After a Fashion (A Class of Their Own #1)(17)
“Honestly, Mr. Blodgett, I do believe this storm has rattled not my brain but yours.” Mr. Addleshaw gave her arm a squeeze, sending additional pesky tingles up it. “Of course Miss Peabody is welcome in my home. I’m surprised you’d say differently.”
“My apologies, Miss Peabody,” Mr. Blodgett said, nodding at her when she lifted her head. “I meant you no disrespect, but you see, Mr. Birmingham has arrived early for his meeting with Mr. Addleshaw. I’m afraid he’s a little put out that his daughter and wife are not still in residence but have removed themselves to a hotel.” He stepped closer to her. “Since you’ve apparently agreed to whatever ridiculous plan Mr. Addleshaw proposed—replacing Miss Birmingham in the process, I might add—I don’t believe it’s in your best interest to step foot into Mr. Addleshaw’s home at this particular time.”
Mr. Addleshaw’s brows drew together. “Mr. Birmingham’s in my home. . . . now?”
“Indeed he is. He evidently decided to come early, believing there would be celebration news to enjoy before the two of you got down to business. However, now that he’s come to the conclusion something is dreadfully amiss, I fear he’s beginning to become agitated.”
Harriet began backing slowly away. “I think I’ll just be on my way now, and clearly our deal is going to have to come to a rapid end. I’d hate to think what would happen if we’d run into the Birminghams while I was trying to help you entertain your duke.”
“That might be for the best,” Mr. Blodgett agreed.
“No, it’s not,” Mr. Addleshaw argued, as he pulled Harriet back to his side. “The entire Birmingham family has been entirely too presumptuous. I never broached the subject of marriage to Miss Birmingham. I’m sure that after I bring that to Mr. Birmingham’s attention, he’ll be disappointed, of course, but then I expect he’ll immediately repair back to Chicago, taking his wife and daughter with him. You and I, Miss Peabody, have agreed to form a business alliance. If I need remind you, it’s one you desperately need, given you’re soon to be dismissed from your position, and given it’s one where you’re going to earn an indecent amount of money in a relatively short period of time.”
Mr. Blodgett’s eyes widened. “Good heavens, sir, you really have lost your mind.” Not giving Mr. Addleshaw an opportunity to respond, the butler turned to Harriet. “Now, I don’t blame you, dear, for what can only be described as downright lunacy. An offer of an ‘indecent amount of money’ must seem all too tempting, especially to a lady about to lose her income. However, such arrangements never turn out the way one might expect. As the only reasonable voice in this insanity, allow me to point out that your reputation could suffer irreparable harm. Besides that, society is not kind to outsiders, which you clearly will be seen as, and—”
“She’ll be fine,” Mr. Addleshaw interrupted right as a heavyset lady wearing a cap hurried up to join them. “Mrs. Rollins, you shouldn’t be out in this storm.”
“Neither should any of you,” Mrs. Rollins returned as she splashed through a deep puddle and came to stop. She leaned forward and peered at Harriet. “Oh dear. You’re the hat lady, aren’t you.”
Harriet frowned. “Why do I get the distinct feeling I’m about to hear something of an unpleasant nature?”
“Probably because what I’m about to tell you cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be considered pleasant.” Mrs. Rollins stepped closer to Harriet. “I’m Mrs. Rollins, dear, the housekeeper, and unfortunately, when Mr. Birmingham moved to Mr. Addleshaw’s office, he immediately took note of all the gowns his daughter left behind. In an attempt to explain why those gowns were left behind, I brought to his attention the . . . ah . . . altercation his daughter had been involved with. I fear I might have mentioned something about her pummeling a poor girl who was just trying to deliver some hats.”
“And he didn’t react well to that information?” Harriet asked slowly.
Mrs. Rollins drew herself up. “Indeed he did not. Instead of coming to the conclusion I’d hoped he’d come to—that his daughter had behaved badly—he immediately demanded to know your name—not that I had that information available to give him—and I’m afraid he’s considering pressing charges against you.”
The sound of yelling suddenly reached them from what seemed to be inside Mr. Addleshaw’s house. Harriet flinched when Mr. Addleshaw’s jaw clenched. His eyes turned cold and his posture stiffened, that stiffening causing the seam that had been pulling apart on his sleeve to lose that particular battle. Although Harriet found it impossible to look away from his rapidly deteriorating clothing, he didn’t seem to notice.
“Mr. Blodgett, please go and try to calm Mr. Birmingham while I escort Miss Peabody to the stables.” Mr. Addleshaw nodded to Mrs. Rollins. “I need you to go retrieve the small blue bag I keep in the lower left-hand drawer of my desk and then bring it to me. I have to get Miss Peabody into a carriage and on her way before Mr. Birmingham catches a glimpse of her and realizes she’s the hat girl in question.”
“But what about our discussion regarding what’s expected of me?” Harriet asked.
“We’ll have to have that at a later date.”
Not giving her a chance to protest, Mr. Addleshaw dragged her down the sidewalk and around his house, prodding her quickly over the courtyard and into an impressive-looking building that turned out to be the stables. Calling for a groom to ready a carriage, Mr. Addleshaw looked back at Harriet and frowned. “I don’t know your given name.”