Page 73 of Gallant Waif
“She’s an heiress, isn’t she?” Jack could restrain himself no longer. Already he’d had to wait until he and Francis had changed and refreshments served to Mr Phillips.
The elderly lawyer looked momentarily shocked at his bluntness, but after a moment seemed to come to a decision. He allowed a discreet smile to transform his face.
“Yes, sir, you have guessed correctly, although I must say no more until I have informed Miss Farleigh of the whole. But it is wonderful news indeed.”
Jack turned to Francis. “According to my grandmother, Kate’s Delacombe grandparents were extremely wealthy. Undoubtedly they have left her a legacy,” he said, feeling unaccountably low.
“That should please Kate. Girl deserves a bit of good fortune,” Francis said.
“Wait a minute…” said Jack slowly. “I thought all the money went to that cousin of hers.”
“That’s right,” said Francis, sitting up.
“What cousin is that?” said Mr Phillips, frowning. “I investigated the matter very thoroughly, and to the best of my knowledge there is no living cousin.”
“Fellow called Cole.”
“Cole!” snorted Phillips rudely. “He is no cousin of hers. I’ve sent Bow Street Runners after him!”
“What?” Both men leaned forward, riveted.
“Well, if it is the same man—Jeremiah Cole, big fellow with sandy hair?” They nodded. “He’s the rascally solicitor that I caught with his hands in the honeypot, so to speak. He slipped out of my hands a few weeks ago and disappeared.”
“Good God!”
“Fellow has been discreetly helping himself to funds from the Delacombe estate for some time since his father, the previous trustee, died.”
“Good God!” exclaimed Francis again.
“Do you mean to say that swine was embezzling Kate’s money? And that he’s no relation at all to her?”
Phillips nodded. “Yes, indeed. But how do you know of him?”
Jack exchanged a long look with Francis. The motive for Cole’s abduction of Kate was perfectly clear now. Had he forced Kate to marry him, her entire inheritance would have legally belonged to him. But there was no need to let Phillips know of the abduction attempt.
“He was here,” said Jack grimly. “Posing as Miss Farleigh’s cousin and attempting to get her to marry him.”
Mr Phillips gasped in amazement. Jack glanced at Francis. “You should have let me kill him, you know,” he murmured.
“The Runners will get him, old man. He’ll hang, or be transported at the very least.”
“If they catch him.”
“Oh, they’ll catch him, no fear of that,” said Mr Phillips confidently. “I have no doubt at all. None at all.”
“They’d better,” growled Jack.
“I don’t suppose he got his greasy paws on too much of Miss Farleigh’s inheritance?” asked Francis diffidently.
Jack shot a look at him. Francis had no need of a rich wife.
“No, no. Fortunately the great majority of her inheritance is tied up so he could not touch it, and the whole is of such a size that it makes Cole’s depredations almost negligible, a fact I expect he was counting on, should the heirs ever have been discovered,” said Mr Phillips, rendered indiscreet by the generous quantity of brandy his host had pressed upon him.
Jack’s heart sank. She was rich, immensely so, from what Phillips had inadvertently revealed. She would not stay here long, in that case. With a fortune she would have need of nothing, nobody.
“I gather there’s some significance to your arrival in my grandmother’s carriage,” he said heavily.
“Yes, so very kind of her ladyship,” agreed Mr Phillips. “I am to convey Miss Farleigh to London as soon as may be convenient. Lady Cahill has great plans for her, I believe, great plans.”
