to make regular payments to Mr. Tempest’s financial representatives. While the firm was prospering, Miranda, Clara and Emmett knew if Miranda’s role became public knowledge, the company would not survive, no matter how good its reputation. The world would simply not accept a woman doing work that was thought best done by men. But Miranda had an obligation to the people who had worked for John, and now worked for her, to avoid failure at all costs.
Keeping her work a secret, even from her family, hadn’t been easy, especially when it came to Bianca. She wasn’t merely Miranda’s sister but her dearest friend. But Bianca hadn’t seemed to notice that Miranda was unusually busy these days and that the sisters were meeting more and more often here at the Ladies Tearoom at Fenwick and Sons, Booksellers. It was convenient to the Garret and Tempest office, was a favorite of Sebastian’s wife, Veronica, and, more importantly to Bianca, had become quite the place for ladies of society to frequent.
“. . . and I thought, if she could, why couldn’t I? After all, it’s not . . .”
Miranda had just come from a meeting with Clara and Mr. Clarke about a lucrative new commission to redesign and rebuild a manor house that had been devastated by fire. While they couldn’t afford to pass on the job, taking it would be difficult. Fairborough Hall was an hour away from London by train and the work would require the presence of someone from the firm nearly every day during construction. But Emmett’s wife was with child and she was having difficulties. She had already had two previous miscarriages and her doctor was insisting she stay in bed. Emmett did not want to be away from London should she have need of him. Miranda and Clara could not fault him for that although the two women acknowledged between themselves, if his employer had been male, his reluctance would not have been tolerated. The three decided there was no choice but to have Miranda meet with Lord Stillwell and, should they get the commission, she would present the plans and represent the firm during construction. They agreed that there was no need to reveal the true architect.
“. . . which, of course, will prove difficult as I have not heard from him for more than a year now. Nor have I wished . . .”
Aside from the obvious difficulties, Miranda wasn’t at all sure she was up to the task of dealing with someone like Lord Stillwell. He had a reputation that could only be called, well, wicked. She’d never met the man, but she had seen him at one social event or another. He was quite handsome and dashing and reportedly most charming. He did seem to laugh a great deal and he inevitably had the most devilish glint in his eye. She thought he was around Sebastian’s age and had skated remarkably close to scandal in his youth. Of course, so had her brothers. And while, from what she had heard, he had reformed somewhat with maturity, one could not discount his history. Why, the man had been engaged three times and had never once made it to the altar. Surely toying with the hearts of not one but three women was the very definition of wicked. One failed engagement might not be his fault, but three?
“. . . will be scandal, no doubt. But it does seem to me, in these circumstances, scandal is the lesser . . .”
She’d never really met a man with quite as wicked a reputation, which did, in hindsight, seem rather a pity. Her brothers, of course, had all been enthusiastic in their younger days, but one did hesitate to think of one’s own brothers as wicked. John hadn’t been the least bit wicked. Now that he was gone, there had been moments, late in the night, when she had wondered what it might be like to be with a wicked man. In his arms, in his bed. She would never dare say it aloud, never admit it to anyone, but for Miranda Garret, wicked had a great deal of appeal. She was at once apprehensive and rather excited at the thought of meeting the wicked Lord Stillwell.
“Then you agree?”
Certainly the man wouldn’t throw her to the ground and have his way with her on their first meeting. Nor would he run kisses up the inside of her arm or pull her into his embrace and press his lips to hers. The very idea was absurd. He was a gentleman, after all. She’d never truly been seduced although that too had a certain amount of appeal. Not that she would allow him to do so at any rate. Not on their first meeting, or ever. After all, she was a woman of business. And, even if it wasn’t known to more than a handful of people, she rather liked the title. And a woman of business would never allow herself to be seduced by a man with a wicked reputation. Resolve washed through her. Why, the very thought that she could not handle Lord Stillwell was absurd. She was more than up to the challenge. Still, she couldn’t deny her anticipation in regard to meeting the disreputable lord equaled her apprehension, even if there was—
“Do you agree or not?” Bianca said sharply.
Agree to what?
“There is a great deal to consider,” Miranda said cautiously.
“That is exactly what I have been doing.” Bianca’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t listened to a word I said, have you?”
“I most certainly have.”
“I get the distinct feeling more often than not that you pay absolutely no attention to me whatsoever.”
“Don’t be absurd.” Miranda shrugged off the charge, ignoring a twinge of guilt at its accuracy. “You have my complete attention.”
“Do I?” Bianca studied her closely. “Then tell me, do you or do you not agree with my decision to seek a divorce?”
“Divorce?” Miranda gasped in spite of herself. For once, Bianca’s incessant chatter was important. Who would have imagined it?
“I knew you weren’t listening,” Bianca sniffed. “This is an enormous decision. The biggest decision of my life thus far aside from wedding that beastly man in the first place. And, as I value your opinion above all others, I should like to hear it.”
“A Hadley-Attwater has never been divorced.”
“I believe I mentioned that.”
“Mother and Adrian and, oh, well, everyone will be shocked. And horrified really.”
“Yes, I said that as well.” Bianca’s tone hardened.
“Absolutely no one will support you in this.”
“I am prepared for that.” Bianca’s gaze met her sister’s. “What I want to know is will you? In spite of its shocking nature, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”
“Yes,” Miranda said without thinking. “I do.”
“Really?” Bianca stared. “You don’t think I’m being rash or foolish?”
“No, I don’t. You were rash and foolish when you married Martin. This decision is far wiser than that.” Miranda shook her head. “The man has virtually abandoned you.”
“We did not suit,” Bianca said under her breath. It was more than simply not suiting, but Miranda knew better than to bring that matter up. She was the only one Bianca had ever confided in. Partially because she had felt so very stupid at her choice of husband and did not wish for the rest of the family to know and partially because her brothers would have more than likely killed the brute.
“You have been separated and living apart for nearly four years and you haven’t even spoken for a good year or more.”
“I don’t know where he is.” Bianca set her lips together in a firm line. “I fear I shall have to track him down before I can do anything at all.”
“You do realize society may never forgive you.”
“Nonsense.” Bianca scoffed. “It has been my observation that society forgives anything if one is not involved in outright scandal or—”
“Divorce is generally considered outright scandal.”
Bianca ignored her. “Or if one has enough money.”
“And Adrian and Hugh were clever enough to take the legal precautions to make certain your money remained your own.”
“I resented them a bit in the beginning, you know. The fact that they didn’t completely trust the man I was to marry.” Bianca