Page 65 of Bargaining for the Barrister
“Good day!” the woman called to them with a smile. “Are you friends with the Sheldons?” She hurried over to them. “Paul, be a dear and introduce us.”
Louisa did not know how to respond, and Lady Kellen seemed equally speechless. Louisa looked to Paul for help, but his gaze was on the stranger, his expression livid.
In a few strides, he was in front of the woman. “There will be no introduction because you are leaving. I will write to you, and we will sort this out.”
“But I want to meet your friends.” She turned to them. “His manners aren’t normally so boorish, I hope.” The woman patted Paul’s chest, but he stepped away so she could not reach him again. She didn’t seem to mind and grinned at them. To him she said, “Once you introduce us, dearie, I’ll leave you. I knew you’d see everything my way eventually.”
Paul’s anger turned to an expression of desperation. “Lady Kellen, please take Miss Cox inside.”
Louisa hated to leave Paul with a woman who was clearly mad, yet a part of her was afraid to argue about it.
“Lady Kellen?” In clear awe, the woman exaggerated the title and dipped into a curtsy. “I am honored. Paul, I knew the Sheldons were well-connected, but this is most impressive.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mrs. Hammond, please. I’m asking you to leave.”
“And, Miss Cox, did he say?” Mrs. Hammond asked Louisa.
Louisa dipped a hasty curtsy herself.
“Have you come to visit my Paul?” she asked.
Her Paul? The possessive words grated against Louisa’s ears. She did not want to tell this woman anything, but she had no reason to lie, so she nodded. Lady Kellen slipped a protective arm around her.
“How sweet! Are you and my Paul courting? I should have guessed straightaway. Oh, dearie, she’s a real beauty!”
Paul’s eyes widened, and a glimmer of fear passed over him. He put his arm out in front of Mrs. Hammond to separate her from them. “Lady Kellen, I beg of you.”
Lady Kellen nodded and pulled Louisa back.
Mrs. Hammond cooed. “I had no idea you were thinking of marriage! No wonder you were hesitant to loan me more money.”
The words buzzed around Louisa’s head as she turned the corner with Lady Kellen and they made their way back to the front door. Why would that woman want money from Paul? “Who is Mrs. Hammond?” she asked as the butler opened the door to them.
“I don’t think Mr. Sheldon would appreciate me gossiping about it. If I were you, I would put all my effort into forgetting such an uncomfortable moment.”
Such a dismissal only incited more curiosity in Louisa. She wanted nothing more than to hide behind another hedge and listen to the rest of the conversation outside. She unpinned her riding hat and handed it to the butler. At that moment, Mrs. Sheldon stepped out of her husband’s study and exclaimed her excitement over having them visit. She ushered them into the drawing room, but Lady Kellen stopped Louisa at the threshold.
“Miss Cox, do you mind waiting out here for just a minute? I need to speak with Mrs. Sheldon privately.”
Louisa knew Lady Kellen would be eager to relay the account of Mrs. Hammond in private to Mrs. Sheldon, so she readily agreed. “Take all the time you need. I will be perfectly content.”
The door to the drawing room shut between them, leaving Louisa in the corridor, and she heaved a sigh. Dare she hurry outside? Her leg bounced beneath her skirt. As if the front door could read her thoughts, it suddenly swung wide open, and she moved toward it to see if it was Mrs. Hammond. It was not Mrs. Hammond but Paul. He stormed inside and slammed the door behind him.
His eyes met hers, and his anger noticeably diffused. With a slower pace, he moved toward her, stopping just a foot away. “I am most sorry you had to witness that.”
“She wanted your money,” Louisa said rather bluntly, desperate for him to confide in her.
He flinched. “It’s hard to explain.”
She studied him, wanting to understand and give him comfort at the same time. The light from the window by the front door filtered into the corridor and across the top of Paul’s head, bringing out the russet tones in his hair.
His hair. The same hair as Mrs. Hammond. Louisa swallowed. “How is she related to you?”
Paul blew out his breath and put his hand on the wall. The truth seemed to hurt as he pushed it from his mouth. “She’s my mother. My natural mother.”
Louisa gaped. Mrs. Hammond had spoken the truth.
She had no time to process his revelation, for his story began to tumble from his lips. “When I was six, Mrs. Hammond approached her sister, Mrs. Sheldon, with an arrangement. My father had died, and my mother had remarried. Her new husband, Mr. Hammond, had no use for a child not of his own. The Sheldons, however, felt very differently. They had never borne children and, as kin, were grateful and loving. The transition made perfect sense to everyone involved. To the Sheldons, I was a blessing. To the Hammonds, I was an inconvenience.”
