Chapter Seventeen
When Leo arrived home, he was told his mother had retired with a sick headache, which is what his mother always did when she didn’t want to have a conversation. She’d never done it with him before, but she had with his father. He’d have to speak with her after his meeting with his secretary.
Early the next morning, he rode with Theo, Marrow, and Miss Pettigrew, broke his fast at Worthington House, and returned home.
He would have lingered, but the Season had now begun in earnest. Theo had final fittings, the gentlemen had the Lords and Commons, and Leo had business to attend to as well before the luncheon meeting.
When he arrived home a groom took his horse, and he entered the house. “Hoover, please inform her grace that I wish to speak with her in an hour.”
“Yes, your grace.”
Whiting was already at his desk when Leo joined his secretary.
“Here are the letters I wrote yesterday.” Whiting handed over a short stack of missives.
Leo reviewed them. “Excellent. It’s amazing that knowing nothing about the estates, you were able to give cogent responses.”
“The answers were simple common sense. I knew, for example, that if the price of anything had risen, you would want to know the reason.” His secretary folded the letters and prepared them to be sealed.
“These I was unable to respond to until I spoke with you.” Whiting handed Leo one of the missives.
Once Leo had finished reading it, he wanted to consign it to the fire. “This boundary dispute has been going on for years. I believe it is finally time to call in a surveyor. I don’t know why my father didn’t do it.”
“I have a feeling we’re going to find out.” Whiting’s tone was dry. “I will find who normally does the surveys for that area and instruct the estate manager to allow him access.”
“Very good.” So far, Leo was extremely pleased with his new secretary. “What else do we have?”
They spent the next hour discussing the best ways to settle the other disputes, and Leo left his secretary to respond to the notes.
“Tell me when you are done, and I will seal and frank them.” He might have to have a seal made for Whiting. It would save time. Leo went to his study and tugged the bellpull. Hoover answered the summons. “Tell my mother I would like to see her now.”
“I believe she is readying herself for an appointment, your grace.”
The devil she was. “Then I’ll speak to her before she departs.”
A few minutes later, Mama entered the parlor. “What did you wish to talk with me about?”
“Please, have a seat.” Leo motioned to a chair.
She raised her chin. “I would rather stand. I must leave immediately.”
“In that case, I shall be blunt. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to introduce me to any young ladies. I know whom I want to wed. I have no interest in anyone else.”
“Although I am sure she is a very nice girl”—his mother sniffed—“I believe you can select someone more suitable.”
“I do not.” What was she getting at? “I do not want anyone who is more interested in my rank or wealth than me as a man.”
“We all wed for those things.” Her chin rose. “You should have a wife you can mold into what you want. That is how your father and I started out.”
This could rapidly devolve into a circular argument.
“Theo is of the appropriate rank to marry a duke. She has a suitable dowry”—not that he knew or cared what it was—“and the appropriate education and temperament to be my duchess.” His mother’s countenance assumed a mulish look.
“Did you receive and respond in the affirmative to Lady Harrington’s ball? ”
Mama inclined her head. “I did. I expect you to escort me.”
“As do I. I plan to leave after supper. Is that convenient for you?”
“Yes. There is a ball I would like to attend after the Harrington event.”
“You may bring me back here and take the town coach.” He had to get at least some sleep before riding with Theo the next day.
“I had hoped you would join me.” He couldn’t believe Mama was actually using a cajoling tone with him.
“I am sorry to disappoint you. Unless something changes, I plan to attend one event an evening for the foreseeable future.”
“Indeed. In that case, I shall see you later.” Head high and her back straight, Mama left the room. She reminded him of a frigate under full sail. This argument was obviously not over. She was not happy that he wouldn’t take her advice.
“I wish you a good day.” Leo rubbed his forehead. Why the devil had she taken a dislike to Theo?
He went back to Whiting’s office. “I shall require you to perform another task.”
“Yes, your grace?” He took off his glasses.
“I’ll have all the letters and invitations delivered to you so that I can see them before anyone else in the household does.”
“Should I answer them?” He appeared to understand how unusual Leo’s request was.
He needed to consider how to handle that.
He no longer trusted his mother to accept only the invitations to events he planned to attend.
Somehow, he had to find out which entertainments Theo was attending.
Would it be as simple as asking Lady Worthington?
Theo said her sister made those decisions. “I don’t know yet.”
“Very well, your grace.” Whiting donned his glasses and looked at the correspondence on the desk.
“I have some errands and then a luncheon. I’ll have an answer for you when I return.”
Whiting nodded and Leo strolled out. It was time to go to meet the other gentlemen. His butler handed him his walking stick, hat, and gloves. “Hoover, I want all of the correspondence to be delivered to Mr. Whiting upon arrival.”
“Even those addressed to her grace?”
“Yes. All of it. There is no need to inform my mother. I shall do so.” After Leo decided what to do.
“As you wish, your grace.”
“I will not be here for luncheon. However, I will dine at home.”
“Cook will be very happy, your grace.”
As much as Leo paid the man, he should take his meals here more often. “It is always a good idea to keep the cook happy. I shall see you later.”
He descended the steps to the drive, then turned onto Park Lane and continued onto Piccadilly. When he arrived at St. James Street, he was hailed by Lord Darnel, an old friend from school.
“Chandos.” The man hurried to Leo. “I haven’t seen you at the usual haunts.”
In other words, the places he used to frequent until last summer. “I’ve been rather busy.”
His chum fell in beside him. “Would you like to have luncheon with me?”
“I’m afraid I have another appointment.” Darnel was frequently in need of something. “Is there anything you want?”
“Yes, actually.” He smiled. “I would like to introduce you to my sister. I understand you might be in the market for a wife.”
Leo had told his mother to keep that quiet. He’d tell the world if he thought Theo wouldn’t be upset. Yet, he had to secure her hand first. He wouldn’t deny he was looking to wed, but he wasn’t going to encourage anyone either. “I’m not interested in meeting any young ladies.”
“Oh. Well, then.” Darnel appeared confused. “I’m sorry to have mentioned it. She will be disappointed.”
Kenilworth strolled up to them. “Are you ready?”
“I am.” Leo turned to Darnel. “Perhaps I shall see you another time.”
“Are you attending Lady Penchly’s ball?” Darnel seemed hopeful.
“Not that I know of. When is it?”
“Tomorrow evening.”
“I shall have to ask my mother. She is keeping the social calendar.” That was a small lie that would, hopefully, stop Darnel asking about his engagements for a while.
He bowed. “Until the next time.”
Darnel left and Kenilworth raised a brow. “I have heard that his father is getting ready to cut him off.”
“That’s not surprising.” He and Leo headed toward Brooks’s. “He wants to introduce me to his sister. I assume it would be a way to get back into his father’s good graces.”
“You’re probably correct. How is your new secretary doing?”
“Quite well. I’m very pleased. Now, if only my mother would fall in line.”
Kenilworth barked a laugh. “I am not certain any of them are capable of that. My mother was so happy I was marrying that she fell all over Charlotte, and she had not yet decided to marry me. Rothwell’s mother, on the other hand, wasn’t at all happy with his choice of Louisa.
And Lady Wolverton—Louisa, Augusta, Madeline, and Theo’s mother—was furious when Madeline decided to wed Stern. ”
“My mother believes I need a wife I can mold. I would rather have one with her own opinions and who already knows how to take charge. To forestall any shenanigans on her part, I have decided to have all the household correspondence delivered to my secretary. I just don’t know what to do after that.
I only want to accept invitations to events Theo will attend. ”
“Charlotte will have the list. We are all called upon to support whomever is making a come out. I can arrange to send it to you.”
“Yes, thank you. Absolutely.” Leo breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I only need to ensure that I’m invited to all of the events.”
Kenilworth grinned. “We can help with that as well. Most of the balls and other things we’ll attend are given by friends or close acquaintances.”
“Thank you.” Although Leo didn’t fully understand why the family had decided to promote his suit, he was grateful. “Getting her to see me as a suitor is much more difficult than I’d anticipated.”
Kenilworth raised a brow. “You didn’t help yourself by telling her you didn’t wish to meet young ladies.”
“I made it even worse this morning.” Leo could have kicked himself. “I told her that didn’t include her, and she said that of course it didn’t. She knew I wasn’t looking for a wife.”
“The road hasn’t been easy for any of us.” Kenilworth grimaced. “You’ll work out a way to encourage her to come around.”
Leo hoped the man was right. Currently, he had no idea how to manage it.
“Theo, that is beautiful!” Mary exclaimed. “I am so glad waistlines are beginning to fall. I was becoming tired of the high waists.”