Page 43 of An Unexpected Earl

“I’ve got more than enough money now. I’m not concerned with making more.”

Howard’s mouth fell open, flabbergasted. He had no idea how to respond to that.

“What Iamconcerned about, however, is your sister.” Pearce darted his eyes toward the door and the flash of movement there. “I won’t press Amelia into agreeing to the turnpike if she doesn’t want it.”

“Of course she wants it!” Howard laughed stiltedly, as if that were the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “That land is her only property. Why would she not want to capitalize on it?”

“She has other plans for it.”

“That silly idea of hers to build a trade school?” Howard scoffed. “Once she sees how much money a turnpike can generate—money she can then spend on her worthless war widows—she’ll be all for it.”

His soldier’s blood turned to ice. He repeated in a menacingly low voice, “Worthlesswar widows?”

Howard paled instantly, realizing his mistake. Pearce wouldn’t have been surprised to see a puddle form at the man’s crotch, given the terrified expression that gripped his face. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

Pearce crossed his arms and pinned his gaze on him, every bit of the brigadier inside him rising to the surface. “Then exactly how did you mean it?”

“I meant—I meant the war, of course. That the war itself was a terrible waste. Of worth.” The words tumbled out so quickly that his tongue tripped over them. “Not the women themselves, you understand.”

Pearce said nothing, letting the man stew in his own juices.

“Or the war—good Lord, I’d never say that the war itself was without merit. Never that! But wasteful. A terrible waste of life and resources. So very destructive, and it—”

“I saw thousands of men die during the wars,” Pearce finally interjected, reaching his limit with Howard’s nonsense. “Some standing right beside me on the battlefield. The best men I’ve ever met in my life. Brave men, not pompous dandies who think it matters what they wear.” His gaze darted to the glass in Howard’s now trembling hand. “Or drink. Those men left behind mothers, fathers, wives, and children in order to fight for the Allies, to give their lives for a cause far greater than themselves.”

“Of—of course—”

“As far as I’m concerned, we should all be like your sister, giving all that we can to help the families those men left behind. If she wants to turn her land into a school to help them, then I will support her.” He paused, making certain that the seriousness of his point sounded loud and clear. “If she wants to do nothing with it at all but let it go wild and fester into weeds, then I will support her in that, too. Understand?”

“Yes—yes, I do.” Howard took an ingratiating step forward. “But you should also—”

“I will not force Amelia into handing over her land. If she doesn’t agree to the turnpike one hundred percent on her own, then I won’t go through with it.”

“I assure you that she will agree.”

Most likely because Howard would threaten her into it. Or already had. Pretending to her brother to go along with the trust while asking Pearce for his help in stopping it might be the only way she had to directly avoid Howard’s wrath yet keep her charity safe.

“If you harm her in any way,” Pearce said somberly, the threat clear, “you will regret it.”

“I would never harm my sister. I have always had her best interests at heart.”

Pearce stared at him silently for a moment, weighing the truth in the man’s words. And finding it absent. “You should also know that I hold enough sway in Parliament myself now to make certain that you won’t be able to force through the trust on your own.”

Howard said nothing, but his eyes narrowed murderously.

Good.Let him be furious, and furious to the point where he decided to throw a punch. Pearce longed for it, in fact, because he would drop Howard to the floor before the man landed a single fist.

“This trust will happen, I assure you.” Howard set the glass down, the rest of the cognac unwanted. “Amelia understands what it means for us. As long as we assure her that she’ll have the funds to do her charity work, she’ll go along with whatever we say. Mark my words.”

And pigs flew. Did Howard know his sister at all?

“Can I count on your support, Sandhurst?”

“Ask me again in a few days.”

Howard laughed darkly. “I don’t have a few days.”

“Why not?”