Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Matthew
The surprise that flitted over Drake’s face when he saw Johanna on Matthew’s arm was highly amusing. Matthew was all too aware of the notes clutched in his hand, but one matter at a time. He did not want to derail Drake from whatever news he’d brought about Mr. Blash.
“Duchess.” Drake bowed, glancing at Matthew with a reproving look. Matthew shrugged. Johanna was the one most personally affected by Blash’s deception, and he was going to tell her whatever Drake told him, anyway. This bypassed one step.
Besides, it would not be the first time one of the wives had been included in conversations that Drake thought them best left out of. The ladies had already proven helpful in the investigation into the dukes’ deaths. Although he noticed Drake still endeavored to keep them at arm's length.
“Your Grace. Would you care for some refreshment?” she asked as Matthew escorted her to one of the wingback chairs.
Drake shook his head, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet, likely wishing to resume the pacing he’d been doing when they’d entered the room. Whatever news he had, he was in a bit of a state about it.
“No, thank you. We will not be here long.”
“We will not?” Matthew asked, as the door opened again, to reveal Holt and Micah with a curious expression on his face. The young man hurried in, and the butler shut the door behind him, giving Drake an abbreviated bow as he looked between all of them.
“Your Grace,” Micah said to Drake, his voice cracking on the last word. He winced but forged ahead. “What has happened?”
Drake cleared his throat, moving over to stand behind the chair opposite Johanna, gripping the top of its back as he gave himself a little shake.
“I am pleased to inform you that Blash did not actually go to America.” A small smile curved his lips. “Though he laid a very good false trail, he actually never left England. Never left London, in fact.”
Johanna gasped, her hand rising to her lips.
“He’s here?”
“Well, he is in Newgate now.” Drake’s smile made more sense as he delivered that news with relish.
Now it was Matthew’s turn to put his hand on Johanna’s shoulder, the way she had for him when he’d realized her mother might be describing Heywood.
Trying to give what reassurance he could.
Not that he thought she was upset to hear that Blash was in prison, but perhaps at just realizing he’d been so close by all this time.
“Newgate,” she said faintly, her fingertips rising to her lips.
“Good,” Micah said furiously. “I am glad he is in prison. He can rot there for all I care.”
“My sentiment as well,” Drake said. “However, I wished to come by and see if there is anything you would like me to ask him. I am on my way to visit him now for some questions on a separate matter, and I already planned to wring him for information about where the money he stole from you went, but I thought I should ask if there was anything specific you wished to ask about.”
“I wish to see him,” Micah said immediately, fisting his hands at his side, his small chin lifting defiantly. Johanna’s own fingers gripped Matthew’s hand tighter at her brother’s declaration. “I wish to see him myself and tell him what a vile worm he is.”
“No.” Three voices spoke at once, and Drake shot Matthew a look of bemusement. Obviously, since Matthew agreed with him, Drake wanted Matthew to take the lead on denying the young earl.
“Newgate is no place for a youth nor a lady,” Matthew said, shaking his head. Not that Johanna had asked to go, but just in case.
He had not needed to flip his coin for that answer.
It had been instinctive. Should he go? His fingers brushed his pocket.
There did not seem to be any great reason to.
Though Matthew would certainly like to see Mr. Blash have his day in court when that came to pass, and that was something he could take both Micah and Johanna to.
“I am very happy to pass on the message about what a vile worm he is,” Drake offered when Micah deflated.
“Matthew is correct, though. Newgate is… well, it is a fitting place for a man who would prey on others and maximize his own benefits at their expense. Especially those whose care he was entrusted with, and who he should have honorably guided. Only the worst kind of people use children and the innocent for their own ends.”
The sheer contempt and repugnance in Drake’s voice were more than Matthew would have thought possible, considering how removed he was from the situation.
Drake sounded almost as though he was taking Mr. Blash’s crimes as personally as if they were against him and his.
Then again, Drake could be very black and white in his thinking, with very little room for compromise.
“Very well.” Micah sighed, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I cannot think of any questions. I just want to know that he is aware of what an utter cad he is.”
“If he is not already aware, I will be sure to tell him,” Drake promised.
“I will also take great pleasure in telling him that we are in the process of recovering all the funds he stole from you, that there are several moneylenders who would now like a word with him, and that your brother-in-law, the Duke of St. Albans, will certainly be paying close attention to his trial.”
“Very close,” Matthew said, nodding. There were enough among the aristocracy who bent the law to favor themselves, even when they were not innocent; it was only fair that it should be bent to condemn a man who was truly guilty. Especially after meeting Johanna’s family.
How could a man, a relation no less, condemn actual children to starvation or worse? He’d met with them, broken bread with them, and still been ready to sell Johanna to the highest bidder. Matthew shuddered to think what his plans for Bridget and Charlotte might have been.
Or perhaps he’d had no plans at all but had only thought of it when Johanna appeared on his doorstep. Matthew would not have put it past him to start making plans, though.
“I need to speak with you and the others. Today, if possible,” he told Drake, squeezing his hand around the paper rolled within it.
Drake nodded, though he was obviously distracted as he took out his pocket watch to check the time.
“It should not take me too long. I sincerely doubt Blash is the type to hold his cards close to his vest, especially if he is hoping for any kind of leniency.”
“Are you going to help him get that?” Micah asked, obviously worried.
“Absolutely not.” Drake grinned, and there was absolutely no humor in his expression, only the vengeful light of a man on a mission.
“Trust me. Blash will receive exactly what he deserves. But desperate men have nothing left to hold on to but hope, and I will be very surprised if that does not loosen his tongue.”
“This afternoon, then,” Matthew said, drawing Drake’s attention back to him.
Drake nodded. “We can gather at White’s.” His gaze alighted for the briefest moment on Johanna. Once again, Drake was trying to keep the ladies out of things.
Matthew was not surprised, but he also was not going to object. His fingers slid over his empty pocket. Drake seemed determined, and in this case, it seemed easiest to just go along.
Johanna was already nervy enough. Besides, she was attending tea with his grandmother and Rose at Lady Chesterham’s. If she was not there, his friends would only be able to pepper him with questions, not her, and he had promised to protect her and her mother.
Johanna
“Mr. Blash has been found and is now in Newgate prison,” Johanna announced as soon as she returned to the sunroom, then immediately came to a halt as she realized Lady Stark had joined her mother and Rose.
As far as she knew, this was the first time Matthew’s grandmother had met her mother, and the sight of them together made her heart stutter.
Everyone was smiling—at least they had been before her announcement—though, so hopefully it was going well. She already felt so much lighter, having finally unburdened herself to her husband. It was though she was floating on air. Even thinking about Mr. Blash could not bring her down.
“That is too good a place for the likes of him,” Rose said, a scowl furrowing her brow. “Though how can he possibly be there? I thought he had fled to America.”
“Apparently, that was a false trail, well laid.” Johanna shook her head at the sheer audacity of the man.
Though it had worked well enough at first, the arrogance to think it would last forever was astounding.
Especially since he had stayed in London.
What if she had seen him on the street? Had he not thought that possible?
Then again, trying to understand his mind was not at all something Johanna thought she would ever be able to fathom.
And she did not want to.
She did not want to be able to understand such cruelty.
Explaining to the ladies everything the Duke of Ormonde had said, little though it was, made for entertaining conversation.
All of them were appalled at the idea of Micah going to Newgate with Ormonde and relieved that the dukes had rejected the notion immediately.
Though Micah was growing up far too fast, he was still not yet a man, and the idea of him visiting a prison…
Johanna shuddered to think of it. Her mother was also clearly relieved that he’d been denied, and Johanna was sure Mother would seek out her only son later to speak to him.
Now that she was out of bed and out of her room, and she and Lady Stark seemed to be getting on famously, despite their very different demeanors.
She did not bring up the fact that the dukes would be meeting later today to discuss the investigation into their fathers’ deaths.
That was what she knew Matthew wanted to talk to his friends about, and she’d been very relieved when Drake had suggested White’s, which would prevent her from attending.
Not that she could, anyway; Lady Stark was very much looking forward to showing her off at tea this afternoon.
The morning slipped by quickly, as one conversation led to another.
Even though Rose must be chafing at the bit at her inability to question Johanna about the dukes’ fathers and their murders and Johanna hiding her mother’s involvement, she did not show it.
After denouncing Mr. Blash, the topic quickly changed to the current Season and fashions.
Johanna had not realized that, at one time, her mother had quite a few friends and acquaintances among the ton, although she probably should have.
Listening to her mother’s delight in being updated by Lady Stark on their comings and goings, she realized her mother must have let those relationships fall by the wayside after the death of Johanna’s father.
Which made her feel terrible. They’d had each other to lean on, as much as possible, but it was not the same as having a friend.
She’d had Rose, all these years, while her mother had had no one of her own age and experience to bolster her.
She positively lit up, hearing about the scandals she’d missed, the marriages, the government appointments, the children.
“Would you like to come to tea with us?” Lady Stark offered. “Lady Chesterham will certainly not mind. She is in alt since her granddaughter secured an offer from a marquess earlier this week.”
“Oh, no, but thank you.” Some of the light dimmed from mother’s face, and she sat back, delicately folding her hands on her lap. “I do not think I am quite ready to face Society yet. And… I have nothing to wear.”
“Well, that we can fix quickly enough,” Lady Stark said with a gleam in her eye that Johanna immediately recognized.
She wondered if her mother realized that she had just appointed herself Lady Stark’s newest project, now that Johanna, Rose, and her sisters had been taken care of.
Though she was fairly certain Lady Stark was not fully done with Rose.
“Tea this afternoon. Tomorrow we will go shopping.”
Johanna could not blame her mother for the look of alarm on her face.