Patience (46 page)

Matthew nodded. “Yes, there is. It’s full of old rail, cracked sledges, and other equipment.”

“It’s a church,” Patience asserted.

Matthew frowned. “How do you know?”

“Mrs. Jones. She says there’s a graveyard behind and an old bell hanging from some exposed rafters.” Patience smiled as she hugged Matthew’s arm close. “Of course, we’d have to renovate it, reinstate it, and build a modest house and outbuildings for whomever would come to tend to the souls here.”

I can’t afford it
.

Her fingers drummed on his arm. “You know, I’m thinking of a particular theology student who studied for a time with my father. He was a big, burly Welshman—and just as comfortable in an alehouse as at an altar. He would have taken his orders by now. I mean, he’s likely been assigned to a parish . . . But perhaps, for the sake of these people, he would come.”

Fitz Roy actually chuckled. “I told you so,” he said wryly.

Patience leaned forward to look around Matthew. “You told him what, my lord?”

Fitz Roy raised one black brow. “I told him your aspirations for this place would be expensive.”

“My lord, from what I’ve heard, more money is often laid down upon the gaming table in one evening than it would take to repair, whitewash, and re-thatch all the houses in this village.”

Fitz Roy shoved his hands in his coat pockets. “Well, she’s got us there, hasn’t she?”

Matthew’s neck felt stiff. “Indeed she has.”

Patience smiled up at him. “I know you’ve already instituted a raise in wages, Matthew. It’s so good of you.”

Matthew drew his brows together. “My decision has nothing to do with goodness. I raised the wages because they were below standard. And I did that because I need these miners to
want
to work for me. I need their loyalty, and the best way to get it fast is to buy it.”

Patience nodded. Then a moment later, “I hear you’ve mandated safety lamps for any and all work underground, and that you are supplying these lamps. I also hear you’re looking into installing centrifugal fans to ventilate the shafts.”

Damn it
. Matthew stopped walking and looked into her intelligent eyes. “Patience, I’m doing those things because I can’t afford not to. A safe mine is a productive mine. And I
need
a productive mine.”

Patience smiled up at him as they continued walking. “You’re a very wise businessman, my love. It’s no wonder you’re so successful.”

Matthew frowned and his stomach felt unsettled.

She looked so entirely happy.

“Did you know, my love”—she looked past him at Fitz Roy—“and my lord, that blackberries grow wild all through this region?”

Matthew nodded. “They’re quite delicious.”

“They are,” Patience agreed. “And, apparently, there’s an old apple orchard nearby as well. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the residents could learn to cultivate apples and berries? As a community, they could develop and sustain two crops.” She sighed as she glanced about. “And don’t you think it would beautify the town if we planted trees and flowers? Just think how much cheerier it would look.”

Matthew gazed down at her, and his heart tripped in the face of her enthusiastic smile. She wanted so much, for people who had so little. He forced the tension from his body. As soon as he got GWR back up at full steam, he would see that she got what she wanted—her church, her school, her whitewash, and her flowers. “I love you.”

Patience blushed and her brilliant eyes softened. “I love you.”

God, he wanted to kiss her.

And fuck her.

Her eyes darkened as she bit her full lower lip.

Fitz Roy leaned close, gaining their attention. “Keep looking at him like that, Miss Dare. He’ll give you everything you want.” Then he trotted up the stairs to the Gwenellyn offices.

Patience smiled saucily at Matthew as they followed. “Is that true?”

“Well, I don’t know,” he replied. “I am, after all, a very demanding man.”

Her smile became flirtatious. “Fortunately, I am prepared to submit to all that you demand.”

Fitz Roy held the door for them and as she passed in front of Matthew, the back of her hand brushed his cock.

Matthew tensed then shook his head when Patience winked at him over her shoulder. “I’ll make you pay for that later,” he said softly.

She looked up at him through her lashes. “Promise?”

Matthew’s smile deepened and his heart felt full. “Cheeky girl.”

“Here they are!” Aunt Matty announced loudly.

Patience grinned before following the sound of her aunt’s voice into the front office.

Matthew and Fitz Roy paused to remove their coats before following as well.

“Come have tea you two.” Sitting at a table before the fire with Lord Rivers, Aunt Matty gestured to them. “You’re sure to catch your death, milling about on this frigid day.”

As Matthew crossed the room, he watched Patience remove her bonnet and gloves. Once she’d put the items on the mantel, she touched the child’s shoulder. “Sit and have some tea, Lucy.”

With her grimy cheeks, and in her dress with the hem let out and her too-small sweater, the child looked entirely out of place. But Patience and Aunt Matty acted as if there were nothing at all unusual about an unkempt urchin at their tea table.

After seating Patience beside the child, Matthew took the remaining seat beside Fitz Roy. He watched his love. She casually swabbed a moistened napkin over the little girl’s cheeks and hands as Aunt Matty poured tea and chattered away about the wonders of the General Store.

“Lord Rivers and I found it extremely well stocked. Didn’t we, my lord?” She pushed a cup of tea toward Patience and another in front of the child.

“We did indeed, Mistress Dare,” Lord Rivers agreed.

“I daresay it has everything a miner could need,” Aunt Matty continued.

Patience nodded with interest as she sugared Lucy’s tea and served her a scone. “What of household items?” she asked her aunt, putting a napkin across the little girl’s lap.

“Oh, yes.” Aunt Matty poured tea for he and Fitz Roy. “I do believe it has most of the necessary household items. Although, I, for one, simply must have licorice in my house, and there was none to be had—not a single nip.”

Matthew exchanged a smile with Patience before Aunt Matty captured his attention.

“Matt dear, I’m afraid I found the store a bit short on sweets altogether.”

“Really, Aunt Matty?”

“Mmm, yes—and for a village with so many children . . . Mind you, I would have settled for a lemon drop. But there were none of those either.” She sighed. “Only peppermints—which I abhor.”

Fitz Roy shifted his pale eyes to Matthew. “You should be writing this down,” he drawled. “Licorice and lemon drops—no peppermints.”

Matthew shot him a look.

Patience grinned behind her teacup.

“I happen to be quite fond of a good peppermint,” Lord Rivers commented.

Aunt Matty drew back. “Really, my lord?”

“Licorice, lemon drops,
and
peppermints,” Fitz Roy amended.

Matthew kicked him under the table, which drew a surprisingly startled expression from the unflappable lord.

Patience giggled and Lucy watched her, carefully arranging her hands on her teacup so that she mirrored her.

“Yes, Mistress Dare. In fact”—Lord Rivers reached into his coat pocket and drew out a small tin—“I always keep a few with me.” He opened the lid. Inside were small red and white candies.

Aunt Matty looked at them and then back at Lord Rivers. “My lord, I do believe this is the first subject upon which we disagree.”

“I hope it won’t affect our friendship, Mistress Dare,” he said in his gentle voice.

“Not at all, my lord.” Aunt Matty patted his arm. “What’s a peppermint preference, or the lack thereof, between two mature individuals such as ourselves?”

Lord Rivers smiled as he looked across the table at the child. “What about you, Miss Lucy? Do you like peppermints?”

The little girl didn’t say a word.

“Would you like one?” Lord Rivers tried again.

Lucy looked at Patience, but his love only smiled at her, offering no advice.

Finally, the child nodded.

“Why don’t you take them all?” Lord Rivers pushed the tin across the table. “There are far too many there for me to eat myself.”

Matthew watched as, again, Lucy looked to Patience. Again, Patience only smiled and sipped her tea.

“Perhaps you might share them with your family,” Lord Rivers offered.

With one last glance at Patience, Lucy reached for the tin of peppermints.

Once she had it securely in her pocket, she looked again to Patience. This time, Patience gave her a small nod then, leaning down, whispered something by her ear. Lucy looked up at her and basked for a moment in Patience’s smile before turning to Lord Rivers and mouthing the words
thank you
.

Lord Rivers mouthed back
you’re welcome
, which made the child smile shyly and lean into Patience.

His love offered no consoling touch, but the tender gaze she bent over Lucy’s head spoke volumes. And, in that moment, Matthew had a picture of the sort of mother she would be. Understanding and watchful, she would teach by example before word. She wouldn’t supply answers unless necessary, and she wouldn’t coddle shyness or lack of experience. But she wouldn’t be intolerant or impatient either. And in her every touch and smile, her every word and action would be love.

She lifted her soft gaze to his and his heart swelled even as his cock did. He hadn’t had her in almost a week, and the need to empty his seed into her womb was riding him hard. He had to have her before she left.

“You certainly know the way to a child’s heart, my lord.” Aunt Matty’s amiable voice forced his attention back to the conversation.

“Thank you, Mistress Dare.” Lord Rivers rested one wrinkled hand over the other on the table before him. “As I age, I am finding I have a renewed appreciation for the honest simplicity of children and childhood.”

Fitz Roy’s black brows shot up. “Good lord, their ‘honest simplicity’ is the very thing I find most annoying. One of my young nieces once walked right up to me and declared my waistcoat ‘ugly.’”

“Well”—Matthew lifted one brow—“was it?”

Fitz Roy managed to look only moderately outraged. “
Whom
do you think you are addressing?” He made a show of brushing imaginary lint from his arm toward Matthew. “Chartreuse and turquoise checks are most excellent against dark gray.”

Matthew smiled, and Patience laughed. He loved to watch her laugh. He loved to watch her do anything.

She shook her head then regarded Lord Rivers with a gentleness in her eyes that was becoming more and more consistent. “My sister Primrose would agree with you, my lord. She has long argued that children see the world with a clarity that adults are incapable of. She maintains that if you really want good advice, you should ask a child for it.”

“She does say that,” Aunt Matty declared. “And she does have such a way with children. Why”—she suddenly fixated on Fitz Roy—“if you were to meet her, my lord, you would find her to be the sweetest, most charming young lady. She has the temperament of an angel, and her beauty is unmatched, except by that of her sisters, of course.”

Fitz Roy leveled his pale eyes upon Aunt Matty. “Mistress Dare, I am the youngest son in a family of ten children, six of whom are boys. This fortunate circumstance means that I have no obligation, whatsoever, to marry. I am free and I intend to stay that way, so do not waste your matchmaking efforts on me.”

Aunt Matty looked pityingly at him. “What of a family of your own, my lord—children.”

“I have twenty-eight nieces and nephews, mistress, all of whom seem to suffer, in varying degrees, from either extreme verbosity or extreme stickiness. Where it up to me, several would be sent back.”

Undeterred, Aunt Matty smiled. “I know you don’t mean that, my lord. Besides, a man always has more affection for his own children than for another man’s. Did you know that a male lion will often kill the cubs of another male, but that he is as gentle as a lamb with his own?”

Fitz Roy regarded Aunt Matty askance. “I, alas, am not a lion.”

“Oh, really, my lord. Children are a great joy.”

As Fitz Roy protested, Matthew leaned his chin in his hand and spoke to Patience. “You know, I think I’m going to miss being the object of her attentions.”

Patience smiled warmly at him. “I know. No sooner are we engaged—”

“I heard that, you two,” Aunt Matty interjected. “And don’t think you’re free of me yet. Until you’re married, you’re not married and . . .”

Her jovial expression faded as her attention was drawn to something behind Matthew. The room quieted. Matthew turned.

A tall, thin man stood in the doorway. Unsmiling, he wore a long black topcoat and carried a briefcase at his side. His topper made him appear even taller and thinner—and more foreboding. “I’m looking for Mr. Matthew Morgan Hawkmore.”

 

“I’m going to London.” Matthew stacked several files on his desk. “I’ll file a countersuit and make a plea for a quick decision.”

“Benchley will try to draw it out,” Rivers observed. “Even if the decision goes your way, he will surely appeal.”

Fitz Roy, who was leaning against the wainscoting of the front windows, crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent.

Rivers was right. The lawsuit stipulated that Matthew cease and desist from all operations of the Gwenellyn Mine until a decision regarding legal ownership was reached. Benchley didn’t even have to win. He just had to keep fighting. In a matter of weeks, GWR would be crippled, and Matthew would be ruined.

Where the hell was Mickey?

He paced behind his desk. “I’ve got to get the court to lift their production ban. Even if it’s for reduced hours, they must allow some operations to continue here. My engines can survive for a time on rations.”