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“It is not over!” she said forcefully, chipping off a piece of her heart. “Townsend wants the estate. The only way to save the estate is by paying the amount in full. No court in the country will grant him ownership of a property if there are funds being offered. He cannot decline payment of the full amount simply because he desires the property instead.”

“We cannot pay the full amount,” Harry said, shaking his head sadly. “We have tried. While my annual income would cover it, there are other expenses and funds must be reserved if I am to prepare for any emergencies with my other properties and responsibilities. Even if I were to hand over the sum to satisfy Townsend, it would leave us in a precarious position if there were further issues at Ravenshire Manor.”

“That is why I am suggesting we approach a lender.”

Harry’s mouth turned down in displeasure. “I hope you will understand my hesitancy to involve another party in this matter. Loans are partially how this mess was created in the first place.” He paused before continuing. “I did not mention it earlier because I did not wish to cause you any further distress, but I have received letters from some of my friends advising that there are now whispers of gossip surrounding the management of Ravenshire Manor. The ton likes little more than a scandal, and this could make matters worse. Wouldn’t another lender mean there is just someone else hoping we fail so they can take the estate?”

Mina shook her head vehemently and said, “This is a different situation entirely. We will not simply ask for the sum to meet the debts; we will present a business proposal.”

Mr. Rockford was tall and solidly built—a man with working stock in his lineage rather than pampered aristocracy. Dark of hair and eyes, the American was an intimidating man even when the fate of one’s estate did not rest solidly in his enormous hands.

Harry barely resisted the urge to take Mina’s hand as they were shown into the private office of the head of Rockford Shipping’s English branch—though he was unsure exactly which of them needed the comfort. For her part, Mina’s outward appearance was remarkably composed. Her chestnut tresses had been tamed into a simple, neat chignon, and she wore a simple dress in a subdued amber hue that brought to mind an autumn goddess. She radiated warmth and confidence, which did nothing to quell Harry’s roaring attraction to her. It was a testament to how this meeting occupied her mind that she did not poke at him when she caught him staring at her numerous times on the carriage ride across Mayfair. Instead, she asked, “Are you certain you wish for me to accompany you? Mr. Rockford might better receive the proposal coming from your mouth.”

“I know what you are thinking; Townsend is a prig. His refusal has nothing to do with anything you said or did, and everything to do with his being a bastard. This proposal is your idea, Mina; you deserve credit and the opportunity to speak it into existence.” Harry leaned back against the plush velvet squab. “Besides, by all accounts, Mr. Rockford is the last man to look down his nose at a woman. I understand that his company employs several women in important positions.”

“Is that why you chose him? Because he might be more amenable to my involvement?”

“It is a boon, but not the sole reason for my decision. His sister is Viscountess Blackwood, and I attended University with her husband. I was able to call in a favor and obtain a meeting with him. He is one of the few men I know of with the free capital to offer the assistance we require, and, I believe, the one who would be best suited for taking up against Townsend.”

Mina’s brow twitched, and God did he want to kiss away the furrow between the elegant arches. “And why is that?”

“There are rumors of some animosity between them.”

“Is that something we should be a part of?”

“Nothing too scandalous,” Harry reassured her. “More business. We are not the only ones upon whom Townsend sought to exert his wealth and title to obtain something he coveted.”

Now that they’d arrived at what might very well be their only chance to save Ranvenshire Manor, Harry swore anyone nearby could hear his heart nearly bashing its way free from his chest. He wasn’t intimidated by Mr. Rockford; he did not fear the presentation of their carefully compiled information; he wanted—nay, he needed—this to work…for Mina’s sake. This had become about so much more than tidying his reputation and preserving his estate; it was about saving the place Mina loved, renewing her faith in herself and her abilities, and showing her that, as a partnership, they could overcome even the greatest of odds.

Mr. Rockford stood at their entrance, inclining his head in polite greeting and offering them each a chair upholstered in finely tooled leather. To the practiced eye, the room was brimming with understated wealth—not quite what Harry expected from a wealthy American. Everything from the expert craftsmanship of the paneled walls, the sideboard stocked with the finest bottles, to the large, polished desk between them spoke of a man who was familiar with the finer things but did not boast of them. It was clear that Mr. Rockford had exemplary taste, and Harry hoped that boded well for them.

“I do not wish to be rude or indelicate, but I have another meeting scheduled at the top of the hour.” The man’s words were clipped and efficient.

Harry nodded and then looked at Mina. They had less than an hour to present their case and convince Rockford that their cause was a worthy one. They were out of time.

Rockford looked between them and made a small gesture with his fingers. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting? If an earl has used a favor from my brother-in-law to arrange this, then it must be intriguing. Are you interested in Rockford Shipping stock? Investing?”

“The opposite, actually,” Mina chimed in. She sat with ramrod-straight posture; she held her chin high and proud, but her full lips were relaxed into an inviting tilt. She wasn’t haughty, she was confident. “We have a proposition.”

Rockford cocked one of his bold, dark brows. “A proposition?” He kept his eyes on Mina’s, never straying to appraise the beauty of her curves. Harry was pleased he wouldn’t have to blind the man for a lascivious stare. “Mrs. Brown, was it?” She nodded once. “May I ask who you are to Lord Ravenshire?”

“I am the new steward of Ravenshire Manor.”

“She is,” Harry answered definitively.

Rockford’s other brow rose to meet the other; instead of commenting, however, he merely inclined his head as a signal for Mina to continue.

“The earl is in possession of a property which we feel presents an investment opportunity for a man such as yourself. The home and lands are unentailed and consist of a large home, numerous outbuildings, gardens, and two thousand acres of farmland, livestock, orchards, and fields, as well as the potential for a future arrangement with a Kentish cider business. It has the potential to be extremely profitable.”

“Which implies that it is not currently.”

Mina hesitated slightly. “Not at the moment.”

Rockford sat back in his chair. “I am not in the habit of taking on properties. My focus is my father’s business and anything I can bring to it from our London office.”

“I understand that,” Mina conceded, undeterred. “But I recognize that you are also a man who realizes the importance of diversification. Just because something is working does not mean it is the only way to do things.”

Was it Harry’s imagination, or did the corner of the other man’s mouth twitch in appreciation of her boldness?