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Better to be safe than sorry, and what could be safer than this three-story house across town? There were no plump women with big eyes and a cute snub nose lurking around these parts for her to lust after. This was her best bet to put the kiss behind her.
“We shall lease it,” she announced, and began to settle the fee with the banker.
“For how long, Miss Reeve?” he enquired.
This was an establishment meant to rent out to visitors. It wasn’t permanent. Where would they end up? When would they have a true home again? Her heart hammered as the future loomed ahead of her, full of so many unknowns.
“I suppose for the summer.”
“I recommend month by month,” Mr. Taylor said. “It gives you flexibility to make your decisions.”
“Yes—and that means we could decide to remove to London on a moment’s notice!” Jacob exclaimed.
London? Caroline felt dizzy. Everything was happening so fast.
Mr. Taylor laughed. “Hardly London, my boy, not in these months. The stinking heat of the city, the tedium as everyone is out at their estates, or places like this—you ought to be grateful that you grew up here. Many pay good coin to spend their leisure hours here.”
Jacob muttered that he was indeed grateful.
“Well,” Caroline said, striving for some modicum of control again. “Now we have lodgings. I suppose next we need servants, and food for the larder.”
“And to arrange a housewarming party,” Jacob said brightly. “The parlor is large enough for dancing, is it not?”
“That it is. You also need new clothes to match your station,” Mr. Taylor said, grinning at Jacob. “I can’t take you to White’s wearing what you’ve got on now. You need the best of everything, my boy. We should go to London and set you up—all of you,” he said, turning to Caroline. He put up his hands as she started to protest. “For a visit, mind! I am not suggesting removing to the capital.”
“Inverley will do well enough for us,” she said, ignoring Jacob’s hiss of displeasure. “We need no London fashions.”
Of course they needed a new wardrobe. She didn’t like to admit that Mr. Taylor was right, yet again.
“You say that now, but the cream of society has not yet descended from London, and you will be mixing with them soon,” he warned. “You may well change your mind.”
“If I do, then we shall arrange a trip to London later. No need to do it now.”
“I can see you are an intelligent young lady, unlike so many who I have encountered in London and elsewhere. Many such young ladies, ill-educated and ill-informed, enjoy a man guiding them. But I can tell you are no such young miss, are you? Forgive me, I should have behaved better.” His eyes were warm and sincere.
“That’s how Caroline is,” Jacob said dismissively. “She is always trying to tell us what to do.”
Mr. Taylor narrowed his eyes, and the warmth was gone in an instant. “Miss Reeve is your eldest sister, and from what I can tell, she has done an excellent job in raising you. You ought to respect her authority, whelp.”
Jacob wilted under his stare, and Caroline felt a little more charitably inclined toward Mr. Taylor. Perhaps he was not so pompous after all.
When Caroline and Jacob returned to Belvoir Lane, Jacob shouted out their news as soon as they were within the door.
The family was gathered in the kitchen. Maisie was stirring soup in the cauldron over the fire for dinner, and there was leftover cake on the table.
“You’re going to get chocolate all down your sleeve,” Caroline warned Betsy, nudging her elbow off the table.
Betsy tossed her hair. “Will it matter? We cannot keep wearing these rags now that we have riches.”
Caroline drew in a deep breath and took in the scene before her. Betsy was wearing her bonnet indoors and at the table, which she liked to do on occasion because she thought it made her look fetching. Susan was idly picking at a broken nail. Will and George were punching each other in the arm as they fought over the last of the cake.
Poor table manners.
Poor attitudes.
Ill-fitting and old-fashioned clothing.
Thiswas the family that now had a fortune to its name? They would be barred from every respectable drawing room in the land, let alone the assembly room and the promenades of Inverley.
