Page 3 of Avenging the Earl's Lady
Chapter 2
Money was needed, a great deal more than previously thought, and a great deal more than she possessed.
My Dear Lady Jane,
I beg your forgiveness for disturbing you yet again during this busy time, but an urgent message arrived today from Mr.Walker that I must share with you.He has no wish to importune your noble personage, but the expectations of his ward exceed what the young man’s income, and Mr.Walker’s, will allow.The young man has confessed to Mr.Walker that his debts were substantially more than previously thought, so much so that he availed himself of professional money lenders.The additional sum, beyond what you have already provided from drawing on the principle of your aunt’s bequest, has consequently grown with interest to almost one thousand pounds.To make matters worse, the debts have been sold to a certain individual who is demanding either repayment, or satisfaction.
Her heart pounded so loudly, she pressed the letter to her breast to settle it.
She’d known there was more debt, but notthismuch.She’d pondered a resolution: employment for him, an income that would cover quarterly payments to creditors.She’d even considered marriage—not forhim, of course.No heiress would engage to marry a clergyman’s ward of questionable birth.
Oliver Morton had offered forher, but he was unlikely to settle money on a new wife to pay off another man’s debts.
She must find another way.She took a deep breath and read on.
Mr.Walker expressed that he believes a mere deposit of funds, if they can be found, will not be enough to ensure the young man understands the gravity of the course he is on.Mr.Walker himself is not well enough to come up to town and pay a personal visit to counsel him on his latest extravagances.He believes it is time for the young man to meet his noble benefactor in person.
My lady, I have kept your cousin, Lord Cheswick’s, identity secret all of these years, as well as yours, and I am at a loss as to how to respond to Mr.Walker or how to advise managing this debt.We have drawn down almost to nil the funds left you by Lady Mildred.For the rest, your cousin would never allow touching the principle.Might you apply to him for a solution?I fear I must tell you that payment is expected a fortnight from yesterday.
I shall await your further instructions.
One thousand pounds?How was such an amount of money to be found?
But it must be found.If not, he would have to discard all honor and flee England, or fight a duel.Either choice was unthinkable.
“Ah, Jane, there you are.”Lady Perry slipped into the room, disheveled, but with a smile that spread from ear to ear above the ugly bruise that colored her neck, courtesy of the local baronet, Sir Richard Fenwick.Lady Perry had escaped from the man a few nights before, and he was now under guard in the Gorse Point Cottage stable.
She beat down her racing heart and folded away the solicitor’s letter and its secrets.Shaldon had requested her presence in Yorkshire for the sole purpose of safeguarding Perry’s reputation, and what a joke that was.
Still, mere whispers of scandal could ruin a lady’s place in society, and for Perry’s sake, she would persevere in her role as chaperone.
“Shall I ask where you slept last night, Lady Perry?No, perhaps I’d better not, inasmuch as your father hasn’t raised a fuss.”
Perry hurried over and hugged her.“Fox said Father will speak to him later today.”
“Good.The sooner we get settlements arranged and the two of you married, the better.”
The younger lady plopped down next to her, making the bed ropes creak.“Don’t worry.Fox won’t desert me.”
“I wasn’t thinking of desertion.This business he’s involved in is dangerous.”Given the risks inherent in Shaldon’s activities, it wasdeathshe was thinking of, but she couldn’t bring herself to shatter the girl’s glow with that word.A lady must hang on to moments of happiness.
“Painting pictures?”Perry scoffed.“I suppose he might catch the oils on fire if he works late at night with a candle close by.”
She gritted her teeth.“It’s the business he conducts for your father that concerns me.”
“I know.”Perry patted her hand.“I knew what you meant.I oughtn’t tease after all that has happened the last few days.But surely, with Sir Richard captured, this assignment, or whatever it is, is over, and Fox may get on with becoming the most famous artist in all of England, married to the outrageously wealthy daughter of an earl.”
Jane studied her.Laughter sparkled in Perry’s eyes, and she glowed with the happiness of mutual love.She’d most certainly spent the night with Fox.
Perry was wealthy, or would be, when she married.She might convince her new husband, who was not so nosy and high in the instep as Bakeley, to let her help Jane, but even if they married by Special License, she might not get access to funds soon enough.
And Jane couldn’t importune the girl, not after everything she’d gone through the last few days.
There was little more she could do for Perry.She should make her way back to London and the problems awaiting her there.
“Your father will surely keep Fox out of harm’s way until after the nuptials.And in any case, no matter what might happen, your brothers will always help you.Though you did run away from one of them.”
“I wanted to see this house that will be mine someday.And I truly did not know Fox was here.And, I don’t believe Father plans to talk to him about settlements.I think it’s about the painting.”
