Page 34 of The Unfortunate Debutante
Lord Downshire glanced over his shoulder. “I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but Emma is safely inside Caddington Manor.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“I can tell that you are extraordinarily busy guarding my ward, but may I have a moment of your time?” Downshire asked, stepping back. “My brother dropped off the agency’s report on Mr. Lockhart this morning.”
“This morning?” he repeated in disbelief as he jogged up the few steps. Did all of the Beckett family rise at this extremely early hour, he wondered.
Downshire chuckled. “My sister-in-law, Hannah, just had twin girls. No one sleeps in their house.” He closed the door behind him. “It would be best if we had this conversation in my study.”
“As you wish,” Simeon said, following closely behind Downshire.
Once they stepped into the study, Downshire closed the door and walked over to his desk. He reached for a file and sat down on his chair.
“We have a problem,” he stated, removing a paper from the file. “Mr. Peter Lockhart is nowhere to be found.”
Simeon straightened in his chair, fully alert. “He’s gone? I thought he worked as a solicitor in the village of Totternhoe.”
“He does… or, he did, until recently,” Downshire explained. “Three weeks ago, Lockhart locked up his home and office and rode out of town.”
“Where did he go?”
Downshire shrugged. “Agents interviewed Lockhart’s neighbors, but they could give no additional insight.” He gave him a pointed look. “Did you have a chance to read those letters?”
“I did,” he said, removing the stack of notes from his jacket pocket and placing them on the desk. “There was nothing in there to indicate he would go off half-cocked.”
“Exactly,” Downshire agreed. “Lockhart wouldn’t put his entire life on hold unless he had a plan. And I’m afraid that plan revolves around Emma.”
“But why? Why would he give up all that he has for a woman that does not favor him?”
Downshire removed another paper from the file. “The agents broke into his office and confiscated several ledgers. After reviewing them, they discovered multiple suspicious deposits every month from different clients. However, someone with the initials of A.B. has deposited £75 every month into Lockhart’s account for the past five years.”
“Dare I ask if they discovered the identity of A.B.?”
Downshire shook his head as he extended him the paper. “No. The agents are attempting to identify all the clients that made monthly deposits.”
Reading the rather long list, Simeon asked, “All this money is being deposited into Lockhart’s account? Is any money going out?”
“It doesn’t appear so, but the most recent ledger disappeared along with Lockhart.” Downshire picked up another paper. “There’s more. A large stack of contracts was in the hearth when the agents searched the room. Most of them were burned beyond recognition, but one managed to survive.” He extended the paper across the desk. “This is a re-creation of the contract.”
Simeon accepted that paper and began reading the copy. He found himself growing incredibly infuriated at the renter’s contract. It stated the rental price at one rate, but Lockhart charged the tenant an inflated monthly fee. Furthermore, if the tenant defaulted on the payment, he would be required to pay a fee directly to Lockhart.
“This contract is rubbish. Lockhart was bamboozling the people in his own village,” he declared, tossing the paper onto the desk.
“It appears that way,” Downshire remarked. “He was the only solicitor in the town, and he exploited the citizens’ inability to read.”
“What a horrid man,” Simeon mumbled. “But none of this explains why he’s sabotaging Miss Pearson’s Season, assuming that it’s even him. There’s been no proof to corroborate that.”
Downshire sighed. “Who else could it be?”
Simeon sat back in his chair and asked, “Did Miss Pearson receive an inheritance after her father passed away?”
“She did,” Downshire confirmed. “Constable Pearson owned his cottage, the surrounding land, and a general store in town.”
“Was the store profitable?”
Downshire gave him a baffled look. “I suppose so. There were no liens on it when I sold it for Emma, and I negotiated a generous sum for her.”
“Have you sold the cottage or land off?”
