Page 79 of An Affair at Stonecliffe

“Oh, yes, indeed. A few years back. Some venture or other in India. Or was it Barbados? I’m not sure. Never pay much attention to things like that.”

“I was interested in the terms of the agreement. Do you by any chance have a copy of it?”

“Good Gad, no.” Penrose looked faintly offended. “A lot of legal gibberish. I leave that up to my solicitor.”

“Your lawyer was the one who drew it up?”

“Oh, yes. Well, the old man is dead now. His son’s the one who handles my business.”

“I’d very much like to speak to him about it,” Carlisle said. “If you could give me his name...”

“Of course!” He looked relieved. “He’ll be ever so much better at explaining it to you. Thompkins and Thompkins. Well, now it’s only the one Thompkins because his father died, but—”

“Thompkins!” Carlisle looked thunderstruck. “Cato Thompkins? Dunbridge’s solicitor?”

“Why, yes!” He beamed. “Do you know him? Yes, he was Dunnie’s solicitor, too. Not Cato, you understand, but his father—can’t remember his name, but it wasn’t odd like Cato—named after some Roman, if you can believe that. We were the ones, Dunnie and I, who were keen on the idea.”

“Thank you, Mr. Penrose,” Carlisle said abruptly. “We very much appreciate your help.”

“Anytime, old chap! Never mind talking about the old days.” For the first time, the cheerful look fell from his face. “Not many left to talk about them anymore.”

Noelle almost had to trot to keep up with Carlisle’s rapid strides as they left Freddie Penrose’s house. “Carlisle! Slow down. I’d prefer not to have to chase you down the street.”

“Sorry.” He slowed down, turning to look at her. “Damn that man! Nathan’s solicitor lied to us. Stood right there and barefaced lied to us.”

“I know. I was there.”

“All that time, he had the agreement. He knew exactly what it said—he’s been administering it, for heaven’s sake!”

“Why did he lie? I know it was supposed to be kept secret, but doesn’t that seem extreme—keeping all knowledge of it from the beneficiaries? Especially since yours and Nathan’s fathers are both gone and you two inherited everything.”

“I don’t know. But I am bloody well going to find out. We’re going to pay that lawyer a visit. I am damned tired of their secrecy and games. Cato Thompkins is going to give me straight answers. Now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

IT WAS ALMOST dusk when their carriage pulled into Seven Oaks. They found Cato Thompkins locking the door of his office. He looked around at the sound of their carriage, and his eyes widened as Carlisle fairly vaulted out of the vehicle and strode toward him. He took a half step back.

“Sir. Mr. Thorne. This is quite a surprise.” Thompkins’s words came out in a rush. “I was just closing up. Perhaps tomorrow—”

“Right now,” Carlisle said, cutting him off. “We can go back inside or have this conversation in public view. It’s your choice. But one way or another, you are going to give me that agreement.”

“But, sir...” Thompkins’s hand shook as he unlocked the door and started back inside. “I’ve told you...”

“A pack of lies, that’s what you’ve told me.” Carlisle strode in on the other man’s heels, Noelle right behind him. “Your father was the attorney who drew up that trust.” As Thompkins drew breath to speak, Carlisle held up a hand. “Don’t bother to deny it. I’ve just spoken with Freddie Penrose, and he told me that your father was Dunbridge’s attorney as well as his. He wrote the bloody thing. Not only that, he told me that you had been administering the trust yourself since your father’s death. Yet you stood there and told all of us that you knew nothing about it. What the devil kind of game are you playing?”

“Ah, I—well, that is...” Thompkins’s eyes darted around the room, as though help might suddenly appear. “I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have kept it secret if—that is—” Breaking off this confused speech, he thrust his fingers back into his hair, avoiding Carlisle’s eyes.

“I don’t give a damn about your excuses.” Carlisle took a long step forward, looming over the man. “I want to see that agreement, and I want it now.”

Thompkins nodded and whirled around, heading into his inner office. He pulled out a drawer and began to thumb through the papers inside. “There!” He seized a folded, blue-backed document and thrust it toward Carlisle.

Carlisle snatched it from him and opened it, scanning the document.

“Why did you keep it a secret, if you didn’t want to?” Noelle asked, knowing it was useless to try to look at the document while Carlisle was reading it.

“Why, because he told me not to. And he was my client, so I felt I should obey his wishes.”

“Mr. Penrose?” Noelle asked in astonishment. “But why would he do that? He’s the one who told us you had it.”