An Honorable Wish (A Lady's Wish 2) (6 page)

“I have no intention of doing so. And if you’ll be staying longer, you’ll have the opportunity to spend some time with Miss Townsend yourself.”

McDonald tensed but said nothing.

Tony chuckled. “We are a pair, you and I.”

“All I want is to give Miss Townsend the opportunity to get to know me,” McDonald said. “Unfortunately, she is avoiding me. Perhaps you could help?”

“Of course.”

It would give Tony the opportunity to keep Juliet from guessing why he was in Beetham, as well as the chance to better understand his own feelings.

J
uliet tried to focus on the book in her hand, but anger still simmered.

Tony had told her to stay home. Stay home instead of going to help Penelope. Stay home like a good little girl. Penelope was
her
friend, not Tony’s.

Worse than just sitting at home was waiting for Simon Bartleby to call. Nathaniel had announced with an overabundance of happiness that she could expect a special call from him.

She prayed he’d catch some sort of disease that would keep him quarantined for ten years. She didn’t care if his brother was the Prince of Wales—she wasn’t marrying him.

“When is your suitor calling?” Sophia said as she flounced into the room. “I think he might propose.”

“He will have to learn to live with disappointment,” Juliet grumbled.

“Your first proposal and you’re saying no. I’m surprised.”

Juliet frowned at her. “My feelings prevent it. You’ve turned down proposals for much less.”

“Yes, but they were all beneath me. This is likely the only proposal you’ll get.”

“I’m waiting for a gentleman who appreciates a woman with a brain.”

“I glanced at those naughty books of yours, Juliet.”

Juliet looked up to find Sophia had her most superior smile on her face. “You’ve been in my room? Again?”

“Yes. I’m puzzled as to why you’d bother with them at all. Really, the one with the pictures is disgusting.”

“Really, Sophia, have you no respect?”

“Tony looked positively crushed that you’d only talk to Ian McDonald,” Sophia said, ignoring her sister’s indignation.

Juliet refused to discuss Tony with her sister. She didn’t have a clue why he was acting the way he was. “Ian McDonald wanted to talk to you. I don’t know why you dislike him so. He’s a nice man.”

Sophia refused to look at her. Instead, she played with the sleeves on her dress.

“You like him,” Juliet said with a smile.

“
No. I. Don’t
. The man is insufferable.”

“The lady doth protest . . .”

“I’m not marrying some Scotsman from the edge of nowhere. I’m marrying someone wealthy and titled.”

Juliet reopened her book and searched for the last page she’d read. “Suit yourself.” Mr. McDonald was a good man who was in love with her vain sister. “Let him see the real Sophia. He’ll be over his infatuation.”

“Oh, I don’t know why I bother to discuss anything with you.”

A footman entered and said, “Mr. Bartleby is here to see you, Miss Juliet.”

Sophia stood. “Time to let you receive your first proposal.”

“Stay, please,” Juliet begged. “I don’t want to be alone with him.”

“Whyever not? He won’t be able to propose if I’m here.”

Juliet really wanted to avoid this. She closed the book, tossed it on the chair, and rose. Her dress was old and faded. She smoothed the creases left from sitting curled up in the chair. Her hair was its usual disaster, but she doubted that would scare him away.

Simon Bartleby came into the room and smiled at her. She curtsied. “Good afternoon, Mr. Bartleby.”

“Miss Juliet, a pleasure.” He pressed his too-wet lips to her hand.

“Please sit down.” She took her seat in the chair, moving the book to the table.

“Reading?” He glanced at the book. “Agriculture. You surprise me.”

“Helping the Williams family has gotten me interested in gardening,” Juliet said.

Please let him get to the point so he can be gone
.

“I stopped by to see Mr. Williams and noticed Mr. Matthews there. Do you know why he is taking an interest in the farm?”

Bartleby’s tone belied his innocuous question. “Mr. Matthews is helping because I asked him to.”

Juliet wasn’t going to prolong the visit any longer than she had to.

“It’s very fine weather,” he said quietly.

“Indeed it is. Spring is my favorite time of year.”

“I’m sure you know why I’ve come,” he started hesitantly.

“Yes.”

He knelt before her on one knee.

Juliet bit her lip. “Mr. Bartleby, please get up.”

He took her hand. “Miss Juliet, would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She pulled her hand away. “Please stand, Mr. Bartleby.”

He reluctantly got to his feet.

Juliet paused to sort out her words. There was no reason to be rude. “You do me a great honor, sir, but I feel I must decline.”

“You must decline?” Mr. Bartleby said angrily. “I do not understand you. You have very few connections. You’re nothing to your sister, and yet you refuse me.”

“I’m surprised you issued an offer of marriage given that I’m so far beneath you.”

“This is about the Williamses. The chit is a farmer’s daughter, nothing more.”

“No woman, regardless of her station, should be treated thus, Mr. Bartleby. That is what I cannot forgive.”

He moved closer, threateningly closer. She fought the urge to cringe.

His hands grabbed her arms so tight she couldn’t stop a wince of pain. “Release me.”

“Think on this, Miss High and Mighty. I can ruin you. I can ruin your Mr. Matthews.”

Her heart thudded in her chest. “You have no power over me or anyone else in this family.” Juliet fought to keep the tremor from her voice.

His hands tightened, and she yelped with pain before she could stop herself. He grinned before shoving her away from him. Juliet backed away from him as quickly as she could, putting the chair between them. She rubbed at her arms and said, “Leave now and I will not mention your manner to my brother-in-law.”

“How foolish you are, Miss Juliet. He’s done nothing but encourage the match. I suggest you get used to the idea of becoming my wife. It will happen.” Bartleby picked up his hat. “Good day, Miss Juliet.”

Juliet collapsed against the chair, shaken.

Surely Nathaniel could see the evil in this man. She had to make him believe it. Or Tony. Tony would understand. He would help her.

Unfortunately, Sophia held those erotic books over her head.

If she singled out Tony, Sophia would go to Anne with the books she had been reading and all hell would break loose. Nathaniel would marry her off to Bartleby to keep her from ruin.

Juliet raced up the stairs to her room and closed the door. She dug the books from their hiding spot beneath the papers on her dressing table. Sagging with relief, she sank into her chair.

They were still there. She clutched the books close. She would hide them. She would make sure Sophia couldn’t find them. No proof, and Anne would think Sophia was just making trouble again.

But where? The library was the logical choice, but she’d never get into the library without being discovered. She didn’t relish explaining to anyone why she had the books in her possession. Sophia wouldn’t hesitate to rifle through most of the rooms, except perhaps Tony’s room.

His room was perfect. She’d hide them in the bottom of his closet. No one would know the books were there and she could retrieve them when he left.

She glanced at the clock. She still had time to sneak in and hide them before he returned from the Williams farm. She clutched the books and crept out of her room.

 

Tony guided the horse down the tree-lined path, going over what he’d learned. After the discussion with Mr. Williams the previous day, he’d suspected the estate was mismanaged. It explained why Mr. Chelsworth was losing money. It explained the condition of the farm. It didn’t explain why Simon Bartleby was hounding the tenants for more money.

Lack of crop rotation, bad weather, and many other factors would explain the poor performance. But that wasn’t what he’d heard from the other tenants. The tenants wanted to raise sheep and depend less on crops for cash. Bartleby had put a stop to it all.

“I don’t know how you’re going to make sense of it. Not without talking to Chelsworth or Bartleby,” McDonald said as he rode beside him.

“I know,” Tony said. “The only thing I can think of is that Bartleby wanted the land for himself. He’s the younger son of an earldom. What is he doing as a land steward?”

“Perhaps the family has fallen on hard times,” McDonald suggested.

“Perhaps, but why Juliet? Bartleby could find much wealthier young ladies in Town.” Anne had sold her mother’s jewels to provide dowries for the other two sisters. It wouldn’t have been enough to purchase an estate like Horneswood, no matter how cheap the price was.

“Only Bartleby can confirm this story. It does seem odd that he’s not in London shopping for an heiress. Then again, Juliet is very intelligent. Perhaps that drew Bartleby’s attention.”

“I’m not sure I understand your meaning.”

“Juliet has spent a great deal of time studying your brother’s business journals.” McDonald chuckled. “She has a quick mind. I’ve been impressed with her ideas.” His voice held a note of pride. “She’s made some investment suggestions that I’ve taken advantage of.”

“Juliet Townsend? Are we talking about the same woman?”

“The very same. I’ve used her advice and made a tidy sum, not to mention growing her own settlement. She’s worth much more now,” McDonald said. “You do realize that I am one of the trustees of her settlement, don’t you?”

“I had forgotten. Do you have an example?”

“Railways. She swears that in ten years they will be the main mode of transportation in England,” McDonald said. “I’m not sure, but I’m willing to take the chance. She isn’t wrong often.”

“That’s highly speculative.” Tony frowned. He knew Juliet was smart, but this was amazing. “I wonder if Bartleby has discovered this.”

“It’s possible that Nathaniel has told him as part of their discussions.”

Juliet always read widely. Nathaniel was always missing his business journals. Tony smiled. Good for her.

“Does it change your opinion of her?”

“Not at all. I wish I had that talent.”

“I’m not looking forward to another evening like the last. Every time I attempted to talk to Miss Townsend, Juliet was there to dissuade me. Do you have any idea what those two are playing at?”

Tony had been forced to dance only with Sophia. If he tried to dance with Juliet, or even talk to her, he’d had to go through Sophia. “You must have done something to insult the lady if she’d gone to these strides to avoid you.”

“Not that I’m aware.” McDonald looked serious. “I don’t expect her to marry me. In fact, I’ll not be asking her. But I expect her to be friendly to me at least.”

“Perhaps you should tell her that. It would ease the tension.”

“You don’t just tell a woman you’ve no plans of offering for her. Not and survive to tell about it.”

“It would end this game she is insisting on playing.” Being in love with someone who didn’t love you back, didn’t even like you, was painful. “What are you going to do when she does marry?”

“Maybe when that happens I can move on. I’m getting tired of living alone in that big house.” McDonald looked out into the surrounding grounds. “You could really make something of this property if you wanted to, Matthews.”

“It has potential if managed correctly. It’s getting the family past the fact that I won it in a card game that’s the difficulty. Nathaniel is going to kill me. I’ve fulfilled all his fears of becoming our father.”

“You can stop gambling, can’t you?”

Tony was quiet a minute. “I have stopped. The only reason I played this particular game was because it gave me access to several investors for Nathaniel. He is a horrible card player.” He nudged his horse a little faster. While he’d not found a game while in Beetham, he still felt the pull to play. He had resisted thus far.

“Just say you bought the place,” McDonald said. “We’ll keep it between us.”

Tony mulled over the idea. It had merit. “That’s a good plan. I want to wait before announcing it to the family, though. Juliet will expect me to immediately solve the problem of the Williamses and I’m not sure I can.”

“That will not do,” McDonald said with a chuckle. “Her temper can rival Sophia’s.”

Tony knew Juliet’s temper only too well. He’d experienced it when he’d asked her to stay home today rather than go to the Williamses’. “If the Williamses prove not to be the injured parties here, I’d rather handle it without Juliet knowing.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Something just doesn’t feel right about the entire situation.” Tony had to trust his instincts. They’d proven right too many times. “Don’t say anything to anyone for now.”

“Certainly,” McDonald agreed.

They rode in silence for a long while. Tony’s thoughts centered on how he’d deal with the fact that the Williamses’ farm was not performing the way it needed to. He understood the challenges, especially given the severity of Mr. Williams’s injuries, but could he let them stay without paying something? Juliet would expect him to give them charity once she found out about his ownership of the estate.

One thing he had learned from Nathaniel was that there could be no emotional decisions in business. If he planned on supporting a family with this estate, he’d have to follow similar rules. It was a tangle. He was glad he’d made the decision to keep things quiet for the moment.

They dismounted at the stable. Tony handed the reins to a groom. “We should have time to change before tea.”

“I can’t wait to see what Sophia is going to do next to avoid me,” McDonald complained.

“I’ll say something to Jules. She has to know what’s going on.” Juliet had looked even less happy about Sophia’s machinations last night. If they could get back before tea, Tony might have time to get the information from her.

Tony wondered how much Simon Bartleby knew about Juliet’s dowry. It was common knowledge that Nathaniel had settled money on the girls in the amount of five hundred pounds. It wasn’t enough to buy an estate, but it was enough to get the man back to London. If he knew the true amount, it would be a further enticement.