“If the betrothal is known to be terminated by you, Lady Templeton, that could help to distance Diana from the fallout affecting Lord Birks,” Edmund suggested, his words making Diana’s spirit soar.
“Yes,” Esther murmured thoughtfully. “Yes, that would be best, wouldn’t it? Please, could you see to it with Percy as soon as possible, Edmund? I know I can rely on you.”
Then, she sighed apologetically and excused herself to return to the sick room.
“I am sorry that I must leave you to Diana and Edmund now, gentlemen, but you will understand that with Lord Templeton so ill and now Percy injured, my time is not my own.”
“Of course, Lady Templeton,” Mr. Langford said with a bow. “I assume that your son and daughter can give us all the facts about the betrothal and legal arrangements between your family and these cousins?”
“I can find all the papers on Father’s desk,” Diana confirmed. “Edmund will make sure that the betrothal is legally voided by Percy, won’t you?”
“I will,” he said very firmly. “Immediately. Completely voided.”
* * *
“If you sign the note now, Jenson can have a footman take it to the lawyer’s office for registration before lunch,” Edmund explained. “It will then be legally valid before whatever happens at Hayward House this afternoon.”
“It’s what Mother wants,” Diana confirmed, biting her lip while standing at the door of Percy’s bedroom as Edmund presented her brother with the document rendering the betrothal agreement null and void to sign as Lord Templeton’s proxy.
Percy looked bewildered for a moment, trying to process all the explanations and instructions he had just been given. Then, he sat up determinedly and reached his hand out for the pen.
“Never mind what Mother wants,” he said with unusual purpose in his voice. “Or damned Aunt Henrietta, come to that. It seems to me that Cousin Andrew tried to get me killed in order to steal our home. That man is not marrying my sister even if both mothers begged me!”
He signed his name with a flourish and handed the document back to Edmund.
“Well said, Sir!” Edmund nodded and took the document quickly away for dispatch. Diana kissed her brother’s cheek and smiled at him.
“You look happy,” Percy observed. “Happier than I’ve seen you for a long time.”
“That’s because I am happier, you silly man.” She laughed and fluffed his pillows. “You’re getting better. I don’t have to marry Cousin Andrew… and I just have a good feeling that things are going to turn out well for our family now.”
“Diana,” Percy said hesitantly, “I wanted to apologize to you. Your instincts were right about Andrew. I should have listened to you instead of pushing you into the marriage.”
“Well, you’re listening now, aren’t you, big brother?”
Percy nodded.
“When I tell you whom I’m going to marry, or not marry, you must promise to support me.”
“I will. I do promise.” Percy smiled and then lay back as Diana left him to his rest.
* * *
As she came downstairs, an express messenger was just departing. In the hallway, Edmund, Jacob and the two constables were poring over some documents.
“Good God!” Mr. Langford exclaimed. “He’s been digging himself in deeper for years.”
“What is it?” Diana asked, following them as they walked into the library and closing the door. “Did the messenger bring something important?”
Edmund nodded.
“We had a hunch that money was at the root of this, given what Lady Katherine said and Lord Birks’s obvious predilection for gambling and liquor. So, Jacob wrote to some people he knows in the racing world and I made similar enquiries through my agents to banks and companies associated with their family.”
“Lord Birks is very heavily in debt,” Jacob continued. “He has been for some years, and it’s probably the reason why he chose to go to India five years ago. Both of his houses are mortgaged to the hilt, and Lady Katherine’s dowry is long gone. Creditors have already begun knocking at the doors, and there are some very unpleasant people threatening to have very cross words with him if he doesn’t come up with their money soon.”
“He was probably counting on your dowry to fend them off,” Edmund added. “But then, he realized that even that wasn’t enough. That’s probably why he needed to get his hands on Fernside, too.”
“What a terrible man! Poor Aunt Henrietta! Poor Kitty!” Diana exclaimed, feeling more sympathy for her relatives now that she was safe from Andrew. “What will become of them?”