Grandmama could be rather cutting in her comments.
Irene was about to return to her room, when her father cried out and clutched his chest. His face was ashen and he was having trouble breathing. “Carter!” she called out. “Send for Papa’s physician directly.” She went to her father, who was now perspiring profusely. She took his hand. “Please, Papa, calm yourself.”
He pulled his hand from her. “Cedric. It’s all because of Cedric.”
“The situation will soon be sorted,” she said. “I know it will.
“Ainsworth, get a hold of yourself,” said the dowager, who did not appear overly alarmed. “The servants will think you have taken ill.”
“He has, Grandmama. One look at him should tell you that.”
The dowager regarded Irene with an icy stare. “I can tell a great deal from one look. And I know what I’ve seen this day. Your father is too weak-willed to stand up to a scoundrel. That is why we now have these theatrics. I shall be in my rooms. Report to me if the physician has anything of interest to say.”
With that, the old woman walked away. Her cane tapping the floor as she went.
CHAPTER THREE
James was angry, though he should have expected the lack of cooperation from Ainsworth. Cedric was, after all, a thief. Should it be that big of a surprise that his father would not want to admit it? There was also the possibility that Cedric’s lack of morals and disdain for the law had been learned at home. The dowager viscountess had certainly sided with her grandson quickly enough.
It looked like any hope for a quick resolution was gone. It was time to meet with the solicitor Nicholas had recommended. James pulled Anna’s bonnet, coat and scarf closer about her. He was still carrying her. London streets were too busy – too dangerous – to risk her safety. Perhaps he would let her walk when they were in the park or on one of the quieter streets of Mayfair. But not now. Because at the moment, he needed a hack to take them to Covent Garden. And that certainly wasn’t a good place for her to walk about on her own.
The drive through the city was slow, giving James too much time to dwell on the events at Ainsworth’s house. Anna was quiet, occupying herself by looking out the window. She smiled at him and he was reminded that he was a very fortunate man.
Nicholas had warned James that his solicitor’s office was in an area that was only somewhat respectable. As the hack drew up and James saw a prostitute negotiating with a client in a doorway, he wondered how his brother had ever come to do business with a solicitor in this neighborhood. James wished there had been an alternative to bringing Anna, but there was naught for it now but to pull her closer to him – she certainly wasn’t walking here – and make his way toward the building he sought. He held his daughter in his left arm, while his right hand was in his pocket, grasping a pistol. He also had three knives on his person, a precaution he’d adopted shortly after arriving in America.
He entered the building, which smelled like mildew, trash and the sweat of some very nervous men. The stairwell was dark and narrow. He began to wonder more and more about this solicitor Nick had recommended. Then he wondered about Nick.
He entered the office of Geoffrey Olson, Esquire and was surprised to find a woman at the desk in the small reception area. She had bright red hair and more face paint than eight opera dancers combined. There was a small room to the right with two or three clerks, and a private office to the left.
“’ere to see Mr. Olson, are ye love?” she asked. She smiled at Anna. “Yer a pretty girl, ain’t ye?”
Anna looked at the woman solemnly.
James surveyed the small room, wondering if the interior office was being robbed and this woman was the look-out. “I am here to see Mr. Olson, but I do not have an appointment. However, the Earl of Layton sent me.”
“Don’t know no Earl of Layton,” said the woman with a shrug. “In any sort of way. ‘Course I ain’t Mr. Olson’s secretary or nothin’. I’m just waiting ‘ere ‘til ‘e gets back from the docks wiv me ticket. Goin’ to Philadelphia, I am, to start a new life. Thought I’d see if I was good at anythin’ besides whorin’.” She looked James up and down. Twice. “’Course I’m awful good at whorin’.”
“As they say, anything worth doing is worth doing well,” murmured James, hoping Anna’s knowledge of English did not include any variation of the word “whore.” “Do you know when Mr. Olson will return?”
“I reckon ‘e’ll return as soon as ‘e’s back. Sure I can’t do anythin’ fer ye? There’s some books yer little girl can look through whilst I do it.”
“Thank you, no. She and I will simply sit in these chairs.”
James unbundled his daughter, then helped her into a chair. She was looking around, taking everything in. She was a remarkably perceptive girl. Or at least he assumed she was. She observed everything, though she commented on little. He often wondered what she thought about things.
He really wanted to know what she thought about him.
The door to the outer office opened and a short, balding man in his middle thirties entered. The sleeves of his greatcoat were a bit too long and patched on both of the elbows. He wore no hat, but had an abundance of scarves around his neck. He had a vague look about him and James wondered what crime this man was accused of to require the services of a solicitor. Then the man pulled out a packet.
“Good news, Miss Shaw!” he said to the woman at the desk. “I was able to obtain passage for you on the next ship. It departs on the morning tide. Will you be ready to leave by then?” He gave the woman the packet, as well as what appeared to be coins in a handkerchief.
Miss Shaw put the packet aside and counted the coins. Her expression showed she was impressed with the total. “What’s this fer?”
“While your passage is gratis and you’ll be welcome at the Philadelphia mission, there may be expenses in America that come up in the meantime. Though I do caution you to spend your coins wisely. I would not want you to fall into your old ways.”
“Me neither,” said Miss Shaw sincerely. “But was this out of yer own pocket? Because I can’t take it if it is. Ye need it almost as much as I do. Unless ye wanted me to work it off? Ye know, as a farewell to the trade? Tell ye the truth, it might be kind of fun.” She winked at him. And at James.
“No, no thank you, Miss Shaw,” said the man blushing to his balding head, as he glanced at James and Anna. “The money is part of the endowment set up by Lady Henry Kellington and her sister-in-law the Marchioness of Riverton. Please use it in good health.”
“I will at that,” said Miss Shaw as she gathered her things. “That bloke and ‘is little girl wants to see ye. Says ‘e was sent by the Earl of Layton.”
The man turned to them. James, who’d become an expert at sizing up people, realized this man with the vague mannerisms was extremely perceptive. He seemed to take in a great deal of information with just one glance. And James wasn’t sure if he’d been found wanting.
But then the man smiled at Anna. “Welcome to my office, my dear. I believe you are a long way from home. Would you both please step into my inner office, my lord?” Then he turned back to Miss Shaw. “Do you have a safe place to stay tonight? I would not want your old employer to find you.”
“Already got it covered, Mr. Olson,” said Miss Shaw as she sashayed out from behind the desk. “If ye ever get to Philadelphia, be sure to look me up. Same goes to ye,” she said to James. Then she kissed Mr. Olson on the cheek and left.
Without a word of explanation, Olson ushered James and Anna into his crowded, dusty office. There were books everywhere, but Olson cleared off two chairs for them to sit in.
“Now, my lord, please tell me why you have come.”
“I am James Emerson, brother to the Earl of Ridgeway. I am also friends with Layton.” The other man gave no indication whether he knew of their true relationship, though James suspected he did. “My daughter Anna and I have recently arrived from America, though we hope to return shortly, pending the resolution of
a land dispute.”
“I take it this dispute is the reason you have come to see me?”
“Yes, though I may not have the funds to pay you.”
Olson studied him for a moment. “We can discuss my fees later. But now I would like to hear about this land dispute.”
James told him the story while Olson took copious notes, occasionally asking for clarification. When James was done, Olson looked over his pages, then leaned back in the chair and ran his hand over his face. “Do you know how difficult it will be to prove this before a magistrate? You might have to take this to the House of Lords or, rather, the Earl of Ridgeway would. I have never met your brother, though I know Layton fairly well. He would have an uphill battle, to say the least. Forgive me for saying so, but I believe your late father did enough to anger his peers that most would take this opportunity to deny his son, regardless of the merits of your case. Even judging this on the merits, it comes down to your word against his. A rather precarious war to wage.”
“Are you doubting my word, sir?”
Olson appraised him for a moment before speaking. “No. As a matter of fact I believe you. And not just because I trust Layton – which I do. I fancy myself to be a fairly good judge of character. Miss Shaw, for instance. You may have seen her as merely…” Here, he looked at Anna and smiled. “….a businesswoman. I see her as a businesswoman who wishes to change and start her life anew. It will be hard for her and she may well slip from time to time, but I believe Miss Shaw will make it in the end.”
“But you’ll never know for certain.”
“True. Though the foundation I work with in Philadelphia sends word of their successes, as well as their few failures. I expect I’ll learn what happens to Miss Shaw. I do not predict her future based on her past. And I do not trust a peer simply because of his lineage. It’s usually quite the opposite. But there is something about you, Lord James, that makes me think you are telling the truth. Quite frankly it doesn’t hurt that you’re obviously such a devoted father. However, the fact that you’re in the right does not mean you’ll prevail. Is there any way to corroborate your story, other than the papers you brought with you? Was there a witness to any of your business dealings?”
“I did have a notary witness my agreement to have Cedric manage the land while I was away.”
“Excellent. Where is he?”
“Unfortunately, I do not know. He had said he was returning to England within three months, but I do not know if he has already done so.”
“Then our first bit of business will be to track him down.”
“You’re willing to take my case?”
“I’m afraid I have a weakness for lost causes and unwinnable cases.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It was not meant to. Shall we discuss my fee?”
James’s heart fell. “Unfortunately, I do not have much to give you. Layton lent us his carriage and is allowing us to stay at his town house. If I get my land back, I could pay you a hefty fee. But in the meantime….”
“In the meantime, I would have nothing. Yes, I suspected as much.” He looked at Anna again and nodded to the girl. “I will hire a Runner to see if I can find your notary. Then we shall go from there. In the meantime, I fear I have another appointment. If you learn anything, you will let me know?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent. And when I have news I’ll send word to the earl’s. It was a pleasure meeting you and the delightful Miss Emerson, Lord James.”
James rose to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you for taking my case.”
“It may all be for naught. But I will do my best.”
Somehow James had the feeling that this rumpled man’s best was very good, indeed. It was the most hopeful he’d felt since arriving in London.
CHAPTER FOUR
“But you must let me see Lord James,” said Irene to the Earl of Layton’s insufferable butler. “If he is truly not at home, I wish to wait for him. Inside.” Hopefully before anyone noticed she was trying to gain admittance to a gentleman’s home and with her maid very much not in attendance. Irene had pulled the hood of her cloak over her head to disguise her appearance, but the longer she argued with the servant, the greater the chance someone passing by would recognize her.
“Did I just see a mouse run across the floor?” Irene pointed to the interior of the grand foyer. When the butler turned to see the rodent interloper, Irene pushed past him and entered the house. “Now, if you will please tell Lord James I am here.”
“I cannot do that, Miss Wallace.”
“Cannot or will not?”
The butler simply raised one brow.
“Very well. I shall conduct a room-by-room search.”
The butler’s look of horror was almost comical.
“I do not wish to have you escorted from this house, miss.”
“What is your name?”
The butler looked like he was considering not answering. Finally, he bit out “Williams.”
“Frankly, Williams, I believe it would please you to no end to have me escorted from the premises. But let us compromise. If you tell me Lord James is truly not at home, as opposed to not receiving, I will not conduct a search.”
“He is not at home,” said Williams, who then pointed to the door.
“You interrupted me, Williams, which isn’t very good form, is it? What I was about to say was that I will not conduct a search, but will instead sit here, in the entryway if I have to, until Lord James returns.” She smiled at him. “Though I wouldn’t mind a spot of tea in the sitting room while I wait.”
Williams simply stared at her in disbelief.
She could tell no tea was forthcoming.
“Very well. Will you at least tell me the name of Lord James’s daughter?” She’d been thinking about the beautiful girl all morning and the way she’d so trustingly laid her head upon her father’s shoulder.
She was lost in her thoughts, so she barely caught the sneer that fleetingly crossed the butler’s face. But it had been there.
“She’s a beautiful little girl,” said Irene. “And you are fortunate to have her as a guest.” When the butler gave no response, she continued. “I imagine the Earl of Layton would be most displeased to learn you were not treating Miss Emerson with the respect she deserves.” She knew it was none of her concern, but she could never abide it when people were cruel to children.
Irene and the butler were so focused on their conversation that neither noticed the two people who’d entered through the open door.
“Is there a problem?”
Irene turned to find Lord James and his little girl in the foyer. He’d just put his daughter down and was now studying Irene with an intensity that was most unsettling.
He was unsettling. She’d only seen him fleetingly earlier, so she’d had no idea just how tall he was, how broad he was in the shoulders. She had to look up to meet his eyes. They were dark brown, the color of rich chocolate, and they were staring back at her as if he could see right through her. As if he could sense the heat rising in her.
She averted her eyes, only to find his daughter staring up at her. However, Miss Emerson’s gaze had none of the intensity of her father’s. Only a simple curiosity. Irene smiled at her.
Miss Emerson smiled shyly back, then leaned against her father.
And just like that, Irene’s heart skipped a beat. Here was a large, muscled, dangerous man. And there was his sweet little girl leaning against him. Irene watched as Lord James squeezed the little girl’s shoulder, then bent down to help her with her coat. But apparently the ribbons under her bonnet had become knotted. He gently tugged at them, while she waited patiently.
After a few moments of futile struggling, marked by no help at all from the butler, Irene interceded. “Please allow me.”
“I can get it,” said Lord James, despite all evidence to the contrary.
“I believe your fingers…” On his strong tanned hands. “…may be too
large to undo the knot. And I am afraid you are only tightening the ribbons and soon poor Miss Emerson will become strangled. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am...”
“Miss Irene Wallace, daughter of Viscount Ainsworth, sister to Cedric. I saw you on my way out of your house.” He stopped struggling with the knot for a moment and smiled at his daughter. “Perhaps we’ll have to cut the ribbons,” he said to her.
“You will most certainly do no such thing,” said Irene. “If you will but allow me to assist Miss Emerson, I am sure I can loosen the offending knot without destroying her pretty bonnet.”
Lord James rose and Irene was forced once again to look up at him. Not that looking at him posed any particular hardship. But there certainly was a lot of him.
“My daughter can be shy around people she does not know. I would not wish to frighten her.”
“Nor would I. But may I at least ask her if I can help?”
He grunted some sort of assent. Or possibly just grunted. Irene took the opportunity to bend down to the little girl. “Miss Emerson, my name is Irene Wallace. Do you think I can try to loosen that knot?”
Miss Emerson worried her lip for moment, then nodded.
Irene knelt on the floor in front of her, then reached for the strings and gently began to rub the knot between her fingers. “This is a beautiful wool bonnet. I expect you brought it with you from America. I have never seen its equal in London.”
Miss Emerson studied her, but did not speak.
Irene continued. “I am ever so anxious for spring to arrive so we can have an end to the cold weather. Though I daresay if I had a bonnet as beautiful as this, I would wish to wear it as long as I could.”
Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) Page 3