Page 60 of How to Fall for a Scoundrel
She compressed her lips at his flattery, even as her heart beat at his proximity.
Ugh. Had he only been flirting with her to make her more likely to help him? Had his lovemaking been a cynical ploy to gain her allegiance? She hated the factthat she was questioning him, but she refused to avoid the possibility, even if it was painful.
She’d dealt with too many cases where the truth was blindingly obvious to an outsider, but invisible to those closest to the problem. Emotions clouded good judgment, and she needed some distance from Harry to get her thoughts in order.
“Here, take these with you,” he said abruptly.
He reached into his coat and handed her the Book of Hours, and the envelope of banknotes they’d confiscated from Sofia.
The morning’s events already seemed a lifetime ago.
“I trust you to return that to Bullock.” He smiled. “And as to the reward, it’s only fair that you three have it. You saved my life, after all.”
He kissed her hand, then rapped the side of the coach with his knuckles—the panel that bore the painted crest of his family—ifhis tale was true.
“Goodbye, Ellie. Don’t make me wait too long.”
Chapter Thirty
“The lost earl of Cobham?” Daisy said. “It sounds like the title of a bad Drury Lane melodrama.”
“I know,” Ellie sighed. “Should we believe him, or not?”
“The only way to find out if he’s telling the truth is to take the case and start investigating,” Tess said reasonably.
Ellie glared at the basil plant in the corner. She’d watered it yesterday, since its leaves had started to droop, and now it looked remarkably jaunty. Like its previous owner.
“I’m sure there have been other examples of people returning from the dead,” Daisy said. “Do you know any particular legal cases, Ellie?”
“My father dealt with one a few years ago, but I don’t remember the details. People often think that once someone’s been missing for a few years it’s easy for their family to have them declared dead, but it’s not necessarily true. The courts look at each individual case and assess how likely it is that the person is dead. If the missing person was known to have been on a ship that sank,for example, or was last seen wounded, during a terrible battle, then the likelihood that they’re deceased is high.
“But if someone just disappeared while traveling abroad, there’s a chance that they might still be alive. In some cases, courts have required an absence of more than a decade before they finally grant permission for the estate to be distributed to other parties.”
“Harry’s been gone for almost that long,” Tess said. “But his family never had him declared dead.”
Ellie nodded. “Petitions usually happen when there’s property involved, or when a wife wants to marry someone else. If she’s officially declared a widow, then she can’t commit adultery or bigamy, even if the ‘dead’ husband turns up alive later on.”
“That makes sense,” Daisy said. “Although think how conflicted the poor woman would feel! What a situation to find yourself in.” She shuddered.
“The courts aren’t usually in a hurry to declare someone dead,” Ellie continued. “Especially if that person is heir to an estate and a title. If it was a young, unmarried man, with no legitimate sons, then there would be a chance of him marrying and having a son while he was absent. They’d need to be sure there were no legitimate living heirs.”
Tess snorted. “That’s why it took so long to name Justin the new Duke of Wansford. Two years to find him and name him the heir!”
“But surely it shouldn’t be too difficult to prove Harry is—or isn’t—the earl?” Daisy said. “There must be documentation, like a record of his birth in the parish register.”
“I’m sure there is, but all that proves is that the eleventh earl and his wife had a male child named Henry. Westill have to prove that Harry is that same child who left the country, aged fifteen.”
Daisy tilted her head. “Even parish records can lie. After all, my birth certificate lists the Duke of Dalkeith as my father, when everyone knows myrealsire was the Italian fencing master my mother ran off with.”
Daisy’s tone was matter-of-fact, and even though Ellie knew she wasn’t bothered by her unusual parentage, she still sent her a commiserating look. The duke might acknowledge Daisy as his legitimate daughter, but he was a cold and distant man who had little time for any of his children, including her three elder half brothers.
“I’m surprised Harry didn’t just forge some documents,” Tess said with a smile. “He must have the criminal connections to do such a thing. Perhaps the fact that hedoesn’thave any proof is actually a mark in his favor?”
Ellie sniffed. “I’m sure he has plenty of fake passports and travel papers, considering how many different aliases he has. Henri Bonheur. Enrico Castellini. The list goes on. But even if he does have a real passport for Henry Brooke, that doesn’t prove he’s the same man either. There’s no description of the person on the paper, just their name. A judge would argue that he could have stolen it from the real recipient.”
“There must be someone who can vouch for him, though. What about an old schoolfriend? Or a teacher from school?”
“Or a family portrait?” Daisy suggested.