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Pierce caught her elbow. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. But I need not hear of my father’s temper. I’ve experienced it firsthand. And I am eager to pursue that other matter we spoke of.”
“Fine.” Pierce nodded his understanding.
“Good day, Mr. Hollingsby.” Daphne gathered up her skirts. “ ’Twas a pleasure to see you again.”
“And you, Daphne.” Hollingsby watched her go, then turned back to Pierce. “I hope I didn’t unnerve her.”
“You didn’t. But it’s just as well that she not be involved. I don’t want Daphne upset in any way, especially now.”
“Now?”
A tender smile touched Pierce’s lips. “Daphne is carrying my child.” Abruptly, he cut off Hollingsby’s anticipated response. “And if you so much as mention that bloody codicil I’ll have you thrown out.”
“I didn’t plan to.” With a flicker of surprise, the solicitor studied Pierce’s face. “You love your wife a great deal.”
“A great deal.”
“It’s obvious she feels the same. You’re a lucky man, Thornton.”
“Very lucky. Daphne’s love is the most precious of gifts, one I intend to pass on to our child. He’ll be part of a home, with both a mother and father who want him. Never will he be forced to struggle for survival, nor will he know the futility of abandonment.”
“And if he is a she?”
Pierce grinned. “Then I’ll probably spoil her shamelessly, especially if she resembles her mother.”
“I’m delighted for you. May the future more than make up for all the past has denied you.”
“Up until recently, I would have claimed that to be impossible. But now, since Daphne,” Pierce shook his head in wonder, “I’m starting to believe in tomorrow, in happiness, even in prayers.”
“Is that why you’re working so hard to answer Lady Tragmore’s?”
Instantly, Pierce’s smile vanished. “No. In Elizabeth’s case, I’m determined to free her from a man I know to be a monster.”
“Tragmore detests you as much as you do him. Oh, he was irate when I terminated our business association. More so when I brought up the divorce. But he became livid when I mentioned your name, though he did his best to hide it.” Hollingsby chuckled. “I truly think he was restraining himself from striking me.”
“I expected something of the kind.”
“You have quite a history together, I gather.”
“You gather correctly.” Pierce cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I missed that meeting we’d scheduled for last week. Have you any preliminary information for me regarding the divorce?”
Hollingsby frowned thoughtfully. “When I received your note saying you had left Benchley directly after the ball and were home, ill and too weak to travel to London, I met with Colby, the barrister I engaged, alone. He’s now fully apprised of the situation. I’ve brought you a list of his fees and an outline of the procedure he suggested.” Extracting several sheets of paper from his portfolio, Hollingsby offered them to Pierce. “Your illness must have been a brief one,” he added casually. “You look in perfect health.”
“Hmm?” Pierce was scanning the documents. “Oh, I’m feeling fit as ever. Evidently, something I ate at Benchley severely upset my system. It took several days for me to recover.” He raised his head. “Incidentally, did you bring a draft for the past week’s allocated allowance?”
“I did.” Hollingsby withdrew the requisite check. “Why? Are you short of funds?”
A corner of Pierce’s mouth lifted. “Fear not, my friend. As you well know, I’ve sent my father’s assets soaring. I merely intend to transfer the sum to some workmen I’ve hired. I’m investing in a business undertaking of Daphne’s.”
“That’s quite a vast amount to contribute to workmen. What is this undertaking?”
“My kindhearted wife plans to supervise the installation of a new roof on her village schoolhouse, one that will sustain the winter. Then, come spring, she intends to finance the construction of a whole new schoolhouse. As you can see,” Pierce indicated Markham’s classroom with a grand sweep of his arm, “education for those who can’t afford it means a great deal to Daphne. The reason I need the bank draft now is that my impatient duchess is determined to begin overseeing the new roof’s installation within the week.”
“How benevolent of her and of you.” Hollingsby regarded him pensively. “ ’Tis rare to see such generosity.”
Pierce shrugged, wincing a bit at the resulting stab of pain that shot through his shoulder, alerting him to the fact that he had overtaxed the wound after all. “I enjoy helping those who cannot help themselves. It gives purpose to the hell I endured.” He returned to his reading.
