“And you are?”
“I…” The man couldn’t be more than twenty. Setting the papers down and out of the way, he offered a short bow. “Jack Sharper at your service, Your Grace. I was interviewed by the lady of the house this afternoon for the position of steward.”
Tristan frowned. “The Duchess, you mean.”
“Er, yes. I meant nothing by it, Your Grace, honest. I’m only…” Sharper inhaled deeply. “It’s rather new. Talking to a lord. And a lady.”
“Then why are you here?” Tristan asked, tilting his head.
Sharper had paled considerably. But he didn’t faint. Instead, he muttered something under his breath, nodded, and then straightened his shoulders. His next words sounded practiced. “I have come to apply for the position of steward and would appreciate a final interview.”
“If I say no outright, what then?”
“Then… Well…” Sharper hemmed and hawed for a long minute, wringing his hands. “Perhaps it’s not the right fit, Your Grace. I beg your pardon. Only Her Ladyship—Her Grace, the Duchess—visited my father’s offices this morning. They talked, and then she asked me all sorts of questions before requesting I dress in my finest and then come here. I don’t want to be laughed at. I’ve not worked as a steward before. But I managed my father’s shops until he remarried and my stepbrothers took over.
“They might do the heavy lifting, but I manage the accounts for all four shops and help our partners on the docks for extra pay during summer. I’m a hard worker, and I learn quickly. Only I don’t know what it’s like in a place this grand. I’ve probably left dirt somewhere. I only came in case I might better myself and be of service. If I can’t, I’ll take my leave.”
A grand speech, much too long, but it intrigued Tristan. He studied the young man for a long moment. What had Verity been thinking?
“Sit down.” He watched the young man do as instructed. Then, he rounded the desk, sat down, and handed over an unorganized pile of papers. “Tell me what you see here.”
It was a risk, he realized, handing over sensitive information. But his curiosity had won out.
Sharper only glanced the pages over for a minute before he began shuffling them about. Once sorted into separate piles, he delicately placed them on the desk one pile at a time.
“They were disorganized. This is an outstanding bill, here is a contract for a property purchase missing at least two pages detailing the relevant taxes for a commercial sale. And this is part of an accounting log. Judging by some of the prices noted here, like the one for the two cart horses, I’m assuming this file is at least three years old.”
Tristan rose to his feet, towering over Sharper by a foot even when the young man rose. “How old are you?”
“One-and-twenty, Your Grace.”
“Do you consider yourself an honest man?”
“A man is only as good as his name. And I am sharp. And honest.”
“Be here tomorrow at ten. Don’t be late. You can see yourself out.”
Sharper gaped at him for a good minute. He only reacted when Tristan raised an eyebrow. Then, he was scrambling again. He collected his papers hastily while thanking Tristan profusely. It was almost enough to give him a headache.
And then he was gone and Tristan sat back down with a sigh.
He finally had a new steward. The boy clearly needed an education in etiquette and decorum, but he was keen and eager for more. Verity had been right. How she had found someone like Sharper and thought to bring him here confounded him.
When he brought his hand up to rub his mouth, he found his lips curled into a smile.
A soft knock at the door shrank it, however.
“Come in.”
Verity beamed at him as she entered, bearing a small porcelain tray laden with some sort of pastry. “You are here! I just saw Mr. Sharper take his leave. He left quickly, but I saw him smiling. Does it mean you have hired him? He was my favorite, actually.”
Favorite? Her favorite? She’s not supposed to have favorites.
Frowning, he rose to his feet. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Only that he made me think of you as a child,” she explained, coming closer. “Brilliant and eager for a challenge. All he needs is a place to thrive.”
There was something on her lips as she talked. It seemed to sparkle in the light. He leaned forward, curious. He froze when she licked her lips, that pink tongue of hers distracting him.
