Delaney looked around. The foyer was empty. Simmons was likely overseeing the kitchen. The footmen were outside.
She stepped away from the stairs. She moved silently, her silk shoe making no sound on the rugs. She crept toward the study corridor.
There was a large marble bust of a Roman senator on a pedestal near the study door.
Delaney slipped behind it, pressing herself into the shadows.
She strained her ears.
"You have the railway contract," Rowan said. He sounded irritated. "We signed it at Lord Sterling's office. The land rights are yours. The price was agreed."
"The price for the land was agreed," the man replied. "But now we are discussing the price for the bride."
Delaney's breath hitched.
"Lady Celine comes with a substantial dowry," the man continued. His voice was closer now. They were walking toward the door. "Sixty thousand pounds, to be exact."
Delaney felt a cold shiver go down her spine. Sixty thousand pounds. The exact amount she needed.
