‘I must inquire why you have been assigned to such a task, rather than the proper authorities,’ the baron said.
Drake leaned forward to defend her actions, but Meridith was already responding.
‘I am here as a representative of the zoo,’ she said. ‘As you know, I not only volunteer there regularly, but also, Mr Taylor and I spent numerous hours searching for, finding, and returning Hugo to his enclosure. Furthermore, I’ve informed the police that if we are able to settle this matter this morning, the zoo and park will not be pressing charges.’
Drake bit back a smile, because she had done exactly what she’d said she would, with just as much confidence as she’d displayed then.
The baroness gasped. ‘Charges?’ Turning to her husband, she said, ‘Alfred.’
‘The police made no mention of charges,’ Alfred said.
‘That was before the extent of the damage was known,’ Meridith said, opening the cover of her pad of paper. ‘They include the zoo’s main gate, several flower beds, hedges, lawns, and trees, at the park, and a large vat of wine from the public house.’
‘What is the amount?’ the baron asked. ‘I will have a bank draft issued.’
Drake had been amazed by her before, but right now, Meridith’s calm demeanor and unwavering resolve were truly impressive. She had not only taken control of a delicate situation, but also managed to come up with a solution that involved everyone taking responsibility.
‘I’m afraid that you paying for the damages will not teach the boys that they need to be responsible for their own actions. They are almost grown and need to understand that everything cannot be solved by money alone. Of course, that is my opinion, but I do believe it is the appropriate one in this circumstance. While I am aware that a boy as young as your son would not have the funds needed to provide the restitution, nor do I believe a boy of his age should be working at a public house—’ Meridith paused momentarily to glance at the baroness, who had gasped.
Drake noted how white the baroness had turned, clearly unsettled, but Meridith’s unwavering confidence left little room for argument.
‘Please continue,’ the baron said.
‘I have obtained permission from the zoo and the park to offer your son a fair wage so he can earn the full amount due to the zoo, park, and tavern.’
‘Doing what?’ the baroness asked.
‘Gardening at the park and cleaning at the zoo,’ Meridith supplied. ‘Due to the fact that he didn’t share who the other boys were with him, I have calculated the amount of time it will take him to earn the money. However, that will be cut in thirds when we discover the identity of the other two boys.’
‘It was two of our sons and their cousin who is staying with us during their school holiday,’ the baron said.
‘Very well, then,’ Meridith said, while quickly making changes to the figures on her notepad. She then removed the sheet of paper and handed it the baron. ‘Here are the numbers. You can see what they will earn in comparison to the costs of damage. It is all listed there. How long is their school holiday?’
‘Three weeks,’ the baron replied.
Meridith nodded. ‘Then they will still have a few days of leisure before they need to return to school.’ She lifted another sheet of paper from her tablet. ‘This is their schedule. They can report to the park gardener tomorrow morning. His name is listed at the top.’
‘Alfred,’ the baroness said, still a pasty shade of white. ‘What will we tell people?’
The baron had shown nearly no emotion, until now. Drake recognized admiration filling the man’s eyes as he smiled at Meridith.
‘We will tell people that our sons are paying retribution for their actions,’ the baron said. ‘Which is exactly how it should be. I applaud you, Lady Meridith, for your insight and your fortitude. I also admire you. Those are rare qualities in a woman as young as you, and I believe your father would be very proud of you.’
Sitting beside her on the sofa, Drake reached over and gave Meridith’s elbow a soft squeeze.
‘Thank you,’ Meridith replied to the baron. ‘I do hope he would be proud of me. The zoo was very special to my mother.’
The baron held up the paper she had given him. ‘The boys will report to work tomorrow morning, and they will complete every hour of this schedule. They will learn a valuable lesson from this about responsibility, as well as other things, including the value of a day’s labor. People are often defined by what they do, but what we don’t do is also important. I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t thought of handling the issue this way. Thereto, you have taught me a valuable lesson. I appreciate that.’ Shifting his gaze to Drake, the baron added, ‘Thank you, too, Captain Taylor.’
Drake shook his head. ‘The credit all goes to Lady Meridith. I, like you, have learned a lesson from her actions.’
In truth, it was more than that. The admiration and respect he held for her had transformed into something more substantial, something that made his heart quicken and desires flare. Had the soft squeeze he had given her earlier been more than just a gesture of support? Had it been an expression of his burgeoning feelings? The ones that had his thoughts tied in knots?
He didn’t know. All he knew for certain was that she had changed something inside of him.
Just as she’d discovered what it meant to be walking around with her head in the clouds, Meridith now knew what it meant to feel as if she was walking on air. The happiness inside her was so great, she couldn’t say if her feet were touching the ground or not, nor did she care. Not only had the baron agreed to her proposal, he’d been impressed by it.
‘Congratulations,’ Drake said, as they once again climbed into his coach.
