Page 31 of Lady of Providence
“Of course,” he said, with a cool smile. “I believe I have made my feelings about your new… position well known.”
“Yes, Henry,” she said, straightening in her chair, placing one hand over the other upon the desk in front of her. “In fact, I am actually glad you came, as I must speak to you about this. Your contestation of Grandpapa’s will has not helped matters, and we have been forced to spend much of our valuable time ensuring clients that the bank, and our family, are not at odds with one another. While Iappreciateyou being honest with me, as partners within the bank, we must all speak with one voice and appear unified to our clients. We cannot have anyone dissenting the position of another, or it weakens us as a whole. Do you understand what I am saying?”
She said the words slowly, as though he was a small child, but he only sat back in his chair smiling smugly.
“Let me guess, Elizabeth,” he said. “Did you receive a letter recently from Sir Hugo?”
“I did, actually,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “I do not suppose you had anything to do with his decision to leave the bank?”
Henry emitted an exaggerated sigh.
“I actually sat down with Sir Hugo just last week. We happen to frequent the same club, you know,” he said with a wink. Elizabeth actually didn’t know, and that was one of the problems she faced — while she may belong to some of the same social circles as these men, she would never frequent the same clubs, would never find herself within the same rooms following dinner, partaking in conversations with one another. It left her at a great disadvantage to someone such as Henry, who could insert himself into those very same situations.
“And what, pray tell, did Sir Hugo have to say?”
“Only that, unfortunately, my dear Elizabeth, he feels the ways of women can be fickle. While he knows the bank continues to run efficiently and effectively with the same managers involved as during Grandfather's time, he says that women may make sudden, impulsive decisions for no particular reason. That the bank is not safe nor under control when a woman could create an irreparable situation, such as distrust one of the partners who has been so confidently appointed."
He was quite clearly speaking of his own appointment, of course, but Elizabeth could not call him out upon it when he would only continue to use her words against her.
“And I am sure,dear Cousin, that you absolved him of his fears?” she asked pointedly.
“Alas, he was rather sure in his opinions of you,” he said, lifting his hands, not answering her question. “And to be honest,dearElizabeth, he is correct in his assumptions. For how much longer are you going to continuing playing this game? It is getting rather foolish and you are only going to embarrass yourself if you keep at it much longer. Women do not belong in a business such as a bank.”
She stood from her desk, placing her palms flat upon it as she leaned over toward him, her anger, for once, getting the better of her. For she was tired. It had been far too long since she had slept well overnight, as she continued to question herself and all of her decisions. And she was tired of the opinions of the men within this banking world. Particularly her cousin, a man she wished would disappear from her life forever.
“I will have you know, Henry, that women have been partners in far more banks than this one. And they have been active partners. If you spoke to anyone besides those within your circle, you would know that many of the country banks can list women as partners, as have a few within London. But you wouldn’t know. For you care for nothing more than seeing your own bank accounts fill. Do not think I am not aware of your deception of Mr. Mortimer. I cannot even imagine what Grandpapa would think if he was aware of all you have done. Furthermore, Henry, Grandpapa namedmehis heir, and—”
“If I hear you say that one more time, Elizabeth, I swear I shall fall asleep in boredom,” said Henry, leaning back in his chair with a grin, enjoying her tirade, which only made Elizabeth even angrier, but forced her to remember herself and hold her tongue. “Besides that,” he continued. “Grandfather was a senile old bat who didn’t know what he was doing by the end.”
“Get out.”
Her words were short, clipped, and lacking the emotion she truly felt as she pointed to the door.
“Oh, Elizabeth, come now, I—”
“I said, get. Out. Now.”
“Cousin—”
“I will not ask again.”
“And if I don’t?” He asked, rising to his full height. “Just what are you going to do?”
“Perhaps,” came a voice from the door, a deep, smoky voice that Elizabeth well recognized, “she will decline your partnership, which she would be fully within her rights to do. Now, Clarke, when a lady asks you to leave, I have it on first-hand authority that it is typically in your own best interests to do so.”
CHAPTER15
Gabriel had waited long enough in the corridor outside Elizabeth’s office.
He knew she would far prefer to handle a situation such as this one with her cousin alone, but poor old Henry clearly wasn’t hearing her words, despite the fact she had delivered them in quite a clear and concise manner.
If Gabriel had any hesitation to enter her office, it was for fear that her cousin might provide her with the idea that there had been a deal struck between them — albeit one that he had no intention of ever honoring. But would Elizabeth see it that way? That he was only attempting to hold off her cousin while staying close to her?
Finally, he became concerned that tensions were becoming slightly too heated in the office, and he pushed the door open, only for neither Elizabeth nor Clarke to even notice him for a few moments.
“Clarence,” Clarke said now with a bit of surprise as he turned to look at him after Gabriel spoke. “What are you doing here? Is there a partners’ meeting of which I was not aware?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I am simply here to pay a visit to Lady Elizabeth. It seems that you and I had a similar idea this morning.”
