Chapter 18
Beatrice watched as the room slowly filled with people. The ball was over, the guests beginning to make their departure, and now, the time had come for them all to gather and, she hoped, conclude this mystery.
Her brother gave her a quick wink and a smile, perhaps aware of her nervousness and hoping to lift it a little. Beatrice returned it with a smile, but it quickly fell away as she clasped her hands in her lap, watching and waiting for all that would transpire.
“You look anxious.”
A hand settled on her shoulder, and Beatrice looked up, seeing Lord Surrey’s gentle smile.
“You need not be. If you have found the missing document, then everything is nearly concluded. What is there to be afraid of?”
She gave him a small nod. “You are right,” she murmured, unable to dismiss the worry from her heart. “But there is still the matter of Lord Neath and he – ”
“He is not meant to be present,” Lord Surrey reminded her, as Beatrice closed her eyes and drew in a steadying breath. “A few more minutes and it will all be at an end. Do not fret.”
His reassurance helped calm Beatrice somewhat, her stomach still twisting this way and the other as she watched him walk to stand in front of the fireplace, choosing not to sit down with the others.
A few more minutes, and it will all be at an end.
Taking in another long breath, Beatrice tried to quieten her thumping heart, telling herself that all would be well.
Her gaze roved over every person present.
First, there was her brother sitting opposite her and, with him, Lord Dorset, who now held the missing document.
Beside him, there was Lady Norah, then Lady Welton and her husband.
A good distance away from Lord Welton sat Miss Burnley, who appeared as if she had been crying, given the redness about her eyes.
Beatrice’s heart squeezed with sympathy, recognizing that Miss Burnley had not done anything wrong in any way.
She had been expecting to marry an Earl, and that, now being taken from her, must be very trying indeed.
“I did not agree to so many being present.”
Beatrice turned to look over her shoulder, seeing Lord Turnhill march into the room. “There is no need for this, Lord Surrey. You and I require a conversation, nothing more.”
Lord Surrey gestured to each person in turn.
“Each person here has been involved in this affair, Lord Turnhill. They have all assisted me in some way and deserve now to hear the full explanation. Given that you now know I will not be marrying your daughter, I think it is right that you make a full explanation to us all.”
Lord Turnhill stood where he was, forcing Beatrice to shift in her chair so she perched on the edge of it, twisting around to her right to see him.
His expression was dark, his lip curling as he looked at Lord Surrey.
She could not tell why he appeared so angry, for surely this was all his own doing!
He had been the one to hide the document away, had pretended that there was to be a marriage forced between Lord Surrey and his daughter, so why now did he appear so upset?
“You have ruined everything, Surrey,” Lord Turnhill began, as the others all watched in silence, Beatrice included. “Why could you not have simply married my daughter, as you were expected?”
“Because,” Beatrice said, before she could think, “he was not in love with your daughter but in love with me. His desire was to marry me.”
“It still is,” Lord Surrey said, tenderness in his voice. “But had it not been for Lord Dorset here, I would not have thought to consider the matter with such concern.”
Lord Turnhill rolled his eyes. “Then I am to blame Lord Dorset.”
“You are to blame yourself, father!”
Every eye turned to Miss Burnley, who, tears sparkling in her eyes again, threw out one hand towards him. “You are the one who arranged this, knowing that the requirements were already fulfilled.”
“I – I did not,” Lord Turnhill replied lamely. “I must assure you, I did not know of it.”
Beatrice shook her head. “That is very strange, Lord Turnhill, for surely your own family records would have revealed a connection between the two families.”
“And since this missing document – now recovered – states that any marriage between the two families would bring about great consequences to the Surrey line, I am all the more astonished that you did not know of it.” Lord Welton tilted his head, his eyebrow lifting.
“I am all the more surprised that you did not know of it, since it was found in your study.”
With something that felt like pleasure in her heart, Beatrice watched Lord Turnhill’s mouth fall open. Clearly, he had not anticipated that they would have done any such thing as that!
“You did not think that we knew there was a missing page?” Lord Surrey asked, with a lift of his eyebrow.
“It was Lord Dorset’s solicitors who noticed it, seeing that there was a small mark to every page, marking every page as one, two, or three of four pages.
So again, Lord Turnhill, might I ask that you tell us all the truth? ”
Beatrice settled back into her chair as, mercifully, Lord Turnhill walked further into the room, meaning that she did not have to twist around any more.
“This is most… irritating.” Lord Turnhill, still appearing to be somewhat belligerent rather than repentant, let out a heavy sigh as if he wanted to garner some sympathy from them all.
“It seems as if I have no choice but to admit it all, given that you have found the document. Though I must say, I am greatly displeased at your willingness to sneak through my house and search through my personal belongings!”
“And I am all the more displeased that you lied to me and tried to coerce me into a marriage that I did not even want!”
Beatrice flinched as Lord Surrey’s voice filled the room, his anger abounding. She could well understand it, but given that she had never once heard him speak in such a way, she could not help but recoil from it.
“Now, you will begin with these documents.” Lord Surrey, commanding now in both his standing and his voice, gestured to Lord Dorset, who held them all in his lap. “Your solicitors found these, mayhap?”
Lord Turnhill, his head lowering a fraction, nodded. “Yes.”
“And you decided, for whatever reason, to hide the fourth page of these documents. You falsified the seal to make it appear as though the end of the document was on the third page and then presented them to my father as legitimate. However, he was aware that there had been a marriage between our families.” Lord Surrey pointed to Lord Welton.
“My uncle well remembers being told of it, and it seems right to think that my father would have also.”
Closing his eyes, Lord Turnhill pinched the bridge of his nose. “You do not understand.”
“What do I not understand?” Lord Surrey demanded, as Beatrice sat forward in her chair, her nerves jangling. “You somehow forced my father’s hand? Is that what you did?”
“No, it was not I!”
Beatrice’s eyebrows shot upwards, hearing Miss Burnley’s gasp of shock. “You mean to say that Lord Neath was the one who did so?” she asked, as Lord Turnhill threw her a glance before looking to his daughter. “Why would he do such a thing, and why would you accept it?”
It was a long time before Lord Turnhill answered.
With a shrug of his shoulders, he spread out his hands and then let them fall to his side without explaining a word.
Then, with another breath, he opened his eyes, looked to Lord Surrey and grimaced.
“Lord Neath is a cousin. A relation of mine. He is Baron, so lower in title than I.” With another heavy sigh, he dropped his head, any sense of irritation or frustration now gone from him.
“We were not well acquainted and, for various reasons, we were not often in each other’s company since there was not a good deal of familial affection there.
You can imagine my shock in reading the fourth page of that document where it states that any marriage between the Turnhill line and the Surrey line would result in a good deal of land and property going directly to whoever the Baron of Neath was at that time. ”
“It seems that my great-grandfather was aware of your own lack of love for your extended family,” Lord Surrey remarked, as Lord Turnhill scowled. “It was he who drew up the document, I believe. He wanted to make certain there was no desire for a match on either side of things.”
Trying to make sure she understood it all, Beatrice spoke up again. “So, from what I understand – and please, correct me if I am wrong – there was an agreement written up that stated there was to be a marriage between the Surrey line and the Turnhill line.”
Lord Surrey nodded. “Yes. The marriage was between Miss Claypole, daughter to the Earl of Surrey, who married the son of Viscount Turnhill.”
“And with that, there came the exchange of land and property, from the Turnhill family to the Surrey family, though this was done with a little money given to make it appear that it was nothing more than a business transaction.”
This time, Lord Welton was the one who confirmed it. “Precisely. However, this was all done as an apology and an attempt at restoration, given that Viscount Turnhill’s son had disgraced Miss Claypole most dreadfully.”
Beatrice’s heart ached for the lady in question, wondering what it would have been like for her to have been forced into marriage with the gentleman who had treated her so abominably – and all in the name of keeping the family reputation pristine.