“Aren’t we?” Seeing how empty the house was, Tony was going to have to rethink his solution to this plan. Even if he forgave Chelsworth’s debt to him, it wouldn’t save the various tenant families who were relying on this estate for their livelihoods. Things had been so much different when Tony hadn’t been involved with the tenants. Now that he knew the Williamses and some of the others, he couldn’t just let this go. He had to ensure they were going to be taken care of.
“Perhaps. Let’s walk toward the kitchens. I doubt he had a tray sent to his room. Not enough staff,” Ian said.
“Wait. He’s coming now.” Tony noticed Chelsworth coming down the hall, an angry expression on his face. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair stood straight up, as if he’d run his hands through it regularly. He was a far cry from the gentleman Tony had met in Town.
“What are you doing here?” Chelsworth spat.
Tony noticed the maid hovering in the hallway. “Perhaps we can discuss this somewhere more private?”
“I’ve nothing to say to you.” The man’s face was florid, his nose and eyes red.
Tony could smell the alcohol. “We’ve a proposal for you that might solve all our problems.”
“That I doubt,” the man mumbled. “Come along. Bring coffee to the library, girl.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Damn girl should do a better job of screening callers,” Chelsworth said, opening a door on the left of the hallway. “The library is one of the few rooms left with furniture.”
Tony glanced at Ian as they followed the man. The room was dark and smelled of stale smoke and whiskey. That explained the wrinkled clothes. Chelsworth had probably spent the night there.
Papers littered the old desk. Two more chairs were in the room, but not much else. The shelves were empty of books and dusty. The curtains sagged in places and the carpet was threadbare.
“I’d offer you a brandy—”
Tony held up a hand. “A bit too early for me, but thank you.”
Chelsworth sat in the chair behind the desk and shoved the papers aside. “What is this proposal you spoke of? Does it get me a ticket to America and money to start over?”
Tony looked at Ian. “There is the debt to be dealt with first,” Tony said carefully.
“I have no money,” Chelsworth said. “And you won the house fair and square. All I ask is that you give me some funds to start over.”
“Where would you go?”
“America? India? The Continent? Don’t really care much as long as it’s away from here.”
“Perhaps there’s family—” Tony said carefully.
“There is no family,” Chelsworth said. “I can sell it and let you dispute the gambling debt with the new owner.”
“Has someone put in an offer on the estate?” Tony asked. His thought was to buy the house outright but deduct the gambling debt from the price.
“My land agent tells me he has a buyer,” Chelsworth said. “I’ve not seen the offer.” He leaned forward on the desk. “What’s your offer?”
Tony glanced at Ian. “I propose to buy the house at its current value minus the gambling debt you owe me. That should leave you with enough money to do whatever you want.”
Ian leaned forward on his arms. “The estate has not been producing as it should.”
“Are you accusing me of mismanagement?” Chelsworth said.
Tony glared at Ian. “Not necessarily.”
“You’ve been visiting the tenants, so my land agent tells me,” Chelsworth accused. “For what purpose except to drive the price down?”
Tony paused. “Why would I drive the price down? You lost the estate in a game. You used it as collateral for your losses. Offering to buy out the house minus what you owe me is more than fair.”
“Then why visit the tenants?”
“Just taking an interest in my investment,” Tony said. “The estate is mine regardless.”
“The rumor is that you’re doing it for your fiancée. She’s befriended one of the farmer’s daughters,” Chelsworth said. “You should have better control over your lady.”
“My fiancée cares about the families in the village. As we are hoping to settle here after our marriage, I see nothing wrong with that.”
Chelsworth sat back in his chair and crossed his arms but said nothing.
Ian looked at Tony. “The lady’s charitable works are not a matter for discussion. We’ve made a proposal to purchase the estate for a fair price.”
“You’d be deducting a fortune,” Chelsworth exclaimed.
“Only to cover a gambling debt you incurred,” Ian McDonald said. “A debt that, as a gentleman, you are honor bound to pay.”
“The decision is yours, Chelsworth. Agree to my deal and walk away with money to either gamble away or escape to America for a new start.”
“Or what?” Chelsworth chuckled. “What could you do from here?”
“I have letters notifying your creditors that this estate is no longer yours, and that you have no means with which to pay your debts. I believe that qualifies you for debtors’ prison, does it not, Mr. McDonald?” He looked to Ian.
“I believe it does,” Ian said with a smirk. “I hear Marshalsea is quite nice this time of year. The heat isn’t so bad that it acerbates the smell of unwashed bodies and urine.”
Chelsworth leaned forward. “I want the chance to win it back.”
This was the last thing Tony needed. Nathaniel would kill him. Juliet would break the engagement. Given her family history, Juliet would never accept a husband who gambled like her brother. “No.”
Chelsworth’s eyes grew wild, his voice panicky. “A friendly game. Winner takes all.”
“Isn’t that how you got into this situation in the first place?” Tony said. “Accept the deal and you walk away with your honor intact and money in your pocket. Otherwise, I’ll notify your creditors and see that you are no longer welcome in any of the gaming hells in London.”
“Not to mention the clubs,” Ian said. “No one wants to play with someone who can’t honor his debts.”
“You can’t do that!” Chelsworth said. “I’ll be ruined.”
Tony almost pitied him. Chelsworth needed gambling to live. “The choice is yours.”
Chelsworth sat back in his chair and covered his face with his hands. “You’ve given me no choice but to agree to your terms.”
Ian pulled papers out of his pocket. “I have a bill of sale here. Let’s sign this so you can move on with your life.”
Chelsworth took out pen and ink and signed the document without so much as reading it. “I’ll be gone by the end of the week. The property is yours.”
“Thank you.” Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out the bank note for the price of the property. “As we agreed.”
“I’ll inform Bartleby that the land is changing hands,” Chelsworth said.
“Please tell Mr. Bartleby that I’ll be by to meet with him in three days. Tell him to have his ledgers ready for me to go over.” Tony wanted Bartleby gone from the property before he could do any more damage.
Ian took the signed documents and folded them. “I’ll file the necessary papers to complete the sale of the property.”
“Thank you for seeing reason, Chelsworth,” Tony said.
“Reason? I had little choice,” Chelsworth muttered.
“You have your new start. Try not to gamble it all away,” Tony said harshly. “The next man you lose a fortune to may not be so easy to deal with.”
Tony and Ian left Chelsworth sitting at his desk. They stood in the park of Horneswood and looked around. The house was Tony’s. He had a home. He couldn’t wait to show Juliet the place where they would raise their children.
“Nicely done,” Ian said. “When will you tell Juliet of the purchase?”
“I don’t know. I might save it as a surprise for the engagement,” Tony said with a smile. Finally, things were as they should be. He could be open and honest about it. Mostly.
“I suppose Brighton is out of the question now.”
“I’m afraid it is, unless Juliet wants to see it.” Tony wanted to be married as quickly as he could. He was ready for his life to start. His new life, with Juliet.
“Damn, that means I’m going to have to go,” Ian said.
Tony mounted his horse. “I’ll talk to Nathaniel after the ball.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing. It will cost a fortune to repair the damage and neglect.”
Tony already knew that. “Yes, but it has potential. A great deal of potential.”
Chapter Fifteen
T
ony was so excited about resolving the Chelsworth mess that he couldn’t wait any longer to tell Juliet. While they couldn’t tour the house until the sale had been finalized, he could drive her by and tell her about her new home.
It had been so long since the cards had been in his favor. Now he could be his own man, set his own destiny, and settle down with the woman he loved.
He loved her.
It had been coming on for so long, he hadn’t really noticed. Tony wanted her with a fierceness that was beyond description. He felt tenderness when he touched her. Protective when she was frightened. He wanted to see her swollen with his child. He wanted to wake up beside her every morning.
Hell, it must be love.
Tony wouldn’t have to disclose how he came to buy the house. The gambling issue could be put in a box and sealed, and he could move on. It was exactly the solution he had been hoping for.
Of course there was still Bartleby to deal with. His meeting with the slimy land agent was set for the day after the ball. When Tony owned the estate he’d fire Bartleby, and that problem would be solved.
But today was about Juliet and him. It was time for a private celebration.
Tony had the stable master ready the curricle with Nathaniel’s black stallions. He had Cook pack a picnic lunch. He would show her the house, tell her the news, and spend some quiet moments with her by the pond. He ached to feel her skin against his again. He ached to end the tension between them.
Juliet walked into the stable yard dressed in a simple dress and pelisse. She looked fresh and so pretty it made his heart skip a beat. She pushed her spectacles back up her nose.
“What’s this?” she asked as she approached the curricle carefully.
Tony pressed his lips to her gloved hands. “I thought we’d take a drive. I’ve got a surprise for you.” Tony handed her into the seat and he climbed in beside her. He accepted the reins from the stable master.
Juliet cut him a look and grabbed the edge of her seat as the horses took off at the touch of his whip.
“Where are we going?” Juliet said carefully.
“Just a few miles up the road,” he said. “I think I might have found a house for us. We have to live somewhere, don’t we?” Tony said.
Juliet didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He glanced down at her face but couldn’t see it due to the bonnet she wore.
“Of course,” Juliet said.
There was a tone in her voice that gave him pause. “Did you think I wouldn’t want to marry you?”
Juliet turned her head away from him, staring at the trees. “I thought you proposed so I wouldn’t be ruined. Mr. Bartleby finding us like that . . .”
Tony pulled the reins to a stop and turned to Juliet. “I would have proposed anyway. Bartleby just precipitated the inevitable.”
Juliet turned to him, her eyes anxious.
Tony took her gloved hand and raised it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. “Will you marry me?”
She gasped, and then covered it up with a laugh. “No fancy words? No poetry? You at least wrote Sophia poetry.”
Tony damped down the disappointment. Juliet was stalling. He had no choice but to play along for now. “True, but I was young and foolish, with much to learn.” He winked at her. “With the emphasis on the foolish, given the poetry I was writing at the time.”
“It was awful.”
“Careful. I might have to write some for you.” He watched a blush touch her cheeks.
“Please spare me.” She glanced out at the landscape as they approached the long drive to Horneswood.
“But isn’t poetry the fruit of love?” he teased. “Aren’t young ladies supposed to swoon over it?”
She laughed, and the feather on her hat danced with the motion. “Poetry is the fruit of the nonsensical. I’d rather swoon over a good novel.”
“I’m no novelist, but I can try, for you.”
There was an unreadable expression in her eyes. “I’m not the sort of girl who inspires men to write.”
His heart cracked open a little. “I will write you a poem, for our wedding.”
“Oh, please, no.” She laughed.
Tony guided the curricle down the lane to Horneswood. “I imagine you and your sisters had a good laugh at my expense.”
“Only a small bit.”
“Now I should definitely write a poem for our wedding.”
Juliet sat up straighter in her seat. “This is Horneswood.”
“I purchased it,” Tony said. “The owner finally agreed to the price.”
“If this is a joke, Tony, it’s not funny,” Juliet said.
He pulled the reins to stop the horse on the side of the lane, where they would be afforded the best view of the house. It was not as large as the Lodge, or as pretty, but it was his. Theirs. “I made the offer only this morning.”
“What about the tenants? The Williamses?”
“It was Mr. Williams who gave me the idea of purchasing the place outright.” Tony took her hand. “And you, of course.”
Juliet turned her face to him. Her smile was wide, her eyes tear-filled. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“Are you going to be able to bear being married to a gentleman farmer? There won’t be as many fine dresses or trips to London.”
“I don’t care about dresses or London.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “Thank you.”
Her gloved hand was cool and smooth against his hand, her lips soft. His pulse picked up as she pulled back.
“You’ve changed so much. You’re settling down. You’ve given up your rakish ways,” she said.
“Are you going to answer my question? Will you make me the happiest of men and become my wife?”
“I know that I’ve been uncertain about marrying you. I was afraid you’d fall back into gambling and I wouldn’t be able to tolerate that. But you’re not that man anymore.”
He was right to keep the truth about the estate from her. Let her think he’d just decided to buy it. It was mostly true. She didn’t have to know the circumstances behind the sale. Maybe he’d tell her in twenty years or so, and they could have a good laugh about it.
For now, the joy in her eyes was enough. “Say yes,” he said. “Be my wife. Be my partner. Make a home with me.”
Juliet’s heart pounded at Tony’s sweet words. It was like every dream she’d ever had finally came true. “Partner?”
“Of course. I can’t do this without you, Jules. You are so much smarter than me in many ways. I’d be foolish not to take advantage of it.”
No one had appreciated her brain before. She smiled through her tears. “Yes, Tony, I will marry you.”
His blue eyes burned with emotion as he looked down at her. Juliet couldn’t ever have imagined being this happy. “Shall we see the inside of the house?”
“Not yet. I’ve given Mr. Chelsworth time to remove his personal belongings. I should be able to take possession after the ball.”
Juliet frowned. “What about Mr. Bartleby? Does he know?”
Tony turned the carriage around. “He probably does now. I’ll meet with him after the ball.”
“What will you do about him?”
“I will send him packing. I have enough evidence from the tenants to make sure he won’t be a land agent again in this area any time soon.”
Juliet bit her lip. Would Bartleby act out to hurt Penelope? The man was arrogant and mean.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any repercussions, and if there are, he will find himself in gaol,” Tony said.
Juliet relaxed and leaned against Tony. “Where are we going now?”
“The pond. I have a romantic picnic planned.”
“You, romantic? I can hardly fathom it.”
“I’m capable of being just as romantic as the next man.”
“Is this what you couldn’t tell me earlier?”
Tony stiffened beside her. After a long pause, he said, “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For explaining of course. I’m sorry I was angry about the secrets. I must learn to be more patient—”
“I can think of a few things we can do to teach you patience.” He pulled the curricle to a stop near a large tree. He jumped down and tied off the horse before grasping Juliet’s waist and pulling her into his arms. “It starts with kissing you. All over. Slowly.”
Juliet gasped as her body slid down against his. “What if I don’t want it slowly?”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Slow is good. Slow is thorough.” He kissed her deeply.
Juliet surrendered to his kiss, her hands reaching into his hair. Her tongue tangled with his. Want and need thickened her blood and warmed her skin. She needed this man.
Now.
Tony pulled away from her. “First lesson in patience: There is a time and a place for everything.”
Juliet tried to pull him back, but he stepped farther away. “This is the time and the place,” she said.
“We’ve both waited for that moment. I’d like it to be in a bed, not in a field where anyone could walk by.”
“If you insist.”
Tony reached behind the bench of the curricle and pulled out a basket. “Cook packed this for us. Are you hungry?”
“For food? Not really,” Juliet said.
“You are going to be the death of me.”
She grinned and took the blanket from him. “Where do you want to sit?”
“I thought in the shade by the pond,” Tony said. He set the basket down in the grass. Together they smoothed the blanket over the ground. Once they were settled on the blanket, Juliet asked, “How did you manage to purchase Horneswood? Did you buy it from the new owner?”
“Something like that. Did you know Chelsworth?”
“He’s never been here much. And when he was, no one saw him. In fact, when Mr. Williams had his accident, the man didn’t even visit him to make sure he was all right.”
Tony poured a glass of wine and handed it to Juliet. “Things will be different now.”
“What are you going to do about the Williamses?” Juliet knew he had to deal with things in a businesslike manner, but her heart still hurt for the family that was so special to her.
“I think they can make up the rents. Despite Mr. Williams’s injuries, he has some good ideas on how the estate should be run,” Tony said, lifting his glass. “Enough of this talk. I want to drink a toast to my lovely bride.”
Juliet smiled and clinked her glass to his. “When shall we have the banns read?”
Tony set down his glass carefully on the grass and unloaded strawberries, ham, and bread on the blanket. “I thought I’d get a special license so we could marry right away.”
“That quickly? What will people think?”
“That I’m so besotted with my bride, I couldn’t wait any longer.” He kissed her deeply.
Juliet let herself fall into the kiss, her tongue tangling with his. She sighed as he pulled away. “You make me drunk with passion.”
He grinned. “Good. You’ve been tying me in knots since I arrived. Shall we eat?”
“If we’re going to eat, then we must talk of practical matters. Otherwise I’ll be too tempted to kiss you again.” Juliet smiled as he offered her a strawberry. She bit into it and let the sweetness fill her mouth. She closed her eyes and almost moaned. “This is perfect.”
She opened her eyes to find Tony was watching her with his mouth open. Good. She wasn’t the only one suffering. “How furnished is the house?”
“What?”
“How furnished is the house? I assume if Mr. Chelsworth was deeply in debt, we’ll have to purchase furniture.” Juliet took a bit of ham and cheese with her bread.
“The house appears to be pretty barren. I’ll leave the decorating to you, but I’ll have our bedroom ready before we marry.”
Juliet’s cheeks heated. He didn’t play fair. She nibbled at her lunch. “What about the rest of the servants?”
“I think most have already left. I don’t know when they were last paid. I’ll have to rectify that matter.”
“Mrs. Fellows at the Lodge can help us find good staff.” Juliet was starting to feel a bit out of her depth. Anne had been lucky; she’d been running Lady Danford’s house even before she married Nathaniel.
Juliet didn’t have the same type of training. She’d never managed a house. She didn’t even have her own maid. She shared with Sophia.
“What’s going through that head of yours, sweetheart?” His voice was tender, understanding.
“I have no idea how to run a house, Tony.” Her voice cracked. “What if I make a mess of it?”
“You won’t. You’re a kind woman, and people respond to that in you. I’m certain you will be fine. ”
“Anne makes it look so effortless. And Sophia just orders people around.”
“You treat people with respect. That is all anyone really wants. Respect their work and see how the servants respond.”
Juliet nodded. She still had her doubts, but she’d figure it out. Anne would gladly help her.
“There is one thing I need to discuss with you, though.”
Juliet frowned at the serious tone in his voice. He drained his glass of wine.
“What?” she asked.
“Your reading habits. Such naughty books, dearest.” His eyes held a wicked glint.
She played along. “I thought you liked my naughty books. Though you did return one.”
“Did you see the page I marked?”
She blushed. The page was one of a woman with her mouth on the man’s privates. She couldn’t stop herself from being curious but wasn’t sure how it all worked.
“I see you do remember.”
His voice rumbled along her nerve endings like ruts in the lane. Juliet was suddenly breathless.
“Are you finished eating?” Tony’s voice dropped another octave.
Juliet nodded. “Shall I help you pack everything?”
“I’ll take care of it.” He placed things back into the basket slowly. He hesitated with the dish of strawberries and then set it back to the side of the blanket. “I might want dessert later.”