Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
“My lord?” Mr. Winthrop asked, his watery blue eyes wide and fixed on Perry.
“Yes?” The earl looked up from his contemplation, trying his best to quell the sensation of regret, the bitterness tasting sour in his mouth. So many things he could have done differently had he known.
“Perhaps this will be of interest. Your betrothal agreement, here,” the solicitor said as he handed Perry the papers.
He took them and examined the words closely.
His stomach grew queasy at the memories these documents brought to the surface.
A marriage to a woman who was indifferent to him.
Awkward marital relations that felt forced on both sides.
Few joys to recall besides the time they spent apart, when he could pretend he was living his old life in the city with his brother and his friends.
Silent hallways, brief smiles, stilted conversations with little depth.
None of it matched the friendship and even… the love he experienced with Charlotte.
Though he forced himself to ignore the pangs of longing and became quite adept at suppressing them, the scent of roses or the feel of a soft petal on his skin always revived the pain of his loss.
He would laugh to himself when funny situations arose, a particularly stuffy duke at a ball that Lottie would have found amusing.
He truly mourned for the loss, the pain etching itself deep into his soul. So deep it became a part of him.
And yet, all that time…she lived. The truth was a dagger in the heart.
Giving his head a shake, Perry rifled through the documents, looking for anything that might be of importance. Wildwood was his after the death of his wife, a part of the earldom he inherited when her father passed.
All seemed in order; nothing leaped out at him.
“I remember when your father had me draft up those documents,” Mr. Winthrop mused.
“We were in quite the rush, which was unusual, but he wanted the papers signed as quickly as possible. The duke was always very demanding, of course, and it was an honor to serve him, but I had never seen him like this. He threatened to dismiss me and ruin my practice should I take too long in fulfilling his request.”
The older man tapped at his lip thoughtfully.
“I believe there were other candidates for the late countess’s hand.
She was a popular young debutante with an earldom, if I may say.
Quite the prize. One such man was extremely keen; his family had negotiated on his behalf. A very old, influential family.”
Perry’s eyes narrowed. “I find that unsurprising. My father was highly motivated to see to the match. Whoever married Eliza stood to benefit greatly.”
No one knew better than him the greed which inspired his father to force him into a quick marriage.
Of course, the late duke was driven by his desire to add to the family wealth and property, but Perry saw it as more than that.
Rufus Spencer demanded obedience, even to the point of hurting his own children to achieve it.
Beauregard seemed pleased enough with his betrothed.
His brother had benefited from his father’s machinations, though being engaged to a ten-year-old was quite unseemly early on.
Now that time had passed, the woman was of age and seemed eager enough for the match.
At least one of them had the possibility of ending up happy from the elder duke’s interference.
If Beau had been unhappy with the match, he could have broken it once their father died, and no one would question him.
But his brother was steadfast and true. He would never stoop to ruining a young woman like Perry had.
“That one family was quite aggressive in their pursuit. They even had their lawyer contact me and plead on their behalf. Their son was quite overset when the duke challenged his offer. He threatened me, if you can imagine. How could I retract your father’s generous offer when I was working for the duke?
Once I told your father, the problem seemed to go away.
” Mr. Winthrop shook his head. “I understand the family wanting to get their hands on the earldom for their son, of course, but there was no competing with your father’s offer.
The late countess’s family wanted the best for their daughter.
This other suitor would not have been much of an advantage to her ladyship.
Especially when the rumors of his family being quite underwater began.
It was an upset among the finer set. The family was forced to hide to weather the scandal.
Some members of the ton mask their true financial situations very well, as I’m sure you know.
Eliza’s family recoiled at the idea of their daughter marrying a fortune hunter. ”
“How interesting,” Perry said as his eyes narrowed on the man.
Mr. Winthrop gave a nervous laugh. “Who would want that for their daughter?”
Perry gave a slow nod. “Quite right. Who would, indeed.”
As Perry’s eyes returned to the paper, he scanned the lines revealing the details of the generous dowry he had received upon marrying Eliza.
He could see how the staggering amount of money and the luxurious property would be plenty of motivation.
Seeing how much he had gained from his marriage only increased his pain at thinking of what Lottie had lost upon their separation.
She was condemned to hide in shame, to suffer pregnancy and grave illness alone, while he grew more wealthy and powerful. The truth sickened him.
His brows drew together. “Who is the gentleman who threatened you?”
Mr. Winthrop moved some papers around, finding a small slip tucked in between several others.
“This gentleman here, in fact,” he said as he slid the paper over the surface of the smooth mahogany over to Perry and chuckled.
“I remember him because he later came to inquire about your family. I suspected he may have cared about your late wife more than he let on. The man seemed desperate. I would say he was quite down in the chops. Especially when the creditors began calling in the family’s debts because of the rumors.
They would be ruined if they had to pay everyone all at once. Who wouldn’t?”
Stroking his chin, Perry considered his solicitor’s words. The older man loved a good story; that much was clear, but perhaps there were some insights that could be derived from his tale. He glanced at the scribbled note from the other family’s lawyer and was surprised at the name on the paper.
The man worked for the family of Viscount Thomas Newbridge.
He had never suspected there could be a connection between the man and Perry’s wife. She never spoke of him fondly or mentioned him at all during their discussions.
Would such a person still hold a grudge that he hadn’t been the prime candidate for Eliza’s hand? It seemed unlikely. So much time had passed.
“You say he was desperate to get his hands on the earldom? To keep me from marrying Eliza?” Perry studied the older man.
Mr. Winthrop nodded, his jowls wobbly as he moved. “Oh, yes, in fact, I believe Viscount Newbridge was quite taken with the young lady. That was the impression he gave me. Though that plum prize would tempt any man.” The man raised his brows suggestively.
Perry chewed on his bottom lip, his thoughts in a jumble as he put the pieces together.
He chaffed at the thought of Eliza as merely a prize.
He may not have loved his wife, but they had both been pawns.
They were both trapped in a loveless relationship, regardless of how luxurious their life together was.
Viscount Newbridge harbored feelings for Eliza?
The old duke had forced him into a marriage with a woman who was possibly romantically involved with someone else?
That would explain his first wife’s reluctance to ever build a relationship more than just passing acquaintances.
Perhaps her heart, like his, was otherwise occupied. Perry hummed. Enough woolgathering.
He needed more information.
His pulse quickened as this new discovery illuminated his list of possible suspects. If this information was accurate, the killer might be closer than he thought.