The girl nodded and left.
“I must go,” she said quietly.“My mother has sent a letter—”
“Is she ill?Or your brother?”
Beatrice shook her head.
“No, it’s not that.Thank God.But I am gravely concerned.My father’s creditor, the man we owe the money to, he has shown up at Parkhorne.He is an unscrupulous man, and I fear what he will do to my mother if given the chance.She cannot ask him to leave for fear that he will call in the debt.But she is a gentle woman and he is—I do not trust him.”
Leith thought of his own mother, of how he would feel if she were in such a situation.Of course, he would want to fly to her aid.
“Who is he?This creditor?”
“A Mr.Gordstone.I am sure you’d know nothing of him.”
Leith stowed away that name carefully, knowing, very soon, he would come back to it.But that was not what she needed to hear now.He didn’t want to overset her at present with the solutions he could offer.Instead, he said the only thing that made any sense to him.
“I am coming with you.”
“To Somerset?”
“Yes.”
“I cannot ask that of you.”
“You aren’t asking.I am insisting.”
“But it will take three days to get there.At least.And our two weeks—”
“Forget the two weeks.Beatrice, I’ll be your protector for as long as you’ll allow me.I’ll pay you another one thousand pounds for another fortnight.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it.
That was all the acquiescence he needed.
“There, we’ve settled it, then.We’ll take my carriage to Somerset.You have no conveyance of your own and I will not have you or Sally on a stagecoach.The thought is unbearable to me.I cannot abide by it.”
“Thomas!I cannot accept—”
“Why not?”he said, trying to keep the emotion in his voice at bay.“I know I am far from a perfect man, but just another two weeks—”
She put her hands up to his shoulders.“I would be very happy to extend our arrangement.But I don’t want you to do so out of pity.I cannot ask that of you.”
“Beatrice,” he said, pulling her closer.“I assure you I am only being selfish.I cannot lose you now.Not when we’ve only begun.”
She looked up at him and he could see tears in her eyes.Of course, she would be overset by such a missive from home.
“I suppose you still have much to learn from me.”
“Yes,” he said, knowing that it was far more complicated than that, but taking the easy explanation she provided.He put his hands on either side of her face.“So much.Please.Let me do this for you.For us.”
“All right,” she said, quietly.“You are too kind.”
“No, no, I’m not,” Leith said, pulling her towards him once more, desperately grateful that he would be able to keep her for a little while longer.
Volume the Third
Chapter Twenty-Seven
