“He was very suspicious of us,” Rosalie whispered as they followed the butler into the hall—which Nathan thought was also creepily Gothic.
“I assume the former Lord Redfield taught him to be that way,” Nathan murmured back. “He had been doing illegal business for a long time, and I’m sure he made many enemies.”
“Right this way,” the butler said, showing them into a small but lavishly appointed parlor. “I will go and fetch the Marquess.”
They didn’t have to wait long, and when the new Lord Redfield appeared in the doorway, Nathan felt a momentary satisfaction that his name still held enough weight to summon the man quickly.
“Your Graces,” the Marquess greeted, bowing to them both. “What an unexpected surprise.”
Lord Redfield was younger than Nathan had been expecting. He also looked nothing like his father which was fortunate for the young man. Instead, he was tall with handsome features—although he had a weak chin—and sandy blonde hair that curled at the edges. His eyes were gray and piercing, and as they swept over the Duke and Duchess, he seemed to take in everything about them.
“Thank you for seeing us without a prior invitation,” Nathan said. “As I’m sure your butler told you, we are making our rounds to the great families in the parish as I am eager to introduce my wife to the local gentry.”
“Ah yes… the Duchess.” Lord Redfield’s eyes settled on Rosalie, and they glittered with recognition. “We have not had the pleasure of meeting, but of course, you knew my father.”
“Yes,” Rosalie replied, “and I was sorry to hear of his loss.” She said this so sincerely that Nathan blinked in surprise. He knew it was part of the act, but it just sounded soreal.
Lord Redfield also looked surprised.
“My father always spoke very highly of yours,” Rosalie continued. “Although, of course, their relationship was sometimes fraught.”
“Indeed.” Lord Redfield was now scrutinizing Rosalie in a way that made Nathan nervous.Does he know she’s lying? Is she going too far in her praise?“But I am not my father, and you are not yours, either.”
“I am not,” Rosalie agreed decisively. Nathan held his breath; he had no idea what Rosalie was about to say or how she would spin this.
Then his wife smiled, a coy, ruthless smile, a smile that Nathan had given others before when he devastated their ambitions or told them he was calling in the debt they owed him.
“I am better than my father,” she said. “He failed in building the business empire he set out to create, but I will not fail.”
Lord Redfield’s lips parted, and he looked at Rosalie in surprise and skepticism.
“I do not think you understand the nature of your father’s businesses,” he sneered.
“Do I not?” Rosalie raised an eyebrow. “And why do you presume that? Because I am a woman?”
Redfield spread his hands wide. “It has been my experience that the fairer sex does not have the mind for business. Not only that, but they are naive when it comes to the ways of the world.”
To Nathan’s surprise, Rosalie laughed. “Women may surprise you, then, My Lord. We may not be born with the minds for business, but we are the ones forced to clean up after your sex when you make a mess of things as you invariably do. It teaches us to have a mind for business.”
“What are you saying?” Redfield scoffed. “That you took care of the mess your father left behind?”
“Well, with my help.” Nathan felt it would be wise to intervene now before Rosalie and Redfield got into a fight over the state of the sexes. “There is a reason the Duchess and I were drawn together. We share similar interests.”
“Do you indeed?” Redfield looked Nathan over more closely now. “And what might those be?”
“Well, disappointment in our fathers for starters,” Nathan said. “You might not know this, but the duchy has suffered in recent years. My father mishandled things, made some bad investments.”
Redfield’s face remained neutral. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Nathan shrugged. “It merely presents a challenge, and I do enjoy a good challenge. But it means I will have to find a new investment.”
Redfield said nothing, but Nathan was sure he could see the wheels in the man’s head turning.
He turned to Rosalie and gave her a small smile. “Fortunately, I married a brilliant woman with a mind for business.”
“My father taught me everything I know,” Rosalie said, turning to Redfield. “He was once brilliant, you know, before things got complicated at the end.”
“I am surprised to hear that,” Lord Redfield said. “Lord Carfield did not seem like the kind of person who would entrust his knowledge and business operations to a woman.”
