“You would stand in the way of progress?” Lord Drycott asked.
“I have no objections to progress, assuming we go about it the right way,” Harred contested.
“And who determines what that ‘right way’ is?” Lord Drycott pressed. “Why should you have that right?”
Harred held Lord Drycott’s gaze, not being cowed by the quarrelsome lord. “It is the right thing to do.”
“My factory was slated to be built on the woodlands that you designated in the bill,” Lord Drycott revealed. “I will not stand by and let you take that from me.”
“I am taking nothing from you. The bill needs to be passed by a majority of peers or did you forget that fact?”
Lord Drycott raised his nose up at him. “Need I remind you that you are nothing in the House of Lords? Your father was important but you just pale in comparison. It is pathetic that you are even trying to be like the great man he was.”
Harred wasn’t about to be intimidated by Lord Drycott. “No matter what you say, I am going to push the bill through.”
“Then you better not make a misstep because I will be there waiting to take everything from you,” Lord Drycott growled.
Greydon stepped forward. “That almost sounded like a threat.”
“My apologies,” Lord Drycott said. “I must have said it wrong because it was most definitely a threat.”
Harred cocked his eyebrow. “Why, pray tell, can’t you build your factory somewhere else?”
“The section north of London is the perfect place for the factory since it has a village nearby that would sustain the workers,” Lord Drycott explained. “You would deny all those people work? I thought your father was a champion of the poor. He would be so disappointed in you.”
Harred was done fighting with Lord Drycott. They would never see eye to eye on this and he was tired of the insults that the infuriating lord was hurling his way.
“Good day, Lord Drycott,” Harred said with a slight bow.
As he started walking away, Lord Drycott shouted, “You will see how little support you have in the House of Lords. You are nothing.”
Greydon appeared at his side as they made their way to their seats. “I’m afraid that Lord Drycott isn’t the only one that feels that way about your bill.”
“He appears to be the most vocal about it,” Harred said. “Do you think he would resort to murder to achieve his purposes?”
“Lord Drycott isn’t the most scrupulous man so I cannot answer that question,” Greydon replied. “I have worked a few cases that have led me to his factories and they can only be described as cesspits. He treats his workers terribly and cares little if they live or die in the horrid conditions.”
Harred glanced over his shoulder and saw that Lord Drycott had remained rooted in his spot but was watching them. “Why haven’t his factories been shut down then?”
“Because they employ hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the rookeries,” Greydon replied. “If his factories were shut down, where would those people go?”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“No, it most assuredly does not,” Greydon agreed. “That is why I want to create a bill that will regulate the factories’ conditions.”
Harred sat down on the bench that faced the floor. “That has less of a chance to pass than my bill.”
“I still have to try,” Greydon responded firmly as he claimed the seat next to him.
“I will support it, but I am not sure how much that will help,” Harred said. “As Lord Drycott so kindly pointed out, I do not have a lot of support in the House of Lords.”
“You have more influence than you realize,” Greydon remarked. “Don’t let someone else’s opinion of you define who you are.”
Harred huffed. “I am not quite sure who I am, but Lady Octavia seems to believe in me.” Why had he just admitted that?
Greydon looked pleased by his admission. “The influence of a good woman cannot be overstated.” He shifted on the bench to face Harred. “I must assume that you are pursuing her.”
“No, I am not,” Harred replied. “We are just friends.”
