Page 5 of Bargaining for the Barrister
“I thank you for having me as your guest.” Louisa dipped a curtsy and, upon arising, examined her hostess. Her hair was gray with only a few dark threads interspersed. Her dress was loose on her frame and her mannerisms genteel. If Louisa had to guess, she would say Mrs. Sheldon was perhaps fifty, at least ten years older than Lady Kellen’s forty years.
With a constant stream of nervous chatter and questions Louisa barely registered, Mrs. Sheldon ushered her and Logan into the drawing room to where Lady Kellen stood. Her dress, an elegant pale green, brought out her eyes—kind eyes, not at all what Louisa had expected from a countess. The woman’s hair was a soft blonde, and her expression was serene but assured. She took several long strides to Louisa and embraced her.
“What a joy it is to see you again.”
It had been one month since Lady Kellen’s surprise visit to Louisa’s house, where she had revealed her past friendship with Louisa’s mother and pledged to step in to assist her in finding a husband. She had begged Louisa to tell her everything she wanted in a man but with one caution: Men aren’t perfect, dear. For every desire you have, you will also have to be willing to make a concession. If you want someone rich, you risk his pride. If you want someone humble, you must accept his past. It’s not always so black and white, of course, but men were created with strengths and weaknesses much like our own. It is up to you to choose which ones you seek in your companion, and it is up to me to find him.
Louisa hoped she had asked for the right qualities, for in doing so, she had taken her future into her own hands. She blinked away the gravity of her decision and focused on the countess and her timeless beauty. “I am so happy to be here,” she said, forcing confidence into her words.
“Wonderful. Just wonderful. Mrs. Sheldon and I have been beside ourselves with excitement for your visit.” Lady Kellen’s presence eased Louisa’s anxiety a great deal, and she breathed deeply for the first time since leaving Manchester.
Louisa and Logan were soon seated across from Mrs. Sheldon and Lady Kellen. While tea was served, Louisa glanced about the room, wondering what it would be like to see this space on a regular basis. A decorative screen positioned behind the older women and in front of a large bay window conveniently blocked the afternoon sun. Louisa rather liked how the brightly colored lilies and birds painted onto the panels provided a glimpse of a garden indoors. Her mother would have adored it, and any reminder of her mother was a welcome one. The screen was a small reassurance but one she needed. She was now as ready as she ever would be.
“Where is he?” Logan asked their hostess, voicing her very thoughts. Her brother was noted for his frank, assertive ways—the very qualities he was thankful she had outgrown. Still, such a tone was hardly needed with these sweet, harmless women.
Mrs. Sheldon inched forward in her seat. “I asked my son to wait for me in the gardens.”
Logan smirked. “Was he so afraid of his future bride?”
“Logan,” Louisa hissed. Hadn’t he wanted to make a favorable impression? His arrogance was no doubt from his discomfort regarding the difference in their stations, but since he had inherited a fortune, she’d thought her brother would be far more at ease.
“Really, Mr. Cox,” Lady Kellen said. “You shall meet him soon enough. You and your sister, as well as Mrs. Sheldon and I, agreed to let this happen as naturally as possible.”
Logan grunted. “There’s nothing natural about this.”
Mrs. Sheldon poured a cup of tea. “Sugar and milk, Miss Cox?”
“Yes to both, please.” Louisa decided on the spot to like Mrs. Sheldon. Though she lacked the natural confidence of Lady Kellen, she was all goodness and kindness, from her words to her features.
“We are so pleased to have you, dear,” Mrs. Sheldon replied, handing her the teacup. “You’re far prettier than the small likeness you sent ahead.”
“Thank you.”
“I told you as much.” Lady Kellen’s eyes sparkled. “Mr. Sheldon will be quite enamored.”
Louisa had found most men could love her sight unseen simply because of her sizeable dowry, but this time would be different. “What does he know about me?”
Mrs. Sheldon offered a plate of finger sandwiches to them next. “Nothing—just as we promised. In fact, he is not even aware we are to receive guests.”
Her brother took a sandwich, but Louisa had little appetite. “I appreciate you agreeing to that part of the plan.”
“I will stay the week with my sister, if you don’t mind putting me up,” Logan said, surprising everyone, especially her. “Should she at any time in the next few days desire to retreat, I want to support her wishes.”
“Of course. She is free to go whenever she pleases.” Mrs. Sheldon sent a worried look to Lady Kellen.
“Matches do take time,” Lady Kellen said, addressing Logan. “We assure you we have studied Louisa’s character and situation as well as Mr. Sheldon’s with the utmost care and attention. Do have patience with them.” When Louisa’s brother made no argument, Lady Kellen continued. “Louisa, you may go to the gardens now to meet Mr. Sheldon. There is no reason to wonder any longer about him.”
“Now?” Louisa’s teacup clattered against the plate as she set it down.
“No use postponing the inevitable.” Logan turned to her, his dark brows bent, revealing a small crease on his forehead. “Remember, you aren’t agreeing to marry him yet, Isa—just meet him.”
Her girlish nickname was likely a slip, revealing a chink in his otherwise impenetrable armor. She wasn’t the only one who had changed over the course of the last year. Logan had once been her dearest friend and playmate. Meeting Mr. Sheldon brought her ever closer to parting with him, but she reminded herself that this arrangement was for Logan too. Once she married, her brother would be relieved from the burden of caring for her and would finally be free to heal himself.
She gave the ladies a tight smile. “Right. There is no better time than the present.”
“I shall take you.” Mrs. Sheldon stood and stretched out her slender fingers for Louisa to take hold of.
Louisa held back for a moment, not used to someone wanting to hold her hand to lead her anywhere since she’d been a child. However, if all went well, this woman would be her future mother-in-law. It would do no good to offend her now. With some reservation, she placed her hand in Mrs. Sheldon’s.
