Dear Miss Parker,
I enjoyed meeting you and your sisters today at luncheon. I would like to call upon you tomorrow to discuss the estate finances if that is convenient.
Sincerely,
Jacob Stanfield
Audrey looked up after reading the note. “It’s from Lord Fletcher. Seems he wants to call on us tomorrow.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Grace asked. “You can ask him about the allowance.”
“I don’t know, dearest. We should wait to see what he proposes first.”
“Well, I like him and will be most happy to see him again,” Mia said.
Grace took the letter and read it. “I think this could be a very good thing. He seems quite decisive in his thinking.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Audrey said.
If Audrey had been unsettled before, she was even more so now. She hadn’t expected to see Lord Fletcher again so soon, and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or terrified at the prospect.
The one thing she did know was that her silly heart needed to calm down when she thought of him.
Chapter10
The next morning after breakfast,Jacob stood before the mirror, adjusting his cravat for the third time. He wasn’t typically one to fuss over his appearance, but he wanted to look his best when he met Miss Parker again. He couldn’t get her out of his mind and had spent a restless night dreaming about her. That had never happened to him before, and he didn’t exactly know how to handle the situation. What he did know, however, was that he wanted to spend more time with the dark-haired beauty. She seemed to soothe his soul, which had been in turmoil for years since his parents’ unexpected deaths.
When Mr. Haggerty had given him the documents detailing the current state of the estate finances, he’d been appalled to learn how little the Parker sisters had to live on. Three hundred pounds annual income was a mere pittance, and it made him curious to know how Miss Parker managed to run a household and pay staff on such a meager allowance. Did they even have enough money for food?
He was determined to remedy that dire situation immediately. Even though the estate wasn’t flush at the moment, he had plenty of funds to add to its coffers. No one, especially not his wards, should live in such poverty if he had the ability to change things.
After the luncheon yesterday, he had stopped at the bank to take care of some business that he hoped would please Miss Parker. Would this piece of good news help thaw her icy demeanor toward him? She hadn’t been outright rude to him at the luncheon but had kept her answers to his questions short and to the point. He understood that meeting him for the first time was a shock, especially since he was an American and not an Englishman, but he was determined to win her over. It had become his new mission in life, and once he decided he wanted something, he worked diligently until he achieved it.
Miss Parker was reserved but had a vibrancy to her that could not be denied. It surprised him that he wanted her to like him more than anything he’d ever wanted before. It was such a strange feeling. People usually liked him, but not her. He hoped it was just the shock of finding out he was an American that had caused her to remain mostly silent yesterday.
She hadn’t sent a note back to him, which he took as a sign that she didn’t object to his call today. Finally satisfied with his cravat, Jacob pulled on his hunter green jacket and went downstairs. The hotel staff had hailed a hackney for him, and he gave the Gracechurch Street address to the driver before climbing inside.
His palms were sweaty as he rode through the streets of London, and he wiped them on his buff breeches. Why was he so nervous? He was giving his wards good news. He knew he could have easily let the solicitor handle conveying the financial news to the sisters, but he wanted to deliver it personally, hoping it would finally elicit a smile from Miss Parker.
When the hackney reached its destination, he jumped down and flipped a coin to the driver, then wasted no time climbing the steps. The front door opened before he reached the top step.
“Good day, my lord,” the butler said.
“Good day. I’m Lord Fletcher,” he said, handing his hat and cane to the man.
“I’m Beckwith. Miss Parker is expecting you. Please follow me.”
As he followed the butler, he was surprised to see numerous tell-tale spots on the wall where paintings had once hung. Mr. Haggerty had alluded to the former baron’s out-of-control spending, but he’d had no idea it meant stripping the house of valuables. It made him sad to think that the Parker sisters had watched as their father sold off their household items, especially since they would have been powerless to stop him.
“Lord Fletcher,” Beckwith announced when they reached the parlor doorway.
All three sisters stood and curtseyed.
“Lord Fletcher, good day,” Audrey said. “I was surprised to receive your note. We weren’t expecting to seeyou so soon after our luncheon yesterday.”
“Yes, as to that, I wanted to personally deliver some news.”
“Would you care for tea?”
