Page 12 of A Spinster to Heal the Duke
"Well, count me out," said Charles. "I shall be looking at finances for last month until well into the night."
"I'm sure you will surprise yourself and complete everything before dinner," Anne suggested supportively. "You have a better grasp of things than you believe you do."
"We'll see about that," Charles replied, looking downtrodden. "If what I am thinking is correct, we have sunk another thirty pounds in the last month when we should have gained twice as much."
What?Noah thought in near shout to himself.No wonder they have no staff. A child is managing the household finances.
Then, he looked around the table.
"I suppose with an elderly father figure and a woman who bears the entire burden of the home without staff to delegate to and direct, it is to be expected for you to assume the managerial burdens of the home. Though, if the boy as young as yourself can succeed, it will not only build character, but it will also rebuild this place to a viable landholding under your power," Noah observed. "It could restore some of the grandeur in the family that elements of the home reflect."
"Let that be an encouragement to you, Charles," Anne told her brother.
"Practice makes improvement," Noah said aloud. "That is what my father always told me. It is what I tell myself now when a task is challenging."
"Words of wisdom," said the Baron. "But I suppose I should expect no less from the former Duke of Grandon, Christopher Campbell. He was a good man. His passing was felt throughout the land."
You knew my father?the Duke wanted to ask, but instead, he only paused.
Jeremy smiled and said, "Your father was a good man. You are always welcome in our home."
Then, when the older man resumed eating, Noah did as well. He finished his plate quickly then excused himself from the table to the parlor.
He had only begun to rest his eyes when he sensed another person in the room. Still, the Duke chose to keep his eyes closed and keep the facade that he had fallen asleep that quickly. Soon enough, he realized the other person in the room was Charles.
"This makes no sense," Charles said to himself. "Taxes were collected and remitted. Household expenses are accounted for.I've carried every one, crossed every T, and dotted every I. Why won't this balance sheet be balanced?"
With a sigh, Noah opened an eye to look at the young man and ask, "Have you tracked all of your income?"
Charles visibly jumped hearing him speak, but he followed the Duke's advice and looked his numbers over once more.
"Perhaps there is a land title exchange I have missed," he said thoughtfully. "Or some merchant sale I should double check."
"In financial matters, profit and loss, there is no exchange too small to include. Once is an oversight. More than once is a habit that will lead to people taking advantage of you and your estate," Noah said, sitting up and looking at Charles directly. "And, you do know a better place to study is… the study? How do you expect to be left alone to focus when you work in the parlor, a room meant for socializing and entertaining?"
"Yes, Your Grace," the young man said, overlooking the chastising for the help it was meant to be. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, and as I told your grandfather, please, call me Grandon," the Duke said then he added, "I suppose I can sit at the table with you. We can look over things together, and I can give you some pointers."
The young man had a look of pure joy. Noah smiled a little at his reaction.
"Thank you, Grandon," Charles replied, testing the informality of using Grandon on his lips.
Anne observed, "Well, I shall at least continue to refer to you as Your Grace though it is very kind of you to allow us informal address."
Noah had not heard her enter the room and felt strange now to correct her. It felt stranger that he had an urge to compliment her. Anne had changed dresses for the evening now that morning had passed, and while the newer frock was nice, something in her demeanor and how she carried herself as she entered the room drew his eye.
Instead, he said, "As you wish, Miss Drowton."
They nodded at each other, and Anne explained, "I have a book with me, so I shall try not to be too much of a disturbance, but I am glad to hear His Grace agrees with me. Charles you would do better to study in the study, a place designed to be without disruption for men to focus."
"I think better when I can bounce things off of other people," Charles argued though he wasn't sure that it was true. "Thinking aloud is only useful when someone else is there to hear and respond to the thought."
"I think there is a mistake in your logic brother, but you seem to have an excellent tutor today," Anne replied. "Your Grace, feel free to make any request you like during your stay for working with such a challenging student."
Noah stifled a laugh at the siblings.
Then, he said, "Charles, let me look over what you have so far, so I can better direct you in finding errors or improvements to your calculations."
