Page 46 of Fortune’s Final Folly

A wolfish grin crossed Burns’ face. He obviously took Joshua’s silence as confirmation that he was prepared to entertain whatever ludicrous proposition the scheming pair had devised to once again cheat Kate and her mother out of what rightfully belonged to them.

The solicitor made a show of unbuttoning his jacket and retrieving an envelope from the inside pocket, though he did not hand it to Joshua. “I have prepared a document for Miss Katherina El—”

“Lady Katherina De Vere,” Joshua corrected, his chin raising a notch in challenge.

“Call the woman what you wish, as long as she signs the paper.” Burns waved off the correction before continuing. “If your client signs the document, my client is prepared to pay her handsomely for it.”

Certainly not as handsomely as what the deceased duke bequeathed her, Joshua thought. “How much?”

“Twenty thousand pounds, given at one time,” Burns said, his arrogance bordering on absurd.

Perhaps the solicitor and Holderness were not privy to Walter’s letter, after all. The sum was laughable compared to what Katherina had been promised.

If either gentleman thought that Joshua would agree to such a paltry sum for everything the women had endured, they were the ones not of sound mind.

“Have we an agreement?” Burns prodded, his agitation brimming.

“What is it you wish signed?” It was Joshua’s turn to push back. The solicitor obviously needed the document endorsed. When he did not answer Joshua’s question, he leaned his hip against his desk, anger flaring in the solicitor’s eyes. “I cannot bring something to my client without some explanation of what it is she is to sign and the benefits it offers to her—if it truly does benefit her.”

“I can take the matter before the courts. The settlement is generous, considering the girl wasn’t aware before a few days ago that she was the granddaughter of a duke,” Burns scoffed. “She was raised in Cheapside, for heaven’s sake. And now she thinks she deserves my client’s inheritance? Every court in the land will see her for what she is.”

“Which is?” Joshua’s hands balled into fists, and he slipped them behind his back to hide his anger at Burns’ words. The solicitor was the type of man who took pleasure in upsetting others. “Please share, Mr. Burns.”

“A status-seeking hoyden who does not deserve the title of lady.” The matter-of-fact tone in the solicitor’s declaration enraged Joshua until his vision blurred.

“My client only just learned her true identity.” Joshua spoke slowly, deliberately, begging his anger to subside, and his mind to clear. “Between you and I”—Joshua paused, working to release his built-up tension—“the sum is large for a woman of Katherina’s current means. There must be more to the situation. I am the son of a duke, Burns, I understand how things go, more than most.”

Joshua sensed the animosity Burns directed at him swiftly turn to comradery.

He’d convinced the solicitor that, as a peer, Joshua knew the overreaching hand of those beneath him. It was exactly as he wanted Holderness’ man to think.

Burns seemed resigned. He stuffed the envelope back into his breast pocket and re-opened the folder he held, taking out a single sheet of paper and handing it to Joshua.

The handwriting was similar to the letter Kate had received the night before, but the script was nowhere near as erratic. This had been written with great thought, not the impending urgency of a man who saw his end in sight.

It was the Duke of Shrewbury’s officially recorded last will and testament.

Much of the single page read as many of the wills Joshua drafted in his time with Stuart and Lords did. A list of assets, properties, investments, sums of money owed to others, as well as a few notes owed to the dukedom. There was mention of livestock, crops, and tenants—yearly repair and maintenance figures for a farming property near the town of Bampton, Oxfordshire. The Shrewbury dukedom was not the wealthiest title he’d seen, but it was far from being considered impoverished.

Toward the bottom of the page, Shrewbury’s script turned bold as if he’d pressed the quill into the paper a bit too hard. The section was only a few sentences, and Joshua scanned the words before his stare darted to the beginning once more to read with purpose.

I, the Duke of Shrewbury, of sound mind and body, do so intend and decree that all my worldly possessions, property, and funds not entitled to the dukedom are herein bequeathed to Lady Katherina De Vere, also known herein as Miss Katherina Elliott of Cheapside, the only child of the Earl of Holderness, Pierce De Vere. As of this decree, my heir apparent’s absence from polite society is known to all of England. If in the event that my son, Pierce, returns to England, he may inherit one-half of all non-entitled possessions, property, and funds if two stipulations are met:

The Earl of Holderness agrees to find and make amends with his only daughter, Lady Katherina De Vere

The Earl of Holderness returns to his responsibilities without tarnished name or reputation.

If the heir apparent to the Shrewbury dukedom does not wholly agree and execute these wishes, he shall not inherit anything but the title of duke and Shrewbury Gardens itself. He will forfeit all else to Lady Katherina De Vere.

In the unfortunate event that Lady Katherina De Vere expires before the heir to the Shrewbury dukedom, Pierce De Vere shall be granted the Shrewbury estate in its entirety.

Joshua read the final sentence several times.

If Kate perished, Holderness inherited everything: possessions, wealth, and property—without question.

“Has the earl seen this document?” Joshua asked.

Burns plucked the will from Joshua’s hands and tucked it back into the folder before closing it. “Of course, he received it a few weeks ago.”