They finished the first pot, and Gwen had just ordered another when the doorbell rang.

Patrick instinctively stood to answer it, but Gwen pulled him back down. “Let the butler do it.”

“Yeah, Patrick, let the butler do it,” Liam teased.

A bit of laughter bubbled out of Gwen. “You seem to be settling into this new life with ease.”

“Is that how it looks?” Liam quipped.

“Ahem.” At the entrance to the parlor, the butler cleared his throat. “Mrs. Carnegie is here to see you, ma’am.”

Patrick whirled to gape at the butler. Sure enough, a frighteningly grim middle-aged woman stood in the doorway. He scrambled to his feet and sent a warning glare at Liam, who finally stood as well, a sullen look on his face as he glowered at Mrs. Carnegie.

Louise Carnegie didn’t look anything like Patrick expected. She was only forty-three but looked much older, with a dowdy face and matronly gown. She had a boxy attaché case and a scowling expression. In comparison, Gwen looked like a work of art in her flowery, floating silk gown.

“What a delightful surprise,” Gwen said as she glided forward to greet Mrs. Carnegie.

It was a lie. Now that Patrick knew Gwen better, he could tell when she was terrified, and this was it. Her formal demeanor and carefully modulated tone were dead giveaways.

Mrs. Carnegie barely acknowledged Gwen. She simply stared at Liam. “You are William Blackstone?” she barked.

Liam nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You look like your father,” Mrs. Carnegie said without a hint of warmth. “I came the moment I heard you had arrived in town. I am aware of your history with various steel unions, and I want your unconditional assurance that you will make no attempt to disrupt the impending creation of U.S. Steel.”

Mrs. Carnegie had not even entered the room. She stood in the doorway and tossed the gauntlet down at Liam’s feet. Liam did not bend.

“Not interested,” he said bluntly.

Gwen raced to intervene. “We actually came for a number of reasons, not just the steel—”

“I’m here over the steel deal,” Liam interrupted. “The creation of U.S. Steel is a monstrosity that can’t be allowed to happen. I’ve got a seat at the Blackstone Bank, and I intend to use it to block the merger.”

“You won’t succeed,” Mrs. Carnegie said.

Gwen fanned herself. “My, the temperature rose so quickly,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Let’s all sit down and have a nice cup of tea, shall we?”

“Tea isn’t going to solve anything,” Liam said.

Patrick had to save this situation before Liam threw a bomb into his future business partnerships that could never be called back.