Read Online A Matchmaking Miss by Joan Overfield - Free Book Online
Authors: Joan Overfield
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wear a single ring? The late marquess had several in his collection, and I daresay we could find something suitable."
Joss was about to curtly refuse, but he stopped. "Frederick had a jewel collection?"
"Oh, indeed, my lord," Linton said, preening with obvious pride. "A rather extensive one, in fact. Most of it is in the vault in London, but there are a few pieces here. Would you care to see them?"
"Please."
Linton was back a short while later, a square, velvet-covered box in his hands. "This is only a small sampling, mind," he warned, handing the box to Joss. "The rest, as I say, are in London, but I think you'll find these more than adequate."
Joss picked up a diamond stickpin, turning it so that the gem flashed with a rainbow of fiery colors. "I don't understand," he said, his voice tight with control as he replaced the stickpin and picked up a gold and emerald signet ring."I was told the estate was left all but destitute by my brother's death."
The valet flushed, hesitating even now to speak ill of his former employer. "I believe there were some . . . difficulties," he allowed delicately. "Certain economies were necessary, but I — "
"Certain economies?" Joss repeated incredulously. "I was informed that Lady Louisa was reduced to selling her own inheritance to settle the accounts!"
"Well, yes, I had heard that whispered." Linton was wringing his hands again. "But it was only to be expected. His lordship's death was so sudden, and then there was the poor wee lord — "
"Why was Lady Louisa selling
her
jewels?" Joss demanded, pulling out a handful of fobs and shaking them at the valet. "Why weren't these sold to cover my brother's debts?"
"Because they were entailed," Linton answered, staring at Joss as if he'd gone mad. "Her ladyship couldn't so much as touch them without your permission."
"Curse the entailment, and curse that fool of a solicitor as well!" Joss snapped, tossing the jewels back into the case as if they were no more than trinkets. "What about common sense, for God's sake? Did they expect her ladyship to starve?"
"I am sure I do not know, my lord," Linton replied, his voice quavering as he clutched the jewel case to his chest. "What shall I do with these?"
Joss gave the case a bitter look. "Sell them," he ordered curtly, ignoring the valet's cry of horror as he turned and left the dressing room.
His plans to confront Miss Stone with this new information went awry when he was told she had retired to her rooms for the day. Even though the delay was annoying, he wasn't about to order her to be disturbed. He remembered how exhausted she had looked, and was grateful she'd decided to be sensible. Instead he went down to the parlor, hoping for a private word with his sister-in-law, but found Raj had arrived ahead of him. Hiding his disappointment he settled in one of the gilded chairs set in front of the fireplace and accepted the cup of tea the marchioness urged upon him.
"Lady Louisa was just telling me of your neighbor," Raj said, hiding a smile at the sight of Joss in the ill-fitting jacket. "Do you remember him?"
"Vaguely," Joss admitted, dredging up the memory of a red-faced, blustering man in a hunting jacket. "He is rather fond of hunting, isn't he?"
"Mad for it," Lady Louisa replied, with a pretty grimace. "He and Stone have almost come to blows over it a number of times."
"Indeed?" Joss wasn't in the least surprised to learn that his sister's companion would go head to head with the bullying duke. "I take it she objected to his hunting a poor defenseless fox?"
"More like she objected to his taking fifteen horses and a pack of vicious hounds through our sheep pasture," Lady Louisa said, bristling at the memory. "It was lambing season, and we lost five lambs and two ewes. Stone was furious, and I cannot say that I blame her."
"When was this?" Joss asked, his amusement vanishing.
"Last year." Lady Louisa smiled. "It is probably just as well she is indisposed, else I fear there would be
Joss was about to curtly refuse, but he stopped. "Frederick had a jewel collection?"
"Oh, indeed, my lord," Linton said, preening with obvious pride. "A rather extensive one, in fact. Most of it is in the vault in London, but there are a few pieces here. Would you care to see them?"
"Please."
Linton was back a short while later, a square, velvet-covered box in his hands. "This is only a small sampling, mind," he warned, handing the box to Joss. "The rest, as I say, are in London, but I think you'll find these more than adequate."
Joss picked up a diamond stickpin, turning it so that the gem flashed with a rainbow of fiery colors. "I don't understand," he said, his voice tight with control as he replaced the stickpin and picked up a gold and emerald signet ring."I was told the estate was left all but destitute by my brother's death."
The valet flushed, hesitating even now to speak ill of his former employer. "I believe there were some . . . difficulties," he allowed delicately. "Certain economies were necessary, but I — "
"Certain economies?" Joss repeated incredulously. "I was informed that Lady Louisa was reduced to selling her own inheritance to settle the accounts!"
"Well, yes, I had heard that whispered." Linton was wringing his hands again. "But it was only to be expected. His lordship's death was so sudden, and then there was the poor wee lord — "
"Why was Lady Louisa selling
her
jewels?" Joss demanded, pulling out a handful of fobs and shaking them at the valet. "Why weren't these sold to cover my brother's debts?"
"Because they were entailed," Linton answered, staring at Joss as if he'd gone mad. "Her ladyship couldn't so much as touch them without your permission."
"Curse the entailment, and curse that fool of a solicitor as well!" Joss snapped, tossing the jewels back into the case as if they were no more than trinkets. "What about common sense, for God's sake? Did they expect her ladyship to starve?"
"I am sure I do not know, my lord," Linton replied, his voice quavering as he clutched the jewel case to his chest. "What shall I do with these?"
Joss gave the case a bitter look. "Sell them," he ordered curtly, ignoring the valet's cry of horror as he turned and left the dressing room.
His plans to confront Miss Stone with this new information went awry when he was told she had retired to her rooms for the day. Even though the delay was annoying, he wasn't about to order her to be disturbed. He remembered how exhausted she had looked, and was grateful she'd decided to be sensible. Instead he went down to the parlor, hoping for a private word with his sister-in-law, but found Raj had arrived ahead of him. Hiding his disappointment he settled in one of the gilded chairs set in front of the fireplace and accepted the cup of tea the marchioness urged upon him.
"Lady Louisa was just telling me of your neighbor," Raj said, hiding a smile at the sight of Joss in the ill-fitting jacket. "Do you remember him?"
"Vaguely," Joss admitted, dredging up the memory of a red-faced, blustering man in a hunting jacket. "He is rather fond of hunting, isn't he?"
"Mad for it," Lady Louisa replied, with a pretty grimace. "He and Stone have almost come to blows over it a number of times."
"Indeed?" Joss wasn't in the least surprised to learn that his sister's companion would go head to head with the bullying duke. "I take it she objected to his hunting a poor defenseless fox?"
"More like she objected to his taking fifteen horses and a pack of vicious hounds through our sheep pasture," Lady Louisa said, bristling at the memory. "It was lambing season, and we lost five lambs and two ewes. Stone was furious, and I cannot say that I blame her."
"When was this?" Joss asked, his amusement vanishing.
"Last year." Lady Louisa smiled. "It is probably just as well she is indisposed, else I fear there would be
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