Page 61 of A Countess of Convenience

“And yet I await such lunacy every day. Lord Haxby, I presume?”

Repressing a smile, John nodded.

“Thank you, Withers. You may go. I believe I am safe. Lord Haxby has no reputation as a pickpocket.”

“Yes, sir. My lord.” Withers bowed and bolted from the room.

Sir Reginald rose and extended his hand. “Sir Reginald Matthews, my lord, at your service. Thank you for coming all the way down here. I find less and less time available to me for private investigatory work that must be scheduled around my magisterial duties.”

“Thank you, Sir Reginald.” John shook hands then seated himself in the large Chippendale chair across the desk from Matthews. “This business is somewhat delicate in nature, in that it concerns my wife’s daughter and her guardianship. Mr. Johnson advised me that you have had dealings with Lord Downing in the past. I hope with that specialized knowledge you will be able to help us.”

“Lord Haxby, I have information for you, although I am not sure how much good it will do you. But I need to be perfectly honest with you regarding my connection with Lord Downing.”

The grave countenance before him sent a shiver of foreboding down John’s spine. “Pray continue, Sir Reginald. If you have information that will return my wife’s daughter to us, I cannot think your connection to Downing can be of any consequence to us.”

“And I agree you would be right to think that, however, you may indeed change your mind about it, and me, once you have heard it.” He sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together. “This past January, I was asked to be Lord Trevor’s second in a duel between him and Simon Harper. I was there when, after the duel, Harper tried to shoot Trevor in the back and was stopped by the efforts of a Miss Violet Carlson, now Lady Trevor. So I was witness to the injury that cost your wife her first husband.”

Whatever John had thought Sir Reginald would reveal, that had not been it. Stunned, he sat with that extraordinary information for a moment. For himself, he had only admiration for Lord Trevor or his wife or whoever had rid the world of the brute Simon Harper. How Judith might feel about it was something else entirely. “Allow me to say, Sir Reginald, that for myself, I have no problem working with you despite this rather complex connection you have with my wife. How she will feel, I frankly cannot say. However, I assure you that she will not turn away any information you have regarding her daughter.”

“That is fair, my lord. If you have a mind to, you may simply omit where the following information came from.” He opened a drawer and withdrew three pieces of foolscap, each one completely covered in neat handwriting. After perusing each one to his satisfaction, he stacked the papers and handed them to John. “If you like, I can summarize what I have found out regarding Miss Anna Harper and Lord Downing.”

The magistrate’s serious tone did not bode well for his information. Bracing himself, John said, “Please do, Sir Reginald.”

“The gist of it is that Lord Downing has recently signed a contract betrothing his granddaughter, Anna Harper, to the son of the Earl of Swindon.”

“He’s done what?” He couldn’t have heard the man right. “Betrothed a six-year-old child to Swindon’s son?”

“Seven years old.” Matthews took the packet of papers back, sifting through them until he came upon the passage he was looking for. “The child had a birthday in early March. The law states that a child can be betrothed at the age of seven, so Downing had to wait for her birthday to pass before submitting the paperwork. The betrothal document was signed the day after the child turned seven.”

Never had John been rendered speechless until now. Shaking his head, he could not fathom a guardian—a grandfather, no less—doing such a thing to a child. Taking a breath brought a new idea, which John grasped in hopes the situation had not ventured into depravity. “Does it say which son she is betrothed to? Perhaps the idea would not be quite so bad if both children are a mere seven or eight.”

Matthews perused the document. “Apparently there is only one son, Lord Fenton, who is currently one and twenty.”

“Dear lord.” How was he ever going to tell Judith? Without a doubt, she would go after Lord Downing with murder in her heart and a weapon in her hand.

“Lord Downing has done this before, Lord Haxby. I don’t know if your wife told you that Miss Harper was betrothed to my friend, Lord Trevor, unofficially from birth, although the formal documents were signed on Miss Harper’s seventh birthday.” Matthews leaned forward, peering at John with an earnest look. “Do not fear that Miss Anna Harper will be delivered to Lord Fenton at her present tender age. Miss Harper was supposed to marry Trevor at age eighteen. You will have some time to break both the guardianship and the betrothal.”

John breathed a sigh of relief. “That is true, Matthews. We needn’t be overly distressed. Ten years or more will give us ample time to rectify this dreadful situation.”

“I will caution you, my lord, that although current custom has ladies marry from about the age of eighteen, English law will allow a marriage to be performed when the girl is twelve years of age with consent of her parent or guardian.” Matthews looked as though he had a bad taste in his mouth.

“You cannot be serious.” How was such a thing allowed? “Twelve years old is a child surely. Why would anyone wish to wed a child?”

Matthews shrugged. “From what I have gleaned, the law dates from the time of the middle ages, when a girl’s marriage was arranged as soon as she had her first courses. At that point, she was considered an adult, able to bear children. It truly was a common practice that has fallen into disuse.” He shook his head. “Still, it is legal according to the law.”

Unable to grasp this barbarism fully, John sat wondering what to do. He’d hoped to be able to deliver Judith’s child to her. To give her this news instead would devastate her. “And because he has done nothing illegal, none of this can be used against Downing to show he is unfit as guardian.”

“Unfortunately, that is true. If we are to prove him unsuitable, we must find something we have so far missed regarding his finances or character.” Matthews drummed his fingers on his desk. “Do you know why Downing settled so much on the child to begin with?”

“Miss Harper said she believed it was due to his grief over his son’s death. He transferred all that Simon Harper would’ve inherited to his daughter, to keep that connection to his son.”

“Miss Harper is a sweet lady, but she may not know the truth of the matter.” The magistrate took out a sheet of foolscap, mended his pen, and began to write. “I have questions for several people, including my wife.”

“Let me congratulate you on your recent marriage, Sir Reginald. But what connection does she have to Lord Downing?” Rather odd that Lady Matthews might have something to do with this matter.

“No direct connection, however, my wife is an extremely good listener at parties.” The man’s lips puckered briefly as though he were trying not to smile. “If there is any gossip to be had about Downing, she will have heard it.”

John rose, troubled but hopeful. Matthews seemed the most capable person regarding the law he’d ever met, including Blanchard. “Thank you, Sir Reginald. You have given me some hope this may all come right before it is too late.”