Emma smiled. “You hardly flounce, Portia.”
The girl snorted. “Well, of course I don’t, but that is far beside the point, and you are prevaricating.”
“Are you certain there is nothing else we can do to help?” Lily asked gently.
“You can help by making the most of this Season,” Emma said. “Trust me to take care of the rest.”
“You are being awfully stubborn, you know,” Portia observed with narrowed eyes.
“Not stubborn. Sensible,” Emma replied, folding her arms across her chest. “I have everything in hand. There is no reason to pick apart the details.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Portia exclaimed. She swung her feet to the floor and rose abruptly. “It is too late in the evening to go around and around with you, Emma. I am going to bed.”
Emma felt a twinge of guilt as her youngest sister strode from the room, Portia’s dark braid swinging angrily against her back. If she thought it would do any good, Emma would tell her sisters everything. Unfortunately, the Chadwicks’ circumstances were growing more dismal by the day. The best she could hope was that Portia and Lily might escape it altogether.
She looked at her other sister. Lily returned her gaze with steady patience and compassion. Emma wondered how the twenty-year-old always managed to maintain such a contented attitude. There was very little that could rouse Lily to a temper.
“I am sure you wish to retire as well, Lily,” Emma suggested with a smile. “Tomorrow will likely be busy. You will want to be well rested to receive your callers.”
“Yes, of course. I doubt I will ever get used to these late hours.” Lily slid from the bed and gave Emma a warm smile. “We do trust you, Emma. Good night.”
Tender emotion constricted Emma’s chest. “Good night.”
Once alone, Emma slumped back against her pillows and released a heavy breath. The tension she had been hiding left her exhausted and agitated. Her shoulders ached and her stomach turned.
Perhaps she had been naive in believing it would be a simple matter to see her sisters settled with husbands. She certainly had not expected the extravagant costs involved in presenting two young ladies to elite society. The gowns and fripperies necessary to maintain the proper presentation were endless. The funds she had so diligently tucked away in the years after her mother’s death were nearly depleted and her fear of their father’s creditors was growing.
With trepidation, she shifted her gaze toward the small writing desk set in front of the window.
Most concerning of all were the continued demands she received from one Mr. Mason Hale.
Emma had done what she could to investigate the mysterious personal loan, but her father had been a terrible record keeper. Even after a thorough search of his personal documents, Emma found no additional reference to Mr. Hale at all.
Then, with all the preparations needed to launch her sisters into society and the move to Angelique’s house in Mayfair, there had not been any time for Emma to clarify the issue further.
Just a few weeks into her sisters’ debuts, a note arrived through the post. It had been forwarded from their prior address and was directed to the family of Edgar Chadwick. While Mr. Hale acknowledged Edgar Chadwick’s passing, he also asserted the continued debt.
Emma penned a brief but polite response. She agreed to put forth the necessary diligence to see the matter rectified, but noted it would take some time.
The whole affair had planted a strong seed of anxiety in Emma’s mind. Considering the dubious company her father had kept in the last years of his life, there was no telling what manner of man this Mr. Hale was.
The issue became even more concerning when she received another note written in a tone of increasing impatience. This one was dated only two weeks after the last but had taken much longer to reach her. Mr. Hale apparently did not have their new address in Mayfair, which was quite fine with Emma.
In the note, Hale stated he was not inclined to accept a delay in repayment, but reluctantly agreed to allow some time. How much time was not clarified.
That had been nearly two months ago and she had received nothing more since.
Mr. Hale did not seem the type to give up altogether.
Emma kept the notes from Hale in her personal desk here in her bedroom rather than with the rest of her financial paperwork in Angelique’s study. She did not want to risk her sisters coming upon them. There was no reason for them to start worrying about something Emma didn’t yet fully understand.
For the moment anyway, there was nothing more she could do other than wait to see if the enigmatic Mr. Hale made further attempts at obtaining repayment. If he had intended to report the debt to the authorities, she would have been thrown in debtors’ prison by now.