“What?”That description was appalling.
“Let me tell you about Miss Woodchurch. On the occasion of Marley’s oldest daughter’s first birthday, when was that, eight or nine years ago, possibly more, we were gathered to celebrate when Marley’s butler announced Miss Harriet Woodchurch had come to call. No one knew who she was but I, and that was only by chance. I’d had a dispute with a transportation company—her father, if you want to get to the nub of it—and had met her in the course of that exchange, when her father had forced her to mind the door like a watchdog as we discussed my complaint. Which, I can say, was never resolved to my satisfaction.”
“What has that to do with the birthday party?”
“She didn’t know it was a birthday, but she had knocked on Marley’s door, no more than fourteen years, looking for work. She had in mind a secretarial position. Can you believe it? Naturally, she was turned away. But I had an inkling why she’d come, and later that week, I went round to call on her father. I suggested his daughter be allowed to attend the Iddesleigh School for Exceptional Girls. He said he saw no reason to educate a girl past a certain point, and certainly not paying for the privilege. I told him she would be allowed in on scholarship. I could go on, but I had quite a row with the bastard, and in the end, I was so incensed that Lady Marley and I joined together and ended up payinghimto send his daughter to our school.”
Lila was shocked. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, but I did. How could I leave her in such a situation! And her mother! You’ve never seen a house like that one on Portman Square, Lila. She’s filled the house with clocks and whatnot.”
“With what?”
“Clocks and cats and tea services and I don’t know what all,” he said with a flick of his wrist. “So many of them that one can’t walk through the hall without stepping over one thing and squeezing in behind another. Miss Woodchurch has three brothers who are just as unrefined as their parents. Terrible home, I tell you. But it is her father’s parsimonious ways that create the problem. He won’t even keep her fully clothed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean he won’t buy her as much as a frock. Blythe tells me her dresses are secondhand.” He sat up again, his gaze narrowing on Lila. “So why, exactly, are you asking about Miss Woodchurch?”
“Curiosity,” she said with a shrug.
“Curiosity my arse, if you will pardon me for saying so. What are you about?” His expression said he already knew.
“All right,” she conceded. “I think she might be perfectly suited to the worst client I’ve ever had in my life.”
“What? Who?” He suddenly smiled. “You have someone in mind for her? I’d be overjoyed to see her matched with someone who could remove her from that house.”
Lila hesitated.
Beck’s smile faded. “Oh no.”
“Lord Abbott.”
“Lila!” Beck kicked himself up so quickly his feet hit the ground with a thud. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“No, no, you can’t be. Please explain yourself.”
So Lila did. She told him how the viscount didn’t really speak to anyone, but he did speak to Hattie. How they apparently liked similar things and how he’d even looked to Hattie for advice about the matches she was proposing. And there was more, the way the two of them looked at each other, which, of course, she didn’t say to Beck. She didn’t expect him to understand.
“I feel these things in my gut, Beck, and I feel this is an excellent match between two like souls.”
“Perhaps between two like souls, but not two like families, Lila.” He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re up against, and I won’t allow you to get Hattie’s hopes up, do you hear me? She’s already suffered one broken engagement because of her wretched family, andthatgentleman was no one of import. She would be humiliated! Abbott would never settle on her! Her family would bleed him dry.”
“That’s aterriblething to say,” Lila said, alarmed by Beck’s stark opinion.
“Nevertheless it is true. This is trouble, Lila, and you are best to leave well enough alone.”
“Have you no faith in my abilities?”
“Not in this. You’ve always put together people of common backgrounds and experiences. But this? Her father is the worst sort of opportunist. Not only will he find any reason to keep her dowry for himself, he’ll create as many obstacles as he can in hopes of being paid to remove them. He lacks even the most basic of scruples. He’s a Midas and wants it all for himself. Listen to me, Lila, for Hattie’s sake.”
“I understand,” Lila said. And while she did understand, she didn’t agree with him. Beck was a good man and wanted to save this young woman from her father. What better way to do it than see her married to a viscount? She stood up. “You’ll keep this between us?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, Beck.” She began to walk to the door, but she paused and turned back. “By the bye, I’ll need an invitation extended to Hattie and her brother for your garden tea.”
