Page 67 of Lady of Providence
“Elizabeth.”
His voice, his very presence, caused her heart to beat more rapidly than it had been even moments before, yet at the same token, it was somewhat… reassuring to have him here. Which was ridiculous. She knew, however, that some way, somehow, Gabriel would always make sure everything would be all right. She didn’t have to worry when he was there with her.
Which was ridiculous, but a truth she could not deny.
And as she stared up at him, his hard gaze looking back down on her as he said nothing, all she wanted to do was jump from her chair and into his arms.
She loved him. Part of her had always loved him, she knew that. This, however, was stronger, more palpable. She yearned to be able to rush back into his arms as she had before, to be able to both tell him and show him all that was in her heart. She wanted to apologize, to tell him that she had been a fool and that they could do anything as long as they were together. She also knew, with every instinct she had, that nothing had occurred between him and Lady Pomfret, that the woman was being the nuisance she had always been. Gabriel was no more the same man he had been five years ago than Elizabeth was the same woman. And yet she had doubted him, holding onto her past hurts in order to protect her heart.
Elizabeth stood — to do what, she had no idea, but suddenly she was overcome by the need to tell him… something, to ensure that he wouldn’t leave again without knowing the depth of her feeling toward him.
He didn’t move back, and as she took a step toward him, all he said was, “I’m sorry, Elizabeth, for everything.”
Everything. For their time together in the gardens years ago? For their time together more recently? To the fact their intimate time together had been shared with the partners of this bank? She had no idea, but she was astounded. Gabriel hardly ever apologized. And this time, he really wasn’t the one who had done anything wrong.
“No, Gabriel, I—” But she was cut off by Mr. Brant’s return. He was closely followed by some of the partners, who looked between her and Gabriel questioningly as they filed in the room.
The connection was broken, and Gabriel took his customary seat in the corner as they both began to greet the arriving partners. She would talk to him later — she had no choice, really. Though there was something she had to do first. She had made a mistake and it was time to rectify that.
“Mr. Brant,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “Could I speak to you for a moment?”
When they returned to the room, it was full, and the six partners looked up at her with expectant faces. Elizabeth took a deep breath and was about to speak when Henry sauntered into the room, taking a seat across from her. Elizabeth simply nodded in greeting and then began.
“There are two items of business to discuss today,” she said, hearing the slightest of tremble in her voice, and she cleared her throat, willing it away. “The first is regarding our partners. It has come to my attention that there are two partners who are working not for this bank, but against it.”
Murmurs began around the table, and she held up a hand to silence them.
“As many of you know, my cousin, Mr. Henry Clarke, joined our bank a couple of months ago. I welcome family at this institution, of course, but Mr. Clarke has chosen to discredit both me and the bank in an attempt for me to step aside and provide him with the senior partnership.”
Henry began to protest, but as he did, Elizabeth held up a piece of paper.
“I have a signed letter from Sir Hugo regarding the information provided to him by Mr. Clarke. He has decided, upon learning from Mr. Cartwright that much of Mr. Clarke’s information was incorrect, to return to the bank.”
The chatter around the table began to swirl once again, and Henry stood.
“This is outrageous!”
“It is not, as you are well aware, Henry,” she said before addressing the rest of them. “As senior partner, I am choosing to remove Mr. Clarke as a partner in the bank. He has been informed of this already, so it is not a surprise. He will be replaced by Mr. Bates.”
“Mr. Bates?” came a voice from around the table. “The manager Mr. Bates?”
“The very one,” she confirmed. “He has been loyal to the bank, he knows the inner workings of the institution better than anyone, and he will be an asset to us, as previously discussed. Thank you for your service to the bank, Henry. Now, I will be removing one other partner.”
She saw heads begin to swivel, as they all turned to look at one another, nervous who it might be — each worried if he was the one? Gabriel simply stared at her, his face impassive, though the slightest of smiles teased his lips as he waited for his own dismissal.
“Mr. Lang,” she said to one of the partners, a man who had been with the bank for decades and was one of her grandfather’s close friends. “Have you recently come into an inheritance?”
The man furrowed his eyebrows together. “No.”
“You were, however, in a great deal of debt, were you not?”
“Lady Elizabeth, I hardly think—”
“Were you not?”
“I was,” he admitted, though the look he sent her way made her feel as though he was drawing his sword upon her.
“And that debt has been cleared?”
