Page 68 of The Devil and the Heiress
She walked through the open door to see Mr. Clark hurrying into the coat he had arranged on the back of his chair. Several ledgers were open on his desk as if she had caught him in the midst of working on something important. “My apologies, Mr. Clark. Thank you for agreeing to see me, and I hope to not take up too much of your time.”
“Of course, my lady.” Pushing his spectacles into place on his nose, he indicated she should seat herself across from him. As she accepted, he hurried to close the ledgers and stack them in an orderly fashion on his desk.
When she had first met him, she had noted he was younger than she had expected for a solicitor, probably Christian’s age. The solicitors she knew from Papa were allwell into middle age with portly builds from all the hours spent at their desks. From their earlier conversations, she had gleaned that Mr. Clark seemed very capable, plus he had worked for Christian and Montague Club for several years now. Rothschild and August also recommended him. She was certain that she would get the truth from him.
“What may I do for you today, my lady?” he asked, taking his seat behind his desk.
“I have come because I would like to see the ledgers you keep for my accounts.”
“Of course you have that right, my lady, but might I ask if there is something specific you are looking for?” His gaze went to the ledger she held in her lap.
Unable to meet his gaze, since she was questioning his very earnestness, she said, “I have brought my own ledger from home where I have kept track of the renovation outlays and my own personal expenses over the last months. I would compare them with your own records.”
To her relief, he didn’t seem offended, but merely curious. “Is there a problem with your allowance? As you know, your renovations have come out of a different account.”
“Yes, I know. I have kept the accounts separate here as well.” She tapped to indicate the heavy ledger in her lap. “If I may but look at your ledgers and compare.”
He gave her a nod and rose to pull open a drawer in a cabinet farther behind his desk, his movements slow but precise as if he still questioned her intent. Retrieving a file held closed with string, he unwound it and presented her with a piece of parchment from within. “Perhaps it would be best to start from the end and work our way back if need be. This is your statement of account from July for your allowance, and here is the one for your general funds. I am content to send my clerk to your bank should you need a statement from them to verify the amounts match. If you find they are not as you expected, we can certainly delve into the ledgers to determine why.”
She studied the papers; each of them held columns of figures labeled debits or credits along with the category the funds or expenditures had been sorted into. Max and August had spent time explaining the concept to her back when she had originally begun investing her own money with her brother’s assistance. They were not foreign concepts, and her own ledger was arranged in a similar fashion. The problem was that both totals were very near to what she had been expecting.
“This seems to be as it should,” she said.
When Mr. Clark was quiet, she risked looking up at him. “Forgive me, but you seem startled by that. Have I given you cause to doubt my stewardship, my lady?” Twin lines of concern formed between his brows.
“No, Mr. Clark, you have been very kind and capable. It isn’t you that I question. It is only that I received news today, and I am uncertain what it means.”
She knew the moment he understood what she was talking about. His brows rose and his eyes cleared of uncertainty. Taking the papers back, he stuffed them into the file and placed it upon the desk as he retook his seat.
“I am certain you understand that I must commit myself to the confidence of my clients,” he said.
“Yes, I understand. But I would have it confirmed that Lord Leigh directed you to donate a significant amount to a charity organized by Lady Helena March.”
He swallowed. “I cannot betray his confidence in the matter, as much as I might wish to, my lady.”
“Fine, but you could tell me if he used my money to do such a thing. I am correct in thinking that he could use my money if he so chose?”
“Yes, if he chose to utilize your funds in that way, then there would be nothing stopping him, but having been acquainted with both your wishes and the wishes of Lord Leigh, I feel confident in assuring you that he is a man of character in that regard.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief, and the fist of dread that had made itself known since her chat with Helena completely loosened its grip on her heart. “Then where did he obtain the funds for such an endeavor?”
Lips pursed, he appeared pained by the question. “I cannot say, my lady.”
The first gust of anger roused within her. “You cannot say. Could you say if the positions were reversed? If I were the one spending large sums and he came in demanding to know where they had been obtained, could you say then?”
His mouth opened, but then he closed it again and could not meet her eyes. “I can no more control the law than I can control where Lord Leigh chooses to spend his money.”
“Of course you can’t. I merely wish to know a simple thing. Where did my husband get the money for the donation?”
“Lady Leigh, certainly you can understand the position you put me in. If Lord Leigh wishes to keep the sale of his private property to himself, then I cannot go against his will in this. As much as I wish it were otherwise, I cannot tell you.”
She gasped at that. His private property. As far as she was aware, the only property owned by him was the house in Belgravia, Amberley Park, and Blythkirk. Perhaps also the club, but Jacob and Rothschild owned part of it as well. Since her home was safe, Amberley Park was entailed and picked clean as far as she could ascertain, that left Blythkirk, or his portion of the club. “He would never sell his portion of Montague Club. Besides, it’s his only reliable income.” Aside from the annuity from the investments Mr. Clark had arranged with the bulk of her settlement. “It would be far too early to recognize any of the income from the annuity, yes?”
“Correct, my lady, it would be foolish of him to sell his interest in Montague Club at this time.”
“Then Blythkirk. He sold Blythkirk?”
“My lady, as I have mentioned, his will is that all matters are kept private.”
