Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
There were only six steps this time.
Leonard knocked on the door. He might get turned away, but he had a feeling that once the intention of this meeting was known, he would be allowed entry.
Especially since he had sent a letter earlier that morning detailing what he needed to discuss.
If Mr. Hind was the sort of man Leonard thought him to be, he would meet with him.
Rain drizzled down on his hat and coat, and when the doorman allowed Leonard in, he handed off his hat and gloves and swiped at the loose beads of moisture on his sleeves.
His boots plodded along the floor, up the stairs, and down the hall to a dark room. And there, in the middle of the space, in all of his pretentiousness—for who sits behind a massive desk in a room otherwise empty—sat Mr. Hind.
“Mr. Stanton. Welcome.” He held a hand out. “Please, take a seat.”
“I will stand, thank you.”
Mr. Hind’s false smile froze on his face for a moment. “Very well. You do as you see fit.”
“Oh, I plan to.”
Mr. Hind pulled his brows down. “That sounds rather ominous, Mr. Stanton. I think you have the details of this meeting a little off.”
“No.” Leonard made a show of glancing about the room, as if he really had better places to be. “I think you misunderstand things.”
His brows hitched. “Is that so? Please, enlighten me.”
“I plan to court Miss Honora Gillingham in the coming weeks.”
“Then I feel it incumbent upon myself to let you know of her character.”
“See, that is exactly what I came here to discuss.” Leonard cocked his head to the side. “I know everything already. And I don’t appreciate the fact that you are blackmailing her.”
“Blackmail is an ugly word.” Mr. Hind pushed back from his desk.
“An ugly word for an ugly deed,” Leonard bit out.
He scoffed. “You cannot seriously be interested in a woman such as Miss Gillingham.” He used a hand to gesture to Leonard. “You are a gentleman. Son of a gentleman. You can have no use for a woman such as her. Unless she takes you up on an offer that she refused me.”
Leonard swallowed, forcing himself to remain calm and in control of himself. “The offer I plan to make to her is much more honorable. And it will be up to her if she chooses to accept.”
“So, what is the purpose of this little visit then?”
“To let you know that your little game will have no effect on my plans for her and our future.”
Hind opened his mouth, but Leonard pressed on.
“And if you think my father finding out about my wife’s past will be any inducement to continue your little game, I would be happy to tell you that it wouldn’t bother me at all.
” He took a breath. “But I will warn you that if you feel the need to spread nasty little tales throughout London, I will repay you in kind. And my family is in good enough standing, so that should keep you in line.”
Hind watched him, his eyes narrowing.
“Now, I am leaving. And I hope I will not have need to return.”
And then he stormed out, boots stomping down the hall.
As Leonard entered his parents’ townhouse, he halted. Voices drifted down the hall, and he nearly cursed under his breath. He strode toward the murmurs, then entered the morning room. His parents sat on the matching high-back chairs across from Samuel on the settee.
Leonard glanced about their faces, starting with his parents. His father’s face was set, but his mother smiled and stood, striding toward him with arms outstretched.
“It is good to see you, Leonard.” She pulled back, still holding Leonard’s forearms, and he glanced over her shoulder toward Samuel.
His eyes told it all. That he had tried his best, but their parents had insisted on escorting him to London.
“What a surprise,” Leonard said, escorting his mother back to her seat.
“You invited Samuel to visit, did you not?” His father brought a cup of tea to his lips. “Surely you did not expect him to do so by himself.”
“No,” Leonard continued. “I would have been happy to drive out and bring him.”
“Now we can help. I thought you would be relieved.”
Leonard watched him, his heart beating dully in his chest. What he wanted was to be sure they did not do anything Father would not approve of.
He would think going to a play too taxing for Samuel.
Sometimes Leonard wondered if keeping him in his bed all the time was doing rather the opposite of helping him.
“I am happy to have Samuel here,” he answered.
Mother squirmed in her seat, then cleared her throat. “Leonard, would you care for some tea?” She stood to pour him a cup, and Leonard grudgingly took a seat of his own.
He accepted the steaming tea, thankful for something to sip on so he could do that instead of trying to make conversation. After leaving Hind’s, this was rather the last thing he wanted to come home to.
“Are you planning to let anyone know you are in town?” Leonard asked.
Mother looked at Samuel, then over to Father. “It depends.”
“Mother,” Samuel said, his shoulders sloping. “You can go. I promise I will be fine.”
She sighed, as if not believing Samuel’s words. “Very well. Perhaps we will go to a small dinner or two. We can always leave directly after the meal.”
“That’s not necessary,” Samuel pressed. “I will have Leonard here.” He looked at Leonard with a knowing grin.
“Exactly.” Leonard smiled back, then took another sip of tea. Perhaps he would sneak his brother out while his parents were gone. What they didn’t know couldn’t hurt them—or worry them.
Leonard penned a quick letter to Honora, letting her know of his change in plans with his family arriving unexpectedly. He did his best to assure her that he had every intention of calling on her as soon as he could, especially after the tumultuousness of the previous night.
The evening with his family passed with a tenseness Leonard had not felt since living under the same roof as them. After their meal, Samuel read aloud for a time, and then his parents claimed fatigue and stood to retire.
“Leonard,” his father said, pausing beside him. “I need to discuss something with you in the study.”
Leonard sucked his lip in but nodded and followed. He really should have expected this, so he wasn’t quite sure why it bothered him so much.
His father shut the door behind them, then made his way to the desk. He leaned against the front of it, arms crossed. “Is there any update regarding your marital state?”
Leonard wanted to scoff—to refuse to answer.
But after their last discussion, he feared that withholding information would put an unnecessary strain on Samuel to enter the marriage mart.
If he wished it for himself, then that was one thing.
But never had he made such desires known, if he indeed had them.
“I don’t have particulars for you, other than there is a young woman I am speaking with. The woman I had told you about before.”
His father’s brow scrunched before he seemed to consider Leonard’s words. He nodded. “Very well. That seems prudent. As long as you don’t cry off.”
Leonard turned to leave, assuming that was the extent of their discussion, but once his grip closed on the handle, his father’s voice stopped his retreat.
“Why did you ask Samuel to come to London without us?”
Dropping his hand, Leonard turned back. “Is that something you really need to ask?”
“I am only surprised. You know your mother wouldn’t allow it.”
“I had hoped she would this time. Samuel is a grown man, in case neither of you have realized that.”
“He is ill,” his father said, his face flushing and voice rising.
“He is stronger than you think,” Leonard replied, his voice rising to match his father’s.
The door opened, and his mother came in, then shut the door behind her. “Goodness, you two. Please lower your voices.”
“We are not so loud as to bother the neighbors, Mother,” Leonard said, scuffing a hand along his jaw.
He didn’t want them here. All he desired was to have Samuel with him and to let him be for a week or two.
To let his brother relax without the constant fussing and worrying of his mother, or without the indifferent air of their father.
It was supposed to be the two of them, talking and laughing.
Going out on occasion. Something to bring Samuel some joy.
His mother shook her head. “I am not worried about the neighbors. I am worried hearing you two arguing will be strenuous on Samuel.”
Leonard’s mouth fell open, and his eyes swung between his parents, perched on opposite sides of him. “You cannot be serious.”
“Dr. Francis said that undue stress could worsen his health.”
“And how has Dr. Francis’s other tactics worked in the past?”
“He is alive,” his father bit out.
Leonard rolled his eyes.
“You really should consider what is best for your brother, Leonard,” his mother pressed. “Inviting him to come by himself was rather selfish of you. You know he would do so to please you, and that could have been very dangerous.”
“You think him incapable of a thirty-minute drive in a family carriage?” Leonard propped his hands on his hips and threw his head back. He then drew a hand to his face and used his thumb and finger to pinch the bridge of his nose.
His father took a breath. “Well, at the very least, we have some good news. Leonard has found a wife at last.”
Mother hesitated, but eventually put a hand to her chest, nodding. “That is good. One less thing to worry about.”
Leonard clenched his jaw as he glanced between his parents. If he didn’t leave now, he was bound to say something rash. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” He strode to the door, forcing himself to open it calmly and gently shut it behind him.