Page 10 of Discovering Her Earl

“Fine. I will accept.” He glanced around hoping that if he agreed quickly, they could move on with their task and get off the street before they were assaulted. Even someone of his size and stature was unnerved.

“Good. We have much to do before we leave. You need to be fitted with the proper tools and such. I am here to assist.”

Julian silently wished Lord Darlington would have accompanied him on this mission rather than his salty niece. It was clear she saw their outing as a punishment. But it didn’t seem fair that he be punished as well.

Still, he followed her into a nearby shop without a word.

“Good day, Mr. Davies, my friend is in need of some tools for our next dig. We will be leaving in a week which won’t give us time for any custom instruments.”

“Not to worry, miss. I always keep a few extras of what you need on hand in case you come calling.”

“Smart man.” She tapped her temple and waited for the man to pull a few things from behind the counter.

Julian knew he was already in danger of being expelled from the expedition, for he didn’t know the names of these items let alone know how to use them.

She picked up a few of the items and weighed them in her grip for a moment before moving on to the next tool.

She waved him over. “Which of these handles feels more comfortable?” She held the item out with the wooden handle facing him. Actually, she pointed it toward his hand. His left hand.

How could she have known?

Rather than make a big deal over the matter, he simply gripped the two options and made his selection.

For a moment, he thought she might select the one he didn’t prefer instead of the one he did, but after the smallest hesitation, she placed his choice to one side with a few other items she’d already selected. A number of brushes and an item he knew to be a small pick.

He’d purchased many of them over the years for his mines, so he knew what they were at least.

When she seemed satisfied with her pile of items, she nodded to the man.

“And a box to hold everything.”

“Very well. Do I send the bill to Darlington House?”

“No. Lord Mel-villain—apologies, Melville will see to the bill.”

He let out a breath and nodded in agreement before taking the wooden box with the integrated handle and following her out of the shop.

If he hadn’t already been sure her slip of the tongue with his name was intentional, the smug smile on her lips would have proven it. And for a moment too long he stared at those lips. The tiny freckle that rested on the bow of her upper lip. It seemed to be taunting him.

He cleared his throat and looked away as if anything else was more interesting.

When his mind had cleared somewhat, he recalled the other thing she’d said to the shop owner. The matter of the bill for the tools.

If he was facing the loss of his mines, he didn’t need additional bills. While he had made peace with the fact he would marry someone proper to meet his father’s requirements, there was no guarantee his version of proper would meet his father’s conditions.

That would be the worst possible scenario, to submit to his father’s plans only to still lose everything. His father must be having a great laugh at how well he’d managed to contort his only son to do his bidding.

Well, Julian wasn’t shackled yet. Until the time came, he would enjoy every moment of his freedom. So long as he didn’t get his throat slit in the dregs of London where she was leading him to another shop close by.

This one was a tailor, though not for evening clothes. The finest thing the man had in his window was a solid, blue waistcoat made from a sturdy fabric rather than the silk one Julian was currently wearing. Everything else seemed to have been made for a purpose beyond that of avoiding dances at society balls.

“You’ll want loose-fitting clothing to allow movement,” Miss Bantham explained.

It felt rather odd having a woman helping him with his clothing. Perhaps even intimate. When Julian selected a wife, would she accompany him to the tailor?

Miss Bantham looked him up and down, no doubt assessing his size, but he felt an undercurrent of excitement at being the object of her appraisal. He also felt as if he had been given the right to appraise her right back.

She was tall, which he’d known already, but now that she was standing so close, he was able to see exactly how tall she was. Taller than any other woman he’d ever known.