Wishing For Rainbows (Historical Romance) (20 page)

“The daughter a husband, do you mean?” Trenton frowned as Adelaide slowly shook her head.

“No. She ignores the daughter. The son is the one she pushes forward.”

“Does he work in London, do you know?”

“Nobody knows much about any of them. Mrs Sinnerton says that he does business in London, but nobody knows what business that is. It could be robbing houses.”

“I think that you shouldn’t let that woman into this house. Be careful who you ask about the Sinnertons. I don’t want them getting wind of the fact we are on to them. From the look of their accommodation, they are desperate. Desperate people do stupid things. Don’t challenge them, and please don’t let Ursula anywhere near Alfred Sinnerton.”

“I agree wholeheartedly.” Whatever else Adelaide was about to say was interrupted by another knock on the door. “Oh, what is it now?” she groused in a rather unladylike fashion.

“There is a gentleman to see you, ma’am,” Eadie declared quietly.

“Who is it?” Adelaide snapped with an impatient scowl.

“A Mr Jeremiah Proctor,” she replied nervously.

Adelaide’s gaze flew to Trenton’s before she pushed out of her chair. “Let him in.”

Trenton stood and watched as Jeremiah Proctor stomped into the room. It was evident from the dark look on his face that he was less than pleased. He bowed over Adelaide’s hand and shook hands with Trenton before he slumped into the chair opposite without invitation, and glared at his sister.

“Jeremiah, I didn’t realise you were heading to town,” Adelaide declared somewhat affronted at not being informed of his intention to visit.

“I shouldn’t have to if anyone bothered to reply to my blasted letters,” Jeremiah groused. “So, where is she then?” Jeremiah demanded, glancing around the room as though he expected Ursula to pop up from behind the chaise.

“She has gone for a walk in the park.”

“I am sure she has. Hiding upstairs, is she?” Jeremiah growled with a glance at the ceiling.

Adelaide sighed. “I have no reason to lie in my own house, Jeremiah,” she snapped. “Now stop posturing, you great buffoon, you are giving me a headache. Trenton is here to see her too, but she has gone for a walk down the Ladies’ Mile. She will be back soon, I don’t doubt. Meantime, have a brandy to settle yourself. I shall have none of your bombastic ways in my house, I can assure you.”

“Why haven’t you replied to my letters?” He demanded as he accepted a brandy off Isaac, and rested it on his knee rather than drink any. “I sent about half a dozen letters to you, and even more to that daughter of mine. Neither of your have seen fit to send a brass farthing in return.”

“I sent you a letter.”

“Oh yes, you did, didn’t you? To tell me that she was going to stay for a while longer. In spite of the fact that she is my daughter, and shouldn’t be here beyond the month, you decree between the two of you that she should stay. I knew it was a bad idea to let her come here. You are a bad influence on her, Adelaide; a bad influence, I say.”

“Oh, shut up, you fool. I am no such thing and you know it. Why, it’s damned near medieval, you forcing her to choose a husband within a month. How could any woman know who she wants to spend the rest of her life with in such a short space of time? Of course she should baulk at the idea. Any sane person would. Get a hold of yourself, and look what you have done,” Adelaide snapped.

Trenton sat back in the chair and rather wished he had left his visit for another time. As it was, he was trying not to let his head to swivel from one side to the other as the siblings bickered. Unfortunately, he was sitting in the middle of them so there was little he could do.

“Now, we have bigger issues than you and your draconian ways to worry about. Ursula has been fine with me, and has rather enjoyed herself. She has engaged in lots of social activities and been a credit to the family name. I have thoroughly enjoyed having her. I have recently had an accident myself and been recuperating with Ursula’s assistance. She has kept me company, so I don’t sit here and rot all by myself. You -” she pointed one long finger at her brother “- need to learn that if you persist in attempting to force her into this matrimonial lark then she will not return to Yorkshire. Indeed, she may never return unless you allow her to make some choices for herself.”

“It’s all very well for you to say that,” Jeremiah declared with a huff, “but she is four and twenty. It is an age where most young women are considered to be on the shelf. She should be married by now, not hiding away in the country and taking walks across the moors every day. However, it seems I was mistaken in sending her here and expecting matters to take a natural course. I didn’t anticipate your meddling though. It’s ridiculous for you to encourage her into your kind of life. Just because you have never seen fit to marry doesn’t mean she should follow in your footsteps. Why, you should know better.”

“
I
should know better?” Adelaide scoffed, clearly outraged. “You are the one who sent her here with her belongings; a young woman who has no previous experience of the
ton
. Talk about throwing her to the wolves. She is used to the country, not the social whirl of London. Yet you simply sent her on her way with those ridiculous demands and expected her to just accept your dictates with no questions asked.”

Jeremiah flicked a look at Trenton. “I asked Trenton here to keep an eye on her.”

“Yes, but he is an eligible bachelor,” Adelaide challenged. “He has done as you asked, but he has his own life. Because of his attentions, the gossips have put them together. There are already rumours afoot that he might offer for her before the season is out. So what do you have to say to that then?”

Trenton flinched and struggled to keep his face bland when both Adelaide and Jeremiah turned to look expectantly at him. He mentally shook his head and sighed in dismay, hoping upon hope that Ursula wouldn’t walk in right now.

“I would say that they would be right to suppose such an event might occur. However, given the issues that have arisen with the Sinnertons, there are issues that need to be addressed first.” He threw Adelaide a pointed look and accepted her nod of acknowledgement.

“Sinnerton?” Jeremiah muttered, completely ignoring the fact that Trenton had just, well, sort of asked for his daughter’s hand. “Now where have I heard that name before?”

This time Adelaide and Trenton turned to stare at Jeremiah.

“You have heard of them before?” Adelaide demanded with a scowl. “Where? Was it in the
ton?
”

Jeremiah shook his head. “No, it wasn’t that.”

Trenton sat forward in his seat. “Rather robust lady with no manners, and a rather thin young man with her.”

“A ghost of a daughter in tow more often than not too,” Adelaide repeated eagerly.

“Now, where have I heard that name before?” Jeremiah repeated as he stared thoughtfully at the carpet. He suddenly clicked his fingers and looked at them triumphantly. “That was it. They dealt with Grandpapa’s estate.”

“Who did? The Sinnertons?” Trenton frowned. Immediately he thought of the disreputable looking house he had found in one of the poorest parts of London. Were they talking about the same people?

“Yes, the son did. Oh, what’s his name now?” Jeremiah stared at his brandy while he thought.

“Alfred?” Trenton asked hopefully.

“Yes, that was it,” Jeremiah nodded but then paused. “Or was it Abraham?”

Trenton’s head started to ache. “The son, or the father?”

Jeremiah stared at him blankly for a moment. It seemed to take an age before he finally answered. “The father was a solicitor, from Sinnerton and Saunders in Taunton. They dealt with grandfather’s estate after he passed last year.”

“It was in the spring of last year,” Adelaide added with a quiet nod of satisfaction.

“Yes, it was. Abraham Sinnerton was the senior partner in Sinnerton and Saunders and dealt with the estate. His son, Alfred helped. He is a small, thin young man in his early twenties; doesn’t look strong enough to stand upright on a windy day.”

“That’s the one,” Trenton sighed, suddenly relieved that Jeremiah had arrived when he had.

“There is a daughter too, but I’ll be darned if I can remember her name,” Adelaide mused.

“Hyacinth, I think,” Jeremiah asked. “Although I never met her myself, you understand. When I had occasion to call in at his offices I happened to remark upon the paintings within the room, two of which were of his children; Hyacinth, and what’s his face.”

“Alfred Sinnerton.”

“Did you see Mrs Sinnerton at all?” Adelaide asked.

“Oh no,” Jeremiah declared flatly. “I only went into his offices, not met with the blasted family.”

“So, what happened to bring them to London? They are living in slums,” Trenton mused.

“Who is?” Jeremiah demanded looking from Trenton to Adelaide, then back at Trenton.

“The Sinnertons,” Adelaide sighed.

“What? Preposterous,” Jeremiah scoffed. “Although they weren’t wealthy by our standards, they appeared reasonably comfortable.”

“Did you see where they lived in Taunton?” Trenton challenged.

“No, but the offices were of a reputable solicitors. If they hadn’t been of good character, grandfather wouldn’t have used them,” Jeremiah declared confidently. “The solicitors had been there for many a good year. Why Abraham Sinnerton was one of the founding partners.”

“I need to make some enquiries about whether Abraham Sinnerton is still trading. Maybe the company has gone out of business,” Trenton muttered, wondering who he should ask.

“I think that is best. Meantime, I will endeavour to find out if any unfortunate incidents have taken place at any of the places they have visited. I shall see if anyone has heard anything about Mrs Sinnerton’s past,” Adelaide declared firmly.

Trenton nodded. “She told us they hail from Somerset, so she didn’t hide that fact.”

Adelaide sighed and glanced toward the window. “I do hope Ursula will be back soon. It is starting to rain already.”

“Do you want me to go and look for her?” Trenton offered, already making his way toward the door before his offer was accepted.

“If you would, my dear. That would be helpful. Meantime, I shall have a little word with my brother about what has been going on.”

Trenton paused at the door with one hand on the knob and threw Jeremiah a pointed look.

“About the offer you have received for her,” he murmured. To his surprise, Jeremiah shifted uncomfortably in his seat and began to look uncomfortable.

“I wasn’t going accept an offer,” Jeremiah admitted sheepishly. “Not without her approval in any case.”

“You just threatened to in case she objected to the idea of finding her own husband.” Adelaide shook her head chidingly. “You surprise me sometimes, you really do.”

“What?” Jeremiah bluffed. “I had to do something. Someone like Ursula shouldn’t be squirrelled away in the country unless she has children and a husband to share her life with.”

“Consider an offer for her taken,” Trenton declared firmly in a voice that warned Jeremiah he would accept no argument.

He was already out of the front door, running down the steps by the time Jeremiah realised he was staring at the door with his mouth wide open. He turned to face his sister and peered suspiciously at her proud smile.

“I think you had better tell me what else has been going on around here, sister mine, and be quick about it,” he warned darkly, inwardly rather pleased that matters had turned out just the way he had hoped.

Once Trenton had gone, Adelaide turned to her brother. “You knew he was going to offer for her, didn’t you?”

Jeremiah nodded slowly. “He came to see me just after Ursula had left. When I told him I had sent her here to find a husband, he was like a cat with hot paws. He told me not to accept any offer for her until she returned to Yorkshire. Meantime, he would escort her and ensure she was looked after. He was quite adamant about it as a matter of fact.”

“Does his father know? I mean, Ursula doesn’t have a title you know,” Adelaide cautioned.

“I spoke to his father several weeks ago. He was most disturbed by the gossip that Trenton was going to offer for Barbarella. It was part of the reason why he summoned Trenton back to Yorkshire. He wanted to hear from his son whether the rumours were true or not. That was when he said that he would much prefer Trenton marry Ursula; a local girl with good connections.” Jeremiah coughed and shifted in his seat. “She could do far worse than Trenton.”

“You scheming old matchmaker,” Adelaide declared, not sure if she was appalled or delighted.

“A man does what he can,” Jeremiah replied, completely unperturbed.

“You took an incredible risk, you know, sending her here. What if someone else caught her eye before Trenton did?”

“If the determination Trenton had on his face when he left my house was any indication, Ursula wouldn’t have stood a chance of getting better acquainted with anyone else. Why, the speed in which he left Yorkshire set even his own father to wondering if there was something, or someone, he desperately needed to see.” He looked knowingly at Adelaide. “There was: Ursula.”

Adelaide nodded. “So you thought that by mentioning to Trenton that Ursula was coming to London to find herself a husband, Trenton may come here to see her for himself.”