Chapter Seventeen #2
Louisa couldn’t tell how serious Daniel was being. Could he really ruin her family? Why would he do such a thing? “Surely you can find an unwitting debutante who is too empty-headed to uncover your schemes. You don’t really need me.”
“I could do that, but you’ve already said yes.
And I have no intention of ending our engagement.
The wedding is still happening. You’d do well to get used to the idea.
I believe we’d make good companions for each other, and I think with time, you will see that.
” He stood and put his hat back on his head. “Good day, my lady.”
With that, he stormed out of the room.
Louisa took a moment to gather herself. She was so angry she wanted to hurl the precious ceramics her mother collected at his departing figure. Several figurines were on the mantel, and wouldn’t it feel so satisfying to watch that ceramic cherub break into pieces against the floor?
Before she committed any crimes against ceramics, her mother walked back into the room. “Louisa, what happened?”
“I tried to break the engagement and he refused.”
“Well, of course he did. Why would you do anything so foolish?”
“Mother, he and I do not suit. We have little in common and he seems not to have much respect for me. If he’s not stepping out on me now, I can guarantee he will in the future. How can I marry him?”
“Louisa, I’m not having this argument again.”
“He said some pretty cruel things to me. He only offered for me because of my advanced age because he wanted someone desperate enough not to say no, and then he made the deal with Father to keep me trapped.”
That seemed to give her mother pause. But then she said, “Don’t be dramatic, Louisa,” and swept out of the room.
Not knowing what else to do, Louisa let out a scream, ran to her bedroom, and threw the door shut.
* * *
Lord Petty kept an office on Bank Street, so Fletcher went there hoping to catch him without his wife or daughter around. He was pleased when Lord Petty’s secretary said he was in and would see Fletcher when he finished with his current meeting.
Fletcher spent his time waiting in the hall trying to mentally formulate what he would say. How did one broach a subject like this? Your daughter is desperate to break her engagement to the man you have an important deal with. Would you mind disclosing those details?
Obviously that would not do.
The secretary showed Fletcher in as a man Fletcher didn’t recognize walked out. Fletcher couldn’t remember exactly the sort of business Petty most frequently did; real estate holdings, he suspected. England’s most profitable asset was its land, after all, and Petty was a fairly wealthy man.
“Ah, Fletcher,” Petty said as Fletcher walked in. “Good to see you, son. How many I help you today?”
“I want to discuss something delicate with you, my lord. So I thought I’d start by reminding you of how fond you were of my father.”
Petty regarded Fletcher warily. “Yes. I miss him a great deal.”
“As do I,” Fletcher said.
“Have a seat.”
Fletcher sat, still not entirely sure what to say, beyond, “It’s about Louisa.”
Petty nodded as though he expected this. “What is it?”
“Sir, I need you to know that Louisa came to me because she is in some level of distress. She wants to end her engagement to Rotherfeld, having determined that they do not suit. I can’t say I blame her.
I made an attempt to befriend him, and it did not go well.
” Which was putting it mildly. Fletcher’s loathing of Rotherfeld expanded each day like weeds in an untended garden.
“Oh. What was your impression of him?”
“Candidly? I found him unspeakably dull.”
Petty grimaced. “Not the most scintillating conversationalist, I will concede, but—”
“Please let me finish.” Fletcher felt like he had to lay it all out quickly.
He’d spent the carriage rid here practicing what he’d say, but now it all left him.
His heart pounded. He’d known Lord Petty his entire life, had always thought him a friendly, respectable man, but talking to him about Louisa was personal in a way that made Fletcher’s stomach flop.
“And please also know how uncomfortable I am having this conversation, but I made a promise to Louisa, and I have a great deal of respect for you. I have always known you to be a kind and rational man.”
“Well, thank you, son, but—”
“Louisa came to me because she does not believe you and her mother are listening to her distress regarding the wedding. When Louisa asked her mother if she could end the engagement—and please know, it is not only Rotherfeld’s temperament but some other factors, too, that are rather salacious and that I’d prefer not to explore too much—but when Louisa talked to her mother, Lady Petty said that Rotherfeld had a business arrangement with you that was contingent on the wedding going through, and thus Louisa, no matter her distress, could not end the engagement without risking losing a great deal of money for you. ”
Recognition dawned on Petty’s face. “I see.”
“I suppose my question is two-fold. Is there a business deal? I need not know the particulars, but the second part of my question is if there is anything I can offer that would entice you to break the agreement with Rotherfeld.”
Petty regarded Fletcher for long moment. Fletcher couldn’t interpret the look on his face.
“You seem rather invested,” Petty said at length.
“As I said, Louisa asked me directly for help.”
“And I appreciate that, but it seems out of character for you to meddle in business affairs. I know you are now managing your father’s investments, so maybe that’s changed, but you’ve never seemed especially interested in this sort of thing. Unless you have some other motivation.”
Fletcher nodded. Perhaps Lord Petty knew Fletcher better than he thought. He was reluctant to play this card, but he said, “Well, my lord, should the engagement with Rotherfeld end, I intend to offer for Louisa’s hand myself.” Once it was out, Fletcher braced himself for Petty’s reaction.
That seemed to surprise Petty. “You do?”
“I know this may seem sudden, but—”
“No, my boy, you misunderstand me.” He sighed.
“What a pickle. I would happily throw over Rotherfeld tomorrow if I could. You’re right, he’s a bore, and I have my own suspicions about him that you’ve all but confirmed, but he’s wealthy and has a fine reputation, so I didn’t hesitate when he offered for Louisa.
But you are like a son to me, and I would happily welcome you to my family… had you asked three months ago.”
“So there is a business deal?”
“It’s a mess. It’s all a grand mess.”
“I don’t mean to pry the details out of you, but perhaps I can be of some assistance. My business acumen is not as well-honed as my father’s, but I have spent the better part of the last year being advised by the best advisors in London.”
Petty nodded. “You really would marry Louisa? She has always insisted that the two of you felt like siblings and had no interest in marrying each other, and she’s been on the shelf so long now that I suppose I thought—”
“I believe it took her prospective marriage to Rotherfeld for us to both come to our senses.”
Petty smiled. “I can understand that. Lady Petty and I circled around each other for a bit before agreeing to marry.” He sighed.
“All right. This all started about six months ago. We spent the summer at our estate in Bristol, and Rotherfeld came to visit for a few nights. I figured it was part of his courtship with Louisa, but one night over cigars, he mentioned that he was in Bristol in part on business because he’d recently come into some land not far from my estate.
He wanted us to go in on the farm there together and share in the profits. ”
Fletcher’s knowledge of Bristol was not encyclopedic, but something about that tugged at his memory.
“The Cadwallader sheep farm?” It was an extremely profitable farm that sold wool to one of the textile factories Fletcher’s father had invested in.
It had come up in one of the many business meetings Fletcher had sat through in the last few weeks.
“The same. After Mr. Cadwallader passed away last year, Rotherfeld claimed, the deed passed through a circuitous route and landed with Rotherfeld, and Rotherfeld wanted my help as a local to figure out the best use for it. Long story short, I invested some money on renovations of the house there and hired a staff to see after the sheep. The wool is supplying several textile mills in the region, and—you know what, the details are not of import. The moral of the story is that I invested the money on the understanding that Rotherfeld and I would share the profits from the farm. We didn’t sign a formal agreement because we were to be family, after all. ”
The lack of a written agreement was a problem, and all but ensured that Petty would see none of the profits should the engagement end.
Thus there’d be no possibility of recouping his investment.
At least Fletcher had a better understanding of the issue now.
One detail snagged in his mind, though. “You knew of Rotherfeld’s intention to propose to Louisa six months ago? ”
“Indeed, it was one of many things he asked me for on that visit. And I admit, I was rather charmed by him. He’s dull, yes, but he has a good head for business, and I suppose I figured, he wouldn’t renege on this deal because he’d be at every Sunday dinner for the rest of my life, so why did I need a written agreement?
” Petty made a disgusted sound and shook his head.
Fletcher summarized the predicament: “The deed is still in Rotherfeld’s name. And he intends to take it with him should the engagement end, meaning you’d have lost your investment, which I’m guessing was substantial.”
“Precisely.”
Fletcher swallowed a colorful oath.
“You see the bind I find myself in. It is a great deal of money I stand to lose. On the other hand, I hate to think of Louisa unhappy. Is she rather desperate to end the engagement?”
She’d sent Fletcher a note this morning to say she’d failed to persuade Rotherfeld directly. “I believe she is. Some information has come to light that—”
Petty held up his hand. “I suspect I know what you are about to say. I overlooked my suspicions for the sake of the business deal and Louisa’s happiness. I did think she was happy. She told me she wanted to marry Rotherfeld. You know that, right?”
“I do know that, and I thought she was happy, too, sir. She didn’t start having misgivings until a couple of weeks ago.”
“And now it is all falling apart.”
Fletcher didn’t think Petty would disclose how much money he’d invested in the sheep farm and how much he stood to lose, but that was all right. Fletcher had other ways to figure it out. He wondered if he could just buy out Rotherfeld.
“You’d be wise to stay clear of this matter,” Petty said. “I see the wheels turning in your head.”
“All I want is Louisa’s happiness. And she has told me she does not want to marry Rotherfeld, so I am doing what I can to see that she gets her way, but this is not an easy situation.
Surely you can see the problem here. Rotherfeld needs a wife, regardless of the reason.
He likely chose Louisa because she is old enough that he thought she’d be desperate to marry, and he got involved in business with you so that you could not send him away if she got cold feet.
I’ve a letter from Louisa this morning saying she tried to ask Rotherfeld directly to end the engagement, he refused, and now she feels trapped. ”
“Yes, I fear I do understand.”
“Please know, I am not trying to lose your money.”
Petty smiled faintly. “I was foolish not to put things in writing.”
“But you believe that my only motive here is Louisa’s happiness.”
“I do believe you, because I’ve known you since you were a boy and I’ve seen what a good man you’ve grown up to be. If a marriage to each other is what both of you want, then I want that for you, too. I’ve always had a soft spot for Louisa. I’d rather lose the money than have her be miserable.”
“But it is a great sum, I take it.”
“Do you plan to try to buy out Rotherfeld?”
“I’m considering it.”
“You recently sold some of your father’s business.”
“It was too much for me to manage on my own. But I did make a tidy profit from the sales. I can put at least some of that toward the sheep farm in Bristol.”
“I don’t think Rotherfeld will sell, but you are welcome to try.”
“Why wouldn’t he sell?”
“Some men are motivated by more than money, and Rotherfeld has a reputation to maintain.”
So Petty understood the situation they were all in as well. Fletcher was a little surprised that Petty was so insightful, but perhaps he’d seen what he wanted to see until recently, too.
“Well. Now that I know the situation, I suppose I must talk with him,” said Fletcher.
“Godspeed.” Petty rubbed his forehead. “I admit, I am at a loss about what to do. I don’t want you to lose money or get entangled in this mess, either. Your father just left us, and you must have enough to manage.”
It didn’t seem like Lord Petty would be much help. “I will consult with my advisors, I suppose.”
“Let me give you some advice, son,” Petty said, standing to escort Fletcher back out of the office.
“Always trust your gut. I had an inkling that something was amiss when Rotherfeld first came to me, but I had no evidence that anything was not as it should have been, and Louisa seemed happy. I should have trusted my instinct rather than go into business with Rotherfeld, and I shall regret this decision for a long time to come, I imagine. When you have those kinds of inklings, listen to them.”
Fletcher nodded. He really hadn’t been listening to his gut lately, but maybe if he had a year ago, Rotherfeld would never have become a thorn in his side. “That is good advice, thank you.”
“I do hope you are triumphant in your quest. But Louisa is more important to me than money, so if you are unsuccessful—”
“I shall endeavor to succeed.”
Petty nodded but looked unconvinced. “If you are unsuccessful, I’ll lose money. As I said, Louisa is more important to me. So we will figure something out.” His sadness at this prospect was palpable.
So Petty had already given up. Fletcher understood that Rotherfeld might prove to be a substantial foe. And he only had a week to figure out how to vanquish him.