“What other girl lived here, fool? Yes, Miss Primrose. Looks like her mother.” He gulped some more brandy and gave a drunken sigh. “Lovely woman. Sweet and kind. My brother was a lucky man. My good friend Sir Edgar is heartbroken about how the girl ran away rather than wed him.”
The thought of the kind, sweet Primrose in the hands of Sir Edgar Benton made Jenson feel ill. The man might have good blood, been to all the right schools, and have a lot of money but he was scum. He shook aside that distaste and started to plot a way to get free of this man so that he could be far away when Augusta returned.
“I need something to wear to Edgar’s for tonight, Jenson. See to it.”
Gritting his teeth, Jenson set about preparing to send the fool off to his friend’s house. He worked as fast as he could, cajoling the man into his bath and ignoring his suggestions of what he thought would look best. By the time Rufford staggered off to lose more money he did not have, Jenson was in a cold sweat but decided to hold to his plan to at least look for something the Wootten siblings could use to bring the woman down.
Jenson was pulled out of his intense study of the family ledgers when he heard a voice that made his blood run cold.
“Where is my husband?” Augusta’s sharp voice cut through the air.
As he heard some mumbled reply made by a terrified servant Jenson hurried over where he knew there was a small room behind a door hidden by the bookshelves. His heart pounded with fear as he waited for the door to slowly open but then he ducked inside and it closed behind him. Collapsing in a chair some past resident had put in so he could steal a smoke, Jenson fought to calm himself, to find that spine the girl said he needed. To his dismay the woman came into the ledger room.
“Has someone been in here?”
“Not that I am aware of, m’lady.”
Jenson recognized the voice of the housekeeper, Mrs. Jakes, and sighed when he heard the fear in the woman’s voice. Augusta terrified all of them. He held his breath to see if he could hear what answer Augusta accepted, Mrs. Jakes, or one of her own.
“Then it was probably my fool husband who does not have the sense to even hide his intrusion here. Get me some tea and a few cakes.”
“As you wish, ma’am.”
“M’lady. I will be called m’lady. Remember that.”
Jenson held back the snort of disgust he felt ready to give. That woman was not entitled to the honors of the barony but clearly planned to usurp them. The only way to do that would be to wipe out the whole family. It was diabolical but he was not truly surprised. The woman had been talking as if that was her plan for as long as he had been trapped with her.
“Oh, and Mrs. Jakes, fetch my man of business.”
Jenson sat down near the door so he could be sure to hear as much of what was about to be said as possible. Augusta was evidently so certain of victory that she was already taking over the entire household. He did not think that fool Rufford knew the extent of his wife’s thefts or her intention to grab that title for him. That meant he did not know how near he was to being killed. Augusta would not allow him to throw away the money she saw as hers. The wait was long, however, and he began to feel very tired.
The sound of a door shutting and Augusta’s sharp voice jerked Jenson out of a nap. He rubbed his eyes and settled in to see if she meant to pull poor Mister Sutton into her plots through guile or threat. Could even be through bribery, he thought, although the man would have to be a fool to think he would ever see any of the money promised.
“Mister Sutton, I have some business that needs tending to.”
“Such as what, ma’am? Do you wish some advice on investments?”
“No, I need to deal with some of the business of Willow Hill.”
“That business is the sole province of the new baron, or in a few cases, Miss Primrose. You have no authority.”
“Here is my authority. You can see right there that both Simeon and Primrose have signed allowing me to deal with matters while they are gone.”
“But, they have not even heard the will read. This is most unusual.”
“They are not certain when they can return and do not wish to leave things untended. Can you think of anything in the will that would prohibit any normal sort of business?”
It was quiet for a few minutes and Jenson decided Mister Sutton was pulling the will out of his bag and quickly reading it through. “Ah, here is one thing that severely changes how business is done here. Courtyard Manor. It goes to Master Geoffrey and thus there will be no more payments.”
“Peter gave it to Geoffrey?”
“Every inch of it. All that is asked is that he agree to continue to be one of the regular suppliers to Willow Hill. I suppose that is because the baron saw the quality of the man’s goods.”
“That loss could cost Willow Hill dearly.”
“There is still ample income, ma’am.”