“What a home. What a grand home indeed.” He reached Gerard and shook his hand. To Gerard’s relief, he didn’t bother with a formal bow. “It is good to see you, my friend.”
“It is good to see ye, too.” Gerard truly meant the words. He had longed for good company in this lonely house of his. “How was yer journey?”
“Long.” Jeffrey laughed. “But I cannot say you did not warn me.”
“And ye brought company for the journey. Who’s this?” Gerard nodded in the direction of the other man. Gerard was already predisposed to like the man as he was going to such lengths to help the footmen in the rain with the bags.
“Someone who can help us with our business ventures. I think you’ll like him. He and I recently met, and our venture together has gone extremely well indeed. He speaks wisely. In fact, he reminds me a little of you in his business acumen. I hope you do not mind me bringing him along?”
“Nae at all. The more the merrier.” Gerard waved a hand, urging the stranger to come toward the door. “Ye’ll be drowned in this rain, man.”
“Ha! I fear I might be.” There was something in that voice that was familiar.
Gerard’s stomach knotted, but he dismissed the feeling fast. He turned to Jeffrey, shifting his focus back to him.
“How long are ye stayin’?”
“A few days or more. I wish to see the sights of Edinburgh whilst I’m here.” Jeffrey stepped inside, shaking off his frock coat and trying his best not to get muddy puddles all over the hallway, though Gerard hardly minded. “My friend may need to go back sooner though. We’ll see what happens as we go. Ah, there you are.”
Footsteps on the stoop sounded, showing his other guest was nearby. Gerard turned, ready to greet the stranger, when his face grew slack.
The man had now lowered the collar of his frock coat as she stepped inside, and he took off his top hat too. He offered a warm smile, though Gerard found he could not possibly return it.
Before him was a face he had seen before, a face that was haunting him these days, thanks to the fact that Charlotte had mentioned him in their last meeting.
“I’m not sure you had chance to meet when you were in London,” Jeffrey said, stepping forward to make the introduction. “Gerard, this is Mr. Michael Withers.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Gerard’s hands itched at his side. He considered grabbing the back of Mr. Withers’ frock coat and marching him back out of the house, perhaps throwing him into one of those vast puddles.
He is to marry Charlotte and he dared to come here?
Gerard’s fury grew by the second. Unable to say anything, he was stunned as Mr. Withers faced him with a warm smile.
“I fear we may have got off on the wrong foot when we met in London.” Mr. Withers bowed to Gerard, respectfully. “But my friend here tells me you are one of the best men he knows, so I’m eager to start again, Your Grace.”
Gerard blinked. The words stunned him.
It would be impossible now to frog march the man back out of his house, even as much as he was tempted to.
“Ahem.” Jeffrey cleared his throat under the guise of the cough. It roused Gerard into saying something.
“Thank ye,” Gerard said. “Thank ye for comin’ too. Aye, I’ll be glad to start again, too.” He was blindsided, unsure what to do or think.
Jarvis appeared and took all the wet clothes from Jeffrey and Mr. Withers, promising to have them dried and their portmanteaus sent up to their rooms. Together, the three of them retired to the drawing room, where ale was shared between Gerard and Jeffrey, though Mr. Withers opted for a glass of claret.
Jeffrey had finished recounting the tales from their long journey, and how Mr. Withers had thought the journey would never end. Gerard still struggled to say anything. He sat opposite Mr. Withers on an old settle bench, lined with plush red cushions. He found it hard to shift his glare from Mr. Withers or to even soften his expression at all.
I am hostin’ the very man that Charlotte will marry. Och, this is absurd!
“You have a pleasant house here, Your Grace,” Mr. Withers said, raising his claret to his lips and looking around the home. “A mock castle?”
“Aye, that’s right.”
“I quite love it.” Mr. Withers was much softer in manner now than he had been the night of the assembly where he had tried to dance with Charlotte. His kind manner was disarming Gerard all the more, making his jealousy nonsensical, though it did not diminish it.
“Are you planning to come running to Scotland to find a castle of your own, Michael?” Jeffrey said with a laugh. In contrast to the two of them, Jeffrey could not settle. He was walking around the room and admiring every part of it that he could reach.
