Page 103 of A Match of Misfortune

“Hester?” It was Mr. Markham’s voice.

Cecily hurried to her feet and toward the door, waiting for him to come into view. “She has just brought the boys upstairs but will be down shortly.”

Mr. Markham appeared slightly disheveled, and his weary smile gave Cecily pause.

“Would you care for some refreshments?” she asked, gesturing him inside, worried he might go directly upstairs and not share what news he had. “Mrs. Markham also had the servants make up a dinner plate for you if you are hungry.”

Mr. Markham glanced at the stairs, as if debating what to do. Then with one more glance at Cecily, he stepped through the library door. “I shall have dinner brought up when I go to change, but a cup of tea sounds delightful.”

He took the wingback chair nearest Adelaide, and Cecily poured him a cup, bringing it to him before returning to her own seat.

“I expect you would prefer to wait to share any news until Mrs. Markham arrives?” Bridget asked, clearly as eager for information as Cecily was.

Mr. Markham glanced toward the door again. As if willed there by her husband, Mrs. Markham stepped through.

“Edmund!” Her cheeks colored slightly, likely at having used his Christian name in company. Or perhaps at how relieved she was to see him. “I hope you were not waiting long for me.”

“I just arrived, but I have much to tell you all.”

Mrs. Markham hastened onto the settee and took Cecily’s hand in hers as if she too needed the support. Cecily did not mind at all.

“First, to ease all your minds, Nash and Fredrick were able to intercept the Dawn of India before it reached the East India Docks.”

Relief flooded over Cecily, and with the way Mrs. Markham gave her hand a gentle squeeze, she knew she was equally glad to hear it.

“It took quite a while for Nash to receive permission to have the ship docked at the London Docks instead, given the sheer size of it and that it was not expected, but he managed it eventually. I suppose the delay was fortunate, as it gave Nash an opportunity to send for his agent, who arrived just in time to oversee the unloading of the cargo.”

“So, where are the others?” Bridget asked.

“Still at the docks. I assume they will work through the night to make certain the cargo is safely transported and secured in storage.”

“That is probably wise,” Mrs. Markham said. “What with Mr. Steele’s efforts against him.”

“It seems Mr. Steele’s malfeasance went much farther than we initially thought. Captain Carter reported that near the Cape Verde Islands, a smaller unmarked ship came from the direction of the islands, getting dangerously close as if attempting to steer them toward the rocky shoals off the islands’ coast. The cannons had all been tied down due to rough seas, and though initially he had his men readying the guns, he soon realized, since the other ship was not firing on him, his bigger threat was the shallow sea he was navigating. He redirected most of his men to the front of the ship and the net near the crow’s nest and had them watch for signs of concealed rocks and reefs.”

“They made it through without incident, though?” Adelaide asked, concern touching her brow.

“Miraculously, they did. But likely because the other ship did not.”

Cecily’s lips parted, her expression matching those around her. “It ran aground?”

Mr. Markham nodded. “Apparently, they were too focused on the Dawn of India, and they overlooked a concealed outcrop of rocks just beneath the water’s surface in their own path. Captain Carter said the bow of their ship took such a blow, the thunderous crack of it sounded as though his own ship had taken a hit.”

All four ladies sat in stunned silence.

“Upon hearing Captain Carter’s account, a surveyor for the Thames River police reported the occurrence to the constable. What the constable found most interesting, and most condemning, was the fact that Nash had been told the exact location of the supposed wreck before news of it could possibly have reached England. And that over a full week after the reported date of the supposed wreck, a ship attempted to run the Dawn of India aground in that same area.

“But that’s not all. The sailors who had made the initial report were long gone, but the dockworker was brought in for questioning. To avoid punishment for his part in it, the man admitted that Mr. Steele had paid both him and the sailors a decent sum to make the false report and deliver the news to Nash.” Mr. Markham paused, as if to be sure everyone was listening. “He also admitted to delivering a letter to Mr. Woods at Mr. Steele’s request.”

“Aunt Agnes’ solicitor?” Mrs. Markham asked, wide-eyed.

“The very one.”

Cecily was having trouble making sense of it all. “It was Mr. Steele who submitted the second will?”

“There was no second will, it turns out. That is where I have been for the last few hours, at the Court of Chancery with Mr. Woods, verifying that fact. The forged letter seems to have been an attempt to stall the distribution of Nash’s inheritance. We are assuming a similar letter was sent to the Church Court in Dover, as otherwise he should have been approved as executor by now.”

Again, the room fell silent, each of them seemingly lost in thought.