The maid bobbed a curtsy. “Yes, my lady. Begging your pardon, my lady. I never reckoned that you wouldtrulywish me to—”
“Silently,” cut in Willow, “you may take a seat.”
“But should I—?”
“The chair,Perry,” Willow said.
Perry took stock of the gentleman, blinking at him as if looking into the face of the sun. Willow cleared her throat, and the maid drew an audible breath, bunched her apron in a fist, and dropped into the appointed chair. A dog hopped into her lap.
Willow returned her attention to the man. “I beg your pardon, Mr. . . . ” Of course she had no notion of his name.
Mr. Fisk stepped forward again. “Forgive me, my lady. May I introduce his lordship, the Earl of Cassin.”
“Thank you, Mr. Fisk,” Willow said, looking back to the man.
An earl?Willow felt her heart stop.I’ve elicited anearl?
“How do you do,” she managed, “Lord Cassin.”
He did not reply.
Cassin . . . Cassin. . . Her mind spun but she could not place the title. All this situation needed was some acquaintance of her late father’s or, God forbid, a relative. The plan hinged on Willow’s marrying a man no one knew, a man who, for her mother’s sake, would feign affection for her long enough for them to become man and wife.
“Won’t you sit down?” she heard herself ask.
“Forgive me,” said the earl, “but there must be some mistake. I was hoping to be received by aMr. W. J. Hunnicut. . . ?”
“Iam W. J. Hunnicut.” It felt suddenly appropriate to stand, and she shoved to her feet. “Lady Willow Joy Hunnicut.”
“You?”
“Indeed. Me. The very one.”
“I beg your pardon,” the earl said carefully, “but I’ve called in search of W. J. Hunnicut,the investor.” He spoke slowly, succinctly, as if he wanted to say enough correct things to cause the joke to end. He produced a folded parchment from his jacket pocket. “This advertisement was posted in his name in London. Redmond Street.”
She watched him unfold it, knowing, of course, what it was. She held her breath as if it revealed a drawing of her face.
“Quite so,” she said. “That is my advertisement. I am W. J. Hunnicut, as I’ve said, and I have £60,000 to invest with a man of international commerce or travel. My partners and I had hoped for a letter of introduction—”
“You have . . .partners?” the earl said hopefully.
“I should be happy to explain my offer in full, if you would be so kind as to take a seat and—”
“Who?” he interrupted. “Whoare your partners?”
She felt a flash of irritation. “I prefer not to discuss the specifics of the partnership until I learn a bit more about whoyoumay be, sir. And about the venture for which you seek financing.”Was it too much to request that he sit?
The earl looked from her to the advertisement and then back to her again. “May I assume that all of these partners are . . . female?” He had an expression of dying hope, as if helplessly watching a capsizing boat slowly roll and sink.
Willow nodded. Words came more quickly now. “Yes, my lord, we are all young women, in fact. Three in total. Together, we offer one investment of £60,000 and two of £30,000.”
This declaration was met with silence. The earl blinked at her. “You are . . . unmarried, Miss Hunnicut?”
“Yes.”
“And your father is . . . ”
Now Perry let out an airy, high-pitched sigh from the rear of the room. Perry mourned indefinitely for everyone who ever died, whether she knew the person or not.
