What A Gentleman Wants by Linden Caroline

Author:Linden, Caroline [Linden, Caroline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical, Regency
ISBN: 9780821779316
Amazon: 0821779311
Goodreads: 197421
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 2006-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“We simply must have answers! The bank cannot wait forever on this question.”

Marcus stared coolly at Mr. Timms. The man had come to call on him yet again, to badger him, it seemed. Marcus was growing tired of that. “If I had answers, I would have already informed you,” he said, watching Timms drink his brandy. Perhaps that was the reason the man was always cornering him at home: the brandy.

“Yes, yes, I know.” Timms set down his empty glass. “But the other directors—”

“The other directors knew my terms,” interrupted Marcus. “They agreed. Are they sending you here for weekly progress reports, or do you come on your own?”

Timms’s round face flushed. “We must know,” he said stubbornly. “The bank is losing money.”

“The bank should make its notes harder to duplicate.”

Timms eyed his glass, as if hopeful there might be something left in it, “Yes, well. Hmmph. Understand, Exeter, we’re trying to be patient—you’re a newly married man, after all, and we do appreciate—”

“I shall call on you in a week or so.” Marcus got to his feet. His personal affairs were no concern of Timms’s, nor any other bank director’s. “Good day, sir.”

Timms flushed again, lurching to his feet and bowing. “Yes. Thank you, Your Grace. Good day.”

Marcus stood until the door closed behind him. If consideration for his bride got Timms to stay away, perhaps he should be glad. The man was like a terrier with his teeth in something. Marcus supposed that was good, from the bank’s point of view, but he preferred not to be prodded and queried at every turn as to why he hadn’t solved the mystery yet. It wasn’t his fault the bank made their notes laughably easy to duplicate.

And speaking of his bride… He wondered what she was doing this morning. Her child had been sliding down the banisters this morning with Celia. His sister was making the most of her last summer of childhood, to be sure. Marcus had watched them for a while, remembering when Celia had been so small he could carry her atop his shoulders. It had been a long time since Exeter House had echoed with childish laughter. It was loud, occasionally very loud, but less annoying than he’d expected. And the little girl had flashed him a smile so joyful, he had even smiled back without realizing.

But he hadn’t seen her mother. Rosalind had gone out to pay calls, and Marcus knew she’d left alone. Celia and the child were out in the garden—he could hear them shrieking and laughing through the open window—which meant his supposed duchess was wandering about the house on her own.

Without bothering to examine the impulse, he left his study and went to the drawing room. It was empty. He frowned a little. Perhaps in the music room, although he had no idea if she played an instrument. She was not. Perhaps the library? Rosalind said she liked to read, and his library was an extensive one.

Halfway up the stairs, he met Albert Redley.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.