“Precisely.”
Fletcher swallowed a colorful oath.
“You see the bind I find myself in. It is a great deal of money I stand to lose. On the other hand, I hate to think of Louisa unhappy. Is she rather desperate to end the engagement?”
She’d sent Fletcher a note this morning to say she’d failed to persuade Rotherfeld directly. “I believe she is. Some information has come to light that—”
Petty held up his hand. “I suspect I know what you are about to say. I overlooked my suspicions for the sake of the business deal and Louisa’s happiness. I did think she was happy. She told me she wanted to marry Rotherfeld. You know that, right?”
“I do know that, and I thought she was happy, too, sir. She didn’t start having misgivings until a couple of weeks ago.”
“And now it is all falling apart.”
Fletcher didn’t think Petty would disclose how much money he’d invested in the sheep farm and how much he stood to lose, but that was all right. Fletcher had other ways to figure it out. He wondered if he could just buy out Rotherfeld.
“You’d be wise to stay clear of this matter,” Petty said. “I see the wheels turning in your head.”
“All I want is Louisa’s happiness. And she has told me she does not want to marry Rotherfeld, so I am doing what I can to see that she gets her way, but this is not an easy situation. Surely you can see the problem here. Rotherfeld needs a wife, regardless of the reason. He likely chose Louisa because she isold enough that he thought she’d be desperate to marry, and he got involved in business with you so that you could not send him away if she got cold feet. I’ve a letter from Louisa this morning saying she tried to ask Rotherfeld directly to end the engagement, he refused, and now she feels trapped.”
“Yes, I fear I do understand.”
“Please know, I am not trying to lose your money.”
Petty smiled faintly. “I was foolish not to put things in writing.”
“But you believe that my only motive here is Louisa’s happiness.”
“I do believe you, because I’ve known you since you were a boy and I’ve seen what a good man you’ve grown up to be. If a marriage to each other is what both of you want, then I want that for you, too. I’ve always had a soft spot for Louisa. I’d rather lose the money than have her be miserable.”
“But it is a great sum, I take it.”
“Do you plan to try to buy out Rotherfeld?”
“I’m considering it.”
“You recently sold some of your father’s business.”
“It was too much for me to manage on my own. But I did make a tidy profit from the sales. I can put at least some of that toward the sheep farm in Bristol.”
“I don’t think Rotherfeld will sell, but you are welcome to try.”
“Why wouldn’t he sell?”
“Some men are motivated by more than money, and Rotherfeld has a reputation to maintain.”
So Petty understood the situation they were all in as well. Fletcher was a little surprised that Petty was so insightful, but perhaps he’d seen what he wanted to see until recently, too.
“Well. Now that I know the situation, I suppose I must talk with him,” said Fletcher.
“Godspeed.” Petty rubbed his forehead. “I admit, I am at a loss about what to do. I don’t want you to lose money or get entangled in this mess, either. Your father just left us, and you must have enough to manage.”
It didn’t seem like Lord Petty would be much help. “I will consult with my advisors, I suppose.”
“Let me give you some advice, son,” Petty said, standing to escort Fletcher back out of the office. “Always trust your gut. I had an inkling that something was amiss when Rotherfeld first came to me, but I had no evidence that anything was not as it should have been, and Louisa seemed happy. I should have trusted my instinct rather than go into business with Rotherfeld, and I shall regret this decision for a long time to come, I imagine. When you have those kinds of inklings, listen to them.”
Fletcher nodded. He really hadn’t been listening to his gut lately, but maybe if he had a year ago, Rotherfeld would never have become a thorn in his side. “That is good advice, thank you.”
“I do hope you are triumphant in your quest. But Louisa is more important to me than money, so if you are unsuccessful—”
