Her frozen wide-eyed expression told him she did not mean her words, but it didn’t matter. He had nothing to offer her in counter. He dropped his hand from her arm.
Her eyes welled with tears.
Unable to hold her gaze, he bent his head. Staring at his feet, he clenched his fists as he heard a receding swish of skirts fade from the room and the doorway was empty. As empty as his heart.
Chapter Twenty-One
Given Beth’s challenge, Robert chose not to linger at the party. The risk of having to watch her become intimate with another man made him nauseous. Even remaining in the ballroom held the possibility of seeing her ascend the stairs on a man’s arm or flirt outrageously on the dance floor.
He stared through the dark at the bed canopy most of the night, wondering if Beth had found someone to replace him, speculating if that person would take as good care of her as he had.
Finally, morning dawned, and he forced his mind to the meeting he’d planned. Deciding not to take samples with him, he hailed a hack to visit Hunter’s friend. If the apprentice was there, even better. But how would he overcome his shyness without Beth there?
Might as well ask yourself the same question about everything you do.He grunted. He’d done just fine before he knew her, and he could relearn to move forward and be happy without her again. Eventually.
Arriving at the forge, Robert asked the tradesman for Noah Cooper.
A man approximately David’s age came out of the back, wiping his hands on a greasy rag. He’d likely been oiling pieces to ensure they did not rust. “Can I help you?”
“David Hunter suggested I talk to you. I need a blacksmith to supply small specialized items regularly.” He cast a glance at the younger man working on a thin strip of iron over the anvil. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”
“Come on back.” Despite the high cost of space in London, the smithy had a small nook off the back room with a narrow hob that backed on the smithy forge, a tiny table and two chairs, and mugs for tea.
“Drink?” He gestured to where a tea tin shared shelf space with a decanter of amber spirits.
“Thank you, but no.”
“Right, then. What sort of pieces and what volume are you looking for?”
Robert started the way he and Beth had with David, accenting the need for privacy and keeping the description of his goods vague. He added, “Hunter actually thought your apprentice might be a good fit.”
“Oh?” The man’s eyebrows shot toward his hairline. “Why?”
“’Twasn’t an issue of quality or anything like that,” Robert hastened to assure him. He did not wish to offend this man who might have a solution for his needs. “’Twas more…”Gah, Beth would know how to word this delicately.
Cooper grinned. “Ah. Mayhap the, shall we say, nature of the goods?”
Robert’s breath whooshed out. “Yes.” His face heated, and he hoped Cooper attributed it to the forge flames.
“Right, then. Acknowledging your need for discretion, I still think we need Folly for this discussion. Trust me, if anyone values his privacy, it’s my apprentice. The few of us who know about the items he creates in his spare time tease him mercilessly.”
Robert nodded. “Fine. I will follow your lead on that and on how directly you wish to be involved. I am not trying to steal him away from you.”
“I appreciate that. But the idea of an apprenticeship is to teach them to fly, and that little birdy is ready to leave the nest. I’ve already begun looking for my next apprentice, someone who will be more accepting of the lesser jobs I hand off.”
“Excellent. So…Folly, you say?”
“Ha. Nathaniel Follett. We call him Folly because of his hobby, as we termed it Follett’s folly.”
Robert frowned. He did not want someone who did not take it as serious work requiring skill.
“Do not worry, man. He is excellent. Like I said, he’s ready to leave the nest, and I have high standards, as Hunter likely told you.”
“We shall see.” That was why he usually brought samples. He preferred to judge for himself.
Hunter stepped to the doorway and called, “Folly, finish that up and come back here. And bring a few of your toys.”
There was an off-tone clang as though the hammer had landed wrong and slipped off the piece the young man was creating.
