“What is this, Isabelle? Why are you so happy?” Agnes enquired, voicing Eleanor’s thoughts.
“Oh but why wouldn’t I be? I apologise, but I could not help eavesdropping. Finally! We are headed somewhere. Dear Eleanor, I must congratulate you on your impending marriage to our dear Nicholas. And you Agnes, I must congratulate you too for all is ready at last, and if you would still have Alan, then in two days, you shall be his bride!”
A wave of shock passed through Eleanor and Agnes. Their jaws dropped and again, it was Agnes who spoke.
“What do you speak of? Why would I want to marry a man who never loved me, who only ever had interest in using me as a means to an end?”
Eleanor looked from Agnes to Isabelle who was beside herself with happiness.
“Oh, dear sister! There is so much you must learn. I have been dying to come to you, but for your illness. I came as soon as I returned and received the news that the worse has passed. Not to worry, I shall tell you everything. Only ready your minds to be shocked.”
And so she did; she told them of how she had learned of their dilemmas and sought Benjamin’s help. How they had reached out to Alan and got him to agree to their plans. She told them of Victoria’s subterfuge and how they had managed to recover from that. Benjamin had succeeded in acquiring a special license and in two days, they would leave for a small parish on the outskirts of London, where the lovers would be married, with Regina and Benjamin as their witnesses.
All had been carefully planned out, and when the time was right, Benjamin would come for them with a request to take them for an outing. Then, they would ride over to the parish where Alan, Regina, and the priest would be waiting.
This news came as a great one to the girls, and they entered a fit of jubilation. Agnes instantly felt better, and though it felt so surreal that things would work out so well, her heart swelled with the thought of just that happening.
Chapter 31
Benjamin was having a business discussion with Lord Norwin, one of his business associates when a message arrived for him. He received it from his butler, Ramus, and one look at the seal told him who the letter was from. He was eager to read its content, but he knew that would be rude to his guest. So, he tried as much as possible to bring the meeting to a quick end. A few minutes later, he was able to achieve that feat.
“I must thank you, Lord Norwin for taking the time out to see me regarding this venture today. I assure you, your investments shall not come to naught, and by the time your money returns in seven folds, perhaps, you shall take me to White’s for a fine game of cards and a bottle of the finest brandy in London.”
Norwin was all smiles as he too rose and shook Benjamin’s hands. “I shall very much love to do that, Your Grace. I have no doubt that my investments are safe in your hands. They always have been.”
Benjamin returned the smile, ever polite. “Coming from you, that is high praise. Thank you once again. I pray thee, allow me to accompany you to the door.” He gestured that way, but Norwin raised his hands in refusal.
“No. it’s fine. I can see my way out. Perhaps, you may want to read that letter now. You have been eyeing it since it arrived. I reckon it is something of importance. Do not let me keep you.”
Aware that he had been caught, his smile widened, and he bid the perceptive earl a good day. As soon as Norwin was out of his study, he reached for the envelope. It contained the signature of the Bow Street Runners. Surely, this was from Jared whom he had hired to investigate the matter of the forged documents for him.
He opened the letter and began to read.
Your grace,
You were right in your deductions. I followed your instructions to search for small printing firms with the print signature of the document you gave to me. In my search, it was easy to see that each of these firms have their unique signature. Realising that helped narrow my search a great deal, and I was soon able to discover which firm is responsible for the forged documents. I must confess, that a great job was done. A lot of findings must have gone into this on the part of whoever requested for this.
The name of the firm is Lakley’s Press on Bond street. It is owned by one Mr James Lakley and his operating hours are from O8:00 hours to 17:00 hours. If you find this out to be indeed true, then you may send for me, and I shall come for my wages. Do keep me abreast of any developments.
J.
The happiness that Benjamin felt upon receiving this news was beyond that which he had felt upon closing the deal with Norwin, only moments before. As he prepared to confirm this news from Jared, he was aware of how different he had become ever since he began this exploit with his red-haired witch. It was now more than just an entertainment for him. It was a cause he had committed himself to and he found himself eager to see things work out well for both couples. Of course, he was aware that the witch had a great role to play in this. The way she rose to any situation that needed her attention. The way she celebrated whenever they had a breakthrough as if the win was for her, not the other way around, it gave him a whole new outlook on life. Having lost his parents when he was barely nine, he had grown up with his aunt and her husband. He had known nothing of love in that household. He had only known of a woman who was miserable with a husband that kept numberless mistresses and hit her every now and then. Between the siblings, there had been no love lost either. Everyone had grown like strangers, living in fear of not knowing what act would incur the wrath of the man they called Father. Benjamin had not been able to remember how his parents had been together, but he had known there had been no hostility between them. The Stamfords had also helped a great deal, in showing him how a stable, functional family should be and from them, he had learned what to do when he eventually had a family of his own. What not to do, he had learned all of that from his aunt. At sixteen, he had left them and gone back to his father’s house, and the Stamfords had been there every step of the way. Yet, Nicholas had had no sibling, so he had not really known this closeness that existed between the sisters, this love.
Sure, he shared something nice with Nicholas, but he had always figured that that was because they had been friends first. Now, he knew better. What surprised him more was that he welcomed this change. He was beginning to accept the way his heart fluttered with happiness too when a breakthrough came, like now. He had learned to welcome the warm feeling he felt within, whenever he saw Isabelle smile. Perhaps in time, he would accept what this was that laid between them, what crackled in the air every time she was near.
He was on his way to Bond Street in no time, and as his carriage rolled down the streets, he could not help recalling the last time Nicholas had been by his place. It had been amusing to see his friend so distraught. At some point, he had empathised with him. Ever since he and Isabelle got closer, no woman had managed to pique his interest. He had attended a few balls and had engaged in conversations with a few, only to end up terribly bored. He had kept waiting for their sharp retort, a witty bite, but all those ladies had seemed capable of doing was fawn over him and flutter their eyelashes as they fanned their flushed faces. There was no one like his Isabelle … he knew that now. And though he was not ready to take their relationship to another stage, he could not imagine not having her in his life. So indeed, he understood Nicholas, but had given him such a cold reply for one reason – Nicholas would have not been able to keep still if he knew what they were planning. One misstep and all of these would come crumbling down. They could not afford that.
Soon, they arrived at Bond Street, and he got off his carriage to search for Lackley’s Press. He found it easily enough as with such a huge signboard it was quite impossible to miss. A thrill of anticipation ran through his bones as he walked up. This was it. Once he could get Mr James to admit the truth, then all would be ready for the wedding tomorrow. After Alan and Agnes had been wedded, they would return to London with proof of the Duchess’s exploits. He was just about six feet away from Lackley’s when something happened. A hackney stopped directly
in front of the firm, and the rider immediately got down to help a lady out of the carriage. For some reason, he halted in his stride and got into a corner to watch. There was something awfully familiar about this lady, though he could not see her person.
She was dressed in black, from hat to dress, to gloves and footings. She also had a black veil covering her face. At one glance, one would assume she was a widow. Yet, her clothing was clearly made of the finest materials, and she carried herself with the grace of a wealthy noble. Anyone of such status would not move around London with a hackney and without a male servant in attending, except she had something to hide. Something struck him, but he kept his mind open and waited for the woman to step into the firm. As she did, he dipped his hat so that his face would be covered. If she was taking great care not to be recognised, then she would not be staring at strangers. He could at least bank on that probability. With that in mind, he too stepped into the firm and quickly found a stand of catalogues. He instantly went there and made a show of going through the catalogues, but he kept his eyes trained on the lady who was now being greeted by a bald man whom he assumed to be Mr James. The more he watched them, the more he was assured that he knew this woman. Her mannerism, the mystery, there was no longer any doubt that this was the Duchess of Cambridge, Victoria Birmingham. He remained calm as he flipped through more pages of the catalogue he held.
Soon, he saw Victoria hand over a pouch to Mr James who accepted it too eagerly. From the way he jingled it by his ears, it was clear that the pouch contained coins. Was this payment for the work done, or payment for more? He supposed he would find out as soon as she left. At that moment, Mr James bowed, and she nodded, then pivoted and began to float towards the entrance. Oh, it was definitely Victoria. No one else had such grace in the whole of London. When she looked in his direction, he immediately averted his gaze and smartly turned so that his back was to her. He remained that way until he heard he heard a whip crack and the sound of horses taking off. Then he turned. Time to do business, he thought and marched over to Mr James.
“Mr. James?” he called as he reached the man who was not only bald, but short. It was then that Benjamin took his time to take the firm in. It really was small for the signboard it had outside. There were several shelves, only two desks, and one printer which took most of the space. He could see a door which he assumed to be to a room where perhaps most of their operation took place, and other workers were. A press firm was too much work for two people to handle, no matter how small the firm was.
“That would be me,” the man responded coming closer to him. As he stopped in front of Benjamin; he seemed to have realised how short he was, for he peered up at the young Duke, his eyes widening. Benjamin applauded his courage when he continued speaking, betraying nothing. In fact, he had a genuinely polite smile on his face.
“I noticed you going through the catalogue. I reckoned that you would come when you decided which one you wanted to get. You are welcome to Lackley’s. How may we be of help?”
Benjamin said nothing until he retrieved the parchment from inside of his coat and placed it on a desk beside them. Mr James was a good actor for only the barest flicker of recognition and alarm appeared in his eyes. Nonetheless, Benjamin caught it, and he smiled. He knew very well how to do deal with men like this.
“I believe we have a mutual friend. In fact, I am inclined to believe that the lady whom you made two copies of this forgery for is the one who has just left here. One thing I find myself curious about and would be glad if you satisfied my curiosity, is if you know the true identity of the woman you are working for.”
Mr James looked from the parchment to him, to the parchment and back to him. Despite how hard he tried to keep his cool, he was beginning to have cracks in his façade; it was all that Benjamin needed. While the man tensed up, he relaxed.
“I am afraid I do not know what you speak about, and I am not obligated to share information about my clients.”
An expected answer so it left Benjamin unbothered. He simply brought out his heirloom, bearing his family crest.
“Do you by any chance recognise this?”
Mr James’s eyes widened as saw the bird crested on the heirloom. So he did know this crest, interesting.
“The colour, it belongs to members of the royal family and the bird, the eagle of Sussex.”
“Excellent, you do know your heritage, Mr James. Now, are you willing to speak?”
The man immediately bowed and began to stutter as he attempted to speak. “Y … your gra … ce. My Lord … my apologies. Please, forgive my impertinence. I did not know whose presence I was in. I am willing to tell you all that you wish to know.”
An hour later, Benjamin walked out of Lackley’s with much more than he had bargained to learn and a grin on his face. It turned out that Victoria had been parading herself with a simple alias – the black widow, and had told Lackley that she needed the documents to get rid of people who were trying to take over her husband’s fortune. It turned out Lackley was not so sensible, after all for who wouldn’t know that Birmingham holdings belonged to the Duke of Cambridge? Well, he supposed a man could be dumb and blind for the right price. Who would turn down fifty pieces of gold coins?
There was more … Victoria had returned today to ask for three more forged documents showing false ledgers between Sheldon and Sons, and three other companies. She had given Lackley two hundred gold coins to have them ready by the morrow. The morrow was when the elopement had been arranged to take place. If the Duchess was making such moves, then it meant that somehow, she had come to know of their plans. It was just as well that the letter from Jared had arrived just in time. Catching her here had made everything much easier and now, they were two steps ahead of her again. He had managed to reach a suitable agreement with Lackley, one that would benefit them both. Perhaps, the wedding would not take place on the morrow any longer, but that was okay. He knew just what to do. This time, he was certain that things would not go wrong. First, he had to deliver a letter to Isabelle, informing her of this new development. Then, he would meet with the man who had the power to end all of this.
On days like this, he had to confess, he rather enjoyed being twenty-second in line to the throne.
Chapter 32
Williams Birmingham was a man that anyone would describe as a man of few words. A simple man who lived by different rules and did not conform to societal norms. He loved his wife, dearly and adored the three beautiful daughters she had birthed for him. All of whom had grown into wonderful ladies, soon to become women. Yet lately, he could not have helped feeling like he was being left out of a lot of things that were taking place in this household. This saddened him for in times when he was not too busy, he made sure to keep himself abreast of all that was happening in his household. He saw things, was aware that a lot was changing, still, when he asked questions, he got elusive answers.
He had been involved in his daughters’ upbringing and had let them know at every point in time that they could confide in him, and they always had, until now. He supposed it was part of growth. Perhaps, there were now things they reckoned they could not tell their father. He knew they could not tell their mother either for the girls had never been close to their mother. So, he found consolation in the fact that they were so close knitted and could confide in each other. However, today, his heart felt gladdened for it was as though the dark clouds had cleared and now, there were only silvery clouds.
It had begun yesterday when all the girls had been present for breakfast for the first time in a while. More than that, they had all seemed in high spirits, laughing and conversing as though all was right in the world. It had continued all through yesterday until today. Once or twice he had caught them whispering in hushed tones. It thrilled him, and he wanted more of these. When he had approached Agnes some days ago, she had insisted it was simply cold feet. All the times he had spoken with Eleanor, she too had insisted she was only sad because she would miss her sisters, especially
since the romance between Isabelle and the Duke seemed to be blooming.
He reckoned that the the blues were finally over, and he now had the daughters he knew, back. It was a good thing, wonderful indeed, and now he had peace in his heart. That peace was soon disrupted as Edward announced that Benjamin Witherspoon had come to call on him. A proposal so soon, he wondered, as he commanded that he be let in.
“Your Grace. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
Williams rose with a smile as he went to shake the other man’s hand. “I can think of no reason why I would not, Witherspoon. You are always welcome here.”
A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 24