Page 27 of Fortune’s Final Folly

A bit of the adoration she’d carried in her heart all these years slipped away.

To make everything even more confusing, and with her destitute future looming, Henry had brought word that the previous Duke and Duchess of Shrewbury had both passed away—long before Kate’s parents. Their heir was not thought to be in England for contact, and for reasons unknown to the servants at Shrewbury Gardens, he hadn’t returned to his family home in nearly twenty years. Joshua’s assistant had returned from Oxfordshire emptyhanded.

A part of her wondered if she’d been stripped of her ability to find closure at all.

There were answers to be found, somewhere, and Kate was certain it had to do with far more than simply the reasoning behind the mysterious bank deposit and stipend. Had her mother and father resided at Shrewbury before coming to London with her as an infant?

The amount was an exorbitant price to pay a mere vicar and his wife, even if they’d been a part of Shrewbury’s staff for generations.

It was more than many in Cheapside earned in their entire life.

And why had her parents come to Cheapside when they could have spent the money on a small cottage in the country and escaped the harsh conditions of the city?

Kate halted, not realizing she’d begun to pace in the room that had quickly begun to feel like her very own after only several days, from the wall of windows to the hearth and then back toward the door. Despite everything that weighed on her, she’d slept soundly each night and had awoken the next morning ready to teach again and assist with her building’s renovations.

But this was, by far, her largest problem.

She knew living with Joshua, traveling to Cheapside with him, and teaching in his office were not long-term solutions. Their brief, intimate moment in the file room aside, he was likely being kind to her because he’d known her parents. He was being generous in helping her repair the schoolroom because he was not so crass as to throw a woman onto the streets or deny students an education. He’d rescued her, brought her to his home, and he was without recourse to make her leave.

There was no other explanation for his continued kindness.

Even as the thoughts flooded her with doubt, Kate suspected Joshua’s attention and help were not only from kindness. Their connection, while still a new thing Kate was only beginning to comprehend, was undeniable. Sometimes, at their meals, she caught him staring at her when he thought she didn’t notice. There were times Kate felt more herself, more whole because Joshua was by her side. She hadn’t realized something was missing from her life. But now, after her time with Joshua, she knew she would lose a piece of herself if he were gone. Everything about him brought the security Kate had been lacking.

A light knock sounded at the door.

Kate pressed her palms to her heated cheeks, hoping they were not as red as she feared. She sent a small prayer heavenward that she hadn’t been reduced to tears.

The knock sounded once more, this time with a bit more urgency.

It was likely Dolly come to collect what needed to be laundered. It still made Kate uncomfortable to send her garments to a laundress when she was perfectly capable of washing and hanging them to dry herself. Even during the particularly short period when they had extra coin to hire a woman to cook for them, Kate had always washed her own gowns and underpinnings in boiling water with hard-packed soap that her mother had bartered for, and then hung them outside her parents’ window that faced the back alley. Depending on the weather, it could take days for a gown to properly dry, but Joshua’s servants took her worn gowns, stockings, and gloves and returned them by the next morning. The notion that a servant was made to work while Kate slept increased her sense of guilt over the situation. Having another see to her needs was a concept Kate had yet to accept. It had always been Kate helping others.

And now to have Joshua and his servants currying to her needs? It was difficult, if not impossible for Kate to accept.

“Enter.” Kate collected her stained gloves and took in the hem of her gown. The sturdy cotton had collected some filth from her afternoon in the schoolroom but would suffice for another wearing before it needed cleaning. Besides, she only planned to work again tomorrow. “Good evening, Dolly.” She kept her back to the door, not yet at ease with the elderly woman’s gentleness in both tone and manner. “I think I shall forgo any washing this evening.”

Kate hurriedly tucked her gloves into the pockets of her dark cloak to hide the soot-marred fabric.

A deep chuckle rumbled from the doorway.

She pivoted, her cheeks growing ever warmer when she saw Joshua standing outside her open door. Yet, hadn’t she dreamt of just such an occurrence on more than one occasion?

“My lord,” Kate exclaimed. “My apologies. I thought it was—”

“Dolly, mayhap?” His smirk made him appear years younger than he actually was, but also belied the awkwardness of his presence in her personal space. “And if you insist on turning away Dolly’s treasured duties, it would be best to accept my offer to purchase you a few gowns. I’ve seen how tirelessly you’ve been working, and the destruction it is wreaking havoc on your attire. I mean—” He cleared his throat, the humor leaving his tone. “If you would be willing to agree to my offer.”

Kate’s chin dipped to hide her unexpected smile, it being one of the first times he’d shown any signs of unease, as if he would be devastated if she turned down his offer. Yet, that was precisely what she needed to do. His generosity had swiftly turned Kate’s feelings from indebtedness to something more akin to flattery. “I cannot accept any more from you, Joshua. You have already given me too much.”

He waved his hand at the room. “A place to sleep, a few meals, and a carriage ride across town? It is hardly anything. And to be honest, I am happy for the company.”

The flutter in her stomach returned. She longed to make their living situation permanent, though she had no right to the desire.

He’d done way more for her than he was willing to admit. Earlier that day, a pair of men had arrived to help her clear the debris from the schoolroom in preparation for the repairs. They’d worked alongside her for hours, lifting the heavier desks and shelving until Joshua joined them after completing his work for the day.

Joshua had labored alongside her, and Kate hadn’t been shocked at the team they made, working together until they were both exhausted and filthy. The work had been hard; however, the company had been splendid.

“What of Dolly?” Kate asked, banishing the images of Joshua with his shirtsleeves rolled up as they worked. “I am certain she cherishes her time with you.”

The older woman acted more akin to a doting mother than Joshua’s grandmother’s companion. Several times since Kate had been in residence, she’d noted Dolly watching Joshua, keeping an interested eye on the man.