Desires of a Baron (14 page)

Chapter Eighteen

“
Which would you like to hear first, Lord Norcourt? The good news or the good news?” Mr. Appleton asked as soon as Giles entered the room.

Giles took his seat. “The good news?”

“It’s all good news,” Mr. Appleton assured him with a chuckle. He twisted his lips. “Well, it wasn’t all good news at first, but it is now.”

“
What does that mean?”

Mr. Appleton put his booted ankle on top of his knee and ran his thumb along the edge of the papers in his hand. “I’m sure this won’t come as any surprise to you, but Lord Cosgrove meant to take advantage of you.”

A hard knot formed in his stomach and the blood drained from his head. Though why he had any reaction to something he already suspected, he didn’t understand. “I assumed so. He threatened to start selling my properties if I didn’t have a wife and an heir by the thirtieth anniversary of my birth.”

“
It appears he’s already tried.”

Giles involuntarily snapped the quill in his hand. “Tried?”

“He was unsuccessful.”

“
Unsuccessful,” Giles repeated slowly.

“
The other man’s solicitor advised him against the transaction. Which is good or we’d have an entanglement.”

Giles idly picked at the dried paint on his fingers while the man continued. He didn’t want to admit as much, but he wasn’t entirely sure he knew what an entanglement was or how one would respond to it.

“He won’t be able to do so if you’re still unwed on your thirtieth birthday, either.”

“
But he told me my father’s will stated that he should use any means necessary, including depleting any asset and accounts not entailed to the barony to make me see reason.”

“
That’s because he wanted to bully you into doing what he wanted.” Mr. Appleton’s voice held a stern edge similar to the one Father Thomas used when he was angry. He blew out a breath. “I can’t know this for certain, but from what I’ve surmised he wanted to make a match between you and his daughter Lady Eugenia.”

Giles’ blood turned to ice in an instant. Were Lord and Lady Cosgrove and his mother and Mr. Appleton involved in some sort of scheme to take advantage of him? His mother had told him at that blasted house party she wanted to make amends and help him find a wife. Was her goal all along to have him marry Lady Eugenia? There seemed to be a shortage of air in the room all of a sudden.

“That’d be my reaction if being faced with marriage to her, too,” Mr. Appleton commented.

Gripping the edges of his chair, Giles said, “Thank you. You may go.”

Mr. Appleton froze. “I didn’t realize you had an interest in her. My apologies.”

“
I don’t.” He took a deep breath. “But I won’t—”
Won’t what?
He racked his brain and his mouth moved. He clamped it shut before he could look any more foolish.

“
Your mother didn’t know.”

Giles’ reeling mind stilled. “Pardon?”

Mr. Appleton sighed. “Please, forgive me. I’m not always good with words.”

“
Neither am I.”

Smiling, Mr. Appleton said, “Then we should both agree not to react until the other has had a chance to make a full explanation.”

“A—All right,” Giles said, idly rubbing his thumbs along the wood of his armrests.

“
Your mother.” He pursed his lips. “She means well. She does. And while I agree with you that she shouldn’t have involved herself in your affairs, particularly that of finding you a wife, she fell into Lord Cosgrove’s trap. Nothing more. She just wants to see you happy and treated fairly. She has no reason to see you marry Lady Eugenia. That was solely for Lord Cosgrove’s gain.”

Giles didn’t know why, but for some reason he believed him and it felt like a lead weight was suddenly lifted. “It all was a lie?”

“Yes.” He thumbed through the stack of papers and handed Giles the four on the bottom. “This is the former Lord Norcourt’s will. All of it. It looks more complicated than it is. I’ve read it over and there is nothing in it that states anything about allowing Lord Cosgrove to sell your assets or deplete your accounts.”

Giles scanned the lines. “But he is still the one who manages the funds?”

“No. Yes. That part is a little complicated.”

“
It must be if it even makes an educated man like you confused.”

Mr. Appleton chuckled. “In the event of your mother’s inability to produce a suitable heir, Lord Cosgrove was granted limited control of your funds and assets. It would seem Lord Norcourt wasn’t overly trusting of his friend because he was only permitted to use the funds as needed for improvements to the barony in addition to paying your mother a jointure and sending you your designated allowance. That’s all. Anything earned was to be saved for your heir to inherit.”

Giles hoped his disappointment didn’t show. To Mr. Appleton this large sum of money might be good news, but to him, it meant very little if it was tied up in an account to be passed on to his heir. Not that he needed great wealth to be happy, but the meager allowance that the old baron had seen fit to bestow upon him could hardly cover his expenses. He might end up in debtor’s prison in his attempt to get an heir. Were he ever so moved to find a wife. Which he wouldn’t be. At eight-and-twenty only two ladies had ever caught the slightest bit of his interest. The first was already married, and the other… Well, she’d be married soon. And to his brother at that.

“
Rather confident I’d have an heir, wasn’t he?” Giles forced.

“
Nearly all gentlemen have an heir,” Mr. Appleton said. “It’s just not always a son. But yes, he was confident you’d have a son—” he paused a beat— “and I am, too. That, and your mother are the only two things the old codger and I ever agreed upon.”

Giles frowned and idly played with the plume on the broken quill. Apparently his father had thought with all of the money that would be in Giles’ coffers by the time he was of an age to marry it’d be enough to buy the affections of a lady who wanted to be baroness badly enough. He dropped the now flattened and matted feather. “Thank you for looking into this. I appreciate it.” Though clearly what he and Mr. Appleton considered good news varied.

“Have you an appointment?”

Seth was still here which meant he wouldn’t be going to White’s to meet Sebastian like he normally did. “No.”

“Good, then I’ll finish explaining.” He flashed Giles a smile. “I did promise good news, didn’t I?”

“
I thought you already told me.”

Mr. Appleton’s top lip curled up, then transformed into a wide smile. “If that’s what you consider good news, this next part you might consider to be great.” He lifted his stack of papers up to his face and idly tapped the ends against his chin. “Hmmm. Can we make a bargain?”

“For what?” he asked between clenched teeth. Anytime anyone had ever wanted to make a bargain with him before, he’d come out with the rotten end. He tried to remind himself that Mr. Appleton didn’t seem that sort and unclamped his jaw.

“
My information for your presence.”

“
My presence?” Giles narrowed his eyes on Mr. Appleton, but damned if he knew what he should be looking for in the man’s face to give away that he had bad intentions. “I thought my money was being exchanged for your information.”

Mr. Appleton waved him off. “I’ll accept no coins for this. And—” he met Giles’ gaze— “I’ll still give you the information without your agreement to come to dinner at my house tonight. But if you’d like to, the invitation is there.”

Giles’ body relaxed. Mr. Appleton was sincere. “I’ll consider it.”

“
That’s all I’d ask.” He lowered the stack of papers to his lap. “Simon will be there again, but don’t let that deter you. His mother—
your
mother—she meant well and given the circumstances, I can’t blame her too much for not having told him about you sooner.”

“
Too many things to explain, I suppose” Giles said.

“
No, too much hurt to relive,” Mr. Appleton said. “She just, well—” He sliced a hand through the air. “It’s probably best we not talk about this now. I’d hate to put a damper on your good news.”

“
I thought it was
great
news,” Giles teased, relieved for the change of topic.

“
Right, you are,” Mr. Appleton agreed with a chuckle. “Well, it’s not all great, mind you. Some of it can only be termed as infuriating, but I think everything considered, you’ll be satisfied.”

Giles just stared at him, anxious.

“Norcourt granted Cosgrove the right to act as your guardian and overseer of all of the funds until your twentieth birthday at which time you’d inherit or if a physician deemed you were of unsound mind you’d cease to be heir and the barony and everything Lord Norcourt owned would be transferred to his nephew.”

“
He can have it,” Giles muttered.

“
No, it’s yours. Well, most of it any way,” he amended. “Unfortunately, the majority of the earnings from anything unentailed over the last eight years have gone to Cosgrove’s coffers, but the rest is in a trust.”

“
For my heir?”

“
Yes,” Mr. Appleton said quietly. “Everything that has already been earned and deposited in that account is reserved for your heir. In addition anything else your barony continues to earn will be deposited into the trust, minus whatever funds are needed for the upkeep as determined by Mr. Forrester and Mr. Robins who have been appointed to act as the trustees until you are succeeded.” He pursed his lips for a moment. “However, the good—nay,
great—
news is that any future earnings on anything unentailed are legally yours and will be deposited in your accounts starting next month.”

The air left Giles’ lungs in a
whoosh
. “Is it more than thirty pounds?”

Mr. Appleton chuckled. “Yes. You’ll be very comfortable.”

“Th-thank you,” Giles said.

“
You don’t need to thank me. I was glad to help.” He stood and handed Giles some papers from his satchel. “Keep these locked up for your records. I need to keep these for a few days longer if you don’t mind. I’ll bring them back next week?”

“
Is there something unsettled?”

“
Not unsettled, just undiscovered.” Mr. Appleton picked up his satchel and started for the door.

Giles followed him into the hall. “Can I ask what?”

“You can ask, but you already know my price.” He grinned and put on his coat. “I’ll be back next week with more details. Until then, if you’re available for dinner, we’d enjoy the company.”

“
Thank you,” Giles murmured. He’d go have dinner over there at some point, he was sure of it. Just not anytime soon.

Mr. Appleton’s fingertips fell on Giles’ shoulder, staying him from opening the door. “If you’d rather not dine with all of us, but wish to come by for a game of cards or a drink, I’ll take that, too.”

Giles stared blankly at the man. He honestly couldn’t fathom why Mr. Appleton would want to have a drink or play cards with him. Even Sebastian didn’t invite him over for either of those pursuits. And yet, there was nothing about Mr. Appleton that made him think he was being baited with the invitation. Odd.

“
I’ll think about it,” he lied, opening the front door.

Wordlessly, Mr. Appleton took his leave.

A whirlwind of emotions swirled inside Giles as he closed the door then stepped into his painting room.

“
Sorry. That took longer than I thought.”

“
That’s all right,” Seth said, his pencil moving back and forth across the paper.

Giles walked over behind Seth’s chair to see what he was drawing. “Is that a horse?”

“It’s supposed to be, but I can’t get his front legs right. The first time, they were too short—” he flipped a few pages back in the book— “then they were too long—” he flipped the page again— “and now they look too wide apart.”

“
They look fine to me. Extend the lines of the body a little longer before you draw in the back legs.”

Seth made a few quick marks on the paper. “Like that?”

“Exactly.”

A slow smile spread across the boy’s face. “I thought you said you don’t teach.”

“I don’t. It was merely a suggestion,” he said, picking up another of his sketchbooks.

The clock behind him chimed the hour just then.

“I need to go!” Seth frantically tossed down the pad and pencil and scampered toward the door.

Giles reached for him to stay him. “You can take the paper with you if you’d like.”

“I can?”

“
Just don’t bring it back filled with naughty drawings.”

“
I can come back?”