Page 54 of Reforming the Rakish Marquess

The man spun on his heel and faced him.

“Where have you been? No one even knew you had left.”

Jude laughed. “Good to know you care so much, Carter.”

The frown didn’t leave Carter’s visage, but his eyes widened when he took in Jude’s state. Flagging down a footman, he requested a bath to be drawn.

“Come, my lord. Let’s get you cleaned up,” Carter said, fussing over him.

Carter took the bundle from Jude and inspected the vial.

“I had a spot of trouble last night. I was cut and will need it tended to with the solution twice a day,” Jude said, attempting a nonchalant tone so as to not upset his devoted valet.

“I don’t believe I even wish to know.” Carter shook his head and nudged Jude towards the stairs.

An hour later, Jude had soaked in a hot bath, received a fresh shave, dressed, and his wound tended to with only a brief lecture from Carter about how he shouldn’t have wandered off on his own in the middle of the night.

“Am I to assume you had an overnight stay at Lady Gordon’s home, since you didn’t return until this morning?” Carter brushed Jude’s coat.

“When did you get so meddlesome, Carter?” Jude asked, laughing, but knowing the man had long since been so.

Carter continued brushing his coat. “Just confirming who I have to thank for this improved mood of yours.”

There was a knock at Jude’s chamber door.

“Enter.”

His butler, Abbott, opened the door and stepped just over the threshold.

“My lord, a Mr. Stone is here to see you,” Abbott said. “Are you home to his call?”

“Yes. Please show him to my study. I will come directly.”

Abbott left to do as Jude said.

“I’ll ring for you shortly, Carter,” Jude said, directing his attention back to his valet.

Carter nodded to him, and Jude took off for his study. Upon his arrival, the runner he met the day before stood before his fireplace, where his servants must have started a fire this morning to warm the room.

“Mr. Stone,” Jude said, “I hoped I might see you today.” He would hear what the man had to say first, and then perhaps it would give him an excuse to call on Juliana, if her butler would allow him in.

The man turned on his heel and met Jude in the center of the room, extending his hand. Jude took it and returned a firm shake before motioning for the man to take a seat across from his desk. Jude took his seat and folded his hands in front of him on the desk.

“Were you able to learn anything of interest?” Jude asked, wishing to waste no time in hearing what the man came to say.

“Indeed, my lord.” Mr. Stone pulled out a notepad from the breast pocket of his coat. “It appears the new viscount expected to inherit a great deal of funds and properties. When his late cousin died, he ran up a string of gambling debts. Not only that, he has outstanding notes he owes at a few different brothels in town. He procured the credit with the promise of payment after he received the funds from his cousin’s estate. There are also many bills at the tailor and the haberdasher for his new wardrobe, and he purchased a few new racehorses. As a viscount, the establishments assumed he would be good for the funds.”

It was exactly the information that they could use to their advantage to rid themselves of the blackguard.

“I assume the man didn’t inherit enough blunt to cover all the debts?” Jude asked.

“I wasn’t sure how much you knew of the details of the will, so I confirmed the specifics,” Mr. Stone said. “The late viscount’s widow inherited all the unentailed properties and jewels, and the majority of the blunt. He inherited around twenty thousand pounds and would require a portion of those funds to ensure he could run the estates to continue generating income. He would receive his annual income as a viscount, to be sure, but with these debts, he wouldn’t have anything else.”

Jude knew that Juliana had inherited well from Edward, but she was even more wealthy than he realized. Not that it mattered to him. Jude’s father might have had a bottle in his hand most of the time and been a horrible father, but he knew how to run the estates and didn’t possess a penchant for overspending.

“How much does he owe?”

The man glanced at his notebook and Jude could see where he had totaled all the amounts.