“Is that true?” Juliet asked, unable to contain her pride at his words.
“Oh, yes,” he replied. “You are very wise, and that is why I wanted…” He stopped and shook his head. “Forgive me. I am a fool. Forget I said anything.”
“No. Do tell. I will not tell anyone if what you have to say is to be kept secret.”
The man placed his hands on the counter and looked past her for a moment. “You will not laugh at my request?”
Juliet glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was nearby as memories of Caroline’s warning came to mind. Was Robert going to ask to see her? Would he wish to touch her leg?
However, when she turned back and saw the kindness in the cobbler’s face, she knew she was allowing her imagination to get the better of her. “I will not laugh, I promise.”
He cleared his throat. “Well, you see, I am looking for investors for my business, or rather someone who is willing to buy a piece of it. With your wisdom and knowledge of fashion, I thought that perhaps you would be that partner.”
Juliet could not help but stand taller and her head had to be twice its size. “I am truly honored,” she said. “However, I must admit that I know nothing of business.”
“I understand,” Robert replied with a sigh. “It was nice to believe it would happen, even if it was only for a moment.”
“The fact is, women rarely have anything to do with business,” Juliet said. “Furthermore, Mother would never allow it. If word got out to anyone, the results would be disastrous.”
“I agree wholeheartedly. That is why you would remain a shadow partner.”
Juliet frowned. “A what? What is a ‘shadow partner’?”
“That is simply a partner who is unknown to anyone but those involved and who remains in the shadows. Of course, you collect your share of the profits and never speak a word of it.” He tapped his knuckles on the counter. “Again, I am sorry for asking. A lady of your station partnering with a man of mine…” He said the last with a laugh. “You cannot fault a man for dreaming.”
The last words struck at Juliet’s heart. The man had a dream of improving his business, and he had turned to her, a lady of beauty and wisdom, for aid. Her mother had spoken of others’ dreams, and if Juliet could help this man who had been such a wonderful friend, there would be no harm. Especially since her mother would never learn of it.
“I will do it,” Juliet said with finality. “With my fashion knowledge, and my money, I can be a shadow partner.” She liked the sound of that phrase, and she allowed it to lay on her tongue like a sweet.
“Excellent!” Robert said. He lowered his voice and added, “We must not tell a single soul, for I do not want anyone to learn of our arrangement and you to be shamed. Now, what is your allowance?”
For a moment, Juliet considered not telling the man. However, it did make sense that he should know how much she would be able to contribute, and therefore she told him. After some discussion, they came up with an agreement.
“Every month, you will bring the money to me,” he said. “Then, you can collect your profits from the previous month at that time. Or, if you prefer, we can wait and let the profits build until we are able to open a second shop, which will, in turn, earn you more profits.”
Juliet nodded. The idea of having her own shops intrigued her. “Yes, let us wait on the profits. We must have more shops.”
He gave her a proud smile. “I knew you would see the wisdom in that.” He went to say more, but the door to the shop opened and Juliet’s mother entered.
“Oh, Mother,” Juliet said, hurrying to meet the woman at the door, “I would like to introduce the most wonderful man, who is not only my cobbler, but my friend, as well.”
“Juliet,” her mother said in a harsh whisper, “conduct yourself as a lady.”
Juliet turned as Robert approached, his smile most becoming. “You have a most fascinating daughter,” he said with a deep bow.
Juliet grinned at her mother but then frowned. The woman was not smiling. In fact, she had blanched significantly.
“Mother?”
“Mr. Mullens,” her mother said in a choked voice, “I do believe we have taken enough of your time for today. Good day to you.”
Juliet went to speak, but her mother gave her a fierce glare.
“We must leave immediately.”
“Do you not…”
“At once, Juliet,” her mother snapped. “Annabel, you as well.”
Juliet sighed and nodded, turning only long enough to wave a farewell at Robert before following her mother and Annabel out the door.
“Mother, I must ask…”
“You will remain quiet until we are inside the carriage,” her mother said without looking at her.
Juliet shot Annabel a glance, who simply shrugged, and a few minutes later, they were sitting in the carriage.
“How long have you been speaking with that man?” her mother asked. Her tone still held the same anger it had when they left the shop. “Tell me now!”
“A little over a month,” Juliet replied. “Mother, he is kind. My new riding boots? He gave those to me as a gift. And he knows my knowledge of…”
“You know nothing,” her mother snapped. “You know nothing of this man! And receiving gifts from him?” She clicked her tongue at this.
Then Juliet realized her mother must have believed that she, Juliet, had fallen in love with Robert! “I do not care for him in some romantic sense,” she said with a laugh. “I can assure you of that, as can Annabel. The man has been nothing but kind.”
Annabel nodded her agreement. “He is a nice man.”
“I do not doubt you are telling the truth,” her mother said. “Nevertheless, the man is a cobbler, and you will no longer frequent his shop. If you are to see him in the street, you are to walk the other way. Is that understood?”
Juliet could not understand her mother’s anger. Robert was a friend, and now he was her business partner. Although she could not tell her mother about the latter.
“Did he offend you in some way?”
Her mother pursed her lips and turned a glare on her. “I will not ask again. Defy me in this, and I shall send you off to London immediately.”
Juliet sighed. “Yes, Mother,” she whispered, although she wished only to shout at the woman. Her mother had spoken of being kind to those of the lower class, yet this man gives her a pair of riding boots, and Juliet is to never speak to him again?
None of what had transpired made sense, but one thing Juliet knew for certain. She did not wish to go to London, and therefore, she kept her angry retorts to herself.
Chapter Twelve
Every Tuesday for as long as Juliet could recall, her mother would send her children outside, or have them leave the home to call on friends for the majority of the day. The servants, including Forbes, would leave for the village to take care of errands or to see to their own business as well as do the weekly shopping for the house, thus leaving her mother alone in the house for whatever reason Juliet never knew. It was such a common occurrence, it never came to Juliet’s mind there had to be a reason.
That was how now, on the Tuesday following the debacle at the cobbler’s, Juliet found herself, with Annabel at her side, in the home of Miss Caroline Thrup.
For the past ten minutes, Caroline had been speaking of the etiquette of courting, the girl’s mother chiming in from time to time, and Juliet soon found herself bored. Her mind kept returning to the events of the previous day, and she could not help but wonder why her mother had been so angered. Although she was unsure, she did have a suspicion. Jealousy.
Even older women were prone to bouts of jealousy of their younger counterparts, and with Juliet making a new friend and receiving riding boots at no charge, word must have spread throughout the village. Although it angered Juliet that her mother would forbid her to see the man because of envy, she also felt sad that it had driven her mother to such lengths.
Juliet would continue to c
onverse with Robert; after all, they were in business together. She did not wish to defy her mother, but in this instance, it was necessary.
“Juliet?” Caroline said. “Is it true?”
Juliet turned her attention to the woman. “Forgive me. Could you please repeat the question? I am afraid my thoughts wandered.”
“Caroline mentioned that Lord Parsons is courting you,” Lady Thrup said. “He is a fine gentleman. Your mother must be very pleased.”
“Indeed,” Juliet replied. “However, we are not courting as of yet, but he has called a few times.” She turned and gave Caroline a smug smile. There were many gossips in Rumsbury, including Caroline Thrup, and Juliet was curious how the girl had learned of she and Lord Parsons. “However, as you said, my mother is pleased.”
Lady Thrup rose, her yellow skirts crinkling with her movement. “It is difficult to believe that you three were once so little and now you have grown into women.” She sighed. “I believe I will rest for a while. Please enjoy each other’s company in my absence.”
“We shall try,” Juliet said, and Annabel giggled and covered it with a polite cough.
Once the woman was gone, Juliet rounded on Caroline. “How did you learn about Lord Parsons and me?” she demanded.
“Stephen,” she replied of her brother as if Juliet’s tone was as conversational as it had been before. “He spoke to Lord Parsons while he was in the village last week, and your name came up. He told me, and I told Mother.” She said the last with a firm nod, and Juliet clenched her fist. Caroline and her mother could not keep a thing to themselves, and soon everyone would know about Juliet and Lord Parsons.
“Well, I will assure you, we are not courting,” Juliet snapped. “Such rumors are silly.”
Caroline gave a coy smile over the rim of her teacup. “Annabel, you told Juliet what I told you about the cobbler, did you not?”
Annabel nodded. “I did. I relayed everything you told me to her.”
“The man is a rogue,” Caroline said firmly. “I am not the only lady he has touched in an inappropriate manner thus far.”
“Oh?” Juliet asked, knowing full well the woman was lying. “It is true, then?”
Caroline gave her a haughty look. “I would not lie,” she said as she placed the cup on the table with such force the liquid sloshed over the side. “Betty experienced the same as I.”
Juliet pursed her lips. Although Miss Betty Chancellor was many things, an exaggerator of stories was not one of them. Regardless, Juliet suspected both women were taking it all too far. “Surely a cobbler would be expected to touch a woman’s leg as much as a tailor must touch an arm. How else will he help a lady with her shoes?”
Caroline laughed. “You are so stubborn!” she said. “It is not merely a simple touch. When he touched my leg, the look of lust in his eyes was unmistakable. I fear that if I had not hurried myself from his shop, the man would have made an attempt to kidnap me.”
“Why ever would he do that?” Annabel asked, and Juliet nodded her agreement.
“It is simple,” Caroline replied as she jutted her chin, “A beast such as he preys upon women.” She sighed and moved back a strand of her blond hair. “Many of the shopkeepers look at me with desire. It is crude, but it is a fact.”
Juliet could not help but roll her eyes at the woman’s arrogance. Although Caroline was pretty, she did not receive the number of compliments Juliet did. Sadly, like Juliet’s mother, it was another case of jealousy brought about by Juliet’s handsomeness.
For a majority of her life, Juliet had considered her beauty a blessing, but it was becoming more and more prevalent that it was to become a curse. As she grew older, she would only become more beautiful, and men would fight just for a chance to gaze upon her. She imagined them calling one another to duels or sharing in fisticuffs over her. From the crowd would emerge Daniel, and although his face would be bruised, he would stand tall and take Juliet into his arms…
“Do not fear,” he would whisper as the other men hung their head in shame as they walked past, “I am here to take care of you.”
Juliet would sigh and place her head on his chest as she had when he carried her into the house after her fall, his strong arms holding her tightly to him. Once alone, he would ask for a kiss, and Juliet, proud of the bravery he had shown on her behalf, would grant him one.
“Juliet,” Annabel said, breaking her from her thoughts and causing her cheeks to heat, “are you going to return to the shop?” It was clear from her tone that it was not the first time the question had been asked.
Juliet had to stop and consider this question. She would have to return in order to conduct business, but how could she do so without wagging tongues informing her mother? Then an idea came to her. “I do not doubt your story,” Juliet said to Caroline, although she knew it to be an outright lie. “I shall return to the shop to learn more about this man, even if I must risk my life to do so.”
Caroline gasped. “You would put yourself in danger?”
Juliet nodded. “If it means I am able to save the women of the ton, then I shall do so without concern for my wellbeing.”
“It is like the highwayman,” Annabel said and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Juliet suppressed a smile. She had taught Annabel how to reveal a secret and make it appear an accident, and she performed the task as if she had been doing it all her life.
“What highwayman?” Caroline asked in clear interest.
Annabel looked at Juliet, who gave her a nod. “The night was full of thunder and lightning,” Annabel began in theatrical tones that were close to matching those of Juliet. “A rider came to the door, drenched from the rain to inform us of a highwayman who was being sought after.”
“Is this true?” Caroline asked with a gasp.
“It is,” Annabel replied. “It was that night, as lightning flashed, that Juliet and I spotted the highwayman in the stables of Scarlett Hall.”
As Annabel continued the story, Juliet studied Caroline. She sorted the information she had received about Robert, what little she had, but no matter which way she organized what she knew, none of it made sense.
The fact of the matter was Caroline was desperate for attention and had resorted to telling tales. It was sad that a woman would go to such lengths, but Juliet knew the story was not believable. If any man were to look upon any woman with lust, it would have been she, Juliet, who would have been on the receiving end of that look, not someone like Caroline Thrup. Yet, Robert had not done so even once, and therefore he could not have done so to Caroline.
Yet, she did have her mother’s concerns with which to contend. Although she did feel her mother might be struggling with jealousy, she sensed there was more there than the obvious. Therefore, she decided to speak to her mother once more to see what more she could glean from the woman about the cobbler.
Pleased to have worked out a plan, Juliet turned her attention to Annabel’s story. The girl was quite convincing, evident by how Caroline listened with wide eyes, and although the story was not completely true, it was entertaining, nonetheless.
***
Tuesdays had proven to be Eleanor’s favorite day of the week. The house was empty and she was given time alone without any distractions, a tradition she had begun years before as a way to work through any issues with which she might be struggling at any given time.
The house was quiet, and although it might be considered silly, at times, Eleanor found herself whispering to the thick walls whatever might be on her heart. In doing so, she released secrets and burdens and Scarlett Hall absorbed them all.
Today, her concern was great, and she feared she would no longer be able to handle it as she had in times past. There was her worry over Hannah, for one. Her middle daughter, by all accounts, had taken an interest in Laurence’s cousin John, for which Eleanor felt a great relief. However, there was still the chance the woman would wish to leave London and throw herself into the arms of a sheep farmer of all peop
le.
Then there was her sweet Juliet, the one over which Eleanor always worried. Now, however, her worries had become significantly worse with the girl’s newfound friendship with that cobbler, Robert Mullens.
The rumors concerning the man had already reached Eleanor, and upon hearing the man’s name, she had hurried to the shop with quick steps. When she entered, her fears were confirmed, and she wanted nothing more than to get Juliet as far away from the man as she could.
One question plagued her above all. Did the man know?
Eleanor could not answer that question. Perhaps it was merely coincidence the man had returned to Rumsbury, but regardless, Eleanor would do what she could to keep Juliet, as well as Annabel, away from him. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat beside the fire in the drawing room. Perhaps she should send Juliet to London in order to avoid the possibility of trouble.
A knock at the door made her start, and she wondered who would be calling in the middle of the day without sending a card first. Her skirts rustled as she glided through the foyer. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart; it would do no good to answer the door with a look of fright on her face.
When she opened the door, however, her heart jumped into her throat when she saw Robert Mullens standing on the stoop.
“Lady Lambert,” he said, although his tone was more mocking than diffident, “how wonderful to see you again.”
“What do you want?” she demanded, attempting to keep her voice from choking. “And what are you doing at my home?”
The man laughed, an evil sound to her ears, as he adjusted the lapels of his coat. Eleanor looked past him, but no one else was there. Had the man walked all the way from the village?
“I came to speak to you of matters that concern us all,” he said. “May I come in?”
Eleanor shook her head. “You are not welcome in my house, nor on my property. If you will excuse me, I have matters to which I must attend.” She moved to close the door, but Robert pushed against it, and she took a step back, her fear so great, she thought she might faint.
Secrets of Scarlett Hall Box Set: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection Page 56
