Matlock sighed as he pulled the stopper on the Scotch. He poured two glasses and handed one to Darcy. “It’s a finance bill for military funding. Vital, really, given our current situation with France. But there are private interests—wealthy and powerful ones—who oppose it for their own personal gain.”
Darcy took a sip of the Scotch and had to fight back a faint cough. Matlock somehow always found a stiffer whiskey than Darcy was accustomed to. “Who is behind this opposition?”
Matlock’s eyes narrowed, and he stared into his glass for a long moment. Darcy watched his uncle’s face, noting the deep lines of concern. The silence stretched—whatever troubled Matlock was significant.
“Uncle, you seem particularly burdened by this matter,” Darcy ventured carefully. “If it is something where I might offer assistance or at least a sympathetic ear, you may count on my discretion.”
Matlock sighed heavily, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “Well do I know that, but it is... complex, Darcy. Sometimes, secrecy is necessary even within the family.”
Darcy nodded. “I understand. I hope you have prudent counsel, then.”
Another long pause followed. Matlock seemed to be wrestling with his thoughts, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. Finally, he looked up, meeting Darcy’s gaze. “It is Lord Wexfield. He is causing me all manner of bother.”
Darcy sipped more of the Scotch. “Wexfield? From Lincolnshire?”
“The very one. Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Committee on Military Affairs. Also sits on the Committee of Public Expenditure and the Committee on Foreign Relations.”
Darcy puckered his lips in thought. “Rather a powerful fellow.”
“Powerful, and after his own interests.”
Darcy scoffed. “Name a man in Parliament who is not.”
The earl shook his head. “Wexfield is something altogether different. If he could, he would revoke financial support for the entire war effort and divert the gold into his own coffers. The devil take the hindmost.”
“He is not a Napoleon sympathiser, is he?”
“I suspected that at first, but no. No, I think Wexfield is a Wexfield sympathiser.”
Darcy straightened and set down his glass. “What, specifically, has he done to make you think that?”
Matlock sighed heavily and rubbed his temples before responding. “It is a matter of his actions, Darcy. He is the chairman of the Committee of Supply, and consistently he has argued against funding for critical war measures. He has used his influence to block bills that would send much-needed supplies to our troops on the Continent, arguing instead for domestic investments that conveniently benefit his own interests.”
Darcy frowned. “Surely, there are legitimate reasons to argue for domestic investments during wartime.”
“Legitimate reasons, perhaps,” Matlock conceded, “but not when it comes at the cost of our soldiers’ lives. Wexfield has been particularly insistent on reducing the budget for military provisions and reinforcements. Every time there is a discussion about fortifying our positions or sending additional troops, he is there to argue against it.”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed. “Is there more?”
The earl nodded, his face grim. “He has also been vocal in the Naval Affairs Committee, pushing for reductions in shipbuilding and naval maintenance. He claims it is to reduce the national debt, but our navy is our first line of defence. Weakening it now, of all times, is pure folly.”
“Is that all?”
“No, he has taken it a step further by obstructing the passage of the Finance Bill, which would allocate funds for our ongoing campaigns. His opposition has delayed critical support and allowed our enemies to gain ground. But the worst…” Matlock shuffled in his seat, frowning and pouring himself more Scotch. “He has been gathering power in the lower House by ‘buying’ MPs. It is well known among those of us in certain circles, but no one has been able to prove it or do anything about it.”
Darcy’s frown deepened. “How?”
Matlock leaned back, his expression dark. “You know the lower House controls most financial legislation.”
Darcy nodded.
“Wexfield has been rallying support there, and some of his backers are newly elected members with dubious backgrounds. There are whispers that he’s using his wealth tosway votes, ensuring that any motion he opposes is defeated. But proving it? That is another matter entirely.”
A chill shivered down his spine. The idea that someone could be actively working against the country’s interests from within was deeply unsettling. “And this finance bill for military funding—how does Wexfield gain from diverting it?”
Matlock sighed, his fingers drumming on the armrest of his chair. “Wexfield has substantial investments in several industries that stand to benefit if the war effort is weakened. He owns shares in companies that supply goods to the French, and he has financial interests in neutral territories that profit from trade disruptions. By blocking military funding, he ensures that those investments remain profitable.”
“He is deliberately weakening our position to line his own pockets?”
