Chapter Seven
Over the next few days, Drake found himself contemplating things he’d never thought about in the past. Specifically, Meridith.
Spending time with her was so very different from what he was used to that he was noticing things he’d never noticed in any woman before. He wasn’t even missing the sea as badly as he had been.
She was far from the shy spinster he’d first assumed.
Besides being stunningly beautiful, she was a remarkable and clever young woman. She was also kind and caring. Her nieces and nephews adored her, and she adored them just as much. They’d all enjoyed riding upon Hugo the other day.
He’d enjoyed it, too. He enjoyed every moment that Meridith was nearby, and that was disconcerting.
Putting distance between them was becoming more and more difficult.
Every morning when he woke up, there was excitement inside him at the prospect of seeing her, one he could only compare to what he felt like when entering a familiar port that he knew would be filled with adventure.
That wasn’t how it was supposed to be, yet it was exactly how he felt this morning, while on his way to her brother Peter’s home.
The duke had sent a message this morning, requesting a meeting.
The meeting had to be about a partnership, which should have thrilled Drake.
In some ways, it still did, but he recognized that a larger part of him was simply hoping that he would encounter Meridith.
He hadn’t seen her for two days, not since she’d brought her nieces and nephews to the zoo for their rides.
He should be taken aback by being so drawn to a woman and would have been, if it were not for the fact that they both knew he would be leaving soon; they’d made it clear that they were each looking for nothing more than friendship.
That was all there was to it, he told himself again as he rode up to her brother’s house. But it was growing increasingly hard for such thoughts to settle as the honest truth.
He’d barely had time to loop the reins of his mount around the hitching post before the butler opened the door and proceeded to escort him to Chesterfield’s drawing room. The same room that, out of the windows, he’d seen Meridith playing hide-and-seek the day of the garden party.
‘Captain Taylor,’ the duke said, extending a hand in greeting. ‘Thank you for coming over this morning.’
Shaking the man’s hand, Drake replied, ‘My pleasure.’
Chesterfield waved to the leather chair adjacent to his desk, while he walked around it and sat down in his chair. ‘I also want to thank you for providing the children with elephant rides the other day. All three of them have talked about it nearly nonstop.’
Drake sat in the chair and rested an ankle upon his opposite knee. ‘You’re welcome, but the thanks goes to Meridith. She rode with each of the children, all I did was walk Hugo around his enclosure.’
‘There, too, I owe you a great deal of thanks. Meridith has been happier this past week than I’ve ever seen her.’
Probably because she hasn’t been constantly introduced to potential husbands, Drake thought, but kept his assumptions silent and said instead, ‘She enjoys the zoo.’
‘She always has, and she enjoyed the dinner party with the Duke and Duchess of Turnbill.’
‘The duke and duchess are good people,’ Drake replied.
Chesterfield nodded. ‘I agree. Meridith requested a donation be sent to the social program they are creating for young girls and street urchins. I had heard about it and had planned on sending a donation. Just hadn’t gotten around to it, but I do believe it’s a needed venture and am glad to donate to it. ’
‘It is indeed.’ Drake had provided financial support weeks ago, when he’d first heard about how Michael had rescued a mudlark and the boy’s older sister from living in a boneyard near the docks.
There were more children in the same plight, and he hoped the venture would be able to help a large number of them.
Chesterfield patted the desktop in front of him.
‘I asked to meet with you today, because I’ve had the opportunity to visit with my brothers, who are well acquainted with your company and your employees.
Webster and Daniel believe a partnership would indeed be a benefit, but as the one who oversees all of our investments, I need to be the cautious one.
Need to assure that any one endeavour we partake in won’t take away from our other ventures. ’
Drake nodded. ‘I understand that, and I am assuming that my cousin Archibald has contacted you.’ He had expected Archibald to stick his nose in where it didn’t belong and was surprised it had taken this long.
Peter nodded. ‘Yes, he did.’
‘As I’ve already mentioned, my uncle and I shared the company,’ Drake said.
‘It was never part of the dukedom, and my uncle made that clear in his will. However, a few employees with the shipping company who process the dock work, including shipping and receiving cargo, also work for Archibald, taking care of other endeavours. My cousin doesn’t want those employees to continue working for the shipping company. ’
Peter nodded again. ‘I got the impression that he thinks he has you over a barrel.’
‘He does believe that, but I can assure you the issue is not as significant as he believes,’ Drake replied.
‘My concern lies within not wanting to find our company in the middle of something that could end up being in a tangled web. I’m sure you can understand that.’
‘I do,’ Drake said. ‘Which is why I’d shared all of this with you during our first discussion. I’m assuming that Archibald has made it sound like it’s more intricate than it is.’
‘He informed me he has solicitors looking into what he can do.’
Drake bit the tip of his tongue to withhold a curse.
Of course Archibald would have done that.
Behind his back no less, and he would have rushed to tell anyone who might consider becoming a partner in the shipping company that there were issues behind the scenes, which there weren’t.
Other than the ones Archibald was attempting to create.
‘I can assure you that my inheritance of the shipping company was carefully detailed in my uncle’s will.
’ A chill washed over Drake’s shoulders.
‘Now that I say that aloud, I can only assume that my cousin has chosen to contest the will.’
‘It appears that way,’ Chesterfield said.
Drake felt his ire rising. He’d known Archibald his entire life, but hadn’t expected him to take things this far. Rising to his feet, he said, ‘I thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will give my solicitor a visit today.’
Chesterfield rose to his feet. ‘Although I don’t want any of this to interrupt our possible deal, for I am still interested in a partnership, I hope you understand that I need a little more time to make my decision.’
‘I understand,’ Drake said. No one would want to partner with a company that could be in the midst of being contested.
‘I also hope this won’t interfere with your and Meridith’s visits.’
Another, colder chill washed over Drake.
From all that Meridith had told him, and from what he’d witnessed, it was easy to guess that the duke had ulterior motives for encouraging Drake’s acquaintance with his sister.
He’d thought he’d made himself clear before, but to be fair, all of the time he’d spent with Meridith could have her brother thinking differently.
Levelling a clear stare on the duke, Drake said, ‘There is nothing with which to interfere. Meridith is a pleasant young woman, but allow me to be very clear, I have no interest in anything outside of sailing. As soon as possible, I will be on the sea again, returning to London only when necessary for business.’
‘I understand that,’ Chesterfield said, ‘and that you have interests at other ports.’
Drake took that as a sly way of insinuating that he may have love interests around the world, which rubbed him the wrong way.
He had let others believe he was a rake, but in this instant, he found he didn’t want that reputation.
‘I have business interests around the world,’ he said sternly.
‘Nothing more. There are no women waiting for me at any ports, on any continent, and there never will be. That’s not the life I want, and I regret that you weren’t in full understanding of that from our first meeting.
’ There was more that he wanted to say, but knew he shouldn’t.
It wasn’t his place to tell Chesterfield to mind his own business or that Meridith could find her own husband.
Chesterfield held up a hand. ‘My apologies, Drake. I believe that we’re—well, I can only assume that Meridith has shared her belief that I, actually, we, as in my entire family, is attempting to marry her off.’
‘Aren’t you?’
‘No.’ Chesterfield let out a long sigh as he leaned back in his chair. ‘We will be happy for her when she meets the man she wishes to marry, and if he meets my standards, I will give my consent, but none of us are attempting to marry her off.’
Drake couldn’t quite believe that. Not from what he’d seen. ‘She believes you are.’