Page 38
“We can wait,” Jasper said. “Can you tell me how much is available today?”
“I will check. If you would please give me a moment.” The sound of a chair scraping meant the banker stood.
“Are you unwell?” Bettina asked. “You look about to faint.”
“I’ve been suffering from upset stomach,” the banker replied. “May I inquire how the young Mr. Yarnsby met his demise?”
“He fell ill,” Bettina replied and sniffed. “It was very quick.”
“My sincerest condolences,” the banker replied. Footsteps neared, and the man entered the room. He let out a long breath and sunk into a chair.
Alexander gave the man an annoyed look. It wasn’t as if his life was threatened. He supposed knowing they’d attempted to kill him could be distressing.
“Mr. Yarnsby.” The constable motioned for Alex to follow him out. “I will approach first to ensure they are not armed.”
He bit back a curse and nodded. Following the man out, he kept his gaze sharp, needing to see the duo’s reaction.
At first, they focused on the constable, then upon his appearance, their eyes widened.
Jasper jumped to his feet, his face contorted in rage. “Why aren’t you dead?”
“You killed the wrong man,” Alexander replied dryly.
Unlike her brother, Bettina seemed to shrink into the chair, her pale face turning white. She looked from Alex to her brother. “You said he was dead. How is this possible?”
“Shut up, Bettina,” Jasper snapped. “Don’t say a word.”
Bettina began to sob, her thin shoulders shaking. “I don’t want to be jailed.” When she flailed and flopped onto the floor, Jasper took advantage of the distraction and sprinted to the front door.
Thankfully, the constable had posted two officers at the door, and he was nabbed immediately.
Jasper glared at Alexander. “Why should you get everything? He was our father; he should have left us something.”
Despite the anger, Alex walked up to Jasper. “I allowed you to close one account and keep the money. Instead of taking that and quitting, you decide to kill me and take everything.”
As there was nothing he could say in response, Jasper looked past him to his sister. “Bettina had nothing to do with this.”
“We were informed by the local constable that you were both in Berkhamsted,” the constable replied. “It will be up to the judge to decide your fates.”
When Jasper was taken out, two other men escorted a still sobbing Bettina out. She looked at Alexander. “Father would not stand for any of this.”
“If he was your father, he would have left you something,” Alexander replied. “My father would not have left you without financial recourse.”
Her face contorted with fury. “He was my father. He was.”
Alexander remained rooted to the spot until William came up to him. “Let’s review the papers they brought. Perhaps some of them are legitimate.”
* * *
It was late in the evening when Alexander finally put down the paper he’d read several times. An expert had arrived and authenticated only a birth certificate. Everything else was forged. The death certificate for Alexander, of course, as well as a copy of Lord Torrington’s Last Will and Testament were fake. Both had William Torrington listed as their father. The mother was a woman named Natalia d’Arques.
“Now we know what N.D. stands for,” William said in a flat tone.
“What now?” Alexander asked the inspector who’d remained at the bank with them.
He’d met the man only once before and admired his dedication to maintaining law and order in London. The man stroked his mustache. “We will be in touch with you once we question them. All the evidence must be reviewed.”
“Thank you,” Alex replied, watching the papers being placed into an attaché.
