Page 28 of The Devil’s Submission

Lady Brimley scowled. “This is just plain disrespectful.”

“I would have thought taking money from a school far worse,” mused Eliza. “But in any case, you will only receive the draft if you agree to the conditions and sign a contract that I prepared. The day of reckoning is here, Mother.”

“Eliza! How dare you speak to me in such a tone. The insolence. And in front of Lord Grayson.”

“I didn’t hear any insolence,” said Grayson. “Did you, Upton?”

The viscount shook his head, his face a study of polite blankness. “Not a word.”

“Well,” Lady Brimley spluttered. “Well—”

“As I was saying,” said Eliza, the knowledge she had the unwavering support of her husband and brother-in-law, if needed, boosting her confidence higher. “There are certain conditions you must meet to save the academy. Firstly, the books shall be audited by Grayson on a quarterly basis.”

Her mother nodded reluctantly. “Of course.”

“Secondly, a board of governors will be appointed. Lord Upton will chair this board for the next five years and will be paid an annual sum of twenty thousand pounds to do so.”

The viscount inhaled sharply, shock and something that looked very much like hope in his eyes, warring with pride. “My lady?”

Eliza smiled. “It’s just as we discussed, my lord. Apart from the payment. I thought your suggested amount was most inadequate, and my husband concurred. Tell him, Grayson.”

“You’ll be an excellent chair, Upton. Honorable and trustworthy. Such a position and service must be compensated appropriately,” said Grayson, nodding solemnly.

“Indeed it must,” said Lady Brimley, her eyes gleaming. “And perhaps I—”

“No,” said Eliza, the word dropping like a cannonball into the room. “You will have no access to academy funds. By the by, your stipend will be two hundred pounds annually.”

“That is outrage—”

“You will be patron in name only, Mother. For public events and so forth.”

“What?” Lady Brimley screeched, her cheeks taking on a most unbecoming plum hue.

Eliza coughed to disguise a laugh. Thank heavens none of the Delightful, Decorous, and Demure could see her now; this was becoming almost enjoyable.

“I am not finished,” she continued. “Thirdly, the curriculum of this finishing school, and indeed the purpose and heart of it, will be decided by the board. Let me make it plain that the Delightful, Decorous, and Demure nonsense will not continue. The young ladies who graduate from here will be accomplished, strong of character, instilled with a sense of belief in themselves and their abilities, and not under any circumstances will they be encouraged to marry a man they do not have a connection of the heart with. It is 1814. It is time for a more modern outlook.”

Lady Brimley swooned, delicately sliding from her chair and ending up in a perfectly arranged heap on the ground.

“I think,” said Grayson, raising one eyebrow, “that she took that rather well.”

Eliza sank back onto her own chair, incredulous she’d finally said the words. Her head was spinning, but it felt as though the heaviest of loads had been lifted from her shoulders. “Give her two to three minutes; her fainting spells never last longer than that. It’s in the rule book.”

“Duly noted. By the by, my dear, what a speech. If I had a hat, I would take it off to you.”

“Are the two of you in earnest?” said Lord Upton with a small frown. “I want no charity. That is an excessively large sum of money to chair a governance board.”

“Except you have to deal with my mother,” said Eliza wryly. “In which case you will earn every penny. And you never know, perhaps in the course of your time here, you might meet a young lady who suits admirably well. I cannot guarantee, er, Saucy, Sinful, and Seductive though.”

“More’s the pity.”

Grayson burst out laughing. “You’ll be hunted like a fox, brother. On second thought, twenty thousand might not be enough.”

A soft groan sounded from the floor, and they quieted as Lady Brimley made a performance of sitting up and rubbing her elbow. “You’re all still here. And not one of you rushed to my assistance.”

“We were quite certain you would survive, Mother,” said Eliza, rolling her eyes. “And you haven’t signed the contract yet.”

“I will not sign the beastly thing.”