Jacob shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
“Please have a seat, won’t you?” Audrey asked.
Both Grace and Mia sat in the chairs opposite the sofa, so his only option was to sit next to Miss Parker, which pleased him greatly. She was the image of poise and grace.
After a moment of awkward silence, Audrey asked, “You said you had good news? Would you care to elaborate?”
Jacob chastised himself for not having told them immediately. He’d been so busy gazing at Miss Parker that he hadn’t realized they were waiting anxiously to hear the news he brought.
“Forgive me for not telling you immediately. Mr. Haggerty has informed me about the estate’s finances and how they were affected by the bad harvest last year. I wanted to let you know that I’ve added a thousand pounds to your household account.”
“A thousand pounds!” Mia squealed, jumping up. “We’ll have treats again. I must go inform Mrs. Culbert,” she said, racing out of the room.
Grace stood. “Forgive my sister, my lord. She gets very excited sometimes. Your generosity is much appreciated. I’ll go check on Mia,” she said, curtseying and exiting the room.
“Does that please you, Miss Parker?” Jacob asked. He noticed her cheeks were quite rosy. Was she embarrassed or happy that he’d added funds to their account?
“Lord Fletcher, I find myself quite overwhelmed. That was extremely generous of you. We cannot thank you enough, but what happens next?”
“Next?”
“Yes. Do you plan on keeping the yearly allowance for your own use in the future?”
“What? No, of course not. I understand that the allowance is all the funds there are for you and your sisters to live on. Rest assured, I would never deprive you of that.”
“I see, but you must realize that everything pertaining to the estate now belongs to you, and I would not want to make any assumptions as to your future plans.”
Jacob was confused. He wasn’t receiving the reaction he had hoped for from Miss Parker. He’d thought she’d be pleased by his gesture, but she only had more questions for him.
“Miss Parker, have I offended you in some way? You seem upset with me.” This visit was slowly turning into a disaster. There was no smile from Miss Parker, but more of a controlled animosity. He hadn’t expected that. He had wanted her to be happy with the news, not more reserved than ever.
“I’m not upset with you, my lord. I’m merely trying to protect my sisters from any false expectations.”
“False expectations? What do you mean?”
“You’ve generously supplemented our income for now, but what of the future? I need to know so that I may plan accordingly. If this is to be a one-time donation, I’ll need to handle the funds carefully and make arrangements to find a paying position going forward.”
“I see.”
“What exactly do you see? Are you aware that I will risk what little standing my sisters and I have in Society if I secure a position? It is frowned upon for members of the aristocracy to work. So you see, this is a very important topic to me.”
“Frowned upon to work? It makes no sense to have an entire class of people who live off the hard work of others.”
“My lord, might I remind you that you are now a member of that class?”
Jacob sighed. English Society had many archaic rules, as far as he was concerned, and he did not choose to follow them. He had no intention of giving up his publishing business. He’d worked too long and hard to abandon it now. “I see I have a lot to learn about English Society. Perhaps you’d be willing to enlighten me on the finer details?”
“To what end, my lord? If you’ll be departing soon, there is no need to enlighten you about English customs,” Audrey said, her lips set in a grim line.
“Miss Parker, you seem to be forgetting that I’m now the legal guardian for you and your sisters. As such, it is my responsibility to take care of all of you. Mr. Haggertyinformed me you’re eligible to partake in a Season, and it will be my responsibility to vet any marriage proposals you might receive.”
“A Season? Surely you can’t be serious? You know nothing of our customs, nor how expensive a Season can be.”
“Miss Parker, you mustn’t concern yourself with the financial aspects of having a Season. I assure you, the funds are not a problem. If you wish to have one, then I will do what I can to make sure it is successful for you.”
“Why would you do that? You don’t know me, nor do you owe it to me to pay for a Season for me.”
“I owe you and your sisters my protection, and I take that responsibility very seriously. Would it please you to participate in a Season, Miss Parker?”
