Chapter 48
Regardless of how his opinion of Vanessa had changed, and separate from the ‘fair and equal’ contractual relationship they had established, Theodore considered this a reasonable and sufficient compensation for what had been a pleasant summer.
After all, he had deceived Vanessa and, in a sense, enjoyed her misunderstanding. Edgar, unaware of this fact, seemed quite shocked, clearly believing that Theodore had gone to such great lengths for the sake of love alone.
“You’re planning to pour a literal fortune in gold into this worthless scrap of land, yet you won’t get married?”
Theodore relaxed his stiff posture slightly and leaned back against the chair.
“She is a woman worth that much, and marriage offers no benefits. I am perfectly satisfied as things are.”
“…Does the lady know you’re doing this?”
“She doesn’t. Nor does she need to.”
Edgar looked across at his cousin, looking uncharacteristically speechless.
“I really… I don’t usually say things like this. No, I never even imagined I’d find myself saying this to you….”
“What.”
“Don’t regret it later, Theodore.”
“…….”
“What is it? Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
Edgar flinched, raising his arms defensively in a rather comical display. It wasn’t as if they were going to get into a fistfight like they did when they were six or seven.
“Say it again.”
“Say what?”
Stunned by the command, Edgar briefly retraced their previous conversation before asking back suspiciously.
“Your name? Theodore?”
“Why? It feels disgusting when you say it.”
“…Wow.”
Just as a stunned Edgar was about to retort, the door that had been firmly shut finally opened. The Earl of Essex hurried across the room and took a seat opposite them. Judging by the plump face full of futile hope for the future, it seemed his discussion had ended well.
“Goodness. I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting so long.”
The Earl took his seat, making a show of scratching at the few strands of hair he had left.
“As for our terms—well, since Your Excellency is investing such a vast sum for the development of the South, I naturally want to hand over the land for a pittance. However, an estate isn’t exactly an asset I can dispose of at my own whim, is it? It has been protected by my family for generations….”
“You must have a specific price in mind.”
“Oh, well, to be honest, I do. However… an advisor will be here shortly with our formal terms. The Earl of Somerset will also arrive within ten minutes.”
“Splendid.”
Theodore checked his pocket watch and snapped it shut with a sharp click. Ten minutes was an adequate amount of time to size a man up. He crossed his long legs elegantly and rested his lightly interlaced fingers upon his knee.
That simple gesture alone radiated a sense of intimidation from the young Duke that defied his years.
“Then let us begin coordinating the terms.”
—As you know, My Lady, the will was drafted as a notarized deed, and there were no issues with the registration process. I do not understand why you are doing this.
Vanessa bit her lip anxiously and adjusted her grip on the receiver. Listening to the businesslike voice coming through the telephone made her feel like a petulant child throwing a pathetic tantrum.
“I’m not trying to question the validity of the deed. You were the one who notarized for my parents, so I simply wish to meet and discuss something with you.”
—I’m afraid there is nothing I can help you with.
“I just need the address.”
—If you wish to verify the person who notarized the will, you can go to the County Court. The name and address of the lawyer who performed the notarization are listed there without any concealment.
“I’ve already looked all that up.”
—…You’ve looked it all up?
Vanessa straightened her back as if the person on the other end of the line could see her. She didn’t want him to sense how intimidated she felt.
“Georges Header. He is currently missing, unmarried, and has no other relatives. I even went to the location listed as his office, only to be told it closed down years ago. And….”
It was a connection she had barely managed to find after scouring every old record registered at the North Somerset County Court. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away so fruitlessly. She hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“I also confirmed that during the time Mr. Header was acting as our family’s advisor, you also had the same address registered as your office.”
A loud, crackling noise came through as the lawyer let out a deep sigh. Vanessa pulled the receiver away from her ear for a moment before immediately clutching it desperately again.
—Do you have any idea how many lawyers in this world share an office?
“But it’s rare for them to exchange letters of recommendation. It was through Mr. Header’s recommendation that you were hired as our family’s advisor. Am I mistaken?”
—…How on earth did you find such information… No, never mind. It’s not exactly a grand secret. Regardless, I have nothing more to tell you regarding him.
“According to the information I found….”
—Lady Vanessa.
The lawyer’s voice, which cut Vanessa off, was laced with fatigue. He sounded as if he were barely tolerating her only because she was his employer’s niece, and that he wanted to hang up immediately.
—Since you seem to have your own urgent reasons, I will be honest: we were introduced by sheer chance and shared an office for barely six months. I hardly ever shared a private conversation with him.
“Have you not seen him since?”
—I swear to God. Does that answer your question?
“Then just one last thing.”
Vanessa hurriedly continued, her fingers unraveling the coiled telephone cord.
“I confirmed that there were a total of three lawyers registered at that office at the time. You, Mr. Header, and one other person. I heard that person was the very first to work as our family’s lawyer. However, the person who gave me the information said the records related to him were deleted upon request. Legally, once five years have passed since the termination of a contract….”
“Does the Earl know you are investigating such things?”
“Not yet.”
Vanessa ignored the sharp prick of her conscience. The lawyer’s words sounded like an interrogation, asking how she could possibly suspect her own flesh and blood in such a terrible way—even if that wasn’t his actual intention.
“I know I am making an unreasonable request. But could you please understand that this matter is important enough to me that I must do this?”
The lawyer fell into a very long silence. It was so long that she might have mistaken it for a disconnected line if not for the occasional sound of his breathing.
Anxiously, Vanessa tightly gripped the gold locket around her neck. The appraisal results from the jeweler had arrived this morning. They said the locket was solid gold and that, given the craftsmanship, the probability of it being a fake was extremely low.
It was certainly an item that at least a wealthy member of the gentry or the nobility would have cherished as an heirloom….
She hadn’t been in her right mind since hearing that.
‘There might be something I don’t know about my parents’ death.’
That thought became a conviction when she visited the police station to try and find the vagrant one more time. The officers, looking bewildered, told her they had never taken a vagrant into custody and did not know any officers matching her description.
They said no patrols had been sent to that area that morning, and there were no reported records of the incident.
‘If he was so desperate for money, why didn’t he sell this sooner?’
There was only one answer: it was stolen property. If he were caught selling it, the circumstances of how he obtained it would also be discovered. Since he couldn’t throw it away either, it seemed he had kept it on his person for years without even being able to get it properly repaired. If not for that loose hinge, she might never have recovered it.
The suspicion that it might not belong to her parents was closer to a desperate doubt. What were the chances that a piece of jewelry looking exactly like the one in her memory would happen to have the first letter of her mother’s name perfectly engraved on it? Furthermore, the portrait inside….
Vanessa quickly gathered her wandering thoughts. Now was not the time to be lost in idle fantasies.
“I want to know about that lawyer. If you tell me his name or address, I promise on my name that I won’t bother you with calls anymore.”
—Why on earth are you looking for my predecessors? You already know that a woman cannot inherit the land or the title.
“I can’t go into detail, but it’s related to a… painting I found. A painting my parents commissioned.”
Static hissed through the receiver again. Vanessa gripped the phone with both hands, suddenly feeling anxious.
“Hello?”
—…I will give you only the name and the address.
“Wait a moment.”
Vanessa scrambled to pull out a clean sheet of paper and dipped her quill deep into the ink. She then pressed the receiver between her cheek and shoulder to hold it in place.
“Just a second… I’m ready.”
—It is Viscount Dawson. If he hasn’t moved, he should still be at 427 Lethe Street. He’s been retired for quite some time due to his age, so I believe he no longer takes on clients.
“427… Lethe Street…. Thank you truly.”
As she let out a deep breath of relief and offered her sincere thanks, she heard a small grumble mixed with a sigh from the other end. He seemed to be regretting his meddling.
—Bear this in mind. If the Earl asks, I never mentioned this name to you.
