Page 21 of The Baron’s Perfect Match (Twist of Fate #1)

B efore Audrey knew it, Wednesday had arrived. It was moving day, and she was helping her sisters pack the last of their belongings in their valises when she heard the door knocker bang down. “Please finish packing as quickly as possible. I think the movers are here.”

She raced down the stairs as Beckwith was opening the door.

Instead of the movers, Lord Fletcher walked in.

“My lord, I wasn’t expecting you today,” she said, frantically brushing back the wisps of hair that had escaped her chignon.

She was wearing her most worn-out dress to do the packing and was embarrassed to have him see her in it.

“Good morning, Miss Parker,” he said with a nod. “I wanted to oversee the moving of your pianoforte to ensure nothing happened to it during transport.”

“Oh, that’s incredibly kind of you. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Before she had a chance to say anything more, two movers came through the door .

“Right this way, gentlemen,” Lord Fletcher said, directing them to the parlor.

Audrey’s heart expanded with joy as she followed the workers.

Lord Fletcher was the epitome of kindness.

Each time she thought he couldn’t do anything more to increase her love for him, he surprised her.

She was beginning to realize how empty her life had become before he popped into it.

Now she couldn’t imagine life without him, but that was a dangerous thought.

Even though he’d rented a house in London, that didn’t mean he would stay permanently, and she needed to temper her emotions accordingly.

Her plans hadn’t changed, even though her heart was already spoken for.

She needed to find a husband to secure all of their futures, not just her own.

As much as her growing love for Jacob warmed her heart, it would make everything worse if she ended up having to find herself a husband who wasn’t him.

She watched the movers for a few moments… until she heard Mia calling for her. “Excuse me, Lord Fletcher. My sisters need my guidance on packing the rest of their belongings.”

“Of course. Will you all be ready soon?”

“Yes. My things are packed, and Grace and Mia just need to finish up a few things.”

“Excellent. I will have the wagon wait for your belongings, and then we can all ride to our new home in the carriage together.”

Audrey nodded and left the parlor, racing up the stairs to hurry her sisters along.

She wanted to change her dress, but she’d neglected to keep out one of her day dresses.

They were packed at the bottom of the chest, and she didn’t have time to retrieve one before she heard Mia call, “Audrey, we’re all done. ”

She walked into the bedchamber. “Good job, sisters. Let’s carry down our valises. The movers can carry the chests.”

Mrs. Culbert and Beckwith had been carrying out boxes and were loading them into the wagon. “That’s the last of it,” Mrs. Culbert said. “I shall ride with the movers so I can oversee the moving of the boxes into the kitchen.”

The cook went back into the house with the butler, and each came out carrying a valise. When Beckwith saw the sisters come down the stairs with their own valises, he offered to carry them out to the carriage.

“Thank you, Beckwith.”

“It’s no problem, Miss Parker. I shall ride up on the box with the driver so I can be readily available to help move your things into the house.”

“That would be very much appreciated. I do hope you’ll like our new accommodations. Your bedchamber will be larger than here, and there’s also an office for your personal use. Lord Fletcher intends to hire more footmen, so you’ll have need of an office space.”

“It all sounds wonderful. I look forward to seeing everything,” he said as he took their valises out to the carriage while the movers went back inside for their chests .

It wasn’t long before everything was secured, including the pianoforte. Lord Fletcher handed them all into the hackney, and Beckwith climbed up with the driver.

“I think I’ll definitely need to buy my own carriage so we won’t have to rely on hackneys,” he said.

Audrey filed that piece of news away. It was one more thing tying Jacob to London, but would it be enough?

It took longer than she expected to reach their new home with all the traffic clogging the London streets.

Their belongings were brought inside, and they spent the rest of the day organizing everything before exploring a bit of the neighborhood.

Hyde Park was only a few blocks from their residence, so they could all enjoy it much more often.

There was also a smaller park only a block from their home.

Mia kept her first choice of the bedchambers, and Grace took the room next to hers.

That left the last room on the left for Audrey.

It was a pleasant enough room, and it never left her mind that Jacob was just across the hall and two doors down.

Whenever she thought about it, her cheeks pinked, and she felt hot inside.

She had to learn to control her feelings, as she couldn’t walk around being flushed all the time.

The next morning after dressing for the day, Audrey made her way to the dining room. She was surprised to see that Jacob was already seated at the table, reading the paper. When she entered, he stood. “Good morning, Miss Parker. ”

“Good morning, Lord Fletcher. I hadn’t expected to see you this early.”

“I’m an early riser, always have been. Did you sleep well?”

Audrey didn’t want to say that she’d tossed and turned for a long time before sleep finally claimed her. She would never admit she was unsettled because he was sleeping so near. “Yes, thank you. Very well.”

“Good. I wonder if I might ask a favor of you. The agency is sending over two candidates for the housekeeper position today, and as I’ve never had one before, I wondered if you could help me decide on the best candidate.”

Audrey took a seat and poured herself a cup of tea. “I would be happy to help. What time are they coming?”

“One should be here at ten and the other at eleven. I’ve asked Beckwith to interview the footmen and told him to hire the two best candidates.”

“Once we settle on a housekeeper, she may know of a few young women we can bring on as maids.”

She couldn’t remember the last time they’d enjoyed a fully staffed household.

After her mother died and the money ran out, her sisters and she had taken on the responsibility of keeping the house clean and taking care of the laundry.

It would be nice not to have raw hands on laundry day, but she knew it could all be taken away in an instant if Jacob left London.

“Miss Parker, I was wondering if you’d like to go to the modiste to see if there are any ready-made gowns available for you to wear to the Devons’ dinner tomorrow evening. I’d be happy to take you.”

“Thank you, my lord, but that will not be necessary. I have a gown that is suitable.”

“Excellent. I hope you’re looking forward to meeting the Devons. I haven’t met Lady Devon yet, but Lord Devon has been quite helpful to me. I also understand that their daughter, Lady Katherine, will be there. She’s attending her first Season.”

“I look forward to meeting them.”

Grace and Mia soon joined them for breakfast.

“Oh, I do love this house,” Mia said.

Audrey had to chuckle. “Yes. It’s a lovely house, dearest.”

“Shall we go explore the park down the block later?” Grace asked.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll be busy helping Lord Fletcher interview candidates for the housekeeper position. You two may go, of course, but take Beckwith with you when he finishes his interviews.”

She nodded. “I’ll find him after breakfast and ask what time he’d be available to accompany us.”

At ten o’clock, the first candidate arrived and was shown into the drawing room. She was an older woman, perhaps in her late forties, and very severe in her dress. Her mouth was pinched, and she was quite opinionated on how to run a proper household.

After twenty minutes, Lord Fletcher said, “Thank you, Mrs. Smithfield. I’ll be in touch if I need anything further. ”

From the way she huffed and left the room, the woman likely knew she wasn’t being considered for the position.

“She has to be the most unpleasant woman I’ve ever met,” Jacob said.

“I’m glad to hear you say that. I didn’t care for her at all.”

“Let’s hope the next candidate is better.”

A few minutes before eleven, the knocker banged down, and Audrey went to open the door. Beckwith had finished his interviews and gone out with her sisters. “Good day. I’m Miss Parker. Please come in.”

The candidate flashed her a brilliant smile. If she thought it odd that Audrey was opening the door, it didn’t show on her face. “Good day, Miss Parker. I’m Mrs. Trotter. I’m so very pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Please do come in,” Audrey said, leading her into the drawing room. “Lord Fletcher, may I introduce Mrs. Trotter? Mrs. Trotter, Lord Fletcher.”

Mrs. Trotter curtseyed. “Good day, my lord. What a lovely bright room,” she said.

Jacob stood. “Good day, Mrs. Trotter. Indeed, it is. Won’t you take a seat?”

Audrey immediately liked Mrs. Trotter. Her welcoming smile had never wavered, and she had a look of perpetual wonder in her eyes that reminded Audrey a little of her mother. She hoped Jacob shared her opinion because she believed the woman would be a valuable addition to the household.

During the interview, Mrs. Trotter revealed that she’d been the housekeeper for another aristocratic family until they fell on hard times and had to release her.

Her knowledge of a housekeeper’s duties was extensive.

The woman certainly knew what she was talking about, but wasn’t condescending like the previous candidate.

“That’s truly a shame about your former employers. Does that mean you’re available to start immediately?” Jacob asked.

“Perhaps Mrs. Trotter would like to tour the house and see her accommodations first,” Audrey interjected.

Jacob chuckled. “Of course. Forgive me, Mrs. Trotter, for jumping to conclusions. You’re welcome to tour the house for as long as you need to before making your decision.”

“No need to apologize, Lord Fletcher. I’m happy to see the house. I can tell already that it will be quite lovely.”

Audrey stood. “Please follow me, and I’ll show you everything so you can make an informed decision.”

“Thank you, Miss Parker. That’s most considerate of you,” she said, following Audrey out of the parlor.

“You must think it strange that I answered the door earlier. Our butler, Beckwith, is out with my two younger sisters, exploring the neighborhood,” Audrey said.

“It looks like a lovely neighborhood indeed,” Mrs. Trotter said. “How old are your sisters?”

“Grace is seven and ten, and Mia is five and ten. ”

After the house tour, they rejoined Jacob in the parlor.

“It’s a lovely house, my lord. Miss Parker has shared with me that she also has two younger sisters who reside here.

I’ve missed my own daughter since she married, and it will be wonderful to be surrounded by young women again.

I would be happy to accept the position and can start as soon as I retrieve my belongings from my daughter’s home. Will that be agreeable?”

“Of course. Welcome to our home.” Jacob reached into his pocket and handed her some coins. “Hire a hackney. There’s no need for you to walk.”

“Thank you, Lord Fletcher. That’s very kind of you. I shall return soon.”

After Mrs. Trotter left, Audrey let out a sigh of relief. “I do like her very much. I think she’ll be a grand addition to the household.”

“I agree. Thank you for your help today.”

“It was my pleasure.”

“Would you care to take a stroll around the garden? The sun has finally deigned to grace us with its presence once again,” Jacob said as he stood.

Audrey’s breath caught. Could today be the day she finally received her first kiss from the man who had stolen her heart?