“Why not?” She asked.
“Since your uncle had taken control of the viscounty, he had mandated that no legal documents shall be shared without his permission,” Baur said.
“Is that your polite way of telling me that he has bankrupted the viscounty?” She asked.
Beads of sweat began to break out on the steward’s forehead. “I cannot say, Your Grace.”
Her teeth ground together. “Is it true that he is trying to sell the manor house Mother is living in?”
“I cannot say, Your Grace.” Baur’s eyes were starting to bulge.
“What can you tell me?” she pressed.
Baur was mopping his brow now. “Your Grace, I cannot tell you anything as regards the legal documents.”
Her jaw clenched, “What is my uncle doing with the viscounty?”
“I cannot say.”
“Has he found more investment partners?”
“I—I am not sure.”
“Has he paid the debts father was managing?” she asked.
Baur was pale. “Ma’am, please understand that I cannot disclose any details.”
“Why else would he want to try to sell the home my mother is living in? Why else would he put his brother’s wife on the street?” Ariadne said.
. “Your Grace, I wish I could help you; I really do, but my hands are tied. If I do as you ask and he finds out, my livelihood is endangered.”
“So, you would rather lie and cover the misdeeds of a greedy man with no conscience,” Ariadne said calmly. “I mistook you, Mr. Baur. As did my father, I would imagine.”
That seemed to push him from cringing under her accusations to defending his reputation. His spine straightened, and his brows lowered. “Your Grace, even with my limited power, this matter should be handled between lords.”
Stunned at his sudden turn and his insult to her intelligence, Ariadne’s mouth opened and closed twice before she found her words. “You question my intelligence to understand simple numbers?”
“I simply think the female constitution is not suited for these matters,” he said.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. James linger at the doorway with a cup of tea in hand. The poor man looked as if he were in the middle of a shooting match and scared to move in case he got hit.
He seemed to steel himself and came forward to rest the fine China cup and saucer before her. “Weak Hyson tea, a splash of cream, and a single cube of sugar,” he said. “I remember how you used to take your tea, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Mr. James, but I won’t be staying.” She stood. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Baur.”
She felt a knot of frustration inside her breast as she headed out to the carriage to come around. Unsure of what her next move would be, she wondered if Cedric should have come, if Baur would have folded under Cedric’s powerful pull.
“Where to, Your Grace?” the footman asked as the carriage stopped and he went to open the door.
“Home,” she said tightly while taking his help into the vehicle.
Rolling his neck, Cedric winced at the bite in his stiff muscles. Taking a cue from his misstep with Draven, he’d made sure to investigate this new candidate, and when the report had come back a clean slate, he’d felt one trouble drop off his shoulder.
He looked over a note from Hunt. Leander was still holed up in that club, most likely waiting for a ship so he could scurry off to the new world or wherever his fancy took him.
Flicking the card back to the drawer, he settled back into his chair. “If you want to go, Leander, I won’t stop you. But you are not going without an apology and an explanation.”
Shunting another folio to the side, he promised himself only one more task and reached for it— his door slammed in, and Ariadne swept in like a hurricane.
