Tristan froze.
Damn and blast!
He had assumed that Ledger would have informed his own sister of his dismissal. Why hadn’t he? Embarrassment? Or was it something more sinister?
“Yes,former, unfortunately. Mr. Ledger was dismissed from my employ, though not at my behest.” Tristan twisted his hat in his hand. “In the confusion surrounding my supposed demise, my cousin wrongfully terminated Mr. Ledger’s employment.”
“Oh! Gracious!” Mrs. Tolman covered her mouth with a palm.
“Indeed. I did not sanction Mr. Ledger’s dismissal, and I found the manner of it distressing. Consequently, I am searching for his whereabouts to make amends. At the very least, I wish to offer an apology, any back wages, and provide Ledger with a letter of commendation. Or, if he is amenable, to offer him a post again.”
Mrs. Tolman stood still for a moment as if struggling to accommodate his words. “It is very kind of you to come in person to inquire after my brother, Your Grace. Will you please be seated?” She motioned toward the sofa. “May I offer you tea?”
Mrs. Tolman sat in one of the armchairs.
“I am well, thank you.” Tristan took a seat on the sofa, placing his hat on the cushion beside him. “I simply require any information you can provide as to Ledger’s whereabouts. I take it he is not here with you?”
“No, Your Grace. Adam joined us for dinner some three weeks ago, as is his wont. He is a favorite with my two young sons, you see. Adam described his return journey from Scotland and his relief in finding Your Grace alive.” She bit her bottom lip. “Though he asked if he could spend the night with us, which is not entirely unheard of, but somewhat unusual. He mentioned that Your Grace had tasked him with touring several of the ducal estates, and that he would therefore be an irregular correspondent. Adam anticipated being gone for a month or two. He wished to spend more time with us before he left.”
Ah. So Ledger had hidden the news from his sister. But where had he gone after leaving his sister’s home?
“I suppose Adam’s trip was a fabrication,” Mrs. Tolman continued.
“Yes,” Tristan said as gently as he could. “Ledger’s visit with you would have been right around the time that he was wrongfully terminated from my employ.”
Mrs. Tolman nodded, her brown eyes filling with tears. “Poor Adam. He took such pride in his work as Your Grace’s secretary. He must have been devastated and at loose ends to lose his post, too embarrassed to tell us of his failure.”
“Hardlyhisfailure, Mrs. Tolman. I have always been more than satisfied with Mr. Ledger’s efforts. Hence my presence here.” Tristan tapped a finger against his thigh. “Has he written you letters since then? I gather you correspond regularly with your brother.”
Mrs. Tolman’s brow furrowed. “How odd that you should mention it, Your Grace. I was pondering just this morning that I hadn’t heard from Adam in a while. But again, I didn’tcountenance it, as he did say he might be a poor correspondent. Though knowing the whole story now . . .” Her voice drifted off.
Ledger had ceased speaking with his sister? Tristan’s fingers curled into a fist. “Could he possibly have returned to your family home? It is somewhere near Birmingham, is it not?”
Mrs. Tolman beamed in surprise. “Indeed it is, Your Grace. The village of Alvechurch, to be precise. I do not think he has returned there. I heard from my mother just yesterday, and she would have said something if Adam were staying with them in the vicarage. Of a surety, he would have told me about his dismissal before our parents. He would want to prevent that knowledge from reaching our village, if possible.”
“Is that so?”
She gave an emphatic nod. “Adam has always been our parents’ pride and joy. He was a King’s Scholar, attending Eton and then Cambridge.”
The information caused a hitch in Tristan’s breathing. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he had known that Ledger attended Cambridge, but he had known nothing of the financial arrangement of it.
King’s Scholars were charity students—bright, ambitious boys plucked from the masses to be educated alongside their aristocratic peers. It was a deep honor to be chosen and, from what Tristan had heard, incredibly challenging as charity students were ruthlessly teased and tormented. Tristan wouldn’t know, since his father hadn’t permitted him to attend Eton for fear that Tristan might make friends, and therefore have a system of support outside Old Kendall himself. That Ledger had successfully navigated the treacherous waters of Eton spoke volumes as to the man’s fortitude and intelligence.
“I was unaware of this,” Tristan said.
“Adam worked hard to be capable and meticulous in his employment. He would view his dismissal as an abject failure,something he would keep from our parents for as long as possible. The humiliation for them all within the parish would be excruciating.”
Tristan sat with this information for a long moment. Why had he known none of these things about Ledger before now? Well, he supposed because he had never asked. And Ledger certainly knew it was not his place to volunteer such personal information.
Tristan’s picture of Adam Ledger was rapidly gathering details. Not only was the man a capable secretary, but he had a sister and nephews who loved him. He had proud parents and a village that cheered on his successes.
“I see,” Tristan said. “Given all this, do you have any idea where he might have gone? I feel compelled to make amends for the unintentional harm that has been done.”
Mrs. Tolman swallowed, her hands clasped in her lap. “I cannot say with any surety. Adam does have a good friend, Mr. John Rutland, who is employed at a bank in the city. If anyone would know, I suspect it would be him.”
“Excellent. Could you provide this Mr. Rutland’s direction?”
Mrs. Tolman twisted her fingers in her skirt. “Unfortunately, no. But I can inquire of my husband when he returns from work this evening. He will likely know.”
