“I’m Lady Hestony, daughter of Baron Hartfield. My family has an account administered by Mr. Lewis?”
“I’ll look,” the man said, running his finger down a vast book. Hal tensed, feeling as if the fellow was being insolent. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t wish to patronize Lady Hestony by speaking for her.
“It’s an urgent matter,” Hestony said firmly.
“I’ll see what I can do,” the man said, and headed off into another office. Hal turned to Hestony, seeing a nervous look in her eyes. He felt more protective than ever.
“If he’s not in, we could…”
“Mr. Lewis can see you now,” the man announced, standing back in the doorway to let them pass through.
“Thank you,” Hestony said frostily. Hal bit back a grin and followed her down the hallway. He had never seen her settle down to business before. The effect was quite intimidating.
Remind me not to incur her displeasure, he thought.
He followed Hestony to a small room with one small window, most of the light coming from a roaring blaze in the grate. The room had green walls covered in cheap wallpaper, and the space was dominated by a vast desk of dark wood, with two chairs arranged before it. A thin-faced man sat behind the desk, a large quill in an inkwell at hand.
“Mr. Lewis?” Hestony greeted him.
“I…um…. oh!” the tall man shot upright, dropping his pencil on the desk. It rolled off, but he didn’t move to retrieve it. Instead he stuck out a hand, shaking hands first with Hestony and then with Hal. “My Lady Hestony! An honor. Sit down, do. Shall I stoke the fire? Unseasonable weather, this. I’ll draw the curtains?”
“No need,” Hal said swiftly. If the curtains closed, blocking out the small grimy view of the street, he thought he might go mad. The office made him feel trapped and he was finding it hard to breathe in the heat. He had no idea how Lewis, clad in a long-sleeved shirt and coat, was managing.
“Mr. Lewis,” Hestony said firmly. “We received news at Amhurst, which was of a…surprising sort.”
“Um. Yes. Well,” Mr. Lewis laced his fingers together. “What manner of news was it?”
“It was news of the worst possible sort,” she stated. “Our account is empty, and I would dearly like to know what you plan to do about it. I would also like to know where the money went, for I cannot imagine what has happened to it.”
“Let me see…” Lewis said, running a finger down an index in a leather-bound book that smelled of ink and something noxious used to preserve the leather. “Lady Hestony. Daughter of Baron Hartfield, correct?”
“That is correct,” Hestony murmured.
Hal leaned back in his seat, fingers lacing together in a barely-concealed attempt to hold back annoyance. The fellow seemed dithery at best; something Hal hoped was genuine and not an act to attempt to cover up a felony. He didn’t like this man on instinct, but he deferred to Lady Hestony, who seemed to trust him. At least for the moment.
“Ah. Yes, Hartfield House. Here we are. Now…let me see. Ah, yes. It seems you are in arrears to the amount of a hundred pounds.”
“A hundred!” Hestony lifted her hand to her mouth, her face going suddenly white, drained with shock. Hal leaned forward in his chair, fingers gripping the desk.
“Well, it’s seventy-four pounds and eight shillings,” the fellow corrected. “But near enough as makes no difference, and…”
“It’s almost twenty-six pounds’ difference,” Hal spat. “You owe My Lady an explanation.”
“Mr. Ellington…” Hestony rested her hand on his arm and Hal tensed, wishing he could take her hand in his and kiss the fragrant skin of her wrist. He wanted to make this better for her. He couldn’t believe what this fellow was telling them!
“I am afraid this is correct, My Lady,” Lewis said. He had turned the ledger around on the desk, running a long finger under the numbers in a column. Hal leaned forward and noticed that he was correct – the final figure was negative and was indeed seventy-four pounds and a few shillings.
“How could this have happened?” Hestony said softly. “That total is dated June. This year! A month ago! How is it possible? Why were we not told?”
“My Lady…matters have been very grave. The markets were all affected by the war on the Continent – prices of jute went up, prices of cotton went down. You see, we all have these difficulties…”
“You will find yourself in difficulties, if you don’t explain in more detail,” Hal interjected, unable to contain his rage. “Excuse me, My Lady, but this story is far from complete, and needs some more explanation.”
“I agree,” Hestony said softly. Hal turned to face her. She was very pale, and he could see tears of shock trembling on the edges of her eyelids. “If…if you’ll excuse me – I think I might like to step outside for a moment, to take the air.” She nodded to the door.
“Yes, of course,” Hal nodded back, his heart aching for her. “Will you be alright there alone, My Lady?”
“Yes…I’ll be fine, sir,” Hestony whispered. She pushed back her chair and stood, heading out into the hallway. “Excuse me.”
When the door had closed behind her, Hal turned to the solicitor. He had to fight the urge to reach over and grab the man by the cravat, to shake him. He leaned back in the chair, hands linked around one leg.
“You lost that money, and I want to know where,” Hal growled. “The real reason.”
“Um, sir…” the solicitor licked his lips, blinking nervously. “You see…the stocks really have fluctuated terribly, and the Baron was heavily invested in cotton, and…”
“I believe that,” Hal nodded dismissively. “But I would like to know how that lost every penny the Baroness of Hartfield owned, and so fast! You cannot tell me that the cotton market crashed overnight.”
“No, sir.”
“What, then?” Hal demanded. “I want the truth. What I do with that is for Lady Hestony to decide. I won’t be prosecuting you.”
“Ah.” Mr. Lewis gulped in air, like somebody who’d been underwater and only now come up for breathing. “I see, sir. Well, in that case, it was lost. All of it. Very suddenly. I suggest you approach the man in the brocade waistcoat about that.” Lewis was already sneaking the account book he’d shown Hestony away.
“I want to see that,” Hal said, grabbing it. Lewis, looking like he was in agony, let it go. Hal ran a finger down the column, almost forgetting to breathe.