A Christmas In Bath

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Book: Read A Christmas In Bath for Free Online
Authors: Cheryl Bolen
Sutton Manor."
    "I have too. In fact, I've been ever so anxious to discuss with you that very fine essay you wrote against slavery."
    He shrugged. "I daresay there's little need to keep lambasting such a brutal practice—at least here in England."
    "It is our good fortune that so many of our countrymen are enlightened in their opposition to it."
    "I did receive a great many positive comments about the anti-slavery essay." He drew his breath. "It was rather the opposite with my essay about labor unification."
    She nodded thoughtfully. "Allow me to speculate. I daresay the big landowners were up in arms."
    He had known she would instantly grasp the situation. "You have the right of it. They claim if their laborers were paid a decent wage they would go bankrupt, have to sell off all their land, and then where would the country be when there was no work to be had?"
    "Then your next essay needs to explain all the positives that can arise from a better paid citizenry."
    "Exactly what I was thinking! In fact, I've already begun it. Would you do me the goodness of reading it to see if you think I'm approaching the subject in the right way?" There was no one whose opinion he valued more.
    "I would be honored to."
    His gaze moved to the heap of papers on the coach bench beside him. "A pity you're not wearing your spectacles. I brought it with me."
    "I would love to take it home with me and share my thoughts on it with you later."
    Instead of being disappointed that the omission of her spectacles had deprived him of her immediate opinion on his new piece, he was rather happy that he was extending his meetings with her. As long as she was with him she could not be with one of her unworthy suitors.
    "Have you followed through on my suggestion about having your essays bound in a nice volume?" she asked.
    "I have made an appointment to speak with the printer here in Bath tomorrow morning."
    "I know the cost must be very dear."
    He nodded. "A London printer had given me some idea of how much money it would take, and it will take all the money I can get my hands on."
    Her face fell.
    "I wouldn't undertake the printing if I were not going to present copies to my family and friends, and that certainly includes you, Miss Arbuckle."
    "Money could not purchase anything that I would rather have. I do thank you for considering me."
    As they rode on, it suddenly occurred to him that the rose scent was hers. Was this, too, part of Glee's fancying up?
    "So, tell me, what will your rebuttal say?" she asked.
    He shrugged. "Were you writing a rebuttal, what would you say?"
    As she always did, she pondered his question for a few moments in order to articulate a thoughtful response. "I should either make up a scenario that demonstrates the benefits of paying higher wages, or I would do my best to try to find an actual example of such a thing in practice." Her brows elevated. "Though I daresay you are not likely to find such an example in England."
    "There you are wrong."
    Her eyes widened. "I am unaware of any wealthy landowner who is so enlightened."
    He was uncommonly proud when he answered. "It is my brother, though he does not care for others to know of the many fine and good things he does for those who are less fortunate."
    "You two are so vastly different that I would never have suspected. I daresay you are the one who has initiated your brother's enlightenment."
    "Though he does read—and agree with—my essays, I believe that it's his marriage that has transformed my brother. I will own, when he was a bachelor, we were always in opposition, but that is no longer the case. Now that he is a family man, it seems our many similarities have emerged—which is to say, now that he's married he is more like our father."
    "I remember Glee making the same observation."
    It was only natural that while they were speaking of his family, he bring up the troubling situation that was bothering him. After all, he shared everything with Miss Arbuckle.
    But he

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