“A letter?” he asked in clear shock. “A letter for me? Who’d be writing to me?”
Juliet smiled as she turned and walked away from him, taking the smallest of steps. “It is a letter of great importance. I know I should not have read it, but I did. I must say, you are a very fortunate man.”
Daniel hurried to her side. “Can you tell me what it said?” he asked, much like a small child receiving a gift who is unable to wait to open it to learn its contents.
She put away her grin and gave a dramatic sigh before turning to look at him. “I will make a deal with you,” she said. She waited for him to nod his agreement before continuing. “I will bring the letter tomorrow, and you may do with it as you wish.”
“But I can’t read!” he exclaimed in frustration.
She raised a single eyebrow. “Then perhaps you should not throw a fit like a child and return to your stool so we are able to continue your lesson.”
Daniel’s eyes widened and then he laughed. “You’re a very good teacher,” he said before returning to the table. He sat back down and looked up at her from his low perch. “Thank you.”
She pretended to give a haughty sniff. “You are most welcome,” she replied as she also retook her seat. “Next time if you act as such, there shall be no sweets for you for a week!” She pointed her finger as she said this, which made them both laugh. The sound of his laughter was so sweet it made her heart happy, and she wished to hear it again.
She did not have to wait long. “I’ll write a letter to my parents and tell them how mean the headmistress is,” he said, which made them both laugh once more. He shook his head. “I’m only teasing. I could never speak an ill word against you.”
“And nor could I you,” Juliet said. In times past, she would have used this time to speak about her life or perhaps tell a tale. However, now she realized that the joy in helping Daniel was far better than those things. “Now, back to this letter. F.”
“F,” he repeated.
As the candle burned lower, Juliet continued her lesson, repeating the same words over and over again. Soon, enough time had passed and she did not want to overwhelm the man. “You are learning far faster than I ever did,” she said. “I am very proud of you. My guess is that, by summer, you shall be reading.”
“That would be wonderful,” Daniel said as if she had told him he would be moving into the great house where he would be a part of the family. “Knowing how to read’ll be helpful when I leave for the North.” He set a few tools on the table he had removed for their lesson. He stopped and looked down. “I’ll miss you, Miss Juliet,” he whispered.
“And I will miss you,” she said, fighting back tears. “Might I make a request?”
He looked up at her with an earnest eye. “Anything.”
“Address me as simply Juliet.”
He cocked his head to the side and stared at her for a moment, and she found herself wishing to shift in his gaze. “I’ll do that only because you requested it. And only when we’re doing our lessons. I don’t want Lady Lambert to be angry with me.”
She gave a relieved sigh. When had she begun to hold her breath? “And we shall not speak of you leaving,” she added. “You never know; perhaps you will wish to remain here by the time May comes around.” The thought of visiting the stables and finding Daniel gone made her heart clench.
“Maybe. It doesn’t matter, really. It’s still a long time away and I mightn’t have enough money.” He shrugged.
“If funds are an issue,” Juliet said, “then I shall ask Mother to dock your wages so you will never leave.”
Daniel laughed. “You’d do that?” he asked in mock consternation.
Juliet nodded. “In fact, I mean to tell her tonight. Right now!” She turned as if to leave, but he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into him. Her heart beat faster than it ever had in her life, and she knew he was going to kiss her. Juliet closed her eyes in expectation, parted her lips just so, and whispered. “It is all right.”
“Juliet!”
Annabel’s harried voice had Juliet and Daniel both taking several steps back from one another.
“Juliet, your mother is coming!”
If her heart had been pounding before, it struck her sternum so hard she worried it would jump out of her chest. They scrambled to their stools, Daniel shoving the tools he had set out to the side, and looked over the book they had been studying before.
Annabel joined them, leaning over with her elbows on the table as if she had been watching them all along, and when Juliet heard her mother’s footsteps, she said, “Very good.” She closed the book. “That is enough for this evening. You are doing well, and I believe that, if you keep studying, you will continue to improve.”
“Thank you, Miss Juliet,” Daniel replied. “I’ll practice as you’ve suggested.”
Juliet gave him a nod and then turned to see her mother standing in the doorway. “Mother,” Juliet said as if she had been startled by the woman’s sudden appearance, “I did not realize you were there.”
Her mother gave her a smile. “I only just arrived.” She waited for Juliet and Annabel to join her, and the trio began the long trek through the main corridor. “How go the lessons?”
“They are going well,” Juliet said. They stepped outside where the stars shone in the dark cloudless sky and the moon cast its glow upon the walls of Scarlett hall. “He is learning quickly, and Annabel and I are enjoying tutoring the man.”
When they reached the steps to the front door, her mother stopped and asked, “Have you made arrangements to call on Caroline on Tuesday next?”
Juliet worried her lower lip. “She will not be home,” she said, although, with her mind on her lessons with Daniel, the truth was she had forgotten to send a card. Then an idea came to her. “Annabel and I shall go riding.”
Her mother nodded. “Have Cook pack you a basket and make it a day of adventure and fun.”
Juliet studied her mother. What had brought on this sudden urgency to have them gone? It had been tradition for so long, with few Tuesdays gone unchanged, but now her mother was insistent in her request. “If you wish to be rid of us, might I suggest sending us to Paris?” She and Annabel giggled, but her mother did not.
“Goodnight, girls,” she said.
Annabel glanced at Juliet before they followed Juliet’s mother into the house. “Your mother,” Annabel whispered, “I worry about her. I have seen her change over the last year, and although I may be mistaken, it seems to have worsened as of late.”
Juliet nodded. “I fear the same,” she replied as she watched her mother continue to the drawing room. “First, we are to stay away from the cobbler, and then we are told to return to him. Then she makes a fuss over something to which I have been accustomed for as long as I can remember.” She shook her head.
When they arrived at Juliet’s room, Annabel asked, “What are we to do now? I am not ready to go to bed.”
“We are not old women,” Juliet replied with a wide grin. She walked over to the large trunk at the foot of her bed and opened the lid, from which she produced a bottle of brandy. “We are young and therefore going to celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?” Annabel asked, her grin as wide as Juliet’s.
That Daniel wishes to kiss me.”
***
Early in the afternoon on Monday, Juliet and Annabel headed to Rumsbury. Although Juliet had promised her mother she would keep Annabel at her side whenever she went to see Robert, she knew when she made that promise that the chances of her keeping it were unlikely. Furthermore, Annabel wished to visit the millinery, and Juliet had no interest in looking at new hats, not with so much to tell Robert.
The bell over the door tinkled lightly as Juliet entered the shop. She paused after closing the door behind her when she saw Miss Teresa Finch speaking with Robert at the back counter. The woman was much older than Juliet and unmarried, although as Juliet looked at her unflattering yellow dress, it was no wonder. The color
made the woman’s skin look jaundiced and did little to brighten her dull gray eyes.
Robert and Miss Finch were in a quiet conversation, and Robert was whispering in the woman’s ear when he looked at Juliet and winked. This relieved the bit of jealousy that threatened to overtake Juliet, for the man was her friend and certainly not that of Miss Finch! The woman was an arrogant and nosy gossip who always intruded in everyone else’s business. Why the ton allowed the woman the dignity of invitations was beyond Juliet’s understanding, but for some reason she received just as many as Juliet did.
Clearing her throat, Juliet approached the counter, and the two broke their secret gathering.
Miss Finch turned and gave Juliet a bright smile. “Miss Lambert,” the woman said in her nasally voice that always grated on Juliet’s nerves, “I see that your foot has healed. Your mother told me that you fell?” The way the woman asked was as if Juliet’s suffering brought her great delight.
“I did fall,” Juliet replied. “The doctor believed I would never be able to walk again, and yet, here I am defying the best scientific thought.”
Miss Finch covered a snort with a light cough, and Robert walked around the counter to join them. He wore a well-fitted coat that was most definitely new, which told Juliet that business was going well.
“Ah, Miss Juliet,” he said with a bow. “It is an honor to have you in my shop once again.”
The frown that Miss Finch wore pleased Juliet greatly.
“Thank you, Robert,” Juliet replied. “I was hoping to speak to you, but I can always return later when you and Miss Finch have completed whatever business you are conducting.”
“There is no reason to leave,” Miss Finch said. “Robert, I shall speak with you soon.” She gave Juliet an overly-sweet smile before leaving, and Juliet stared at the door that closed behind the woman.
Why had she addressed Juliet’s friend by his Christian name? And about what could the woman possibly wish to speak to Robert that she could not discuss in Juliet’s presence? It was not as if purchasing a new pair of shoes was a private matter.
“She is trouble,” Juliet warned Robert. “You would be best to keep your distance from her. Her gossip and tales are an embarrassment to her family and friends.”
Robert laughed. “She may be those things, but I have wonderful news to share with you.” The man’s face lit up, and Juliet could not help but smile. “Miss Finch is also investing in the shop. Her family is quite wealthy, and she receives a hefty allowance.”
Juliet’s smile faded. “Oh, that is wonderful,” she said, attempting to keep her disappointment from her voice. Reaching into her reticule, she produced a single note. “I was able to get extra funds this week. I am able to procure more if need be. I do not want Miss Finch to own more than I.”
Robert smiled as he took the note and slipped it into his coat pocket. “Do not worry about her,” he said. “No matter how much she invests, it is you who is my top partner.”
“You are not lying to me, are you?” she asked.
The man frowned, and she regretted the words. “Never,” he replied. “The money I am receiving from Miss Finch will not only give us more funds in order to buy the necessary supplies, but it also allows for me to search far and wide for more shops to open.” He took a step toward Juliet. “It is my hope that my business partner and I own three shops by the end of the year. In five years, we shall have shops in London.”
Juliet grinned thinking of all the shops and the money they would bring. Then her mind turned to Daniel. What did her future hold if he was not there to share it with her?
“You look upset,” Robert said.
Juliet sighed and glanced around the shop. She had not noticed how empty it still was, but she was not the expert in running a shop. Plus, how much room did one need to simply display a few shoes? It was not as if he had a batch of ready-made shoes like some of the cobblers were offering. Robert had said on more than one occasion that shoes had to be designed to fit a particular foot, and that could not happen when shoes were produced in quantity.
“Do you remember when I mentioned the stable boy and how I wish to be near him?”
Robert nodded and leaned against the counter. “I do.”
“I asked Mother about marrying a person outside of her station—through the presentation of a fictitious situation, of course. I am unsure as to what to do, for she will never allow Daniel and me to be together.”
“You want to marry this man?” Robert asked.
“As of right now, although I can see the possibility, I only wish to further our friendship and see where it may lead. What are your thoughts?”
Robert rubbed his chin. “I believe your mother is right,” he replied, much to her irritation. “What you wish for cannot be allowed for a woman of your standing.”
Juliet sighed in frustration. So, Robert took her mother’s side?
“However,” he added, “if you are an established businesswoman, you may do whatever your heart desires.”
This was not a perspective she had considered before. “I suppose you are right,” she said. Yet, as much as she wished to be with Daniel, she also did not wish to upset her mother. If the woman ever learned about her feelings for Daniel, it would crush her.
As if hearing her thoughts, Robert said, “A day may come where you might hurt your mother. Such is the risk one must take. If that day comes, which I hope it does not, you and Daniel are welcome in my home as a place of refuge. It is not what you are accustomed to, but you may have all that I have.”
Juliet was overcome by the man’s offer, and tears filled her eyes at his gentle spirit. She had seen so much kindness as of late, and it was a joy to be a recipient of it. “Thank you,” she said as she wrapped her arms around the man. “I will keep that offer in mind.”
Robert returned to his place behind the counter. “As I said when we first met, your strength is great, and many will be jealous of it.”
“That is very true,” Juliet replied with a smile as she wiped away the few tears that had fallen over her lashes.
“Much like your mother.”
A bolt of anger replaced the tranquility that had taken hold of Juliet. She did not appreciate the man speaking ill of her mother, and it was her duty to say so. “My mother…” she began, but the man interrupted her.
“Came into my shop looking for you a fortnight ago, and upon seeing her daughter conversing with a cobbler, became jealous. That is the short of it.”
“Jealous?” Juliet asked. The man was mad! “Of me speaking to you?”
“Indeed,” Robert replied. “She saw that we were conducting business together. You cannot deny she became angry.”
Juliet frowned. “No, I suppose I cannot.”
“Tell me. Did she not demand that you keep away from me?” Juliet nodded. “And what does one do when they make a mistake?”
“Apologize,” Juliet replied. “One says they are sorry.”
“Either you are here because you have defied your mother’s wishes, or the woman realized her envy of her own daughter and was overcome with guilt.”
Had Juliet not made this conclusion herself at some point? However, even then, she had pushed the idea aside, for there was little evidence that her mother was jealous.
“No, I cannot believe it,” she said, although the truth of the words dawned on her as bright as the morning sun at mid-summer. “My own mother jealous of me? I have always known my sisters were, and of course other women of the ton, but my mother?”
“Your mother is a great woman,” he said. “Forgive me for being the bearer of bad news, but as I have told you before, you are far wiser than most women I have known. And therefore, more women will seek to hurt you.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice although they were alone. “I may be a simple cobbler, but I am your friend. I am the one you must trust, not only in business but in life. Do you trust me?”
Juliet did not have to think of her answer, for she did trust this man. He was
wise and had seen far more into situations than she possibly could. “Yes, I do trust you.”
“Excellent,” he said standing upright. “Then we must continue to invest in our business together and find those who can, as well. Tell me, would you ask Miss Annabel to join us on our business venture?”
“I do not know if she would wish to,” Juliet said doubtfully. “But I can ask.” Then a thought came to mind. “With Miss Finch, and then Annabel and myself, would that not be too many investors?”
Robert laughed. “Not at all,” he replied. “The more, the better. The others will only own a small percentage, as you, my friend, will by far take the larger cut. As well as Annabel, of course.”
“Of course,” Juliet said. “I will ask her when we return home. And since Miss Finch has decided to invest, as well, I have a tidy sum I have hidden away. I would like to invest that, as well.
“Excellent,” he said. “I believe this meeting has gone well.”
“Meeting? This was a meeting?”
He laughed again. “But of course. We spoke of business, did we not? It was our first official business meeting, and I must say you did quite well. I am impressed.”
The compliment made Juliet grin like a fool, but she could not help herself. She was a businesswoman! What she did not know about business, Robert did, which balanced it all out rather nicely.
“Trust has increased this day,” he said. “Trust that is going to serve us both well. Do you agree?”
“I do,” Juliet said, unable to keep the silly smile from her lips. “Thank you for everything you have done for me.”
“You are too kind,” Robert replied. “But the truth is, it is you who has done everything for me.”
Juliet could not help but beam all the more.
***
That evening, Juliet could not keep from thinking about her friendship with Robert and her mother’s envy at that friendship. Juliet found it difficult to believe she had been correct in her earlier assessment, but the facts thus far seemed to confirm it as true. Her mother was jealous.
Secrets of Scarlett Hall Box Set: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection Page 59