“To force someone?” Allegra made a face. “Ugh.”
“I don’t know if my friendship with Olivia will survive this,” Carenza said miserably.
“But isn’t that just what Hector would’ve wanted?” Allegra asked. “He probably encouraged Olivia, because he knew she was your friend.”
“Mayhap she shouldn’t have taken the bait.”
“This is Olivia we’re talking about. She thinks she’s right about everything. She probably thought she was helping you. And, let’s be honest, Carenza, she ended up being hurt by Hector as well.” Allegra set down her cup. “In my opinion, the blame lies completely with Hector. If you can find it in your heart to forgive Olivia, you will deny him the very thing he wanted—to split you apart.”
“I’ll have to think about it,” Carenza countered.
“Quite understandable.” Allegra nodded. “And while you’re thinking, you’ll still have to work with her to stop the gossip about the advertisement and the slurs against Julian. It’s the only thing to do.”
“I am well aware of that,” Carenza said. “But whether Olivia is willing to continue is another matter entirely.”
“Oh, she will,” Allegra said. “She has everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
Julian entered the Wheatsheaf and strode through into the pub. His gaze immediately fixed on the landlord. “Good afternoon, Mr. Cox,” Julian said as he approached the bar.
“Mr. Laurent.” Mr. Cox looked anywhere but at Julian. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time to chat. There’s a coach due in.”
“I’m sure someone can handle it for you,” Julian said easily. “My business won’t wait.”
“Then come through to my parlor.”
Julian followed Mr. Cox into the house next door. A woman he hadn’t seen before was making bread at the kitchen table.
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Julian took off his hat.
“Don’t mind me, sir,” the woman said. “I’ll keep to my own business.”
“You should probably leave, Betty, love,” Mr. Cox said somewhat nervously. “There’s no need for you to bother your head about my business with Mr. Laurent.”
“I disagree,” Julian said. “Surely Mrs. Cox would like to know you’ve been blackmailing the lady who employs your daughter?”
“What’s that?” Mrs. Cox thumped the dough onto the table and stared at her husband, her floury hands on her hips. “I told you to leave Mrs. Sheraton alone!”
“Unfortunately, Mr. Cox hasn’t heeded your wise counsel, ma’am,” Julian said. “He’s also been attempting to blackmail me simply for helping the two ladies who paid him in good faith for the use of his parlor.”
“Is this true, Reginald? I told you to take care!” Mrs. Cox’s face took on an alarming hue. “You’ll be the one who will suffer, not those toffs!”
Mr. Cox swung around to stare at Julian. “I was going to stop, sir, but that Mr. Calloway told me he’d ruin me if I didn’t persist!”
“Did he?” Julian said. “I don’t suppose he was foolish enough to commit those words to paper?”
“Show him, Reginald,” Mrs. Cox commanded. “Maybe he can help get you out of this mess.”
The look Mr. Cox gave Julian and his wife was full of doubt.
“This one hasn’t threatened to ruin you, has he?” Mrs. Cox said. “He’s a proper gentleman. That Mr. Calloway is just a bad man.”
Mr. Cox scurried over to the sideboard and produced a letter. He handed it to Julian, and Julian noted the Calloway seal before reading the letter’s contents.
“May I keep this?” he asked.
Mrs. Cox nodded. “You can do what you like with it if you promise to get my Reggie off the hook.”
“I think I can manage that.” Julian put the letter in his pocket. “Thank you, ma’am.” He turned to Mr. Cox. “I’ll be in touch with you very shortly to confirm that all is well. In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you kept this meeting to yourself.”
