Page 80 of The Duke of Pain

“As you know, there is rarely a trial in the House of Lords,” Christian continued. “But eighteen forty-eight was a challenging year, the potato famine in Ireland, unrest and revolt across Europe, another cholera outbreak in London, and numerous workhouse scandals. The lords certainly did not want to add a thieving duke stealing money from poor children. Think of the headlines. They decided he had to be punished, which is why the secret trial.”

Christian took a seat next to Althea on the sofa. “He was found guilty, stripped of all property, including entailed, and they took all the money. He also lost his seat in the House of Lords. A bankrupt peer cannot sit. That is why the current Duke of Whinstone is not in the house.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t the lords strip the old duke of the title?” Olivia asked.

“You need an Act of Parliament to do it. They didn’t want this public. Also, the then Duke of Whinstone agreed to hand over all money. And property, even entailed, which I don’t believe is legal, but it was part of the clandestine agreement all the same. The money included the amount he had stolen, which was supposedly restored to the charity schools. All this in exchange for keeping the title. He testified that his son, Sanford, who was eight at the time, should be given a chance to restore respectability to the title. The majority of the lords on the committee—agreed.”

Gideon scoffed. “We see how that worked out.”

“Can the Queen strip the title from him?” Althea asked as she poured Christian a cup of tea and handed the cup and saucer to him.

“No, she can only do that for royal peerage titles. Besides, we would never get an audience with Queen Victoria, she is much in seclusion, and I hear her health is not the best,” Christian replied. “We must deal with the lords. We should approach the Committee for Privileges and Conduct. In fact, I spoke to one of the members unofficially, who happened to vote on the Whinstone dukedom fifty years ago.”

“My, you didn’t waste any time, Your Grace,” Olivia marveled. “How old is this lord?”

“He was twenty-three at the time of the trial. He is now seventy-three. I mentioned that the son, the current duke, is guilty of multiple criminal acts, that he has not lived up to the agreement reached a half-century ago. That I believe the dukedom should be eradicated from the peerage rolls permanently. Lord Haverstock agreed.”

Olivia clapped her hands together. “Why, that’s wonderful! Taking the dukedom would be a decided blow to the man.”

Gideon frowned. “My love, it won’t happen overnight. It will take several weeks, even months, to follow all the protocols to enact an Act of Parliament.”

“Haverstock told me we may need a Royal Assent to make the process go smoother, and more swiftly,” Christian interjected. “He offered to assist with that if needed.”

Gideon scratched his chin. “You know, The Hornsbys are looked on favorably by the Queen; it’s how Tremain acquired his viscountcy. Perhaps we could ask him, as well.”

“All this will be a moot point if we do not catch the duke in a criminal act,” Althea said.

“I will testify to his hired man abducting me,” Olivia pronounced.

Gideon took her hand and kissed it. She was so brave. “That is a beginning. But if Whinstone is stripping Foxmont bare, that will be the sugar on the sponge cake, as it were.”

Althea stood. “I am going with you, Archie. We must leave for Essex immediately.”

Gideon released Olivia’s hand and stood. “And I will be going as well. Christian?”

“I think it best I head back to Westminster and start the process with the conduct committee,” Christian replied as he sipped his tea. “I will ask them to draft a notice of intent of Whinstone’s trial in the House of Lords with the sole purpose being the stripping of his title.”

“I think that wise. Whinstone has no friends among the peerage. No one will stand up for him. None that I am aware of,” Gideon said. “We’d best prepare for our journey, then.”

“Well, I am not staying here alone,” Olivia huffed. “If you leave me behind, I will just follow you on a later train.”

Gideon reached for her hand and brought her to her feet. “My love, why would I leave you? I said I would never be from your side. Partner in all things, remember?”

Oh, how she loved this man.

“A point we must remember: rarely are peers subject to full criminal prosecution,” Gideon said gravely. “I am not saying it doesn’t transpire. With murder, there is no getting around it. However, theft of goods? An abduction that he can claim he knew nothing about? It could be tricky. Justice is not always fair. It favors the wealthy and titled.”

Stark words, and hardly just indeed.

But Olivia understood how the world worked. At the very least, if they could get his title revoked, it would be some semblance of justice, a beginning.

She glanced at Gideon, talking with Allenby and Althea. Would it be enough for Gideon, for all those years of being beaten, mistreated, and unloved? Could he find peace with his past, enough to move on with his life?

If Gideon could do it, then so shall she.

By the time they collected overnight cases and caught the train, they arrived in the town of Stanford-le-Hope a couple of hours later. Thankfully, it was still light. After renting a carriage, they were off to Foxmont.

Olivia had to admit that this was all rather exciting, pursuing a villain. And no mistake, Whinstone was a villain to his rotted core.