Page 16 of The Baron’s Perfect Match (Twist of Fate #1)

A udrey awoke early the next day. The encounter with Lady Whitestone had preyed on her mind during the night, and she’d had a nightmare that they’d all been forcibly evicted from their home.

They’d been shunned and penniless, and no one had stepped forward to help them.

Lord Fletcher was nowhere to be seen. It was most unsettling, and there was no sense in staying in bed trying to rest any longer.

There would be no more sleep for her. She pushed back the covers, got up, and dressed for the day before making her way to the dining room.

She knew Mrs. Culbert would be busy in the kitchen already, and she longed for a soothing cup of tea to quiet her nerves.

When she walked by her sisters’ bedchamber, all was quiet, so she continued on her way. It would be good to have a few moments to herself.

“Good morning, Mrs. Culbert,” she said, entering the warm and cozy kitchen.

The cook startled at her greeting and nearly dropped the spoon into the porridge. “Oh my, Miss Parker, you nearly scared the wits out of me. You’re up early today.”

“I couldn’t sleep and would love a nice cup of tea, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“The water’s heating now. I’ll bring it to you in a moment.”

“Thank you. I’ll be in the dining room.”

Before settling in the dining room, Audrey sent Beckwith out to pick up the latest scandal sheet.

She hated to spend their limited coin on it, but she had to know if the gossip was unfavorable.

If that was the case, there was no way she’d even think about having a Season.

It would be a disaster, and she wouldn’t subject Lord Fletcher to any ridicule.

He’d been overly kind to them and didn’t deserve the ton’s disdain.

There was no way she’d repay his kindness by the fact that he might receive the cut direct from snooty lords or ladies.

No one should have to endure that viciousness, especially not someone she was beginning to like more than she should.

She was sitting at the dining table, enjoying her tea, when Beckwith returned.

“Here you are, Miss Parker,” he said, holding out the paper.

“Thank you, Beckwith.”

“Is there something amiss? You seem unsettled this morning.”

Beckwith had always been perceptive, and she wasn’t surprised he’d noticed her uneasiness this morning.

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern. ”

“Will there be anything else?”

“No. You may go. Mrs. Culbert will have breakfast ready soon.”

She watched the butler linger a moment longer before he left the room.

Servants knew everything, usually before anyone else.

Had he heard gossip already about Lord Fletcher?

It wouldn’t surprise her if he had. She smoothed out the paper and looked through the pages for anything related to her or the baron.

She cringed when she finally saw it. It was worse than she’d thought possible.

A chance encounter with the new Lord F. in Hyde Park yesterday has yielded some interesting news.

Not only is he an American, but it didn’t take much digging to find out he also works as a journalist. How distasteful.

Were there no closer relatives found to inherit the Fletcher title?

How odd that the line of succession didn’t lead to an Englishman.

Audrey wanted to scream at the injustice of the gossip. Even though she knew how the aristocracy felt about working, it seemed particularly cruel to suggest that he’d somehow usurped an Englishman for the title. Why would anyone think that? It was beyond the pale.

Tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks. Before she had a chance to wipe them away and compose herself, Grace walked into the room.

She took one look at Audrey and rushed to her side. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? ”

“Oh, Grace, it’s all so unfair,” she said, handing the paper to her sister. “Look what they wrote about Lord Fletcher.”

Grace’s eyes widened when she read the passage. “Oh dear, this isn’t good. What can we do?”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about it. This gossip will be on everyone’s lips until a new scandal takes their attention away from the baron.”

“What if Lord Fletcher gives up working at his business and merely collects any profit to be had? Then there would be no scandal. It would be a sound investment, as many other lords have,” Grace said.

“I sincerely doubt that Lord Fletcher would do that. He takes great pride in the business he’s worked so hard at and would not simply give it up because the aristocracy disapproves of a working man.”

“If he wants to be accepted by the ton, he’ll have to give up being a working journalist.”

“True, but I’m not even sure he plans to stay in England. And this smearing of his good name could be the catalyst that sends him back to New York.”

“That would be a shame,” Grace said. “I know he likes you, and I have a feeling that you like him too.”

Audrey didn’t want to admit that she was beginning to like the baron very much. She’d never been attracted to any man thus far in her life, but Lord Fletcher had a way about him that was very appealing. He was everything she’d hoped for in a husband.

Husband ?

Why on earth would she think Lord Fletcher would ever consider courting and marrying her, a penniless baron’s daughter? He was their guardian, nothing more. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. It will be up to Lord Fletcher to decide what’s best for him, and we’ll have to live with his decision.”

“But he’s our guardian. Surely he wouldn’t think of abandoning us so soon.”

“Dear sister, could you blame him if he did?”

“No, I suppose not,” Grace said. “I do like him and hope there’s some way to convince him to stay.”

“So do I,” Audrey whispered as Grace poured herself a cup of tea. “I need to see Mrs. Beaumont today. It’s more important than ever that I continue to earn as much coin as possible.”

“Would you like me to accompany you? I can certainly help with any repairs, so you needn’t say no to a project.”

“That is much appreciated. I can go see Mrs. Beaumont, and I’d prefer you to stay with Mia.”

“Of course. I’ll have her practice the pianoforte while you’re gone,” Grace said.

“Thank you, Grace. You’re such a dear sister, and I’m afraid I don’t tell you enough how grateful I am for all you do to help.”

222

Three days after his stroll in Hyde Park with the Parker sisters, Jacob wasn’t sure whether worrying about what the scandal sheets had to say about him being a working man was all that important.

While it had bothered him at first, he’d quickly gotten over his frustration at what had been written.

He wasn’t ashamed of the fact that he was American or that he was a working man.

Nor did he have anything to do with being the heir.

He’d been just as surprised as anyone when he received the letter from the solicitor.

He would deal with this situation the same way he conducted business—honorably.

That was the most important thing to him.

Besides, didn’t the aristocracy have scandals all the time?

Certainly, London Society wasn’t vastly different from New York Society.

Scandals came and went like shooting stars.

They burned brightly for a limited amount of time before fizzling out.

He couldn’t imagine anything could be said about him that would be so bad.

He’d only been in London for a week. Surely the ton had better things to do than focus on him.

Today, he was on his way to meet with Mr. Haggerty and be introduced to Lord Devon.

Lord Devon had agreed to accompany him to Parliament, where Jacob would present himself to the Lord Chancellor as the new Lord Fletcher.

His nerves were on edge about meeting Lord Devon, but he took a deep breath and entered the solicitor’s office.

“Good day, Lord Fletcher,” the clerk at the front desk said. “Please follow me. You are expected.”

Jacob nodded and followed the young man to the back office .

“Ah, Lord Fletcher, good day to you,” Mr. Haggerty said.

“Mr. Haggerty, good day to you.”

The solicitor stood, along with an older gentleman. “Lord Devon, may I make known to you Lord Fletcher? Lord Fletcher, this is Lord Devon.”

Jacob held out his hand, and the Earl of Devon took it in a firm handshake. “A pleasure to meet you, my lord,” Jacob said. “I want to express my sincere thanks for your willingness to accompany me to Parliament.”

“Fletcher, I’m happy to help out a fellow lord. Parliament can be a chaotic place at times. There’s a lot of posturing and long-winded speeches, but it’s something that must be borne if we want any laws passed.”

“I can understand that.”

“Gentlemen, please have a seat. No need to stand,” Mr. Haggerty said. “Would you care for tea or coffee?”

Neither man wanted anything, so once they all took their seats, Lord Devon continued. “The biggest difference in Parliament is whether you support the Tory party or the Whigs.”

“What are the points of difference?” Jacob asked.

“The Tories wish for things to stay the same as they currently stand, keeping all of the wealth for themselves. They believe they have a right to rule over everyone they consider less important.”

“Doesn’t sound very fair to me.”

Lord Devon nodded. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I personally am loyal to the Whigs. We want to improve the conditions of the poor and modernize the government. I’m sure you can imagine what an uphill battle that can be.”

“That sounds like a party I wish to be aligned with,” Jacob said. “I believe everyone deserves a chance to thrive. The happenstance of birth should not be the defining factor for one’s future success.

“Excellent. There’s a speech by a friend of mine on this very subject in two days. Would you care to join me and be officially welcomed to Parliament?”

“Yes, thank you. I would like that very much.”

“There is a fee to be paid, and once we enter the chamber, I’ll escort you to the Lord Chancellor.”

“I greatly appreciate your help. Thank you, Lord Devon.”

“Please call me George. I’m always happy to meet like-minded gentlemen.”

“And I’m Jacob.”

“I hear you own a successful newspaper in New York. Do you realize that working is frowned upon by the aristocracy?”

“So I’ve been told. As a matter of fact, it became quite apparent from the scandal sheet the other day. Apparently, working hard to achieve one’s goals to have a better life is not the done thing here in London. ”

“Gossip is the ton’s favorite pastime, I’m afraid. Do not worry, though; if you quit working at the paper and merely take the investment profit, all will be forgiven. With the Season just beginning, you can be sure a new scandal will take their attention away from you in no time.”

Jacob wasn’t sure what he was going to do about his business now that he knew how English society felt about it.

He loved being a journalist and running the paper.

Was he willing to give up everything that he’d worked so hard for the last five years?

What would he do if he weren’t running the paper or writing articles for it?

Before he made any decisions, he wanted to spend more time in London and then see the country house.

As none of the Parker sisters could tell him anything about it because they’d never been there, it was imperative for him to know everything about the estate before he made any decisions that could not be undone.

“Mr. Haggerty tells me you’re the guardian of the Parker sisters. Have you met them yet?”

Jacob nodded. “I have indeed. They’re lovely young women, and the eldest, Miss Parker, is thinking about whether she wants to participate in the Season.”

George chuckled. “Ahh…my youngest daughter, Lady Katherine, is currently enjoying the Season. I can only describe it as swimming in an ocean full of hungry sharks. You must be on guard at all times and watch for any missteps that could end the chance for a good match in a trice. Lady Devon is a master at it, having successfully seen our oldest daughter settled nicely with a viscount.”

That gave Jacob an idea. “Would Lady Devon be willing to chaperone Miss Parker to a few events to help her decide whether she wants to participate in the Season?” Jacob asked .

“I honestly don’t know, but I will definitely confer with her.”

“If Lady Devon is overwhelmed with your daughter’s coming out, I’d be able to supply Lord Fletcher with the names of a couple of women who could act as chaperones,” Mr. Haggerty said.

“Thank you both. That would be most helpful.”

Jacob left the meeting feeling better about his stay in London. After a rocky start, he was beginning to enjoy the city. Time would tell if London was attractive enough to make him want to stay and give up all he’d worked for in New York.

It was at that moment that the image of a blue-eyed beauty settled in his mind.