Page 15 of Lady of Providence
“Iwas not doing anything. Nor is it any of your concern,” she responded.
“And your parents, what do they think of this?”
Elizabeth emitted a wry laugh. “My mother is a proponent of it, so long as it provides her with wealth and prosperity. My father is not altogether pleased. He believes it will mean that I will spend the rest of my life in his home. I have assured him that is not the case.”
“Oh?” Gabriel sat up straighter at that. Had Elizabeth found a man? It would make sense. She was certainly long past the age to take a husband, and now that she was an heiress, well, there might be a few more men at her door, though he hoped she would be perceptive enough to see which ones were sincere. But why did the thought of her marrying someone else cause such a twinge deep within his gut? He’d had his chance, and in the end, it hadn’t been right. He still cared for her, but in the protective way of a man who was looking out for a woman alone.
“Yes,” she said matter of factly. “My grandfather also left me his home, though of course my grandmother still resides there. I spoke with her yesterday and she would be more than happy for me to actually take up residence with her.”
“You’re leaving the home of your parents?”
This was not an action he expected of Lady Elizabeth Moreland. Perhaps more had changed with her inheritance of the partnership than he had thought.
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “My parents are not in support of my involvement with the bank. They feel as though I should keep the partnership, but not actually take an active role. I do not think, however, this bank would be as successful as it is without my grandfather’s involvement in various activities. He taught me and taught me well. I just didn’t know that all his lessons were with a purpose.”
Her voice somewhat trailed off as she spoke and looked away from him out the window, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. He said nothing, allowing her the moment until she ever so slightly jumped, came back to herself, and turned toward him.
“My apologies.”
“It’s all right,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Is there any chance that one of your family members might contest the will?”
“Of course,” she said, shaking her head ever so slightly at him as though he were an idiot. “I expected it the moment the solicitor said the words. Henry has already begun proceedings and I have applied for probate through a proctor. Interrogations of witnesses are to begin next week.”
Well. Clarke had moved much more quickly and stealthily than Gabriel had given him credit for.
“It will be fine,” she said without any worry on her face. “My grandfather was a meticulous man.”
“Have you thought at all, perhaps, as to whether your parents, Clarke, or any of your other family members might be correct?”
“Pardon me?” Her gaze hardened as she stared at him.
“I just mean that, perhaps, it would be much easier for you were you to rely on the people who have sound knowledge of the bank — such as the clerks and the account managers — and allow them to meet with clients. Conceivably even some of the other partners would be interested in doing so. What could you do that no one else couldn’t? I don’t foresee any issues for a woman to attend meetings, so perhaps you could still take on that role, but otherwise, you surely have better things to do with your time, do you not?”
His smile was one that he knew would be slightly patronizing, as he had meant it to be. She simply stared at him.
“You cannot be serious.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“You know very well that I would not have any better things to do with my time. What is it you would suggest?” she asked, her voice becoming ever so slightly more heated as she spoke. “Watercolors? Weaving? Pouring tea? Have you been sent here by my parents, by any chance?”
“I do not follow orders from anyone,” he said, his words clipped. “And I certainly do not appreciate your tone.”
“My tone?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, do forgive me, Your Grace, if I have at alloffendedyou. Heaven knows I would never endeavor to do so. It would be the height of rudeness.”
Her words were tinged with sarcasm, and he remembered how she had always used it to hide her true emotion.
“I ask only with your best interests in mind,” he said, ensuring his own voice remained steady and true. “Your grandfather may have allowed you to follow him around this office, I know that well enough. But how much did you actually retain, not knowing that you might someday require this information? I mean no offense, Elizabeth. I am well aware that you are as intelligent as a man — perhaps more so. However, you cannot argue with the fact that you did not receive the same type of education as most men do. Not because you didn’t want to, but you were not afforded the opportunity — ’tis no fault of your own.”
“I had an excellent governess for most of my youth, and the rest of my education was the first-hand experience taught to me by my grandfather and what I learned myself through books available to me. You question how much I retained? All of it, your grace. I can review profit and loss statements. I can understand a bank ledger. I can assess salaries. I can review and decide on partnerships. I have no issue with any of that. And no, it would not be a better task for someone else. My grandfather knew what he was doing, and he chose me for a reason.”
“That all may be so,” he said, smiling ever so slightly at the vehemence in her voice. “But can you run a partners’ meeting?”
She kept her chin high in the air and didn’t lower her eyes, but she said nothing for a moment, and he was aware that he had finally found the nexus of her nerves.
“Of course I can.”
“Do you believe they will listen to a woman?”
