Chapter 29 #2
“Of course you do,” Ophelia said. “I suppose you are due for another suit fitting, worthlessly stealing the money my husband left for our keeping.”
Celestine softly shifted her platter of cake away from her and looked veritably uneasy with her throat bobbing nervously.
Once again, the door opened, and a man with coal-black hair was immaculately slicked back, his somber tailoring fitting his lean, virile figure like a glove.
“My apologies. It seems as if I am late.” He said in a smooth, cultured baritone.
Thaddues was out of his seat, glaring at Cedric. “What kind of ambush is this?”
Crossing the room, Cedric stuck out a hand. “Thank you for coming, Wentford. It’s been too long.”
“Not for me,” Wentford said. “Do you know the pains I took to forget your ugly face in the Oxford common rooms?”
“It's only gotten uglier,” Cedric replied.
With a devious smirk, Wentford replied. “Your words, not mine.”
Thaddeus scowled. “You two know each other.”
“Funny enough, Wentworth wrote his business theory on buying estates in dire straits and turning them into inns,” Cedric said, his grin wolfish. “The moment I saw his name on the buying deed, I figured out how to derail this aggressive takeover.”
Thaddues scowled. “Our agreement was a done deal. The house is bought and paid for.”
“Not fully,” Cedric replied. “When your solicitor drafted the indenture of conveyance, detailing boundaries, rights, and obligations, you were so hasty that you overlooked one crucial detail.”
“And what is that?” Thaddues said tightly.
“That the estate is legally tied to the family bloodline,” Cedric said. “In the eyes of the law, the current holder, you, often called the tenant in tail, is more like a steward than an outright owner.”
“De Donis Conditionalibus, the tenant in tail was ratified into English common law in 1285,” Lord Wenford added calmly.
“It makes sure that landowners bind their estates to their direct descendants; the deed of the property ensures that it is passed down through a family line rather than being freely sold or alienated.”
Cedric took over, “It means no outright sale, you cannot pledge the estate as security for a loan, since creditors had no guarantee of long-term rights, the land is destined for the heir, and absolutely no breaking up the estate: Parcels of land can not be carved off and sold piecemeal. The estate must remain intact.”
Thaddues’ tone was glacial. “I will have it alienated then.”
“You can,” Cedric said, “If you have the funds for years upon years of court and solicitors. Do you happen to have three hundred pounds somewhere?”
When the silence went on, Ariadne asked, “Well, do you, uncle?”
Thaddeus’ fist pounded the table, rattling the dishes. “You, Your Grace,”—he jabbed a finger at Ariadne, whose eyes flashed defiantly— “will mind your manners. You may have a higher rank than I do, but I am still your uncle and your senior.”
Wentford plucked his timepiece from his coat, “Are we done here? I have some prior engagements to attend to.”
“What about our deal?” Thaddeus spat.
“There is no deal.” Wentworth stood and nodded to Cedric. “Meet me at Whites next week, Tuesday. I would like to rehash twelve years of absence.”
“I will see you there,” Cedric said.
As the man left the room, Thaddues turned to Ariadne, “You undermined me.”
“No, you undermined yourself by disgracing Papa’s legacy,” she said boldly. “I never thought you would be so cold, Uncle.”
“Fine, I won't be able to sell the house,” Thaddues replied. “But I will find a way.”
“It will not be the house of the estate’s holdings,” Cedric said. “And if you try, I will have you arrested.”
“It’s not illegal to try to sell a house,” Thaddues said.
“No, it's not, but investing in a criminal organization and reaping the benefits is,” Cedric replied.
Scoffing, Thaddues feigned ignorance. “I have no idea what you mean. Everything I do is by the book.”
“If Frankford’s Corporation is by the book, you can go ahead and call me the Regent,” Cedric said coldly.
“That Covent Garden scapegrace has a parent company of sixteen organizations and growing. He has created everything from a textile group to a children’s hospital, none of which have ever drawn any clientele. ”
Marigold cleared her throat, “Pardon me, Your Grace, but what is wrong with those?”
“Because they are fraudulent,” Cedric said. “You see, Hargrave, that fifty pounds you invested and reaped five hundred from it is… let’s say concerning. What you do not know is that the Crown is investigating this Corporation and the money it is funneling.”
“I still don’t understand—” Marigold’s voice trailed off.
“Ever since the income tax was created, as a wartime measure to fund Britain’s fight against Revolutionary France, sinister people have been looking for ways to avoid paying it.
“Setting up a series of false charities is a good way to go about that. These banks are reporting deposits to the Crown, but if they make it look like donations …” Cedric let his words trail off
Marigold’s face cleared up. “Oh. Oh!”
“I cannot believe you,” Ophelia said to Thaddues. “How could you involve us in such unsavory things! Did you not care about our lives at all!”
Jaw tight, Thaddues said, “This is not about you.”
“You can either talk to the magistrates and confess your mistake in this corporation and get some sort of leniency, or you can go to jail when the hammer comes down—’tis up to you. Either way, you are going to sign this Deed of Trust for the estate to me.”
The color drained from Hargrave’s face. “You’re blackmailing me?”
“I am giving you a choice,” Cedric corrected. “Whether you wish to keep your activities free from public knowledge or would you prefer to wither away at Newgate?”
Thaddeus’ eyes landed on the deed of trust, “If I sign this, I am not leaving empty-handed.”
“I suspected such. I’ll give you a thousand pounds.” Cedric offered.
“What is a thousand pounds going to do for me?” Thaddeus gave them a nervous, braying laugh. “Surely a man of your means will do a little more than that?”
“Two thousand, and that is going to be sent after you speak with the magistrates,” Cedric said while sliding the paper and pen over. “There is a word I know you have not heard in a long time, it is called employment. Sign this and then find one.”