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Mr. Clarke pressed his spectacles up further on his nose. “It covers the expenses of the estate and the upkeep, but not much is left after that.”
“How large is the manor?”
Reaching for a file on the corner of his desk, Mr. Clarke placed it in front of him and opened it. His eyes scanned the document before saying, “It is a fine bow-front manor with canopied balconies.”
“Do you know why my father never spoke of this property to me?”
Mr. Clarke’s eyes held compassion as he revealed, “This was where your father grew up, and he watched his mother and father both die from influenza. I imagine it did not hold fond memories for him.”
“And it has a household staff?”
“It does,” Mr. Clarke confirmed.
“Would it be possible for me to reside at Lockhart Manor?”
Mr. Clarke gave her an odd look. “It is wholly possible, but I should warn you that it is not nearly as grand as Hawthorne House.”
“Nothing is as grand as Hawthorne House,” Emmeline remarked.
“I would have to agree with you there, milady.”
With a rigid back, Emmeline asked, “Does my uncle have my dowry?”
Mr. Clarke shook his head. “No, Lord Taylor did request the money to be transferred to his account, but I have not initiated the transfer yet.”
“That is a relief,” Emmeline replied. “Would it be possible to transfer the money to me?”
“I would be more than happy to accommodate that request, since it is your dowry, milady,” he said. “Although, I will need to speak to your husband to confirm I have his permission, as well.”
“I understand,” she acknowledged.
Mr. Clarke closed the file in front of him and threaded his fingers together. “I had wrongly assumed that Lord Taylor had your best interests at heart, but I am saddened to hear that is not the case.”
“As am I.”
“Now that you are married, and Lord Taylor is no longer your guardian, I am able to work with you directly,” Mr. Clarke said. “It would be my pleasure to work as your solicitor.”
“I would appreciate that.”
Mr. Clarke gave her a sad smile. “If I may, I would like to offer my condolences for the loss of your father and mother,” he said. “I worked closely with your father, and I found him to be an honorable man.”
“Thank you for that. I must admit that I miss them dearly.”
“I can only imagine, milady.”
A silence descended over the room before Emmeline rose. “Thank you for all your assistance today, Mr. Clarke. You have been most helpful.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Mr. Clarke said, rising, “and I am pleased we do not have to sue Lord Taylor for the return of your dowry.”
“As am I.”
Mr. Clarke came around his desk and went to open the door. “I shall be in contact with you, milady.”
“I will be looking forward to it,” Emmeline replied as she stepped out into the hall.
As they walked across the hall, Mary asked in a hesitant voice, “How are you faring?”
Emmeline glanced over at her. “I am not sure,” she replied honestly. “I just discovered that my uncle has been intentionally deceiving me, and I never had to get married in the first place. I could have just waited until my twenty-first birthday to receive my inheritance.”
