“Oh, that does not sound promising,” Thomas said.
“I fear you might be right,” George said, escorting Thomas inside. “When he is tight-lipped it usually means he is dissatisfied with something. And in this case, it is most likely our proposal.”
“Then we shall accept his decision gracefully and move on.”
Silas Edgerton was waiting for them in his study. He was standing behind his desk looking over the proposal they had given him to review. He looked up when they came in.
“Your Grace, thank you for coming.”
“It is my pleasure. And I hope you have some good news for us.”
Silas looked away for a moment, then said, “First a libation. I would be a poor host indeed if I did not offer my distinguished guest some refreshment. What shall it be?”
Thomas was not happy with the evasion, but said, “It is a bit early in the day for me, but please, do not let me stop you.”
“Father,” George spoke up, “please can you just let us know your decision. If you are not interested in our proposal, then tell us so. Otherwise, let us know what you wish to invest.”
Silas seemed taken aback by his son’s bluntness. “Ah… yes… well… Let me see…” He picked up the proposal again and leafed through it.
“If you have any questions or concerns ask us so we might answer to your satisfaction,” Thomas said, trying to move this along.
Looking up, Silas said, “I assume you have run everything through your bankers and solicitors?”
Thomas took the lead. “As of now, we have not, as we are in the early stages of this project. But I will be doing both on my next trip to London. We wanted to sound out our potential investors first to see what their concerns might be so that we could address any of their thoughts before we created legal documents. It is always best to get it right before you have to go back and make changes.”
“I understand,” Silas said before studying their proposal again. “As you might already understand, I am a cautious man, Your Grace. I do not jump into a new project easily—especially when it concerns a great deal of money.”
“I would expect no less,” Thomas assured him.
George stepped forward and put his hands on the edge of his father’s desk, and said with some urgency, “Then tell us, please, what do you want to do?”
“Very well…” Silas said, looking up, “Yes, I should like to be an investor. And I am willing to invest up to twenty percent of your total. If you are agreeable to that?”
George and Thomas looked at each other and smiled. Neither one actually expected him to be interested or willing to invest anything.
“However, I shall need to liquidate some assets before I can make the funds available.”
“Thank you, Mr. Edgerton. I trust you will not be disappointed. As you know, we have a ball coming up soon and, right after that, we shall go to London and have all the paperwork prepared for your perusal and signature—if it meets with your approval.”
“Your Grace… George…” Silas said, offering his hand to seal the deal.
* * *
George and Thomas were standing in front of the Edgerton house chatting before Thomas headed back to Pemberton. They had been pleasantly surprised by Silas’s offer to invest. But Thomas had to remind them both that they still had a long way to go before they reached the full investment.
“Do you think we should go ahead and buy the two horses?” George asked somewhat tentatively.
“I should like to, but we do not have the money yet. I need to get the papers drawn up, and your father needs to liquidate the assets he needs to make the investment.”
“But might we run out of time and lose the opportunity?”
Thomas thought about that. “I think the owners will allow me to make a commitment and they will hold the horses for us until we can pay.”
“That would be most helpful,” George added. “And I have been talking to Barnstable about the training schedules for the new horses when we get them. I should like to be involved in the training. I do know a thing or two, and we might accelerate the program if we could get the training done sooner.”
“Very well,” Thomas agreed, as he untied his horse and was ready to mount.
But George stopped him. “Might I ask a favor of you, Thomas?”
