Just as her hand closed over the knob, he heard himself say, “One thousand pounds.”

She froze, then turned and looked at him with raised brows. “Each quarter?”

“Yes, damn it,” he growled. “And that’s my final offer.”

Heaven help him, but he’d lost his mind. It was a fortune. No, it was more than a fortune. But he would be damned if he would lose her now. He needed her. No, he silently corrected himself—the children needed her.

Her fingers loosened on the doorknob and Anthony could see that she was tempted. He added softly, “A thousand pounds each quarter for a year. Think of what you could do with such a sum.”

She didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, she took her hand from the door. “I could buy a nice, snug house in the country and keep it warm day and night for Grandpapa.” Her fingers brushed her skirts in a distracted way and she said softly, as if musing aloud, “I could purchase some new gowns, too.”

“More than a few,” he answered, a little surprised she even cared about such fripperies. Still, he would use whatever appealed to her. “Shall I send a carriage in the morning?”

After a long moment, she nodded. “Very well.”

Anthony’s shoulders relaxed, and he suddenly realized that he’d been holding his breath. “Excellent. I’ll—”

“I have other requirements. With so many children, I will need an assistant.”

“That seems reasonable.”

“A well-lit nursery and plenty of funds for the purchase of whatever materials I think necessary.”

“Anything else?”

“I assume the children already have ponies of their own?”

“Of course,” he replied, offended. They were in his care, after all. She should have known he would see to the necessities, if not more.

“Then that should do.” She gestured toward the door. “If you don’t mind, I have a lot of preparations to see to before tomorrow.”

He nodded, but made no move to leave. Instead he watched her, his gaze appraising her from head to toe.

Thraxton crossed her arms over her breasts. “What?”

“It just dawned on me that my sister is likely to hear that I’ve hired you to serve as governess.”

“Not from me. I do not often correspond with Sara.” Of all the losses Anna had suffered on giving up her station, the loss of Sara had been the most bitter. Oh, Sara refused to admit that anything had changed, which was why Anna was so determined not to become a burden. She still wrote, but much less frequently, and she made it a point not to be available whenever Sara was in town.

Greyley shrugged. “Be that as it may, it would be improper of me to forget what is due your station.”

Her silver eyes hardened. “I’m well aware of my station, Lord Greyley.”

“So am I. You are my sister’s friend and a Thraxton. Therefore, you might want to bring a few gowns with you.” He waved his hand vaguely. “For dinner and such.”