Chapter 14
Beatrice rubbed at her eyes, yawning. She had stayed awake until the early hours of the morning, talking with Lord Surrey and doing her best to concentrate on the records he had been given from his solicitors, but she had grown very weary indeed as the hours had moved on.
“You are too tired for luncheon, I think!” With a chuckle, Lord Warwickshire dropped a kiss to her cheek and then came to sit down opposite her. “We have both missed breaking our fast this morning, have we not?”
“It was all for a worthy cause,” Beatrice replied as solemnity dropped into her brother’s expression. “We did not find anything of note as yet, however.”
“I did see Lord Surrey making a note of all the names he wanted to consider,” Lord Warwickshire replied. “He did not know some of them nor which family they came from.”
Beatrice nodded. “I have not yet seen the documents that insist upon a marriage between the two families, but I do wonder if there will be any issue found with them.”
Her brother shrugged. “I could not say.” He held her gaze steadily. “What is it you intend to do this afternoon, my dear sister? Are you to rest at home or – ”
“Lady Norah and I are to step out together,” Beatrice interrupted, as a grin spread across her brother’s face. “I do not doubt that you will want to join us?”
With a nod, Lord Warwickshire reached for his coffee. “Where are you going?”
“We are going to look at the marriage records,” Beatrice told him, making him pause with the cup halfway to his mouth. “I have told Lady Norah everything, and she, of course, is very eager to help me.”
Lord Warwickshire’s eyes flickered. “Does her brother know that you told her all?”
Beatrice hesitated. “I do not know,” she said, slowly. “It was after Lord Neath came to dance with me, after his dreadful threats. I had no choice but to explain, and Norah was suitably distressed on my behalf.”
“I can understand why you felt the need to unburden yourself.” Lord Warwickshire’s jaw set. “If I had the opportunity, I would do all I could to ruin him for what he has threatened you with.”
With a small, grateful smile, Beatrice picked up her teacup. “I am grateful for your defense of me, brother,” she said, as he grimaced. “But I am glad you are not able to call him out, for I fear that he would do something very dreadful indeed if you were to do so.”
“You mean, he might have someone spear me from behind instead of doing so himself.” Lord Warwickshire scowled as Beatrice winced. “I suppose there is wisdom in staying away from him at present.”
“You will be able to exact your revenge by discovering the truth,” Beatrice told him. “If we know what he is doing and why – and what Lord Turnhill intends by this marriage between Miss Burnley and Lord Surrey – then their plans will come to naught, and all will be well. Would that not please you?”
After a few moments of consideration, her brother smiled. “Yes, I suppose it would. Then I shall most certainly have to accompany you this afternoon to wherever it is you are going?”
“To look through the parish records,” Beatrice told him. “I, too, wrote down the names of the ladies who had married into Lord Surrey’s family line, the ones where their family name was not clear. I intend to find out the family name of each for him.”
Lord Warwickshire sipped at his coffee, smacked his lips, and let out a small, contented sigh.
“You are bound together, you and he,” he said, as a flush touched Beatrice’s cheeks.
“Have no doubt, my dear, your determination will be rewarded, I am quite sure. It will not be Miss Burnley who marries him but you yourself.”
“I hope so,” Beatrice replied, with a soft sigh of her own. “I very much hope so, for it is the only thing my heart desires.”
“You have a Miss Helen Foxbridge,” Beatrice murmured, as she turned over page after page, running her finger down each line of names. “And I have a Miss Prudence Montgomery.”
Lady Norah let out a small exclamation, only to frown. “I thought I had found it, but it says Foxburgh, not Foxbridge.”
Beatrice grimaced, her back aching as she bent over, studying each line carefully. The collected parish registers of England were many indeed, and whilst they had a set number of years for them to search through, the names were still extensive.
“I think I have found one.”
Lifting her head quickly, Beatrice stopped what she was doing and moved towards her brother. “Where?”
“Here.” He pointed to the name. “Miss Prudence Worthington. Her father was the Viscount Uddingston.”
Beatrice’s shoulders slumped. “Then it is not Lord Turnhill’s family line.”
“No, it does not seem to be.” Her brother put one arm about her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “Do not give up, my dear sister.”
“We have been here for hours,” Beatrice replied, her spirits heavy. “We have found four of the six names thus far, and all four have been families other than Lord Turnhill.”
Lady Norah smiled encouragingly. “Which means that only two names are remaining,” she said, with a hand on Beatrice’s arm. “I can search for one, and your brother can look for the other.”
“Who was it again?”
Giving him the name, Beatrice returned to her own records, looking down at the numerous lines and struggling to find the motivation to begin her search again.
She was already weary and tired, and yet the desire to find a match with Lord Turnhill and Lord Surrey’s families was still strong within her.
A sudden thought struck her, and, with a gasp swirling in her chest, she reached for the records again.
“What is it?” Lady Norah, giving up on her own search, came to stand by Beatrice. “You have thought of something?”
“The documents only said a marriage, did they not?” Beatrice asked, as Lady Norah nodded, Lord Warwickshire coming to join them.
“We have been looking solely for ladies from Lord Turnhill’s family marrying into Lord Surrey’s family line.
” Her head lifted as she looked from one to the next.
“What if it were a gentleman marrying a lady from Lord Surrey’s line? ”
Lady Norah’s eyes flared. “I had not thought of that!”
“It would not make a good deal of sense,” Lord Warwickshire told her, as Beatrice returned to the records, her finger lightly touching the parchment as she ran down the list of names.
“Why would a gentleman from Lord Turnhill’s family marry a lady from Lord Surrey’s family if they were already selling a good deal of land and property? ”
“I do not know,” Beatrice answered, truthfully, “but it is not something we have considered, is it?”
Her finger stopped on a name, her heart spinning in her chest as she took in the name.
“There,” she breathed, as her brother and friend leaned in to see the name. “Miss Sarah Claypole.”
“Claypole?” Lord Warwickshire’s voice held doubt. “That is not a name I recognize.”
“Nor I,” Beatrice replied, “but look here.” Gesturing to the record, she held her finger to one name. “The gentleman she wed was the son of Viscount Turnhill!”
“Oh, Beatrice!” Lady Norah gripped Beatrice’s hand. “It may be that this is precisely what we are looking for.”
Lord Warwickshire leaned forward. “We must write this down for Lord Surrey and take it to him at once. If Claypole is his surname, if this Miss Claypole is in his family line, then the match has been made.” He looked at Beatrice. “There will be nothing tying him to Miss Burnley.”
“He will have to make certain of the date and align it with the documents demanding a marriage as well,” Beatrice added, her heart beating furiously. “Goodness, we may be looking at the very thing that will free him from it all!”
Lady Norah scrunched up her expression. “It does not explain why they were so willing to have a gentleman from the Turnhill family wed a lady from the Surrey family. I would have thought that, if they were selling land and property, they would want not only a good price for it but also ensure that their family’s connections improved a good deal.
A daughter of a viscount marrying an Earl would bring their standing up a little, but for the daughter of an Earl to marry a Viscount…
well, that does not hold the same strength of connection, does it? ”
“No, it does not,” Beatrice agreed. “But I cannot think of that at present. I must take this to Lord Surrey just as soon – and as carefully – as I can.”
“And without being seen by Lord Neath or Lord Turnhill,” her brother warned. “They still must not see any sort of connection between us. You must be safe, Beatrice.”
She hesitated. “Might we go to the fashionable hour, brother?”
He looked at her. “You think he will be there?”
“I do. And if he is not, then another note will suffice. We can go again under the cover of darkness to his townhouse if required.”
Lord Warwickshire nodded. “Very well.” He looked to Lady Norah. “Lady Norah, should you like to join us?”
“I should be glad to.” Whilst there came a small smile onto Lady Norah’s face, there was also a seriousness about her expression. “This is of the greatest importance, and I would not dream about being anywhere else but with you both.”
Beatrice squeezed her friend’s hand lightly.
“Thank you, Norah.” She took in a long breath, then let it out slowly as she closed her eyes.
“I must pray that we have stumbled upon the truth – and that soon, his connection to Miss Burnley will come to an end.” So that my connection to him can finally begin.