“Think about it, brother,” she said. “Haven’t you read the Book of Judges?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve no time for riddles.”
“Aren’t you going to invite me to sit, Dex?” she asked.
“In my place of work, I’m addressed as Mr. Hart.”
Mr. Peyton cleared his throat, and Dexter gestured to the chair opposite the desk.
“Sit,” he said, “before Peyton here accuses me of being unchivalrous.”
“I can’t imagine anyone here criticizing you,” she replied. “I suspect frankness is not a quality conducive to the longevity of a man’s tenure in your employment.”
She sat, and her brother dismissed Peyton in a gruff voice.
“Now we’ve concluded the pleasantries, tell me why you’re here,” Dexter said. “Shouldn’t you be simpering over your trousseau or skipping in the park with your betrothed?”
“Until I’m shackled to Sir Thomas, I’m my own woman,” she said, “and can do as I please.”
“Which is what?”
“I have a proposition relating to the loans secured on Clayton House.”
His face remained expressionless, but his body stiffened.
“I cannot discuss my clients’ financial arrangements.”
“I wish to make a financial arrangement of my own,” she said. “But before I do, have you sold Clayton House yet?”
“Not yet,” he said, “but that’s none of your business.”
“What if I could persuade you not to?”
“Delilah, I run a bank, not a charity.”
“I, of all people, know that,” she said. “I want you to draw up a loan agreement for me. I was considering something in the region of…”
“Stop there, you fool!” he interrupted. “This is why I maintain that women and business don’t mix.”
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “What in the name of all that is holy, makes you think my bank would lend you money?”
She waved her hand in a perfect imitation of his gesture. “This is why women are disadvantaged in a world of men. We’re not even permitted to complete our sentences. I don’t want to borrow money.”
“Then, what do you want?”
“I wish to invest a sum of money in the form of a loan to the owner of Clayton House so that he might retain it and continue to further his business interests.”
His eyes widened. “What sum were you thinking?”
“I don’t know how much is needed,” she said, “but I have twenty thousand at my disposal, deposited at this very bank.”
“That’s your dowry!”
“It’s not entailed,” she said. “I was thinking of a loan, with terms generous enough such that he’d accept it, but not so generous as to arouse suspicion.”
“Generous terms?”
“Minimal interest and no security.”
“You’d be a fool to consider it,” he said. “Molineux is not a good prospect. The market for whisky is yet untested. You may not see your money back. And don’t think I’d be foolish as to settle another twenty thousand on you should you lose it.”
“It’s a risk I’m prepared to take.”
“And is Sir Thomas?” he asked. “He won’t want a penniless wife.”
“He’s told me several times that he loves me, and he doesn’t care about my fortune.”
“Men make pretty speeches when they believe the bird—or the fortune—is in the bag,” Dexter said. “Go home, Delilah. You may have good intentions, but this is not your province. As your banker, I would caution you against this. As your brother, doubly so. You’re a young woman…”
“If you’re about to tell me that my sex renders me incapable of making rational decisions, I’ll throw you out of that damned window,” she said. “I’m not asking for your advice. I’m instructing you to make the arrangements.”
She scraped her chair back. “Of course, if you won’t accommodate me, I’ll ask Mr. Peyton to withdraw my funds today so that I might approach another bank to assist me.”
“Do what you wish,” he said. “I care not. But you’ll find the banks hereabouts are not disposed to accommodate the wishes of a woman.”
“Don’t be silly, Dex,” she said. “There are plenty of women in the city who deal with bankers.”
He rose to his feet, his tall form giving a menacing air.
“Let me clarify for you,” he said quietly. “I will not accommodate your wishes. In fact, I’ll do everything in my power to instruct my colleagues in the other banks to refuse to admit you.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” she cried.
“Try me, dear sister.”
He gave her a smile of triumph, which she longed to wipe out with her fist.
But words would have more of an impact, for they could more easily strike the center of the target.
“Then I have no choice but to announce my condition to the world,” she said.
He paled. “Your—condition?”
“Yes,” she said, placing a hand over her belly. “I’m with child.”
“Don’t mock me, Delilah,” he said. “You’ll regret it if you do.”
“Ask Thea if you don’t believe me.” She grasped the hem of her skirt. “I can reveal the evidence if you like. It’s just beginning to show.”
His hands curled into fists. “What the devil have you done?”
“Rather an inane question, given your extensive experience of the act,” she said. “Perhaps the Times could mention it in their society pages.”
He placed his fists on the desk and leaned forward, his nostrils flaring.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me, dear brother.”
For a moment, they stared at each other. Then he sat, resignation in his eyes. Had she believed him capable of emotions, she would have thrown her arms around him and begged him to understand.
“All right, you’ve made your point,” he said. “I can issue an offer to Molineux. As to the terms, I’d suggest a term of no more than two years and a yield of no less than twenty percent, which is an acceptable rate given the level of risk.”
“Five years and fifteen percent,” she said. “I believe those are appropriate terms for enterprises of moderate to high risk. And it goes without saying that I remain anonymous.”
He sighed. “Very well. If Molineux accepts the offer, I’ll ask my lawyer to prepare the documents.”
“Thank you.”
She stood, and he followed suit and offered his hand. She took it, and the ghost of a smile played across his lips.
“Careful, Dex,” she said, “or I might believe you have a heart.”
“Then you’d be wrong,” he replied. “But for the sake of the man who professes to have given his heart to you, I would ask that you tell him what you have done before you marry.”
“What I do with Sir Thomas is none of your business,” she said. “Just as what you do with your women is none of mine.”