by Anne Herries
‘Yes, that would be pretty much the size of it,’ Jacob Roth agreed. ‘I know the name, of course, sir—but little of the family. What is it you wish me to do for you?’
‘I need a reliable agent to trace Mr Stephen Grant. I want to know what manner of man he is—whether he is in debt, what ambitions he has…’
‘Yes, I see. He would be the natural suspect, I suppose.’
Jared nodded thoughtfully. ‘There may be others who wish me dead for reasons unconnected with the duke’s estate, of course. A wealthy man sometimes acquires enemies along the way without realising it. I can give your agent some details, which I have written here. I need an investigation as swiftly as you can arrange it. I also wish to know if there is anyone else who might have an interest in the estate—anyone distantly related.’
‘Yes, of course.’ His lawyer frowned. ‘Have you taken steps to protect yourself, sir?’
‘I think I am well able to handle this business for the moment,’ Jared replied. ‘If it is the other heir, he must be careful, for he would surely be the first to be suspected.’
‘And Miss Sheldon?’
Jared frowned. ‘I believe she is above suspicion, but I shall be wary until this matter is settled.’
‘Have you considered that your relatives may be interested in your fortune, sir? I am aware that some of these old families consider themselves to be special, but many of them have not a tenth of your revenues, Mr Clinton.’
‘I dare say they might,’ Jared agreed. ‘But they could not benefit from my death. This seems to be to do with the English family, and I believe it may have been going on for a while before I arrived.’
‘That sounds ominous, sir.’
‘Yes, it may be—though of course the others could have died from natural causes or in accidents, but there were three brothers and three other grandsons.’
Mr Roth pursed his lips in a soundless whistle. ‘That would take dedicated malice if it were true, sir.’
‘Yes, it would,’ Jared agreed. ‘When your agent has made his first report to me I may well furnish him with further work. It would be interesting to discover what is behind the family curse.’
‘You think there may be some dark secret in the past?’
‘It is one explanation,’ Jared said and stood up. ‘I have not included my property here in my American will, Mr Roth. I may have instructions for you concerning this another day.’
‘You do not think you should see to it now, sir?’
‘I shall write to you,’ Jared said. ‘I need time to consider in the light of recent events.’
‘Yes, I understand.’ Jacob Roth offered his hand. ‘I shall beg you only to take care, sir—I am not sure whether congratulations are in order or not?’
‘I think the jury is out on that one,’ Jared said and grinned. ‘I am going down to visit the duke in the morning. I may have more to say on the subject next time we meet.’
Jacob Roth nodded, watching as he went out. He sat down at his desk and took out a sheet of good quality vellum, dipping his quill in the ink. His client had asked for an agent to investigate his concerns, but it might be as well to have him watched over from a discreet distance. Clients like Jared Clinton didn’t come along that often and he would not want him to suffer a premature death.
‘It was nice to meet you, Mr Clinton,’ Lady Ireland said the next morning as he and Hester took their farewell of her. ‘Hester will look after you, I am sure. The duke is said to be a martinet for manners, but you will do well enough if you listen to my goddaughter. Her deportment and manners are universally admired.’
‘You are very kind, ma’am. I sure appreciate it,’ Jared said, a gleam of amusement in his eye. ‘Damn my eyes, I never expected to mix with dukes and princes.’
‘Well, I am not sure the Regent will attend Shelbourne’s ball,’ Lady Ireland said, her gaze narrowing as she looked at him. ‘Are you amused about something, Mr Clinton?’
‘No, ma’am, should I be?’ Jared was all innocence as he pressed her hand. ‘I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you again one day.’
‘I shall attend the duke’s ball, I dare say,’ she replied and turned to Hester. ‘Goodbye for now, my dear. I shall miss you.’ They kissed and then she stood back. ‘Have a good journey.’
Jared handed Hester into the carriage. She settled herself and glanced at him as he climbed in beside her. ‘Why did you do that? You shouldn’t tease her, you know.’
‘Forgive me, I could not resist it,’ Jared said. ‘You were both so obviously expecting me to be some ignorant backwoods hillbilly. I thought I would give you what you wanted.’
‘You gave Mr Birch that impression, deliberately I imagine. Why?’ Hester searched his face, but his expression gave nothing away. ‘I cannot understand why you wanted us to have a bad impression of you, sir.’
‘Would you believe it if I said it was merely a jest?’
‘I am not sure,’ Hester replied. ‘I can quite see that you might have thought it amusing. Did Mr Birch say something in his letter to make you angry?’
‘I was told that a lady of impeccable manners would show me how to go on in English society.’
‘And you were offended?’ Hester nodded. ‘Yes, I do see that that was offensive, Mr Clinton. It was badly put, but you see…there are certain rules that need to be followed. As an American, you might not have been aware of them. I do not mean that you have no manners, of course not—just that we do things a little differently in some respects. It was simply meant to help you avoid embarrassment.’
‘Is that so?’ His brows rose, blue-green eyes narrowed and intent. ‘Did it never occur to any of you that I had an English lady for a mother? Did you think I had been dragged up in the gutter? My mother may have fled with a man her family thought unsuitable, but she did not forget her birth or her manners. And, though you might not know it, the upper echelons of American society are as difficult to penetrate as your own, though perhaps for different reasons.’
‘No, of course I did not think any such thing, at least at first! It was only after you met with Mr Birch…’ Hester flushed. ‘If you felt like this—why did you come?’
‘Curiosity,’ Jared offered. His expression gave her nothing. She blushed and looked away from his unblinking stare. ‘Your lawyer was persuasive. Besides, I wanted to see the man who broke my mother’s heart.’
‘Oh, no, surely not? I mean, I know it was a dreadful quarrel, but surely she knew that Grandfather would forgive her in the end? She must have known she was his favourite child.’
Jared looked thoughtful. He had believed the reason his mother so often looked sad had been because of the quarrel with her father, but perhaps he had been mistaken. He knew his father had adored her, but Jack Clinton was a passionate man with a swift temper and perhaps they had quarrelled sometimes. Jared’s anger abated a little but he was not prepared to give up his beliefs just yet. He would put this family to the test for a little longer.
‘He made no attempt to repair the breach between them.’
‘Have you come to quarrel with the duke?’
‘I intend to tell him that he made her unhappy.’
‘I wish you would not.’
‘You do not think he deserves to be told?’
‘He has been unwell for some time. He may not live long. I should be very distressed if you made him suffer for something that happened so long ago.’
‘My mother was sad when she thought about her family. If he cared about her, why didn’t he at least write to her? I know she disobliged him by running away with a gambling man, but it seems that my English uncles and cousins were not much better.’
‘Perhaps that is why he did not wish her to marry a gambler.’
Her argument made more sense than he wished to admit. ‘I can accept that he might have wished to protect her. She was young and at that time my father had few prospects, but he loved her. Whatever he did later was for her sake, and they were happy together. She never
wanted for anything that he could give her.’
‘If they were happy, why did she cry?’
‘It was only when she thought of home and family. The rest of the time she was happy. Her death destroyed my father.’
‘I am sorry.’
Jared shook his head, but the heat of his anger had cooled. ‘It is all in the past. He has been dead for twenty years. I learned to live with the memories.’
Hester nodded. ‘I can understand why you are bitter, but I beg you not to quarrel with Grandfather, Mr Clinton. It would hurt me if he died too soon because of his distress.’
‘You drive a hard bargain, Miss Sheldon. You ask much of me, but you give little.’
‘I believe you are a decent man, sir. Would it make you happy to drive another man to his grave in sorrow?’
Jared met her eyes and something in them gave him pause. He discovered that he would be reluctant to do anything that hurt this particular young woman.
‘No, I do not suppose it would,’ he admitted after a moment’s silence. ‘It would change nothing.’ He arched his right eyebrow. ‘What do you have to offer me if I give you the things you ask of me, Miss Sheldon?’
‘My friendship,’ Hester said and smiled suddenly; the smile transformed her face, giving her a kind of beauty. ‘I do sincerely hope that we shall be friends, Mr Clinton. As for asking things of you, have you thought about what you might gain by obliging the duke? I have no idea how you live at home, but you are the heir to a beautiful old house and a considerable amount of land. You would need to marry an heiress to be able to live comfortably, because money is tight—but it would be so worthwhile. I thought it might be difficult before we met, but now that I have met you, I know that you could easily charm one of the many ladies you will meet once you have been introduced as Grandfather’s heir.’
‘Supposing I did agree,’ Jared suggested, never taking his eyes from her face. ‘What kind of a lady would you suggest? I am not sure that a very young girl would suit me.’
‘Oh, no, I do not think it for a moment; you would frighten some of the innocents in society, Mr Clinton,’ Hester replied. She wrinkled her smooth brow in thought. ‘Most of them are young, of course—but there are other ladies…’ She hesitated. ‘Would it suit you to marry a wealthy widow, sir? I think you would find a woman to suit your taste if you were prepared to cast your net wider.’
A smile gathered at the corners of his mouth. ‘I am intrigued, Miss Sheldon, but I defer to you. Tell me, do you have any particular ladies in mind?’
‘Well…yes, I can think of two I think might suit you. Mrs Hines is four and twenty and has been a widow for six months. Her husband was killed fighting in Spain. She was already an heiress when she married and I imagine her husband left her something. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and is very pretty.’
‘My taste is more for darker hair,’ he replied urbanely.
‘Then Lady Mary Jenkins might be just the lady you are looking for,’ Hester said. ‘She is two years older, but very lovely. She has a daughter and her husband Sir Hugh Jenkins has been dead for a year—which means there is nothing to stop you courting her. Six months is a little soon, though in some cases it is thought acceptable. Any less than that would be thought completely improper. She has money and I dare say she may look for a more prestigious title to give her consequence this time.’
‘We have similar rules at home concerning the proper period of mourning,’ Jared replied straight-faced. ‘So you think I should try for Lady Jenkins? Would the fact that I am the duke’s heir make me acceptable to her?’
‘Well, yes, I am sure it would—if you are thinking in a purely business manner,’ Hester replied, feeling oddly reluctant to agree. ‘However, you have not met her and you may not wish to marry her. There are other ladies, of course—some of them older, some younger. I was trying to think of ladies I thought you might admire.’
‘And what kind of lady would you imagine I might admire?’
‘Well, I am sure she would have to be beautiful.’
‘Attractive would do, provided she had a good complexion and her breath was not stale.’ Jared folded his arms, a lazy smile touching his mouth as he stretched out and watched her.
‘Yes, well, I am sure Lady Mary does not have bad breath.’
‘And her figure?’
‘She is not as slim as Mrs Hines.’
‘I do not like overweight ladies.’
‘I assure you she is not fat—just comely.’
‘About your size would be my ideal.’
‘Oh…’ Hester’s cheeks were warm. ‘Well, we are of a similar size, though she may be a little more…comely.’
‘Is she intelligent?’
‘Oh, yes, very. I believe she likes poetry, music and art.’
‘What about politics? Could she talk to me knowledgeably about what is going on in the world?’
‘Is that a requirement?’ Hester frowned. ‘I do not think many ladies take an interest—some of the older ones may, of course.’
‘Do you know anything of politics?’
‘Yes, a little,’ Hester said. She actually knew quite a lot, for she spent hours reading the newssheets to the duke, but that was beside the point.
‘Then I should be able to find a lady who knows as much as you do, should I not?’
‘Well, yes, perhaps,’ Hester said, her gaze narrowing. ‘Do you have any more particular requirements, sir?’
‘Good teeth,’ Jared said. ‘Nice eyes and…’ he glanced at her gloved hands ‘…clean nails.’
‘I dare to suggest that all ladies have clean nails, sir.’
‘I am glad to hear it.’
‘Anything else?’ Hester suspected that he was making fun of her and her eyes sparked.
‘She should be able to ride well. I intend to breed horses if I stay.’
‘Oh, nothing would delight Grandfather more,’ Hester said. ‘He was known for the quality of his bloodstock once.’
‘So my mother told me. She rode as well as any woman I ever knew. It was a shock to us all when she fell and broke her neck. She died instantly.’
‘I am so very sorry,’ Hester said, feeling an ache in her chest because she could see that he still felt his mother’s death keenly.
‘So were we. It killed my father. He survived her for a few years, but he was only half the man he had been; he drank and lost a lot of his money—but gamblers usually do, I believe.’
‘If he was mourning her, he might be excused, do you not think so? He must have loved her very much.’
‘She was his whole world.’
‘She was very lucky to find love like that—and very brave to do what she did. I do not know if I would have been as brave as your mother, sir.’
‘I think you might. Tell me, do you ride, Miss Sheldon?’
‘Yes. I believe I ride well. I have been told so by others—and I enjoy it very much.’
‘Will you ride with me when we are settled at the estate?’
‘Yes, if you wish it,’ Hester said. She glanced at him, but the look in his eyes disturbed her. It was so very intense, penetrating, as if he could see into her thoughts. ‘I believe we shall find something up to your weight, even though the stables are much reduced.’
‘So,’ he said after a short silence. ‘Are we settled on Lady Mary?’
‘Perhaps. At least, you should decide after you have met her.’
‘Surely it matters little whether I like her or not? She has a fortune. You need a fortune to restore the house and put new heart into the estate.’
‘Yes, but…’ Hester looked into his unfathomable eyes. ‘I would wish you to be happy with your choice, sir.’
‘My happiness is of concern to you?’ He arched his brows.
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Why?’
‘Because…it just is, that’s all.’
‘You are a contrary creature, Miss Sheldon.’
‘Am I?’
‘Certainly
you are. Let us review the list. I require a lady of about your height and stature, with dark hair. She should be attractive, intelligent, knowledgeable of the world of affairs, good humoured, nice teeth, nice eyes and sweet breath. I think you would fit my criteria rather well, Miss Sheldon. It is a pity that you do not have a fortune, is it not? Though perhaps as cousins we would be thought too close to marry?’
‘Mr Clinton! You are mocking me. I have suspected it for the past several minutes, but now I am certain. As it happens, we are not blood related at all. I call the duke Grandfather, but he is only related by marriage. My mother had me by her first husband.’
‘Then there is no reason we should not marry,’ he said and grinned at her. ‘Apart from the slight misfortune of your not being rich.’
‘And one other rather important thing!’
‘Yes?’ He waited expectantly, a gleam in his bold eyes.
‘I do not think I wish to marry, and even if I did, I should not marry you!’
‘Would you not? You disappoint me, Miss Sheldon. I had quite made up my mind we should suit.’
‘You are a wretched tease! Can you never be serious, sir? I am merely trying to point out the advantages of marrying for a fortune.’
‘I do see that,’ he said, a hint of wickedness in his voice. ‘And I can see that you believe Lady Mary would be just right for me. Tell me, should I propose to her immediately or wait a few days?’
‘You are provoking, sir. I should not dream of telling you what to do—and my advice was sought, remember?’
‘Yes, you are right.’ He looked at her, his lazy smile in place. ‘Are you very angry with me, Miss Sheldon?’
‘Yes, I am cross with you. It may sound mercenary to discuss marriage in such terms, but I can assure you it is the usual thing in families like ours—especially when there is a shortage of money.’
‘I believe it is quite usual in other countries too, Miss Sheldon. The English did not invent the practice—even though you English seem to imagine your word is law on almost anything under the sun.’
