Page 77 of My Highland Rogue
On the morning of the fourth day after he had returned to London, she entered his office at the Mayfair Club, planted her fists on her hips, and glared at him.
“It’s time we talked.”
“What about?”
“About what’s wrong with you.”
Standing, he walked around his desk and stood at the window, looking down at the London street.
This Pall Mall location was a prime one and had cost him in rent. Yet the Mayfair Club had turned a profit from the very beginning. Nor did it look like it was going to stop being a moneymaker anytime soon. The young peers to whom he catered found it amusing to belong to a club that wouldn’t automatically welcome their fathers. Here there was no heritage membership, no legacy extended simply because your father, uncle, or grandfather had joined. He’d deliberately crafted the rules of the club that way.
Being around Harrison had taught him about autocracy and the arrogance of a young man with a title and enough money to do damage.
He glanced at Maggie. “Has Burfield returned?”
They’d already spoken about her refusing Harrison additional credit. He’d commended her for her decision and given her a bonus for her actions. If the wife or a mother of a member evercame to them in distress, he wanted it known that he would do what he could to help them.
She nodded. “Yes, two days ago.”
“Cut him off. Rescind his membership. Send word that he isn’t to be granted admittance. If it’s a public ban, all the better.”
“Is that wise, rescinding his membership?” Her look of surprise wasn’t unexpected.
“I’d like it done as soon as possible.”
“He spends a great deal of money here, Gordon.”
“He loses a great deal of money here, Maggie. I’ve decided to call a halt to it.”
“Then what about Peterson? And the Duke of Luton? They’re both as profligate as Burfield.”
“I don’t care about them right now.”
He didn’t look at her again, but she was probably frowning at him. Maggie was a money person. She understood, as well as he, what it took to run the Mayfair Club.
If one of the young peers was insulted, he could do a lot of damage to their hopes of increasing membership. However, he knew that Harrison was as obnoxious to his acquaintances and friends—if he had any—as he was to his family. He doubted that banning him would have a detrimental effect to the club.
“Is this a result of going to Scotland, too?”
He returned to his desk. He’d made this office his base of operations because he knew that Maggie would leave him alone to work. However, that hadn’t proven to be the case since he’d returned from Scotland.
Gordon really wanted to concentrate on thereport in front of him, but she came and stood in front of his desk. Maggie could be as stubborn as a stone.
He leaned back in his chair and regarded her. “If you have something to say, Maggie, say it.”
“I don’t know what happened to you in Scotland, Gordon, but I suspect it was more than losing your father. You hadn’t spoken to him in five years. Yet suddenly you’re a different man.”
She was right. He was different. He would never be the same person he had been. What did he tell her?
He doubted he would ever be able to talk about it.
“I shall endeavor to return to my normal self,” he said, sitting up and pulling a sheaf of papers in front of him.
“I don’t know what’s wrong, but if you don’t tell me soon, I’m tempted to beat it out of you.”
He looked up from his desk. Maggie was still standing there, her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
“Since when are you given to violent threats?”
