The note ended there, with no signature and no indication of who had sent it.
Simon frowned, turning it over, but there was no signature on the back, either. Who could have written this?
Whoever it was, they claimed that they had spoken to Simon about Lord Woodsford before. He tried to remember who that might have been.
Simon had been attempting to collect on Lord Woodsford’s debts for years. However, that story was so old and complicated that it wasn’t one he concerned himself with every day. The men to whom money was owed had tried to get it from Lord Woodsford’s father before his arrest. Now that the elder Lord Woodsford was dead, the debts had passed on to his son, but a certain reluctance to collect seemed to have sprung up around the matter. Maybe it was out of sympathy for Lord Woodsford’s plight. Whatever the reason, Simon did not think this letter could have come from anyone to whom Lord Woodsford owed a debt.
Who else would be interested?
He knew that there had been occasions, out at the pub, when he had too much to drink, when he’d engaged in gossip with the locals, letting them in on who owed what to whom. Perhaps this was what the note had been referring to. Perhaps he had made reference to Lord Woodsford’s debts some evening, and one of his drinking companions had remembered.
He turned back a few pages in his ledger, finding the most recent entry dealing with Lord Woodsford.
Here it was.
No money had been collected in a very, very long time. He wondered whether Lord Woodsford might perhaps think that his debts had been forgotten about.
Perhaps it would be wise to do as this note suggests, and to follow up with Lord Woodsford. I should schedule a meeting.
Yes, he would do that. Perhaps he would seek the young Baron out at his home so that Lord Woodsford would be unable to avoid him. And he would bring his associate along… that always got results…
He looked at the note in his hand again.I have it on good authority that the Baron plans to marry soon.
Yes, if that was true then hemusthave some money. No lady would every marry a gentleman without any money to his name. No lady’s father would allow her to do such a thing. He would be able to pay his debt.
Simon smiled at the thought of how good it would feel to finally strike out that line in his ledger. That was a debt he had been hoping to collect for a long time. He had all but given up.
But it was a lot of money that Lord Woodsford owed. And if Simon could get his hands on it… why, a new overcoat would be a drop in the bucket. He would be able to purchase all kinds of fine luxuries.
He closed his ledger and put it away, then stood and stretched, thinking about what might be best to do next.
I suppose I should pay him a visit at his home. Let him know that this is something I’m going to be pursuing. Perhaps he has the money ready for me today, and we can make short work of the whole business.
He sighed, wishing again that he had a nicer overcoat. Something really expensive and impressive-looking, so that when he showed up at Lord Woodsford’s home, he could intimidate the man. He knew he wasn’t quite as effective when he dressed raggedly.
Soon. Soon enough, I’ll be able to replace my entire wardrobe. As soon as he pays me.
He left his little office and went out into the street. Traffic bustled by all around him. No one so much as looked at him, but that was nothing new. They never did. No one paid him any attention, because he wasn’t the kind of man people noticed.
It will be different when I’m able to dress myself well. Then people willhaveto take notice of me!
Collecting on this debt was really going to turn everything around for him. He would raise his position in Society. The people to whom Lord Woodsford owed money would be so pleased with him that they would tell everyone they knew how successful he had been, running down a debt that they themselves had all but given up on.
And he would get more work. He would bring in more money. Before long, he would be as wealthy as the merchants who turned their noses up at him now. He would be the one turninghisnose up atthem, and there would be nothing they could do about it. Nothing except watch him as he went by, and envy his wealth and class.
He turned toward Lord Woodsford’s home, feeling wild with excitement at the prospect of all the changes he was sure his life was about to undergo. Maybe Lord Woodsford wouldn’t be able to pay him immediately. Maybe it wouldn’t be today. But soon. Soon enough, that man was going to hand over the money he owed.
Oh, how Simon loved getting the better of people! Especially when those people were gentlemen—his betters in Society. They weren’t any better than him. He had the power to bring them low.
But as he walked up the street, his thoughts returned again and again to the letter he’d received.
I shall be in touch with you soon, the mysterious letter writer had said.
He couldn’t wait to learn who it was.
Chapter 22
Valeria had been floating from room to room all morning, unable to contain her excitement at the prospect of seeing Lord Woodsford again for the first time since the ball announcing their courtship. Only a few days had gone by, and yet she had been unable to stop thinking about him.
