The earl was expending his time on items better left to his minions. Delegation was the answer. That was how Sir Phineas had run his estate, after all.

To be fair, he’d lost that estate, though that had been due more to poor investments than to mismanagement. But he’d learned quite a lot about investing and once he was back on his feet financially…He smiled, leaning on his cane as he left the east wing.

He soon reached the library. The door opened and Dalmapple appeared. Neatly dressed, with a pinched mouth and a pasty complexion beneath a shock of thick, black hair, the earl’s man of business reminded Sir Phineas of a sickly cat.

Dalmapple paused on seeing Phineas, managing a faint, condescending smile. “Good afternoon, Sir Phineas. Were you waiting to see His Lordship?”

“Just on my way in,” Phineas said.

“I’m afraid he’s engaged. Perhaps you could return at a later time—”

“Oh, I won’t keep him a moment.” Phineas hurriedly limped toward the door. He closed it on Dalmapple’s protests and then leaned against the panel in case the imbecile had the poor manners to chase him. After a moment’s silence, Phineas heard the gratifying sound of Dalmapple’s receding footsteps.

Greyley looked up from where he sat at Sir Phineas’s future desk. “May I assist you?”

“Oh no. Just looking for a book to read to while away the afternoon.” He limped to the shelf nearest the desk and pretended to mull over some titles. “Hope I’m not intruding.”

The earl offered a brief smile. “Not at all.” He returned to the papers before him.

Sir Phineas pulled first one, then another book from the shelf. “I daresay you haven’t read Tales of Woe by Lord Stanwich, have you?”

“Yes, I have. It’s about an exploration journey to India in 1767.”

Sir Phineas put the book back on the shelf. “What about Lavinia by Emma Jenkins?”

“I don’t believe I’ve read that one. It’s a novel of some sort.”

“A novel, eh?” Sir Phineas tucked the book under his arm, and cast an oh-so-casual glance at the desk. “What are you working on, Greyley?”

The earl sent him a glance from beneath his brows, then sighed and replaced his pen in the well. “I hope you have found your stay at Greyley House pleasant.”

“Oh yes. Very pleasant.” Sir Phineas pursed his lips thoughtfully. “But I must say that I am worried about my granddaughter.”

Anna Thraxton was the last thing Anthony wanted to talk about. Not only had she flouted him on their last meeting, but she hadn’t delivered the children’s schedule as he had requested. And now, after their last conversation, he felt awkward even asking for it, as if he were being unreasonable or demanding. It wasn’t a feeling he relished. In fact, the whole affair was making him very irritable indeed. He made a point of sending Dalmapple to visit the nursery every day, and he was pleasantly surprised to hear how well the children were taking to her instruction. Even Mrs. Stibbons had remarked several times that Miss Thraxton was an outstanding governess.