Good for Minerva. Probably good for the ladies. Not so good for him. A day ago, should they want an inquiry, they would have called on him. Rather suddenly, with one dinner party, she had become a competitor thriving in his own garden.

He had competitors already. Some good ones. One other who moved in the same circles. Minerva, however, presented a special appeal, one which he could not match. She was a woman. If an inquiry touched on any matter that could be called delicate, another woman would be most likely to seek out Hepplewhite’s.

“I spoke with Jeremy,” he said. “He was agreeable with your idea.”

“I’m glad. He could use the work. It suits him far better than some of the things he does to earn some coin.”

“He said you do not pay him.”

“I don’t pay Beth either. Or myself. He lives here. He eats here. However, if the inquiries keep coming as I anticipate, I intend to give him wages soon. And, of course, in due time I will have some of the trust’s income too.”

He did not mind that those wages would derive from inquiries he should have had instead. Not at all. He did not really need the income. And yet—he looked at her. Head back, eyes half closed, hair mussed—she looked ravishing in her dishabille. Now that she had one toe in society, he did not doubt she would build Hepplewhite’s quickly. He was happy for her. Truly. Someday, however, he would probably give Nicholas hell for inviting her to that dinner.

“When we were talking, Jeremy said something provocative.”

That got her attention enough that she raised her head. “An odd word, provocative. Are you saying he made you angry?”

“Not at all. He said he didn’t understand why we don’t share a business, if we are going to share workers.”

She turned her body so she faced him. “How was that provocative?”

“It provoked thought.”

“Are you saying you would want to do this?”

“I am only saying that it makes some sense. You have abilities I don’t have. I have some you don’t have.”

“I can hire a man with your abilities. You can hire a woman with mine. We could even hire each other.”

“True. Clumsy, but true.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You are not suggesting that I become a regular employee, are you? With wages and such?”

It was a topic he had not considered much. While being provoked to thought, he had not really done much thinking.

“You tried that at Melton Park, calling me your employee even though I wasn’t one. I found the deception useful there, but I don’t care for the notion.”

“I had no intention of suggesting such a thing.” The look in her eyes made that the right thing to say, no matter what he might one day think, when he thought.