Prudence cocked her head to the side. “Why? I’m a very capable person, and a widow besides.”
“It isn’t about your reputation or your money, Prudence. It’s about your heart. You’re pragmatic yes, tough as boot nails, yes, but you care for people, Prudence. That’s what you do. I don’t think you know how to not care for someone, even strangers on the street. So guard your heart, and guard it well.”
Prudence looked down at her teacup, Eleanor’s words sinking in hard.
“Besides, can you imagine what Justine would do if she thought you might be heartbroken?” Eleanor asked.
They both looked up to see Justine poking aggressively at the sketchbook paper as Ophelia made adjustments. Prudence and Eleanor giggled, which made Justine look up.
“I beg your pardon,” Justine demanded.
Eleanor shook her head and Prudence kept laughing, her heart fuller and fuller. “I admire you Justine, more than you know.”
At that, the girl smiled back, her dimples deep and becoming. She might not be in Minnesota, or even on the American continent, but she had family. These women would take her in no matter what she did, and there was comfort in that. She would do the same for them in a heartbeat.
*
THE WEEKS WITHPrudence had turned into months, and still he could not break his obsession with her. All morning he’d been in a lather trying to forget Prudence for at least one minute. Her taste, her smell, her skin had been occupying his mind on a loop—an obsession he couldn’t shake. Finally, he’d taken himself inhand, almost rubbed himself raw, coming quickly into a rag. A poor substitute for what his mind had suggested.
“An ‘Eyeball’ here to see you, sir,” the footman announced without blinking.
Leo gritted his teeth. He was just now able to focus. And now here was this idiot coming to waste his time.
Leo threw his pen down. “Fine. Show him in.” Leo stood, straightening his waistcoat. He was behind in his work thanks to his errant brain.
Not long after, the bulky form of Eyeball occupied the space in front of him.
“Leo,” he said, tipping his head in gracious acknowledgment.
“Eyeball. To what do I owe this honor?” Leo gestured to the seat across from his desk, and both men sat.
“I heard the strangest thing at the club last night. You’ll never guess.”
Leo waited, as patient as he could feign.
“Guess.”
“You just told me that I would never, so I won’t, thank you.” Leo gave a pinched grimace, the best he could do for a polite smile.
“You have absolutely lost all your interest in fun, Leo. It’s positively depressing.”
Leo raised his eyebrows, hoping to urge the man to continue.
“I was told that I had come in secret to your house for those investing lessons I’d asked you for.”
Drat his mother for being such a gossip.
“And here I was, assuming you’d brushed me off completely. But no, there’s at least a rumor connecting our names over the very topic I had hoped we might engage in.” Eyeball bit his lip, showing off the top row of straight white teeth. “Of course, I would want to inquire as to why this untruth was abound, butrather than that, I thought I owed it to you to come here and tell you the gossip of the day.”
“Is that all?” Leo asked. He was angry now, but it was his own fault, his own stupidity. His mother could keep secrets if she needed to—but he had not been explicit about this being a secret. So she’d told. Or perhaps one of their servants had overheard and mentioned it somewhere. It didn’t really matter who the culprit was. The deed was done.
Eyeball gave him a wink, flashing that one green eye. “Of course not. I will gladly keep my mouth shut and not deny these charges on one condition.”
“Do you feel that you are in a position to blackmail me?” Leo frowned. Truthfully, he could be in that position. Leo didn’t want to contemplate a second intricate lie he would have to construct to cover up this one. And the quintessential axiom about lying is to keep it close to the truth.
“Blackmail?” Eyeball scoffed. “No. Both of us getting what we want. I get investment advice, and you get whatever it was that you needed by telling people we’d met up in secret.”
Leo stared at him, not moving. He was thinking.
