All of this had led him to expect a meek child. That was not what he had encountered.
Miss Regina had seemed uncommonly determined to not accept her fate. She had shown fire in the side parlor. He could remember how she had firmly tugged herself away. How she had said that she must know what was going on. How she had declared that there must be a solution.
He thought perhaps that there was more to the youngest Hartfield than people realized.
Despite what he had seen that night, he had not expected this. It was most forward of her. Did she not realize that if he wanted he could circulate this letter? He could use it to spread the most salacious rumors. He could ruin her with it.
It showed quite a lot of trust in him. And she did not know him. They had spoken once. Not to mention that he had taken care that not much of his history be known.
He was not ashamed that he had used cards to regain his family fortune. His father had been a good man. A moral man. But his spine had been as soft as butter. He had no head for figures. Ill friends had swindled him until by the time Thomas inherited there was next to nothing left to inherit.
With the money he had earned from cards he had invested wisely. He had entered into business with good, solid men. He had put many years of hard work into refurnishing his estate. Whitefern had been gutted. All the art and furniture sold to pay debts. He had rebought each piece. Tracking some of it down had taken ages but he had employed determined men who were skilled at such things.
It had taken him the work of a decade but he had done it. He had rebuilt his family home. He had redone the grounds. He had ensured those who lived on his land prospered. He had put the Harrison family and the land of Whitefern back where they belonged: on top.
But not everyone saw it that way. Those who had never had to earn their living saw those who did as less-than. Especially when they had to use cards. It didn’t help that people like that blasted Pettifer gave it all a bad name.
Thomas should have intervened. He should have warned Lord Hartfield. Mr. Denny was half in love with Elizabeth Hartfield and had told Thomas all about her father’s ill luck with cards.
If only he had spoken to Hartfield and warned him not to play Pettifer. Perhaps this all could have been avoided.
Now Miss Regina was writing to him. She was begging him for help.
He had no idea what she could possibly have in mind that would involve him. Perhaps she had some separate inheritance she hoped to invest? If her deceased mother left her daughters some pounds, those would belong to Regina outright. She could invest them if she wished.
That didn’t sound right. There were plenty of men Regina could go to for help with that. Why him?
Thomas couldn’t find it within himself to refuse a young lady’s plea for assistance. Especially the sister of the woman he loved. He was well aware that Bridget Hartfield hardly thought of him. But then, she hardly knew him. Perhaps with more time…
And how could he refuse a girl who was in the same position he had been as a young man? He had watched his father squander everything. Now Regina’s father had done the same. It would make him the worst hypocrite to refuse her.
For Bridget’s sake and for the sake of his own sympathy, he ordered for paper and pen to be brought.
Dear Miss Regina,
I have received your letter and am perplexed as to how I may assist. But I wish your family nothing but joy. If you think I may be of assistance then I shall do what I can. As you may know I have a London address. It shall make a fine halfway point between your father’s estate and mine. If you can find an excuse to go to London, I can meet you there this Saturday.
With warmest regards,
Lord Harrison
He was tempted to add a postscript remind her to pass his regards onto Bridget, but he thought that might be pushing his luck. He had been rather bold about that the other night.
Still, he could not deny the idea appealed to him. Bridget could hardly avoid to look with favor upon the man who helped save her family. Perhaps, in helping the Hartfields, he could win Bridget.
Thomas finally tucked into his breakfast. He did not even mind that it was cold.
Chapter 8
Regina looked down at the address written in her hand. Then she looked back up at the building.
She was in a nice section of London. The streets were broad and lined with trees. The air smelled fairly pleasant for a city. And the houses were fine and sturdy. Yet she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
She shook herself. She wasn’t in a dangerous area. And Lord Harrison was not a dangerous man. A mysterious one, but not dangerous. There was no reason to be so concerned.
He really was mysterious though. Regina had made careful inquiries over the last few days. She had even spoken with Bridget about him. But nobody knew anything more than what Charlotte Tourney had told her.
“Lord Harrison is a fine man,” Bridget had said. “His behavior has been acceptable.”
“I had heard that he admired you,” Regina had put forth.
“He has made that clear,” Bridget had replied. “But I saw nothing in him to interest me. He seemed a gentleman, nothing more.”
“But now you must consider him,” Regina had suggested. “For as you told Natalie, we can no longer be picky.”
“Beggars cannot be choosers,” Bridget had admitted. “I shall consider him along with the others. If nothing else his fortune is massive and he is titled.”
Now Regina was in front of Lord Harrison’s city home. And she was terrified.
She recalled the way he had looked at her and the feel of her hand in his. A shiver ran up her spine. She did not like the way that he affected her. She couldn’t even name how he affected her. He just…did.
“Well?” Lady Cora Dunhill asked. “I am happy to go in, my dear, but you look rather like you’ve seen a ghost. Perhaps it is best if we go for a bracing walk instead.”
Lady Cora was what could only be described as a beauty. When she had first seen her Regina’s breath had caught a little in her throat, the way it did when she saw a particularly lovely painting. Lady Cora had thick, dark hair that shone in the firelight and dark blue eyes that seemed deep and unfathomable.
She actually looked a little like she could be related to Lord Harrison. They had similar dark hair and blue eyes, although Lady Cora’s were dark and mysterious in color while Lord Harrison’s were warm and inviting. There was also the sly look to her, and the quirk of her mouth that suggested a private joke.