Past payments. He would clear his brother’s name once and for all.
The fact that he stood to profit significantly from the deal didn’t hurt either.
“I suppose—” A knock on the door cut Baxter off.
Without being granted permission, one of Baxter’s employees pushed the door open just enough to stick his head inside. “Your wife, here to see you, My Lord, along with another lady.”
Baxter had been married nearly a decade, which made it rather embarrassing to see his eyes light up like a lovesick fool. “Send her in, Ben.”
Jeremy glanced at his fob watch just as the door opened wide, allowing Lady Baxter, a lovely young blond woman to enter, followed by…
Oh, hell.
Even with her ebony hair tied back in an austere knot, cheeks pink from the cold and wearing clothes that had seen far better days, Lady Lydia Cockfield was more beautiful than ever.
Unresolved emotions ambushed him.
If he’d wanted to meet up with members of the Cockfield family, he’d have lingered at Galewick Manor, his country home in Sussex. Ignoring his instinct to stiffen in his chair, Jeremy remained seated. To do otherwise would imply that he cared one way or another.
The earl rose and moved around his desk, taking both of the countess’ hands in his with a welcoming smile. “Clarissa, my love, you’re a sight for sore eyes today.” For a moment, Jeremy wondered if the man was going to actually kiss his wife in front of him.
“Working hard today, Mason?” The petite lady moved closer to the club owner as Baxter’s arm slipped around her waist. In Jeremy’s present state of mind, practically nothing annoyed him more than a happily married man.
God might as well open his wounds and rub salt in them.
“I never do.” The besotted man obviously wasn’t at all annoyed with the interruption.
Feeling almost voyeuristic, Jeremy slid his gaze away from the couple to Lydia, who hovered near the door, her dark lashes fanning out beneath her eyes as she stared down at the floor.
He didn’t need to stare into her eyes to know that they were the most brilliant cobalt that existed and felt sucker-punched when she peeked up and caught him watching her. Pink tinged her cheeks before she quickly glanced away.
“Lady Lydia and I are here on business, Mason.” Lady Baxter stepped away from her husband and clasped her hands together primly at her waist.
Baxter turned his attention to his wife’s companion. “Hello, My Lady. You are acquainted with Lord Tempest, are you not? But of course, you are. Galewick Manor and Crescent Park border one another.”
She nodded. “My brother’s and Lord Tempest’s estates neighbor one another’s. Only a small stream separates their land.”
“We’re practically related.” The words rolled sardonically out of Jeremy’s mouth. “Hello, Lydia.”
The last time he’d seen her, he’d ordered her to stay away from him. Along with the rest of her backstabbing family.
“My Lord.” She flicked her eyes in his direction for only a second, the blue flashing like the hottest fire, before settling them back on Baxter.
“Lady Lydia and I have a proposition for you, darling,” Lady Baxter lounged on her husband’s desk as she fluttered her eyelashes up at him. “There is a warehouse that begs to be turned into an orphanage.”
“Another one?” Baxter cocked a brow, albeit quite enjoying his wife’s flirtation.
“As long as there are orphans,” she answered.
“And where is this warehouse?”
“Near the docks, at the intersection of Wapping and Tuesday Street,” Lydia answered.
“The old fish-packing plant,” Jeremy mused. He knew the area well.
It was also dead center of one of the most dangerous districts in all of East London.
Baxter’s eyes narrowed. “Please, don’t tell me you’ve been traipsing around alone down there, Clarissa.”
“Not traipsing, inspecting. And most definitely not alone. We had Wiggs and Drake in tow.”
“Even so…”
“It’s quite sound and large enough to house up to three hundred children.” Lydia was all business now, not looking nearly as demur as when she’d first entered the gentleman’s office. “And what better place to open an orphanage than where most of the orphans are?”
“You mean thieves and pickpockets,” Jeremy corrected her.
She pinned her stare on him. “I mean children. Some aren’t much older than five or six. With workhouses as their only other option, the poor innocents fall victim to the gang bosses. But what if they had another option? An option that would provide them with a safe place to live that wasn’t under the thumbs of criminals? And food and shelter? And, depending on their abilities, education? Doesn’t everyone stand to gain?”
“How so, My Lady?” Baxter asked.
“If we deprive the gang bosses of cheap labor, they’ll have to go elsewhere. That makes for safer offices and docks for the entire district. And less crime means more legal commerce.”
In theory, she had the right of it. “Gang bosses don’t relinquish their resources easily,” Jeremy countered. Having investigated some of the Ludwig Bros. more questionable practices, he knew this all too well.
Crime would always be present on the docks. Battles would always be fought over who controlled commerce.
Lydia lifted that chin of hers and swung her attention back to him. “I’m not naïve, Jer—My Lord. I quite understand that there will be difficulties. But we are here to speak to Lord Baxter, if you don’t mind.”
“No, no.” Baxter rubbed his hands together, looking rather like the cat who’d eaten the canary. “Lord Tempest, here, might be an even better person to help you.” The bastard grinned at Jeremy. “Something like this would help attract those investors. Show your more charitable side. Soften your reputation, so to speak. It could be an opportunity to show that you aren’t simply a machine who crunches numbers.”
“We don’t need help purchasing it,” Lydia said. “I have funds to do that, myself.”
“But we need help financing day-to-day operations,” Clarissa explained.
“Until we can attract other benefactors.” Lydia appeared quite serious.
“Tempest, what do you say?” Baxter eyed him. “In the meantime, I could meet with Gold and my brother to discuss your little project. Perhaps even a few others.”
The club manager had him between a rock and a hard place. If Jeremy didn’t have support, purchasing the shipping company could prove more difficult than he’d hoped.
Money to finance operations for an orphanage was a drop in the bucket compared to what Baxter and his friends could bring to the table.
“I’ll have my engineers take a look at it,” he conceded.
“It’s been declared sound.” Lydia didn’t appear at all happy with this turn of events.
Well, that made two of them.
“By whom? The seller?” Judging by the look on her face, he’d assumed correctly. “I’ll check it out myself.”
“Perhaps the two of you could discuss the details while you escort Lady Lydia to my wife’s carriage. If you both wouldn’t mind excusing me a moment, I’d like a private… moment or two with Her Ladyship.”