Chapter Ten
Drake not only took her to the public house, he attended the meeting with the gardener beforehand, then took Meridith on to the police station afterwards, where her request for information was granted.
The name they were given caused Drake’s eyebrows to rise, and he wondered whether it would make Meridith give up her plan for retribution.
Yet it didn’t seem to alter her determination.
Once they’d left the station and were inside his coach, he asked, ‘Are you sure you want to follow through with this?’
‘Of course.’
‘But the boy they named is Adam’s brother. Baron Montgomery’s son.’
‘I am fully aware of that,’ she replied. ‘I’m also fully aware that the baron and baroness already know that their son was responsible for what happened. The police told them when they brought him home last night.’
‘Perhaps that’s where it should end. They may not appreciate further interference, especially when your sister Diana and the baroness are such close friends.’
She shook her head. ‘Neither a family’s social position, nor their friendships, should influence their responsibility in correcting misdeeds.’
‘No, it shouldn’t, but it does. It’s simply the world we live in.’
‘This may be “the world we live in”, but as such it is our responsibility to make it a fair and just world for everyone.’
She had a point, yet Drake didn’t want to see her hurt over something that truly shouldn’t involve her. ‘Upsetting certain people has been known to directly damage other people’s reputations.’
‘I’m aware of that.’
‘Well, then, think about your sister. What will she have to say about you confronting her friend, the baroness, about her son’s misdeeds?’
‘Diana will most likely be quite put out with me, but that is not unusual.’
Drake was in agreement with her that the boys should be held accountable. At the same time, he was worried about the repercussion she could face by insisting on retribution. ‘How about I pay for the damages, the zoo, the park, and the wine? After all, I’m the one who brought Hugo to London.’
‘That wouldn’t be fair. You are not the one responsible for the damage.’
‘I don’t want to see more damage,’ he replied.
‘As in my reputation?’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t have one.’
‘Yes, you do. Your family has a very favourable reputation.’
‘Nothing I am doing should damage my or my family’s reputation, but if it does, I will wear it like a badge. Now, are you going to signal your driver, or should I?’
This was not an argument that he was going to win. Her mind was made up, but at least he’d be with her and protect her against whatever the Montgomerys might suggest.
Using the cane next to his seat, Drake tapped the roof of the carriage.
He had to admit that Meridith no longer reminded him of a little turtle with her head safely tucked inside her shell.
Instead, she was sticking her head out, or her neck in this instance, for what she believed in. He had to admire that, and did.
Still, he couldn’t help worrying, including about whether admiration was the only thing he felt towards her.
They were welcomed into the Montgomery home by a butler, and within moments, the four of them, he, Meridith, the baron, and baroness, were all sitting in the front parlour.
The first thing the baron mentioned was their adventure the previous evening, saying he’d read about it in the newspaper.
‘Last night’s event is why we are here,’ Meridith said, immediately diving deeper into the subject. ‘The boys responsible for what happened need to be made aware of the consequences of their mistakes.’
Drake flinched at her directness, but wasn’t surprised. Nor was he surprised by the startled look that the baron and baroness shared.
‘I’m aware that one of your sons was brought home by the police after falling off Hugo in the park,’ Meridith continued, ‘and am here to discuss the costs of the damages that occurred as a result of his actions.’
‘I must inquire why you have been assigned to such a task, rather than the proper authorities,’ the baron said.
Drake leaned forward to defend her actions, but Meridith was already responding.
‘I am here as a representative of the zoo,’ she said.
‘As you know, I not only volunteer there regularly, but also, Mr Taylor and I spent numerous hours searching for, finding, and returning Hugo to his enclosure. Furthermore, I’ve informed the police that if we are able to settle this matter this morning, the zoo and park will not be pressing charges. ’
Drake bit back a smile, because she had done exactly what she’d said she would, with just as much confidence as she’d displayed then.
The baroness gasped. ‘Charges?’ Turning to her husband, she said, ‘Alfred.’
‘The police made no mention of charges,’ Alfred said.
‘That was before the extent of the damage was known,’ Meridith said, opening the cover of her pad of paper. ‘They include the zoo’s main gate, several flower beds, hedges, lawns, and trees, at the park, and a large vat of wine from the public house.’
‘What is the amount?’ the baron asked. ‘I will have a bank draft issued.’
Drake had been amazed by her before, but right now, Meridith’s calm demeanor and unwavering resolve were truly impressive. She had not only taken control of a delicate situation, but also managed to come up with a solution that involved everyone taking responsibility.
‘I’m afraid that you paying for the damages will not teach the boys that they need to be responsible for their own actions.
They are almost grown and need to understand that everything cannot be solved by money alone.
Of course, that is my opinion, but I do believe it is the appropriate one in this circumstance.
While I am aware that a boy as young as your son would not have the funds needed to provide the restitution, nor do I believe a boy of his age should be working at a public house—’ Meridith paused momentarily to glance at the baroness, who had gasped.
Drake noted how white the baroness had turned, clearly unsettled, but Meridith’s unwavering confidence left little room for argument.
‘Please continue,’ the baron said.
‘I have obtained permission from the zoo and the park to offer your son a fair wage so he can earn the full amount due to the zoo, park, and tavern.’
‘Doing what?’ the baroness asked.
‘Gardening at the park and cleaning at the zoo,’ Meridith supplied.
‘Due to the fact that he didn’t share who the other boys were with him, I have calculated the amount of time it will take him to earn the money.
However, that will be cut in thirds when we discover the identity of the other two boys. ’
‘It was two of our sons and their cousin who is staying with us during their school holiday,’ the baron said.
‘Very well, then,’ Meridith said, while quickly making changes to the figures on her notepad.
She then removed the sheet of paper and handed it the baron.
‘Here are the numbers. You can see what they will earn in comparison to the costs of damage. It is all listed there. How long is their school holiday?’
‘Three weeks,’ the baron replied.
Meridith nodded. ‘Then they will still have a few days of leisure before they need to return to school.’ She lifted another sheet of paper from her tablet. ‘This is their schedule. They can report to the park gardener tomorrow morning. His name is listed at the top.’
‘Alfred,’ the baroness said, still a pasty shade of white. ‘What will we tell people?’
The baron had shown nearly no emotion, until now. Drake recognized admiration filling the man’s eyes as he smiled at Meridith.
‘We will tell people that our sons are paying retribution for their actions,’ the baron said.
‘Which is exactly how it should be. I applaud you, Lady Meridith, for your insight and your fortitude. I also admire you. Those are rare qualities in a woman as young as you, and I believe your father would be very proud of you.’
Sitting beside her on the sofa, Drake reached over and gave Meridith’s elbow a soft squeeze.
‘Thank you,’ Meridith replied to the baron. ‘I do hope he would be proud of me. The zoo was very special to my mother.’
The baron held up the paper she had given him.
‘The boys will report to work tomorrow morning, and they will complete every hour of this schedule. They will learn a valuable lesson from this about responsibility, as well as other things, including the value of a day’s labor.
People are often defined by what they do, but what we don’t do is also important.
I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t thought of handling the issue this way.
Thereto, you have taught me a valuable lesson.
I appreciate that.’ Shifting his gaze to Drake, the baron added, ‘Thank you, too, Captain Taylor.’
Drake shook his head. ‘The credit all goes to Lady Meridith. I, like you, have learned a lesson from her actions.’
In truth, it was more than that. The admiration and respect he held for her had transformed into something more substantial, something that made his heart quicken and desires flare.
Had the soft squeeze he had given her earlier been more than just a gesture of support?
Had it been an expression of his burgeoning feelings?
The ones that had his thoughts tied in knots?
He didn’t know. All he knew for certain was that she had changed something inside of him.
Just as she’d discovered what it meant to be walking around with her head in the clouds, Meridith now knew what it meant to feel as if she was walking on air.
The happiness inside her was so great, she couldn’t say if her feet were touching the ground or not, nor did she care.
Not only had the baron agreed to her proposal, he’d been impressed by it.
‘Congratulations,’ Drake said, as they once again climbed into his coach.
‘Thank you,’ she said, while taking a seat on the leather bench. ‘And thank you for escorting me today. I appreciated your presence.’
‘You’re welcome, but I wasn’t needed.’