Page 48 of Lady of Providence
And like the rat he was, Henry Clarke snuck out of the shadows to latch onto Gabriel’s side.
“What do you want, Clarke?” Gabriel practically snarled as he continued walking toward where his carriage awaited.
“I needed to talk to you — alone. I went to your house, but was told you were not in residence.”
“No,” Gabriel said. “I was not.”
“Right,” Clarke said, seemingly not affected by Gabriel’s snappish tone. “Which is why I came here. As far as I can tell, Clarence, you have done nothing to further our plan. Elizabeth remains firmly entrenched in her position, and any progress made has been entirely of my own doing.”
“Progress?” Gabriel turned to him with a raised eyebrow, and Clarke nodded proudly.
“Did you hear of Sir Hugo’s defection? That was me — all me!” he crowed. “In addition to the fact that I am a partner now, which I also did of my own accord. You have done nothing of any note.”
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s too much effort, Clarke. To be honest, I don’t really care for your schemes any longer, nor for you. Consider our agreement broken. Now, leave me be.”
He had reached his waiting carriage, and now he waved Clarke away as though he were brushing away a flea, but the man was just as persistent.
“You’ve fallen under her spell, haven’t you?”
Gabriel looked at him for the briefest of moments, a look that told Clarke he wanted nothing further to do with him.
“My cousin is a spider,” Clarke said, and Gabriel was taken aback at his vehemence. “I know when you tried to further your relationship at the beginning, you had good intentions, which I appreciate. We could use that. You must realize that she is weaving a web around you, drawing you in, bringing you to her side. I tell you, Clarence, you are better off without her. Escape from her clutches before she poisons you, I beg of you. Otherwise, you will be nothing but her prey.” He laughed suddenly. “Oh, I can see it now. You, one of the most powerful men in England, falling victim to my cousin, the Lady Elizabeth.”
He paused for a moment, obviously collecting his thoughts.
“Well, I will tell you this, Clarence. You have a choice. Come on board with me, or fall down along with Elizabeth. For I have no problems in telling the board of your deception to the bank.”
“That would be revealing your own ploys,” Gabriel said dryly.
“I am a favored son!” Clarke said, mockingly defending himself. They had come to a stop outside of Gabriel’s carriage, and Gabriel was loathe to board with Clarke so close in case the man should attempt to follow him and Gabriel would have to resort to physically removing him. Not that he couldn’t do so, but he would prefer not to sully himself. “I am the grandson of their most revered patron. I will defend my cousin to no end, tell them all of how you have been manipulating her in order to get your hands on her fortune and the bank itself. It’s not the most far-fetched story, as I’m sure you are aware.”
“I hardly think they will believe that a duke with five manors and estates to call home would be so desperate as to marry a woman for her fortune.”
“Yes, but a man who enjoys power?” Clarke asked with a sly, knowing grin, “He can never have enough. And what speaks power more than control over one of the largest banks in all of England?”
With that, Clarke finally continued down the street, whistling a tune that made Gabriel want to run after him and shut the man’s mouth for him. But instead, he let out a growl of words that would not be fit for the ears of most company and hoisted himself into his carriage.
Gabriel vowed he would not let a man like Clarke question him nor bring him down. He was not afraid of what others may think, nor whether they would believe Clarke — words such as his had never bothered Gabriel in the past, nor would they ever in the future.
No, what he was concerned of now was what Elizabeth would think if she found out about his pact with Clarke, as insincere as his own promise had been. For it would be his word against Clarke’s, and while he knew how much Elizabeth reviled her cousin, he also couldn’t deny that he had, in fact, made something of a promise to him.
Gabriel was well aware of what Elizabeth thought of his past manipulations, despite his best intentions. This would only solidify her stance to distrust him and deny him.
For once, Gabriel found himself in the thick of a situation from which he did not know how to extricate himself. And he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
CHAPTER23
Two days later, Elizabeth was not in her best form for the partner’s meeting. She hadn’t heard from Gabriel since he had left her house after his proposal, nor had she expected him to reach out once more. She knew how proud he was, and after thinking on it, she realized that while he was angry, he was likely also hurt as well. She understood why, and it ate at her, knowing that she was the cause of his pain.
But this decision was one that would affect the rest of her life, and she couldn’t take it lightly.
As her boots hit the marble floor of the bank’s lobby, she managed a smile and a “good morning” for the clerks she passed along the way. Elizabeth had made a careful study of each of their names, a practice to which she knew her grandfather attributed the loyalty of his employees over the years, and one she vowed to continue.
Elizabeth had ensured she would arrive at least an hour before the first partner might venture through the doors. She knew her punctuality was, perhaps, slightly ridiculous, but by the same token, she couldn’t help the anxiety she felt whenever she thought she might be late — or later than her guest. Arriving before any others put her at ease, allowing her time to prepare herself for whatever was to come.
And there would certainly be much to come today.
Elizabeth took a seat behind her desk, reviewing the papers before her, upon which were names and words she had carefully written out herself. In addition to Mr. Bates, the manager of the bank, she wanted to accolade one other clerk who had been with the company for many years, as she felt both men had showcased their loyalty and should be commended as well as rewarded. She had final say over the naming of the partners, but she hoped the remainder of the current partners would be in agreement.
