“We suspected that would be the case,” his fatherresponded with a sigh, “but now we just have to bide our time until he gives up and leaves.”
“I do not think he will go quietly,” Winston said as he brought the glass to his lips.
His father nodded, a solemn expression on his face. “That is why Sarah is somewhere safe, where Isaac can’t get to her.”
“But what about Lord Wythburn and Miss Bawden?” Winston asked, his voice filled with worry. “I do not know why, but Isaac has decided to involve them in this.”
“I shall speak to Lord Wythburn about this tomorrow when we meet.”
Winston lowered the glass to his side and revealed, “I assigned a Bow Street Runner to watch over Lord Wythburn and his family.”
“Do you think that is necessary?” his father asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I do,” Winston responded firmly.
His father considered him for a moment before asking, “Dare I presume that the footman who interrupted us during dinner was a Bow Street Runner?”
Winston saw no reason to deny it. “He is,” he confirmed.
“How many more Bow Street Runners are in our household?” his father asked, his tone holding a hint of amusement.
Winston grinned. “Grady was the only one, and he served his purpose,” he replied. “In fact, he has come in handy a few times.”
His father closed the ledger in front of him, the sound echoing softly in the quiet room. “I am pleased that you directed White to hire additional footmen to stand guard. The more eyes we have to look out for Isaac, the better.”
Walking over to the settee, Winston sat down, the leather creaking under his weight. “We do have a problem.”
“Another one?” his father inquired, exasperation creeping into his voice.
Winston clenched his jaw. “Apparently, Isaac claimed thathe is residing at the Stewarts’ old cottage,” he revealed. “Is there any truth to that?”
“Well, Mr. Stewart did move out, but I did not realize that the cottage had been let out again. I shall have to speak to our man of business about this,” his father said, rising from his chair and walking to the window, looking out into the darkness.
“If Isaac is, in fact, renting out one of our cottages, we will need to evict him,” Winston stated, his voice steely with resolve.
His father winced. “That is easier said than done,” he replied. “If he has a contract?—”
“Forget the contract!” Winston shouted.
Coming to sit across from him, his father said in a calm voice, “We have only recently started to rebuild the trust with the villagers. If we evict him, it could spell trouble for us.”
“Are you somehow implying we let Isaac stay in the cottage, just a short distance away from Brockhall Manor?” Winston asked incredulously.
“All I am saying is that we need to be careful how we handle this,” his father advised. “We must proceed with caution and ensure that whatever action we take does not bring further harm or suspicion upon us.”
Winston leaned forward and placed his glass down onto the table. “I understand the legal implications of breaking a contract, but we can’t in good conscience let Isaac remain underfoot, not with Aunt Sarah being so close.”
His father rubbed his temples. “Perhaps we should revisit me paying Isaac off to leave Sarah alone.”
“That won’t solve anything,” Winston asserted. “He does not strike me as a man who will leave well enough alone.”
“What are we to do then?”
Winston turned his attention towards the crackling fire. “We do what you suggested. We bide our time and hope Isaac does not do anythingtoo stupid.”
His father huffed, settling back into his seat. “From what Sarah told me, he was constantly doing rather stupid things, especially when he was drunk.”
“Even if Isaac went to the constable, it would do him no good since Sarah is not residing with us,” Winston said. “I just do not like waiting.”
