It looked like Eleanor was going to put up a fight, but thankfully, Alberta was able to maneuver her out the door without too much trouble. The debt collector watched as Eleanor went, which Alberta appreciated. It would have caused all kinds of trouble if he had insisted on launching into his comments about Lord Woodsford before Eleanor was out of the house.
When Eleanor’s carriage was pulling away, she turned back to him. “Very well,” she said. “Lord Woodsford. What about him?”
“I understand he’s courting your niece, the lovely Lady Valeria.”
“What of it?”
“How is that going?”
“I don’t wish to be rude,” Alberta said, “but I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“Let’s just say that I’m keeping an eye on him,” the man said. “I don’t want to see him getting mixed up in anything for which I would have to correct him.”
“I have no idea what you mean by that,” Alberta said. “But you may rest assured that my niece’s courtship is progressing in a pleasant and conventional manner, and Lord Woodsford is nothing short of charming. He is very well liked around here.”
“And does he treat her well?”
“I find these questionshighlyimpertinent.”
“Does he buy her expensive gifts, perhaps? Or spend large quantities of money on her in other ways?”
Alberta’s patience had been tested as much as she could stand. “I’m not going to answer these insulting questions,” she said. “Good day, sir.”
He didn’t seem like he was going to go willingly, but she stepped back and waited while her footman escorted him from the premises. Only once he was gone did she allow herself to relax. She drew a breath, steadying herself, doing her best to stay calm. She couldn’t believe that debt collector had had the audacity to come to her home.
Then she heard a voice behind her. “Aunt Alberta?”
She turned on the spot.
Valeria was standing at the foot of the stairs, looking pale as a ghost.
“Valeria,” Alberta said, a hand going to her chest automatically. “I didn’t see you there. How long—how long have you been standing there?”
“Who was that man?” Valeria asked, ignoring her question.
“He was…” She hesitated. Should she lie to her niece? She didn’t like the idea—but what could possibly be gained by telling the truth in this scenario? “He was a merchant.”
“But I don’t understand. Why would a merchant come here?”
How much had Valeria heard? Alberta had no idea what she would be able to get away with here. “He just had some questions,” she said, doing her best to sound soothing. “Nothing you need to concern yourself about.”
“He was talking about Lord Woodsford, wasn’t he?” Valeria pressed. “About Lord Woodsford and me? That was what he meant when he saiddoes he buy her expensive gifts.He wanted to know whether Lord Woodsford had purchased anything expensive for me during the course of our courtship.”
“It was an extremely ill-mannered thing to ask,” Alberta said. “I know he wasn’t a gentleman, but frankly, even a pig ought to know better than to ask such a question. And to come to our home to ask it—I’ve never seen the like.”
“Why do you suppose he wanted to know?” Valeria asked.
So she hadn’t realized that their visitor had been a debt collector. She must have missed that part of the conversation. And even though Alberta was beginning to question her own judgment in allowing this courtship—a debt collector appearing at her door was definitely an eye-opener—she didn’t want her niece to become alarmed.
“Perhaps he hoped to sell something to Lord Woodsford,” she suggested. “Something that he might give to you as a gift.”
“But if that was what he wanted, he would have gone to Lord Woodsford directly,” Valeria pointed out. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Don’t you worry,” Alberta said. “He’s gone now, whatever it was he wanted, and I’m sure we won’t be seeing him again.”
The trouble was, she didn’t actually feel certain of that at all.
Chapter 26
