“I have discovered the letter that my … father … wrote. I now know what led to his murder on the night of the coronation.”
Lord Trafford picked at his lapel of purple silk, the gold and emerald signet ring on his pinky flashing brightly, before purring in a supercilious tone. “Your father … or your uncle?”
The baron turned from the window to scowl at his clownish friend. “You know of that?”
Trafford merely arched a brown eyebrow in response. Aidan experienced a surge of indignation at being left in the dark, leaning forward. “What is Trafford talking about?”
Filminster sighed. “I suppose the gossip has been circulating, so I might as well speak the truth … The late baron was my uncle who married my mother to save the family from shame. My true father, his older brother, died weeks before the wedding.”
Aidan pulled a face at this unsavory disclosure. “Faugh!”
His brother-in-law chuckled dryly. “Just so.”
“May I read the letter?” Trafford had straightened from his lazing position. His indolent air had evaporated, and Aidan glimpsed for a moment what it was that Filminster appreciated about his arse of a friend.
Filminster pulled a folded page from inside his coat,walking over and handing it to Trafford to read. Aidan watched intently, noting that the other honorary lord, heir to the Earl of Stirling, grew solemn. Trafford whistled through his teeth, looking up to shake his head in disbelief, his affectation of wheat curls bouncing over his cropped brown hair. “This provides a serious motive for murder. This is both wealth and power at stake.”
Aidan held out his hand expectantly, Trafford handing the letter to him without comment. It was covered in splotches of ink which obscured some of the words as if a censor had taken a quill to it, but what he read made his blood run cold.
Sir Robert Peel
London, July 19, 1821
Sir,
It has come - - my attention that the true heir to Lord - - - - - - - - has not been acknowledged.
I was speaking with his lordship before the coronation, and he informed me of his recent bout of ill health. He spoke fondly of his youngest brother, informing - - of his strength, intelligence, and wit at great length. There was no mention of his lordship’s middle brother, Peter, who you may be aware died near twenty years - - -.
Peter and I attended Oxford together, - - - his death was tragic - - - unexp- - - - -. I have thought of him often over the years, which is why I feel the need to pass this information - - - - - -u.
Before departing England, Peter married a wom- - of Catholic descent. She convert- - - - - - - - - were married - - - - - Church of England, before leaving our shores. I maintained correspondence with him until his death. He had written just months before his death to inform me of the birth of his son.
I cannot say for certain where the boy and his mother are - - - - - all these years, but he would be the true heir and I implore you to look into th- - matter. - - - - - - - - - is the true heir to the title of - - - - - and his father’s legacy cannot be ignored.
I understand the trials of being a second son, and I cann- - allow this matter to stand. Whether - - - - terrible injustice is a mistake due to ignorance of the child Peter sired, or a deliberate obfuscation of the facts, I must speak on my friend’s behalf. His son is the true heir and must be found immediately. I will locate our shared correspondence when I return to Somerset and have them forwarded to - - - - - - - - - - -
J. Ridley, Baron of Filminster
Aidan absorbed what he had just read before slowly exhaling, the implications setting in. “Lily is in serious danger if the killer believes his secret might be contained within the walls of Ridley House.”
Trafford snorted. “And the culprit would be correct, considering the letter you are holding.”
“There is insufficient information to reveal his identity!” Aidan’s protest was met with a twist of Trafford’s lips.
“There is enough. An elderly lord, suffering from a recent bout of ill health, with a younger brother named Peter who died some twenty years ago, and an even younger brother set to inherit his title. Who has likely killed the baron to conceal the knowledge of the true heir in order to secure his inheritance? It drastically reduces the number of suspects.”
“Precisely,” Filminster responded. “Lily and I spent last evening and this morning comparing a recent copy of Debrett’s to a copy from thirty years ago to compile a list of peers. The runner, Briggs, is investigating what happened to each of the Peters to learn the circumstances of their deaths.Thus far, we have a list of six heirs who might fit the description, which is why I need your help.”
Aidan was brought back to the declaration that started this conversation. Filminster needed his assistance to secure Lily’s safety. “What do you need?”
Filminster cleared his throat, twisting the toe of his boot on the bright Aubusson rug adorning his study floor while his dark chestnut curls fell forward over his face. “It is much to ask …”
Trafford smirked. “That has not stopped you before.”
“This is different, Julius. My bride is in danger.” Filminster inhaled deeply before continuing. “If anything happened to Lily, I would never forgive myself.”
Nor would I.
