“Right,” Clarke said, seemingly not affected by Gabriel’s snappish tone. “Which is why I came here. As far as I can tell, Clarence, you have done nothing to further our plan. Elizabeth remains firmly entrenched in her position, and any progress made has been entirely of my own doing.”
“Progress?” Gabriel turned to him with a raised eyebrow, and Clarke nodded proudly.
“Did you hear of Sir Hugo’s defection? That was me—all me!” he crowed. “In addition to the fact that I am a partner now, which I also did of my own accord. You have done nothing of any note.”
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s too much effort, Clarke. To be honest, I don’t really care for your schemes any longer, nor for you. Consider our agreement broken. Now, leave me be.”
He had reached his waiting carriage, and now he waved Clarke away as though he were brushing away a flea, but the man was just as persistent.
“You’ve fallen under her spell, haven’t you?”
Gabriel looked at him for the briefest of moments, a look that told Clarke he wanted nothing further to do with him.
“My cousin is a spider,” Clarke said, and Gabriel was taken aback at his vehemence. “I know you had good intentions at the beginning, to try to get closer to her, which I appreciate. We could use that. You must realize that she is weaving a web around you, drawing you in, bringing you to her side. I tell you, Clarence, you are better off without her. Escape from her clutches before she poisons you, I beg of you. Otherwise, you will be nothing but her prey.” He laughed suddenly. “Oh, I can see it now. You, one of the most powerful men in England, falling victim to my cousin, the Lady Elizabeth.”
He paused for a moment, obviously collecting his thoughts.
“Well, I will tell you this, Clarence. You have a choice. Come on board with me, or fall down along with Elizabeth. For I have no problems in telling the board of your deception to the bank.”
“That would be revealing your own ploys,” Gabriel said dryly.
“I am a favored son!” Clarke said, mockingly defending himself. They had come to a stop outside of Gabriel’s carriage, and Gabriel was loathe to board with Clarke so close in case the man should attempt to follow him and Gabriel would have to resort to physically removing him. Not that he wouldn’t do so, but he would prefer not to sully himself. “I am the grandson of their most revered patron. I will defend my cousin to no end, tell them all of how you have been manipulating her in order to get your hands on her fortune and the bank itself. It’s not the most far-fetched story, as I’m sure you are aware.”
“I hardly think they will believe that a duke with five manors and estates to call home would be so desperate as to marry a woman for her fortune.”
“Yes, but a man who enjoys power?” Clarke asked with a sly, knowing grin, “He can never have enough. And what speaks power more than control over one of the largest banks in all of England?”
With that, Clarke finally continued down the street, whistling a tune that made Gabriel want to run after him and shut the man’s mouth for him. But instead, he let out a growl of words that would not be fit for the ears of most company and hoisted himself into his carriage.
Gabriel vowed he would not let a man like Clarke question himself nor bring him down. He was not afraid of what others may think, nor whether they would believe Clarke—words such as his had never bothered Gabriel in the past, nor would they ever in the future.
No, what he was concerned of now was what Elizabeth would think if she found out about his pact with Clarke, as insincere as his own promise had been. For it would be his word against Clarke’s, and while he knew how much Elizabeth reviled her cousin, he also couldn’t deny that he had, in fact, made something of a promise to him.
Gabriel was well aware of what Elizabeth thought of his past manipulations, despite his best intentions. This would only solidify her stance to distrust him and deny him.
For once, Gabriel found himself in the thick of a situation from which he did not know how to extricate himself. And he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Two days later, Elizabeth was not in her best form for the partner’s meeting. She hadn’t heard from Gabriel since he had left her house after his proposition, nor had she expected him to reach out once more. She knew how proud he was, and after thinking on it, she realized that while he was angry, he was likely also hurt as well. She understood why, and it ate at her, knowing that she was the cause of his pain.
But this decision was one that would affect the rest of her life, and she couldn’t take it lightly.
As her boots hit the marble floor of the bank’s lobby, she managed a smile and a “good morning” for the clerks she passed along the way. Elizabeth had made a careful study of each of their names, a practice to which she knew her grandfather attributed the loyalty of his employees over the years, and one she vowed to continue.
Elizabeth had ensured she would arrive at least an hour before the first partner might venture through the doors. She knew her punctuality was, perhaps, slightly ridiculous, but by the same token, she couldn’t help the anxiety she felt whenever she thought she might be late—or later than her guest. Arriving before any others put her at ease, allowing her time to prepare herself for whatever was to come.
And there would certainly be much to come today.
Elizabeth took a seat behind her desk, reviewing the papers before her, the names and words she had carefully written out herself. In addition to Mr. Bates, the manager of the bank, she wanted to accolade one other clerk who had been with the company for many years, as she felt both men had showcased their loyalty and should be commended as well as rewarded. She had final say over the naming of the partners, but she hoped the remainder of the current partners would be in agreement.
And then there was the issue of Henry. Elizabeth was still unsure of how to best approach his removal. If she gave no reason for it, then it would seem there was discord within the Clarke family, which would be unsettling for the reassurance of the bank’s partners and clients. But she refused to provide the reason for Henry’s manipulation of Mr. Mortimer, for she had given her word to his family that she wouldn’t share his current struggles.
She sighed, reviewing the remainder of the agenda next to her, which included salaries as well as client accounts. She wasn’t looking forward to sharing the loss of a few of their key clients, nor did she have any new additions to provide as of yet.
And then there was Gabriel. Elizabeth thought of the ring he had left her. It was beautiful, of course. But more than that, she remembered seeing his mother wearing it years ago and knew the significance of him bringing it to give to her. Elizabeth hadn’t been able to help trying it on after he left. Once she had blinked away the flood of tears that threatened, she could see that it fit her perfectly, the firelight reflected off the diamonds to shine around the room. She admired it for a moment or two until she had to remove it in order to regain her wits and not make a decision based solely on emotion.
She wondered if Gabriel would attend today as she strode down the hallway, her head held high as she vowed to keep control of the meeting, no matter what Henry would challenge her on.
Elizabeth attempted to maintain some positivity when the partners arrived and the meeting finally commenced. The partners, at least, still looked to her as their leader, which she determined was promising.
Henry wasn’t in attendance, for which Elizabeth was both surprised and relieved. Nor, however, was Gabriel.
He wasn’t, that is, until ten minutes into the meeting.
Elizabeth halted mid-sentence as the door opened, emitting his imposing frame.
“My apologies,” he said, his eyes meeting each of the partners at the table before settling on her, a strange look within them. “I was tied up with other business.”
“Ah, I’m surprised you made it here at all, Clarence!” one of the partners, Mr. Donahue, said with a bit of a cackle. “A man like you has many important matters t
o which to attend.”
“Clarke & Co. remains one of those matters,” he said, taking a seat. “I can assure you of that.”
And just then, Henry strode through the doors, greeting them all as if he had arrived on time, taking a seat across from Elizabeth at the other end of the table.
“Lovely to see you all!” he said as though he were the one hosting, and Elizabeth gripped her pen so hard it nearly snapped. She was losing control, all thanks to these two men who had seemingly taken hold of her life, and she was not at all happy about it.
“Now that we are all here,” she said, her tone admonishing them without being overly critical—at least she hoped not, “Perhaps we can get on with business?”
“Of course, Elizabeth,” Henry said with his sly smile. “Is that not why we are all present today?”
She ignored him, continuing on with the discussion that would lead to her suggestion of new partners.
“I would like us to review the salaries of some of our key employees,” she said. “You have each been given copies of what they are currently making. I would suggest, in order to provide both rewards and incentives, that we slightly increase those who have been showing exemplary performance.”
A few heads began to nod around the table until Henry began to speak.
“And just where would these additional funds come from?” he asked.
“The bank has seen some growth in profits in the recent years,” she responded.
“Perhaps the partners would like to see these profits instead of employees!” he exclaimed, and then the heads that had been nodding at Elizabeth’s previous words began to pause as the partners contemplated what Henry said.
“We will all see increased profits, Henry, if our employees are content and working to increase the fortunes of the bank,” she said through gritted teeth, and she noted that the partners’ heads were turning back and forth between the two of them, awaiting each of their responses.
“That may be so, but they are already making a healthy sum compared with some of our competitors,” he countered.
“I would suggest that we stay ahead of our competitors instead of matching them.”
The two of them stared at one another, their gazes locked, until finally Henry smiled and waved a hand to her as if conceding.
“You are the senior partner, Elizabeth, so I suppose what you say will have to go anyway.”
Elizabeth didn’t miss some of the disgruntled looks around the table, and she knew what Henry was doing, making it look as though she were making poor decisions to which the rest of them would have to agree.
“This may be the case, however, I would like to have the support of the partners,” she said, her smile brittle. “Perhaps we should put it to a vote?”
Elizabeth’s suggestion narrowly passed, and she moved onto the next issue, after she had asked Mr. Bates to excuse them for a moment.
“As you are all aware, Mr. Larkin and Mr. Bates have been with Clarke & Co. for over twenty years now. They began in small roles, but have been promoted through the years and have proven both their loyalty as well as their competence. I would like to suggest that they are made partners in the bank, as it could only help grow the company.”
This statement was met with some contemplation on behalf of all the partners in attendance, and Elizabeth knew it was one area she may lose, but she had to try.
“More partners means a share of the partner revenue.” Henry was the first to speak across the table, and Elizabeth nodded, willing herself not show any sign of chagrin, for any emotion she displayed could be used against her.
“This is true,” she said, and keeping a pointed look at Henry, she continued. “Which is why my second suggestion is that we could hold their partnerships in lieu until we have room within our partnership group to include them.”
“Do you mean until one of us croaks?” asked one of the elderly partners, his eyes wide.
“No, Mr. Donahue,” Elizabeth said with the slightest of smiles, which she hoped was reassuring. “Until there is financial space to add them, or until one of the partners chooses to leave of his own accord.”
She returned her gaze to Henry, as though suggesting he be the first to do so, but he looked away from her.
“I have no issue with having them in the sidelines,” said Mr. Cartwright, and Elizabeth nodded, noting the response on the page in front of her.
“Although…” Henry spoke up from across the table, and Elizabeth inwardly groaned. Why could the man not keep his mouth closed? “Perhaps there is more advantage to be had from partners with connections. The Duke of Clarence, for example, has furthered our relations within the nobility. What could these two men do for us?”
“They would exemplify to other employees the merits of working hard for the bank. In addition, they would bring expertise and knowledge on the inner workings of our business,” she responded.
“Should that not be the role of the senior partner?” Henry challenged, and Elizabeth clenched her teeth so tightly that her jaw began to ache.
“It is a combined effort,” she finally said, and Henry nodded, in satisfaction this time, for he knew that he had won that round.
“On that note,” he said, “I would like to discuss some of our current—and former—clients.”
“That is the next topic on the agenda,” Elizabeth said. “Perhaps we could wait to conclude our current discussion?”
“Oh, I think it is all one,” Henry said. “Partners… clients… do they not go hand-in-hand?”
“All of the business of the bank could be considered to be of one entity,” Elizabeth said. “However, I find it more efficient to review one item at a time so that we do not become disorderly.”
“Oh, no one could ever suggest you, Lady Elizabeth, of being disorderly,” Henry said with a smile, as though he were complimenting her. “Since you have all in order, perhaps you could share what has happened to one of our largest clients, the shipping baron, Sir Hugo? He was a significant account, both personally and commercially. It is a shame he has left.”
“Sir Hugo has left?” asked another partner, Mr. Lang, and Elizabeth felt rather than saw discontent beginning to rise around the table.
“Yes,” she said, cutting through the murmurings surrounding her. “Sir Hugo has decided to bank elsewhere, unfortunately. However, I am diligently working on securing clients of equal wealth and status in his place.”
“If Sir Hugo has left, have any others as well?” asked Sir Gray.
“Only a few small clients.”
“Have we replaced them?”
“Not yet.”
The murmuring intensified, and Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to rise out of her chair and run from the room. Her grandfather had taught her many things but never had he instructed her on how to handle a group of unruly men.
Although… her governess had taught her how to handle children, for her mother had hoped that Elizabeth would have a great deal of them. Elizabeth had been fighting the fact that she was a woman, but perhaps, now, she could use it in order to aid herself.
Elizabeth pushed back her chair, clasped her hands in front of her, and stood, waiting for them all to notice her. Finally, a few of the men observed that she was standing, and hastily moved to do so as well, for one should never permit a lady to stand while he remained sitting—whether said lady be the senior partner or not.
In a few moments, they had all risen, awaiting her next movement.
She smiled, enjoying the fact that there was some power that came from being a woman.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” she said. “Now, within the pages in front of you is a listing of our largest clients and the status of their accounts. As you can see, I have confirmed with most of them that they will be remaining with the bank. It is to be expected that my grandfather’s death has caused change, and I am well aware that the fact that I am a woman may cause some concern. However, I am sure that you can all attest to the fact that I have proven my abil
ity thus far, and am committed to this bank. There are many potential clients I have been meeting with who are interested in coming aboard. I would ask all of you during this time of transition to put the bank’s interest first and also be on the hunt for anyone who would like to bring their business to Clarke & Co.”
She sat now, and the rest of them followed suit.
“I do have one question, Elizabeth,” said Henry, of course. “You say you are dedicated to the bank, but what happens when you marry? Then we will have yet another face, another transition, and perhaps the loss of more clients.”
“Perhaps I will not marry,” she said, refusing to look at Gabriel as she did so. “Or perhaps I will, but then I will maintain my current position. I am the head of this bank, and you must all understand that.”
They seemed appeased by her proclamation, and Elizabeth finally allowed herself to meet Gabriel’s eyes. His expression told her nothing, although she knew those eyes well enough to sense that they looked… haunted. Contemplative. Unsure.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said finally, unable to take the scrutiny any longer. “We will return to some of these matters at our next meeting in four weeks’ time. Good day.”
And with that, they began to file out. Elizabeth herself escaped before the lot of them. It was unlike her, but she had no wish to be left alone with Gabriel. Not now, not yet.
But as she entered her office, she heard a step behind her, and she knew she had no choice.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You did well in there.”
“Congratulations, I see you have found your voice.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath after hearing the bitterness within her tone. She must ensure she remained calm and composed, despite the fact that inside she was still churning with anger. She was frustrated over her lack of control and seething over the fact that Henry had managed to not only undermine her credibility but to also cause damage to the bank. She wasn’t succeeding in properly protecting the bank, as she had vowed to do when her grandfather passed it onto her, and that caused a great deal of guilt to fill her.
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