Page 12 of The Baron’s Perfect Match (Twist of Fate #1)
B y the time they left the hotel, Audrey’s mind was in turmoil.
She’d expected the new baron to be much older or even arrogant, certainly not the most handsome and courteous man she’d ever met.
Throughout the meal, she’d been tempted to brush back the dark curly lock that fell over his forehead.
When he looked at her with his soulful brown eyes, it was as if he was seeing straight through to her soul.
No one had ever looked at her like that, and it was unsettling to say the least. She’d retreated into herself when all she really wanted to do was engage with him more.
Without knowing anything about him or his likes and dislikes, she thought the best course of action would be to remain mostly silent and just listen as Grace and Mia peppered him with questions.
Her heart was pounding, although she couldn’t name exactly why—was it excitement or trepidation? She set a brisk pace back to Gracechurch Street.
“Audrey, won’t you please slow down a bit?” Mia said. “It’s as if you’re running away from a fire. ”
Mia had no idea that that was exactly how Audrey felt.
A fire had been lit inside her—something she’d never felt before, and she’d never felt more alive than in Lord Fletcher’s presence.
It was all so new. Why did he have to be so handsome and so kind to people he’d just met?
She hadn’t seen that coming. Not everyone in the ton was kind, and she felt Lord Fletcher had tried very hard at luncheon to be accommodating.
Her sisters had seemed to warm to him quite easily.
Audrey stopped walking and waited for her sisters to catch up. “I’m sorry, sisters, my mind is in a whirlwind.”
“Would it have anything to do with the handsome Baron Fletcher?” Grace teased.
“Absolutely not. Why would you think such a thing?”
“I saw the way he was looking at you. He seemed quite taken with you.”
“Whatever you think you saw, put it out of your mind,” Audrey said. “It matters not to me what Lord Fletcher thinks of me. What’s important is whether or not he has agreed to take care of us. Mr. Haggerty wasn’t forthcoming on that point.”
“Oh, I think the baron will take very good care of us,” Mia said. “I like him a great deal.”
“You’ve only just met him. That’s awfully fast to form such an opinion,” Audrey said.
“I liked the way he listened to us and how easy he was to talk to. We’ve not had that experience with men before. Papa never wanted to carry on a conversation or even listen to us. ”
“Well, I shall reserve my opinion of Lord Fletcher until we have more information about our fate. Let’s go home,” Audrey said, setting a slower pace back to Gracechurch Street.
Beckwith opened the door as the young women walked up the stairs. “Ladies, I hope you had a pleasant walk.”
“We met the new Lord Fletcher,” Mia cried. “He’s quite taken with Audrey.”
“Mia, please stop saying that,” Audrey said, exasperated with all this talk of Lord Fletcher.
“But it’s true,” Mia said with a pout. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Mia, stop upsetting Audrey,” Grace said, clearly realizing Audrey was troubled. “She has enough on her mind. Let’s go upstairs and change.”
Audrey was grateful when Grace dragged Mia upstairs.
The new baron did seem quite interested in her, but to what end?
What were his plans? Would he stay in England or return to New York City?
Would he allow them to keep the estate income once he was gone, or did he need it for his newspaper business?
If he took the income for himself, where would that leave them?
The whole situation was troubling indeed.
“Miss Parker, are you well? You’re quite flushed,” Beckwith said as she handed him her bonnet and gloves.
“I’m fine. No need to worry,” she said, walking away from the concerned eyes of the butler.
Having Beckwith worry about her was the last thing she wanted. She would figure things out on her own, like she’d been doing since her mother died and her father began neglecting them. She headed to the kitchen for a soothing cup of tea.
“Miss Parker, how was your luncheon?” Mrs. Culbert asked when Audrey walked in.
“It was lovely, although I must admit, I prefer your cooking.”
“Aww…Miss Parker, that’s a lovely thing to say, but I’m sure the meal was quite tasty. What of the new baron? What did you think of him?”
That was the question most prominent in Audrey’s mind.
What did she think of Lord Fletcher, and why did her heart beat so rapidly whenever his name was mentioned?
“He seemed pleasant enough, although I’m not sure of his intentions.
He’s a newspaper publisher from New York City, and I’ve no idea what his plans are concerning us. I wonder if he’ll even stay in London.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll inform you soon enough. Shall I prepare a cup of tea for you?”
“That would be most welcome. Thank you. I shall be in the parlor,” Audrey said.
As she walked down the hallway to the parlor, Audrey couldn’t help but wonder exactly what it was about Lord Fletcher that made her heart race.
She should really head to her bedchamber and change into something more suitable, but Mrs. Culbert would be bringing in tea momentarily, and it would be impolite not to wait .
Once in the parlor, she began pacing. How would they survive if the baron didn’t give them an allowance?
The small pittance she received from doing piece sewing for Mrs. Beaumont wouldn’t be enough to even buy coal and food, never mind pay the servants.
She’d asked herself the same questions over and over again when the new heir had been found, and even though he seemed quite amenable, she still had no answers to her most pressing questions.
Both Beckwith and Mrs. Culbert stayed with them out of loyalty, but how long could loyalty last if they didn’t receive a salary for their hard work?
This situation was tenuous at best, and every day, she worried that one or both of them would seek paying positions.
Not that she would blame them in the least. Everyone needed to survive as best they could, but she didn’t want to think about the day they might leave.
It would be like losing a member of the family, and they’d already lost so much.
“Here you are, Miss Parker,” Mrs. Culbert said, carrying in a tea tray with three cups and a plate of biscuits. “I thought all of you young ladies would enjoy a nice cup of tea.” She placed the tray on the low table in front of the sofa.
“Thank you. That was very kind of you.”
As Mrs. Culbert was leaving, Grace and Mia came bounding into the parlor.
“How lovely. A cup of tea is always welcome,” Grace said. “Thank you, Mrs. Culbert.”
“You’re most welcome, Miss Grace,” the cook said, exiting the room .
“Shall I pour?”
“Yes. Thank you, Grace,” Audrey said.
After the cups were passed around, Audrey addressed her sisters. “Today was certainly unexpected.”
“You mean how handsome Lord Fletcher turned out to be?” Mia asked. “I thought he’d be old, like Papa.”
“No, dearest. That’s not what I mean. While the new heir seems quite pleasant, there was no mention at luncheon about whether he plans to provide an allowance for our use in the future.”
“Are you worried he won’t give us one?” Grace asked. “He doesn’t seem like a cruel man.”
“I’m not saying he’s cruel. I’m merely worried that we don’t have clarification on the matter.” Before Audrey had a chance to explain what she was thinking if they were denied an allowance from the estate, Beckwith walked in.
“Miss Parker, this note just arrived for you.”
Audrey took the note and broke the seal. She had no idea who’d sent it and didn’t recognize the handwriting.
“Well, who’s it from?” Mia asked.
Dear Miss Parker,
I enjoyed meeting you and your sisters today at luncheon. I would like to call upon you tomorrow to discuss the estate finances if that is convenient.
Sincerely,
Jacob Stanfiel d
Audrey looked up after reading the note. “It’s from Lord Fletcher. Seems he wants to call on us tomorrow.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Grace asked. “You can ask him about the allowance.”
“I don’t know, dearest. We should wait to see what he proposes first.”
“Well, I like him and will be most happy to see him again,” Mia said.
Grace took the letter and read it. “I think this could be a very good thing. He seems quite decisive in his thinking.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Audrey said.
If Audrey had been unsettled before, she was even more so now. She hadn’t expected to see Lord Fletcher again so soon, and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or terrified at the prospect.
The one thing she did know was that her silly heart needed to calm down when she thought of him.