He realized the discussion had to be humiliating for Gory, but the truth needed to come out.
“So,” she said quietly, “I was merely the camouflage to hide his true purpose.”
“And it was not necessarily a harmless purpose, I fear. As I said, once you were securely wed, I do not know that Allendale would have waited so patiently for your uncle’s demise.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “That is too cold and calculating. I cannot believe Allendale would purposely hurt my uncle.”
“What makes you believe he wouldn’t? And what of you? What plans did he have for you once that inheritance was securely in your bank account?”
“No!”
“Gory, do not be naive.” The truth was going to hurt her badly, but it had to be told. “Is this not a distinct possibility? I am not saying that he would have harmed you for certain. All he needed to do was get his hands on your money. As your husband, he could have spent it however he wished, even if it left you destitute. You could not have stopped him because the law is on his side. But neither can I rule out the chance of his deciding to be rid of you, as well.”
“Leaving him free to marry Sarah after a suitable period of mourning?”
Julius sighed. “Ten thousand pounds is a goodly sum, but one hundred thousand would have made him a very wealthy man and freed him forever from the constraints of his family.”
Tears formed in Gory’s eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. “So, I was completely disposable to him.”
“Yes, Gory. I think so.” He understood how severely his words must have stung. “Blast,” he muttered softly, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I always prefer honesty, even if it is painful to hear.” She shook her head and cast him a wan smile to reassure him, but she was shivering lightly and tears were forming once again to cloud her lovely eyes. “Why should a man of independent means like Allendale bother with such an evil plot? He is the viscount, so why should he worry what his friends, family, or Society think?”
Julius shrugged. “Perhaps Allendale is not as independent as he likes to let on. His holdings might not produce sufficient income to maintain his style of living. If this is so, then he would need to remain in his family’s good graces, especially in the favor of his rich uncle who probably provides him an allowance but also keeps tight rein over all the Allendale family members, whether viscount or commoner. So, what better way to remain in his uncle’s favor than to marry you, someone I am sure his philanthropic uncle admires? Allendale gets control of your dowry which would keep Sarah comfortably supported for the next few years.”
“And he would not have to give his uncle an account since the funds did not come from his uncle’s coffers,” Gory mused.
Julius nodded. “Correct. He also acquires you, a wife who will be so involved with her forensics research that she will not bother to question him about his daily activities or particularly care where he spends his evenings.”
“That is awful.” She sighed. “But this is me, is it not? Always with my nose in a book.”
He gave her cheek a light caress. “Or poking about in the entrails of dead things.”
“Not always,” she said in lame protest, then winced. “Sometimes.”
“That you do it at all is shocking to the ton. The point is, that dastardly pair counted on you to remain oblivious and unsuspecting when your uncle suddenly died, whether by poison, natural causes, or in a tragic accident, and left you inheriting one hundred thousand pounds.”
“You are very cynical, Julius. First of all, Allendale could have married an heiress who came with a vast sum upon their wedding day. Second, just because he wanted my money does not mean he would have done anything to speed the inheritance along. He might have been willing to wait for my uncle to die of natural causes.”
“First of all, no father able to provide a dowry of over thirty thousand pounds would have settled on a viscount of questionable wealth as husband material for his daughter. That size of a dowry would have landed his precious darling an earl at a minimum, but more likely a duke or a marquess if the reward was one hundred thousand pounds.”
Gory harrumphed.
“You were chosen because your family was shockingly inattentive toward you. The added bonus was that you were you, a bluestocking who cared for your forensics research more than matters romantic. Any other new bride would have expected Allendale to be a devoted husband and would have made a fuss had he gone off to Sarah instead of attending to his blushing bride. He did not need that sort of problem to draw unfavorable attention upon himself.”
“This is conjecture about the future, but my uncle’s murder has already occurred.”
He nodded. “Which is why I do not believe Allendale killed him, although he may have planned to do it in the coming years. That someone beat him to it must have upended his schemes.”
“So, Allendale is firmly ruled out despite his reprehensible conduct?”
“That’s right. And he is reprehensible, Gory. Do not soften toward him. He lied to you and continues to lie even now that you’ve found out his secret. Sarah looks sweet and innocent, but I assure you that she is not. She is a better liar than Allendale.”
“All right, Julius. I get the point.”
“Sorry, love. But they are a dangerous pair and I do not want you to lose sight of this fact. As for your uncle’s murder, my wager is on your aunt. She stands to lose any chance at that one hundred thousand pounds upon your marriage. Indeed, your marriage has always been the key to this crime. It is why they took the time to put you in your wedding gown.”
“It was a foolish statement to make. Had they taken the time to make it look as though a robbery had taken place, Mr. Havers would have started his investigation in an entirely different direction.”
