplace. She had lived in London for ten years and stayed after her husband suddenly died. The woman was quite popular and sometimes it took weeks to garner a time slot.
She studied the woman for a moment. “I need something I can use as not only my wedding dress, but also for other occasions.”
