Chapter 6 #2
“It is in you, Davenport. But you are worried that being drawn back into the Davenport fold will somehow corrupt you and bring out your vices.” Lady Withnall had read his mind again and now wagged a finger at him.
“No, you are nothing like them. Your mother was very brave in pulling you away from your father and grandfather’s influence, and this has saved you. ”
He hoped so, for Tulip’s sake.
“Since you have come to me not only for knowledge but for advice, let me give you a piece of it now. You will need to take care of Harold, Neddy, and Barton in order to protect yourself.”
“How do you mean?” She wasn’t suggesting more ‘accidental’ deaths, was she?
“Those three will destroy whatever is left of the Davenport dukedom if they ever get their hands on it. But you are the current title holder and must hold onto it fiercely.”
“Easily done, so long as I remain alive,” he muttered.
“Well, you must try your best to stay that way. Think about Tulip and your offspring. Your cousins are lazy and slothful, probably too lazy to devise a scheme to be rid of you. But even they can be pushed to desperation.”
“And become murderers?”
“Anyone can be pushed too far. They might be tempted to contrive an accident for you because they have no source of income other than the allowance the last several dukes in the line gave them. That stream of revenue stopped when the last Davenport duke died a few months ago and you inherited the dukedom.”
“Are you suggesting I continue to support those lazy louts?”
Of course, this is what Lady Withnall meant when she suggested he ‘take care’ of them. Not kill them. Just give them enough of a monthly allowance to keep them from getting off their lazy arses and plotting something sinister against him.
“Yes. As infuriating as it may be, you need to keep them under control. They will happily be bribed to remain as they are.” The snowy-white curls on either side of her head bobbed as she shook her head to emphasize her point.
“Your grandfather survived his long reign by paying off his four sons and all of his grandsons except for you. His surviving sons did the same. Although, I’m not sure whether your two cousins who inherited the title just before you kept up that practice.
I expect they did. You ought to look into that as you study the Davenport ledgers. ”
“I also intend to read the coroner reports again to make certain I have overlooked nothing,” Alex muttered. “Ordering them sent to me was one of the first things I did upon becoming duke.”
“You are ever sensible,” Lady Withnall said with a nod of approval. “Do you think there is something in them that you are missing? I will admit, I was also skeptical about those deaths, but I have heard nothing to contradict those reports.”
“Nor have I. As soon as I received them, I pored over every detail but saw nothing that stood out as suspicious. Still, it sticks in my craw. Perhaps it is merely my investigative instincts that leave me unsettled. I have no proof of wrongdoing, but I will look deeper into the matter once I get my hands on the Thornwycke ledgers and see which family members were given an allowance and how much. I’ll also look for anyone outside of the family receiving payments. ”
“Yes, it is always a good idea to follow the money,” Lady Withnall observed with the arch of an eyebrow.
“Perhaps those last three deaths would not have been ruled accidental had you been the one investigating. All the more reason to have a care and not rile those Havers cousins to action just yet.”
Alex frowned, for Harold was only one death away – Alex’s death – from inheriting the dukedom and that could be an overwhelming temptation. “So be it, at least for now. I’ll hold my nose and maintain their allowance because nothing matters more to me than keeping Tulip safe.”
“She will be. This is the right course, as distasteful as it is. You cannot have them plotting against you, especially while you are still new to the title and vulnerable. Do not underestimate your enemy.”
“You just described them as lazy and slothful.”
“Which is what they are. I do not think Harold, Neddy, or Barton had the brains to devise plots intricate enough to do away with each heir down the line and have no one suspect a thing. No, dear boy. You are dealing with idiots here. But that does not mean you can dismiss them. After all, they only need to hire someone clever enough to do the job they cannot do for themselves. So, give them an allowance, but just enough to meet their needs and no more. It would be the height of irony if they used your funds to hire someone to do you in.”
“All right. I’ll see what our grandfather was providing them by way of monthly allowance and match it.”
“You are a sharp-eyed fellow. I have no doubt you’ll be able to spot trouble before it arises and do all in your power to avert it.”
“Perhaps, but can Tulip? I won’t be with her at all times. She’ll want to visit her friends and family in Burnham, and I have no intention of denying her that pleasure.”
“Stay close to her as much as you can, at least for now.”
He laughed with little mirth. “If she can stand to be around me.”
“She will. Trust me when I say she likes you. She would not have agreed to marry you if she did not believe in her heart that love could flourish between you.”
On that encouraging note, Alex left Lady Withnall and returned to his apartment in Bloomsbury.
He was surprised to see his friend, Julius Thorne, waiting at his door.
They exchanged friendly greetings.
“What brings you here, Julius?”
“My brothers and I received Sophie Farthingale’s note inviting us to your wedding. Adela,” he said, referring to Ambrose’s wife, “and Gory immediately got on me to make certain you are properly outfitted for your wedding day.”
He groaned. “I’m sure I have something suitable to wear.”
“No, you do not. So you must come with me to Savile Row because there is not a moment to waste.”
“Bollocks. Is this a jest?”
“Afraid not,” Julius replied, his expression one of determination.
“The wives have said you require proper garb and I have been tasked with enforcing their wishes. By the way, this is a lesson I am certain you will learn soon enough. When your wife insists on something, just go with it. You will be happier in the long run.”
Alex had his doubts. “You let your wife set the rules?”
“No, we agree on them together. But Gory rarely asks anything special of me. So when she does, I know it is important to her and have no problem accepting to do whatever she needs of me. See? This is how a good marriage works.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” He shook his head and laughed in disbelief.
“Seriously, Davenport. Just think about it and you will see that I am right.”
Well, his friend was no fool.
Nor was Julius the sort to be led about by the nose.
“Very, well. I appreciate the advice. Tulip and I obviously have a lot to work out, and I would hate to start off on the wrong foot with her. I have been on my own for too long and have no idea how a proper marriage works.”
“Tulip comes from one of the best families. She’ll teach you, and will appreciate your honesty in requesting her help.
Just don’t be a stubborn arse and resist what she is telling you.
She isn’t the sort to turn you into a puppet to appease her whims. If anything, she will go out of her way to sacrifice for you. ”
Alex merely nodded, preferring to say nothing.
This would be something new for him, for he had turned very much into a lone wolf in all aspects of his life, both personal and professional.
Having Tulip as a partner in marriage might take serious adjustment.
And here was his first test, acquiring wedding attire befitting a duke.
Spending the remainder of the afternoon being measured and pinned by one of London’s finest tailors was not what Alex had planned, but there was little else he needed to do today now that the important matters, the letter of intent and the marriage license, were out of the way.
He listened as Julius argued with the tailor who was insisting he could not possibly have his wedding outfit ready by tomorrow afternoon.
“My brother,” Julius said, referring to the Duke of Huntsford, “has authorized me to double your fee. You seem to think we are negotiating this arrangement, Mr. Chesney. There is no negotiation. Take the offer or we walk out and find another tailor who will do this for us.”
Since the Thorne brothers had been good customers of Chesney & Sons for many years, Alex expected the tailor would grumble some more and then agree because he did not want to lose their business.
“All right, double fee,” Chesney said, proving Alex’s expectation correct. “Come back tomorrow afternoon, but not before three o’clock.”
Julius smiled. “Done.”
“What if I have a meeting at that time?” Alex asked, just to be contrary as they finished with the tailor and walked out of the shop.
Julius shook his head. “I don’t care if you are scheduled to meet with Lord Liverpool or a member of the royal family. Beg out. This is more important.”
Alex groaned. “Gory really has you hopping to do her bidding.”
“No, she does not. Although, I will admit that I am getting you properly attired out of love for her and my friendship for you. And here’s another bit of advice…”
Alex stopped him before Julius could offer it. “Do you hear yourself? You are talking like an old married man. Yet, you and Gory are still newlyweds.”
“What can I say? I’m a fast learner. Plus Octavian,” he said, also referring to the middle Thorne brother who was of highest rank within the Admiralty, “taught me well. He happens to be married to Syd, a very strong-willed woman.”
“All the Thorne wives are strong-willed, especially yours,” Alex muttered, for he had dealt with Gory during his investigative work, and she was just as dogged as he was when on the trail of criminals.