Page 10 of A Sister to Beguile (Sherton Sisters 5)

“It’s good to see you here, my lord. I’ve been doing my best, but it’s always better to have the master present.”

“This is your best?” Alex repeated, staring at the man, as he gulped and fidgeted.

“Yes, my lord.” The man wouldn’t meet Alex’s gaze, casting furtive glances toward the door, but his tone remained a trifle belligerent.

Alex frowned down at the ledger before him. He didn’t want to be unfair to the man. Perhaps, he truly was merely incompetent, not intentionally damaging his estate or robbing from him. And really, as earl, it was Alex’s duty to be on top of things, even the things he had hired others to oversee. With a sigh, he had to acknowledge that whatever the case might be, he ought to have come round far sooner to check on things.

“How did you get hired to be steward if you cannot process basic addition?” He tried not to sneer over the question. Perhaps, the poor man really couldn’t do the maths.

The steward began to sputter.

“My addition skills have never been called into question afore, my lord. Yer father seemed satisfied.”

“That might be true, although from what I knew of him, I can’t imagine him allowing such irregularities. Whatever the case, I am not satisfied with what I have found in these ledgers, and I will have to end your employment here at Oakwood.”

“You can’t do that, Sterling! What am I to do?”

“I can, in fact, do that. If you were having troubles here, your duty was to inform me. Regardless of the reasons for the state of these ledgers, whether it is incompetence, circumstances, or wickedness, your duty was to tell me of it, especially if you couldn’t fix it. You failed quite spectacularly in that duty. I have no choice but to replace you.”

“Wickedness?”

Alex felt a momentary urge to laugh as the man sputtered over the word, as though he couldn’t begin to imagine why it had even been suggested. But that didn’t inspire the earl with confidence or make him reconsider.

“I will have the footmen escort you to your room and oversee your departure.”

“You’re gonna regret this, Sterling.”

Alex sighed again as the man bellowed and swore, while several of his burlier servants helped him from the room. Raymond wasn’t wrong. Alex regretted the entire incident. But ignorance of the situation wasn’t going to make it any less of an issue. It was his own fault for having left the estate on its own for so long. He thought of his other properties and stifled any further regrets. The situation was one of his own making. He would just have to see to fixing it.

And now, he would need to hire a new steward since, even if he managed to sort out all the problems he had found, he wouldn’t be able to remain on the estate indefinitely. But how was he to find someone sufficiently knowledgeable and reputable?

Suddenly, he brightened as he realized this would give him another appropriate excuse to visit Rathnelly. Surely, the duke would be able to recommend someone to him.

The next morning, he was ready to go long before it was acceptable to make morning calls. He tried to pass the time in his library as he continued reviewing the estate accounts, taking note of all discrepancies and meeting with the housekeeper and butler. It was evident to Alex that neither of his servants were terribly surprised by the news that the steward had been less than reliable.

“My apologies, my lord,” Mr. Grimbsy had said. “I ought to have written to inform you of my suspicions, but I had worried it wasn’t my place to do so.”

The man’s words made Alex consider releasing him from his position as well, but he assured himself that was surely an overreaction. He merely nodded instead. Nearly all of the servants had been in his employ when he inherited. He really ought not hold that against them.

“In the future, please do contact me about any concerns you might have. I will, though, make an effort to spend more time here and see for myself how things are faring. We shall contrive to cooperate in what is best for Oakwood together.”

Both Grimbsy and the housekeeper nodded and bobbed, expressing their agreement without words. Alex would have to be satisfied with that, as they made no move to offer him further reassurance. Finally, a glance at the clock told him he could set out for Rathnelly without being unforgivably early. With relief, he called for a carriage to be readied. He would prefer to ride but with the state he had been in when he’d arrived yesterday, he knew he couldn’t ride all the way and still appear presentable for elevated company.

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