Page 73 of The Heiress Gets a Duke
Several days after his return to London, Evan stepped into his solicitor’s office. Clark came to his feet immediately.
“Your Grace” fell from his lips as he resettled the spectacles on his face. A clerk who had been taking dictation also rose, dropping his pen in the process.
Afternoon sunlight filtered in through the leaded glass windows, casting a dreary glow over the confined space. Stacks of crates lined the wall beneath the windows. Books and parchments were piled on the floor on one side of the large desk in the center of the room and on the cabinets that lined the back wall. The desk itself, however, appeared neat and organized.
“It was not my intention to catch you unaware. I received your note at the club and, since the matter was of some urgency, decided to call instead of driving over to Sterling House to wait for you there.”
“Yes, of course, Your Grace. Excellent suggestion. I would never have presumed to set a meeting here, but youare quite right, it is much more expedient.” Perhaps without realizing it, Clark’s gaze took in the messy office.
The clerk who had shown Evan in hovered in the doorway behind him. His voice cracked a little when he spoke. “Tea, my l—er, Your Grace?”
“No, thank you.” Turning his attention back to Clark and the overstuffed office, he said, “It appears you have been busy.” Evan had only been here once before when he had hired the man. That visit had been much the same with the genuflection of the clerks surprised by the presence of a duke in their midst, but the office had been nearly sparse then.
Clark indicated that the clerk taking dictation should leave them. The young man, who could not have been any older than Clark himself, presented them with his front as he backed out of the room in a nearly comical display of deference before closing the door.
“What have you told them about me?” Evan asked as he took the vacated chair.
Clark smiled and took his seat behind the desk. “I think your reputation says it all, Your Grace.”
Evan smiled, reminded of why he had hired the man. Clark had been the only one to speak to him plainly after the initial show of respect.
“I must thank you,” Clark continued and waved a hand toward the papers filling his office. “My fledgling practice has nearly tripled in large part due to your recommendations.”
“Due to your competence, you mean.”
Clark lowered his gaze in humility. “Nevertheless, thank you. My association with you and Montague has certainly enhanced things.” He rose and opened one of the cabinets on the wall behind him. Taking out a box filled with papers, he brought them back to his desk.
His gaze all but pasted to the box, Evan asked, “I assume this meeting is because you have further confirmation?” When he had arrived back in London from Charrington Manor, Clark had met with him at the club with the news that a man claiming to be in the employ of George Sterling,the Duke of Rothschild, had been found in Pleasant Ridge, Montana Territory.
Clark nodded and resumed his seat. “Yes, it’s Lichfield. He originally used an assumed name, but our investigator was able to find papers in his rooms that proved him to be Gordon Lichfield.”
Evan let out a breath and felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. None of that was a surprise, but it was confirmation that his instincts had been correct. “I assume any funds he took were gone.”
Clark gave a funny little laugh and withdrew a sheaf of paper from the box. “Well, that is the interesting bit. You see, it appears that we have uncovered so much more than stolen funds.”
Evan leaned forward, fully engrossed now. “How much more?”
“Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but I found it rather unbelievable myself. I had to authenticate the information with the registrar of the territory and then had the solicitor in New York authenticate it to make absolutely certain there was no question of... well... authenticity. I still can hardly bring myself to bel—”
“Spit it out, man!”
“Yes, yes.” Clark shook his head and then nodded as he picked up a yellow paper with printed words. It appeared to be a telegram. “Your Grace, it seems that your father is—was—a major shareholder in the Pleasant Ridge Mining Company, which has operations based in Montana Territory. The shares never appeared in any of the documents pertaining to your father’s estate. I believe we can safely assume that is because Lichfield did his best to make certain there was no trace of them. To be honest, I am not certain your father was aware of the value of the claim. From New York, we know that his signature appears on several documents pertaining to the company. I can also confirm that a bank draft was issued in the amount of the cost of the initial shares several years ago. It was recorded in the ledger as funds for capital improvements. I made avisit to the bank myself to research the purchase and have proof of the draft from the bank here.”
“That whoreson!”
Clark dug further into the box and produced a piece of paper, but Evan had difficulty focusing on the words. That son of a bitch Lichfield had stolen from them. The man had played the trusted servant and confidant only to steal from the man he had served for nearly forty years. Impotent anger raged through Evan. How unfortunate the object of his rage was thousands of miles away. Perhaps it was very fortunate indeed, because Evan could have happily strangled him.
Unable to sit still, Evan bolted to his feet and paced the cramped office. The need to hit something coursed through him, but he managed to control it. “Have you contacted the authorities? I want him arrested and tried.”
Clark stared at him before coming to his senses and nodding. “Yes, he was taken into custody by the local sheriff and handed over to a U.S. marshal. I have requested that he be delivered back to London, but that could take time.”
“Why haven’t you told me any of this?”
“As you know, I only became aware of his possible existence in Montana Territory before you left for Hampshire last week. There was no hint of the mining company until a few days ago, and, as I explained, I wanted to make absolutely certain that my information was accurate before passing it along to you.”
“Yes, of course. That is why I hired you.” Evan inclined his head in understanding.
Mollified, Clark nodded. “Your Grace, forgive me, but I think you may be overlooking the bigger issue here.”
