He wasn't too foolish or too proud to turn her down, then; this meant that Kirke was smarter than Lucinda gave him credit for. (Or, maybe he was simply desperate — either way, he knew enough not to look a gift horse in its metaphorical mouth.)
Of course, now that she had offered and he had accepted, she needed to decide what to offer.
It was easier than she'd thought to pick.
"I'll fully fund the salary for the nanny when the child is born, and for any — subsequent children," Lucinda said; that would give Elsie more freedom, and she would feel better knowing that the two had help, because they both seemed impossibly young to her. (That she had been younger when Tulip was born was lost on Lucinda.) "And in exchange you and I will have lunch monthly. Is that acceptable to you?"
Of course, now that she had offered and he had accepted, she needed to decide what to offer.
It was easier than she'd thought to pick.
"I'll fully fund the salary for the nanny when the child is born, and for any — subsequent children," Lucinda said; that would give Elsie more freedom, and she would feel better knowing that the two had help, because they both seemed impossibly young to her. (That she had been younger when Tulip was born was lost on Lucinda.) "And in exchange you and I will have lunch monthly. Is that acceptable to you?"