Page 5 of Lord Ashley's Beautiful Alibi
“Kind of you, my lord. Yes, I will, thank you.”
Kane raised his gaze to Friendly, who clacked his teeth together at the same time as his heels—and off he went in search of a bottle and glasses.
Kane licked his lips. “I know this is quick notice to you to bring me the family investments and legal bits. I am grateful you agreed to this.”
“I am happy to serve, sir.” The little man’s dark eyes went to Kane’s sleeve, where the black armband signified the loss of Arthur. “My condolences on your loss, my lord.”
“Thank you.” Kane nodded, grateful for the solicitor’s felicitations. There had been so few offered by his family to any others that Kane appreciated those who observed the niceties. He wished to observe them, too. Even though Arthur had been less than kind to him, Kane would miss him for what theymighthave been for each other. “I am at a loss, Mr. Roberts, as to what we have, what I am responsible for, and how I can help you. I was never included in any discussions of the family holdings or finances. You must guide me—and do it quickly. You see, I am called away. Urgently. I fear I have no time to learn or to decide complicated matters.”
“Well, sir, there is not much you need do.”
“Mr. Roberts, you need not coat this with sugar, sir. I am well prepared to hear the state of the family finances. I know my father had turned running of the estate to my oldest brother Reginald. He, unwise fellow, was less than attentive to Ashbrook, and many tenants abandoned their plots during his tenure.”
“They did, sir. But your oldest brother bought four new ploughs the year he died, and he sold four of his racing horses. The ploughs enabled the tenants who remained to produce sizable crops. Even though we had a drought that year and the next, he made a profit on the sale of his wheat, sir.” Robertsextracted from his bulging portfolio a sheaf of papers. “I have brought you the sales numbers, sir.”
Kane had learned those from the estate manager Will Gardener the other day. “I thank you for bringing those. But I know that is not enough to pay for the other debts. I know we have no ready cash. I don’t wish any staff here or at the house in Ashbrook to do without their salary or their share. Simply tell me what we can do, Roberts, to be a bit more solvent.”
Roberts sat forward, his small eyes bright as a two-year-old’s. “We’ve an opportunity, sir. We can sell the unentailed land in Sussex. I understand there is a cry to build houses in Brighton. So many wish to go to be seen when the regent goes, and there is poor availability. I have it on good authority we can sell our acreage to two men—architects, they are—and they wish to build.”
The best and most unexpected news he’d had in weeks. “Excellent. Sell the land. Pay the debts.”
The man beamed. “Well, sir. My partner and I have another suggestion. Different. If we keep that land in Brighton and allow the architects to build upon it, we can allow them to sell the structures. It is good seafront property, sir, and we could earn good money in perpetuity.”
“Forever?” That might be wonderful in the long run. “But what would I do in the meantime for money?”
Roberts licked his lips. “Sell a portion of your land along the Thames. It is ten acres and navigable by small boat, too, especially in springtime. The town of Richmond grows, sir. People wish to put up shops, and the access to the river allows for transport of supplies!”
Kane frowned. “Why can we not do the same there as in Brighton? Keep the land. Ask for rents in perpetuity?”
“The demand is not as great, sir.”
“Very well. Sell. What of my brothers’ investments? How do they fare?”
“Only one is left, sir, and it profits.” Roberts winced.
Kane had a suspicion which it was. “The sale of Africans? The support of the sugar trade?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Apply half the profits of the Brighton venture and the Richmond sale to savings. Then sell those shipping shares. I want nothing to do with them.”
The little man sat with his mouth open.
“I know, Roberts. Not done. But I will do it.” He hadn’t fought against the disasters wrought by the French Terror and the Directory only to support and profit from the sale of humans as slaves. “I leave town. I know not for how long. I trust you and your partner to do all this and bank the profits, pay off my brothers’ gambling debts. See that their mistresses and babies have pensions we can afford that prohibit them from begging in the streets.”
“I will, sir.”
“I will ask for an accounting when I return.”Whenever that may be.Ifthat may be.He lifted his pocket watch on his fob. “I must go. Thank you for all of this. I applaud your work. Keep a good supply of scotch in the house for the day I come home.”If I do.“I know we will need a stiff drink.”
Kane waited while the little fellow scurried away. He felt lighter than air at the results of that interview. Whatever Scarlett had in store for him, Kane would strive to come home to a family name that had more integrity, morally and financially, than ever before. And if perchance he did not return home, he had seen to it that the next Earl of Ashley, whoever that wretched idiot was, would be in better straits than he had ever been.
*
Hawthorne Trading Company
1 Clements Lane, Lombard Street, London
Scarlett Hawthorne snappedshut her father’s old porcelain timepiece and dropped it into the hollow of her gown between her breasts. Perturbed, she scowled at Todd Carlton, her head clerk. “You told Ashley two o’clock? And to be on time?”
