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Thomas sighed as he read through the legal boundaries of his estate and the Polks’. Border and water disputes between two neighboring estates were not uncommon, given the importance of land and natural resources for agriculture and estate management. These disputes often arose from ambiguities in land titles, inheritance issues, or conflicting uses of natural resources like water.
But the Ashford Estate was an old estate, much older than the Polk estate, and the borders had been well established for centuries. While water could be an issue depending on the weather and climate from year to year, Thomas could not recall ever hearing of these issues from his father. Indeed, natural landmarks partially defined the border on the north of the Ashford Estate, which divided it from the Polk land. While some historical documents were vague, the ones in Thomas’s possession were very clear with regard to shared water sources, encroachments, and inheritance and succession.
Thomas could find nothing out of place.
Still, he scurried through the office, looking for something, anything, that would give him some clue as to what might have been happening between his father and the Polk Estate. Rather, why it had happened, as the water and border issues were clearly a ruse.
And what exactly might Jonathan Jameson have to do with it?
As far as Thomas knew, his uncle, the late Pembroke Jameson, had done exceedingly well in the Americas with his investment in gemstone mines. Indeed, Jonathan himself wore a gaudy ring containing a large ruby on his right index finger, and another, this one with sapphires and slightly less gaudy, on the pinky of his left hand. Thomas assumed these stones came from the mines partially owned by Jonathan’s family. Or rather Jonathan himself at this point, as his mother and father were both deceased and he was an only child.
So why in God’s name would Jonathan be interested in the Ashford Estate and its coffers?
Was it the title he wanted?
And why get Viscount Polk involved?
Unless they weren’t involved… Or unknowingly involved.
Thomas scurried around the office again, opening drawer after drawer, pulling leather-bound volumes off the shelves and swishing through the pages, looking for something hidden within. Eventually he stopped replacing the books and simply threw them on the ground once he was done with them.
He’d been led to believe by his own father that Uncle Pem and his family had done well in the Americas. He had no reason to believe otherwise.
He continued going through books and throwing them on the floor until?—
A gasp. “Good Lord, Thomas, what has gotten into you?”
Lily stood in the doorway. Hadn’t he locked the door when he came inside? Now he was second-guessing himself. Perhaps he had left the door unlocked when Jonathan and Polk were skulking around. He sighed. Whether he locked it now wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Lily still had a skeleton key to the entire mansion. Of course, most ladies wouldn’t dream of entering an earl’s study without an invitation, but Lily was not most ladies.
Being a duchess hadn’t changed her a bit. Not that he would have her any other way.
Lily frowned as she eyed the mess of books littering the floor. “These are Papa’s books. Some are antiques, Thomas. You can’t treat them like this. Have you gone mad?”
Thomas shook his head and looked at the mess around his feet.
His sister was right. Some of these volumes were quite old, and he may have loosened their bindings to the point that they were irreparable.
He buried his face in his hands. “I just don’t understand, Lily. What the hell is going on?”
“I have some news for you,” she said. “But first, we need to get some servants in here to clean up this mess.”
Thomas shook his head again. “No. I made this mess, and I shall take care of it.”
Lily kneeled daintily and picked up a book. “Thomas, this is a copy of the Bible. Seeing the Word of God thrown about would mortify Papa.”
Thomas shrugged. He was not nearly as religious as his father was. Still, he wondered if the fires of hell would rain down on him after having treated his father’s sacred book in such a horrid matter.
Lily placed the Bible back on the shelf. “Exactly what were you looking for?”
“I don’t know. Just a clue. Any kind of clue.”
“I think I may have something for you,” Lily said.
Thomas raised his eyebrows.
“I just shared an early luncheon with Viscountess Polk.”
“Oh?”
