Page 55 of An Unwilling Earl
She smiled thinly. “That is exactly why I am moving to America.”
Chapter Sixteen
The day’s meeting with Armbruster’s man-of-business had resulted in good news and bad news. The bad news was that the earldom Jacob had inherited was not flush with riches. The good news was that it wasn’t exactly poor, either.
The other bad news was that Jacob had some things to learn and things to do if he wanted to make the earldom profitable. Huntley, the man-of-business, had been optimistic. There was good land surrounding the estate. The former earls had been lucky and had been able to keep the land, whereas others had been forced to sell off pieces to stay afloat.
There were opportunities for more farming and to build a factory, if he wanted, although he hated the idea of disrupting the countryside with more factories even while he understood that factories were the way of the future and provided much-needed jobs for the area.
He had a lot of thinking to do and another meeting scheduled with Armbruster and Huntley in the future.
When he arrived home he found Charlotte in his office, staring out the window. Usually she was in the upstairs study waiting for him, so he was taken aback to see her here.
“You’re home early,” she said, her voice oddly detached.
“I met with Armbruster’s man-of-business. We went over the records of the Ashland estate. It didn’t take as long as I thought.”
“And is it good news?”
“Good and bad. Seems I have my work cut out for me.”
“Are you pleased with that?”
“Mostly.” He actually was energized by this new opportunity. He’d always liked to learn new things, and this was certainly going to be a learning experience. And the opportunity to help people, to enrich his new tenants’ lives, had excited him.
This new revelation had surprised him, but he had decided to embrace it and to use his newfound position to do good.
Maybe Charlotte was his first project.
“Most people would love to be the earl of something or other.”
He tossed his hat on the chair by the door. “I am becoming accustomed to the idea.” She didn’t seem herself. There was an emotionless aspect to her that was disconcerting.
He gave her the time she needed to gather her thoughts by sitting at his desk and eyeing the large pile of mail that had been accumulating. Invitations, Mrs. Smith had said. There were quite a lot of invitations. He wasn’t certain that he would be able to embrace this aspect of being an earl.
Maybe Armbruster was right. Maybe if he married Charlotte the invitations would go away because he would not be in the market for a wife.
What a shameful thought that was. Taking a wife for a shield against Society was not a good reason to marry someone.
“Lord Chadley called on me today.”
Jacob’s head came up, and he was instantly on edge. “And?”
She was looking down at her hands folded across her stomach, her thumbs twirling around each other the only indication of her unsettled feelings.
“And we talked. He’s a nice man, very apologetic.”
“That’s good.” Right? That was good? Why did he have the feeling that it wasn’t as good as he hoped?
She shrugged. “It doesn’t erase what they did to my mother. She’s the one he needs to apologize to. No. His father is the one who needs to apologize to her. He’s the one who caused her so much anguish. Not me.”
“Maybe they have mended their differences in heaven.”
Her lips twitched in a grin that made him relax somewhat. She wasn’t nearly as cross with him as he had first thought.
“The former marquess’s actions hurt you, too,” he said. “You deserve an apology as well.”
“Maybe. But it wouldn’t change anything.”
