The Heart of a Duke(32)

“Poor boy, someone has overindulged in too many apples,” she crooned. “Lie down, love. Hopefully it will settle in a little while.”

Daniel came to his feet. Grabbing his jacket from the fence, he laid it over Jonathan. He folded it around his small figure, scooping up a lone apple that had rolled free of Jonathan’s clutch.

The now-familiar flutter kicked beneath her breast. She pressed her hand to her chest as Daniel leaned against the fence, tossed the apple into the air and deftly caught it. He never could sit still. She had noticed that earlier. He was always fidgeting, like a coiled ball of energy. Almost like a five-year-old boy. Her eyes strayed to Jonathan, who was flat out.

“Edmund wants a profit. You need to present him with a business proposal that helps the tenants and profits Edmund. The real problem is the surplus labor that is taking jobs and cutting into the tenants’ wages. Some of these men are foreigners, but many are returning veterans who need and deserve the work.” He frowned.

“So we need more work?” she asked.

“Right,” he answered distractedly, his eyes on Bea, who was shuffling slowly toward them, holding her apron out in front of her. In it, she cradled half a dozen apples.

She spoke to Daniel. “Six bob for the lot.”

Daniel eyed the number of apples and cocked a brow. “In twenty minutes, your price has doubled?”

Bea glowered. “I done picked ’em. That makes the price for the apples and labor.”

He rubbed his chin, appearing in deep contemplation. “Four bob and you have a deal. Three for the apples and one for your bold business style.”

Bea huffed out her breath. “Fine, fine.” She knelt and unfurled her apron onto the blanket. Daniel handed over the coins, and she held them in her fist, her smile radiant.

“I’m going to show me mum,” Bea cried. She bobbed a curtsy and dashed off.

Julia smiled. “I see why you are a successful businessman. Very clever negotiation.”

“I am good at negotiating. Had to be to cut a deal with New England mill owners. A bunch of tight-fisted, reticent, intractable . . .” His words trailed off. His eyes studied the apple he held, turning it over in his hand. When his eyes lifted to hers, wonder crossed his features. “I know how we can get more work.”

“How?”

“A cider mill!” His smile was blinding. “The cider mills in New England are a booming industry. In addition to the cider, the apples and edible waste from the mills provide feed for the pigs and other livestock. Mabry mentioned there are still orchards on the southeast acreage, and a few trees are clearly scattered around some of the tenants’ property.” He strode over to the apple tree, plucked one down and brandished it at Julia.

“That will cost you a half bob,” she warned with a grin. She stood, drawn to his infectious excitement.

“Worth it.” He winked. “Edmund gets his profit by leasing the land to a mill owner, the veterans can get work in building and operating it, the tenants get their jobs back, and can also sell their apples to the mill. A lot of owners like a variety of apples to blend and make cider of variable juice types, in addition to making the hard cider. They could also custom press the tenants’ apples, if the tenants desire. They would charge a nominal crushing fee for that.”

“And if the venture is successful, Edmund could reinvest the money he charged for leasing the property back into the mill and glean a share of the profits,” Julia added.

“That is if your duke is smart enough to soil his hands in trade.” He caught her hand, plunked the apple into it, and curled her fingers around it. “You win the prize of the day. You are incredible. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Warmth suffused her. Another compliment. Incredible. She might like this one best of all, but beautiful was a close second. “It was your idea. I now understand why Curtis Shipping is such a success.”

“You have read about my firm,” Daniel accused.

“I have,” she conceded, laughing at his look of surprised delight. “You have done well. You should be proud.”

Looking pleased, he inclined his head. “Thank you. But I had help. As I have said, I have an American partner, Brett Curtis, who is an old friend of mine. I met him while at Dunbar Academy. To my everlasting gratitude, his mother was from here and demanded her only son be educated in England.”

“It appears that combining forces to work together rather than separately is smart business sense. Good thing I have my faithful squire.”

He grinned. “Let us just hope that Edmund is of like mind.”

Her smile wavered, and it took her a minute before she could recover. “Yes, well, we should head back now. We have already lost one member of our party.” She nodded to Jonathan. “I should collect Emily.”