Page 29 of A Duke to Restore her Memory
They turned to each other, still laughing. His heart turned over in his chest. He realized he really wanted to kiss her – just like Daniel was kissing Frances.
Awkwardly, he turned away, his heart thumping harder still. He must be very careful indeed. How was he going to manage this fierce attraction towards her? He had tried staying away from her and failed miserably. What was going to happen?
Chapter 15
“There you are.” Lydia stood in the doorway of Sebastian’s study, gazing at him intently. “May I speak with you?”
Sebastian sighed, pushing away the ledger on the desk and gazing at his sister.
“Of course,” he said, trying to smile. “Come in. I am due for a break anyway. I will call for some tea.”
After the tea arrived and they both had a cup, Sebastian looked at his sister. Lydia had that pinched, sour look, which meant she was displeased about something. He recognized it well.
His sister was here because she had a bee in her bonnet, and he would hear about it, come hell or high water.
“What is it?” he asked shortly. “I can see you are disgruntled about something, Lydia. Best get on with it. I have a lot of work to do today.”
“That is exactly why I am here,” replied Lydia, placing her cup down and gazing at him with a determined look. “I have heard some alarming reports, Sebastian. I have been told that you are letting our mysterious house guest look at the mine ledgers.”
Sebastian sighed, rubbing his neck ruefully. He should have known that word would get back to Lydia about Georgina looking at the business ledgers. It had only happened twice since she had offered, but clearly, Lydia had spies in the household, and they had informed her.
He suppressed a smile, thinking about Georgina poring over the books, a slight furrow in her brow, and her mouth slightly open, a picture of concentration.
It appeared that her instinct that she knew how to work ledgers was indeed correct – it was as if her entire being came alive as she pored over the books.
She was clever – she had offered a few good suggestions about reducing expenditure, which he had never contemplated before, and her eagle eye had caught two costly mistakes.
Georgina was very good at arithmetic. She was a highly educated woman. She had worked in her family’s business or as a bookkeeper. He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
Coud that be a way to locate someone who knew her? Should he visit some bookkeepers in the district and ask if they were missing an employee? Surely, there wouldn’t be many young women working in that capacity. It was usually the job of men.
“Sebastian?” Lydia stared at him expectantly. “Did you hear me?”
He jumped guiltily, forced out of his reverie. “Yes, I heard you.” He took a deep breath. “Georgina has been helping me, Lydia. It seems she is very good at arithmetic and is familiar with business ledgers. Why should you begrudge her for lending a hand? It makes her feel less guilty for being a prolonged house guest at Newquay Hall as well – as if she is contributing to the household in some small way.”
Lydia looked pained, rubbing the bridge of her nose, before gazing at her brother again, staring at him as if he was six years old and had upended the butter tray.
“You are being foolish, Sebastian,” she scolded. “We know nothing about her at all. She could be anyone.” She took a shaky breath. “It is a family business. She is an outsider. You are letting her look at very sensitive financial information. How do we know what she will do with that information?”
He frowned. “I am sure you are overreacting, Lydia. She does not have an agenda for being here, and she is very grateful that she is here, and we are helping her.” He paused, studying her closely. “You truly believe that she is not to be trusted?”
Lydia sighed heavily. “I know nothing about her – I do not know who she is, where she is from … and what her background is. And all of that makes me very cautious of her.” Her eyes flickered. “I understand you feel responsible for her because she was injured in one of the family mines, but you are being reckless, Sebastian. You should not be showing her the business ledgers. For all you know, she might be a spy. She might be trying to find out information about the business.”
Sebastian gave a bark of incredulous laughter. “A spy? Now you are being entirely fanciful, Lydia! And rather paranoid.” He exhaled slowly. “What motive could she possibly have? And you are inferring that she is pretending to have lost the memory of who she is in order to be here, which is erroneous. I found her myself. She really did hit her head badly. Ask Dr Watson if you do not believe me.”
A wave of intense irritation swept over him as he stared at his sister. Lydia was being ridiculous. She had taken an instant dislike to Georgina, which bewildered him. Anyone could see that Georgina was well-bred, even if she had presented in the clothes of a working woman.
He understood his sister being a bit wary of her, but the dislike was irrational, and not kind. Georgina was vulnerable … and she didn’t even want to be here. To suggest the injury and her loss of memory was a ploy to infiltrate the family business was ludicrous in the extreme.
There was a tense silence. Lydia picked up her cup, sipping her tea, and after a moment, Sebastian did the same.
“You do not know who she is,” she repeated eventually, her face solemn. “The only person who looks at those books aside from us is Mr Jenkins, the estate’s bookkeeper, who has served the duchy faithfully for over twenty years … just as his father served the duchy before him.”
She exhaled slowly. “My point is that Mr Jenkins is entirely trustworthy and has proved worthy of that trust. You have known this young woman for five minutes by comparison, Sebastian. It is foolhardy … and I believe you do know that, deep down.”
Sebastian felt a flash of guilt. His sister was being a bit over the top in her reaction towards Georgina, but she did have a very valid point.
He had been swept away by his strong feelings towards the mysterious young woman and his desire to help her recover her memory. But the business ledgers were confidential, and he shouldn’t have let her look at them, even if she had ended up helping him.
