An Anne Perry Christmas_ Two Holiday Novels - Anne Perry [83]
Antonia blushed, but it was with pleasure. “Perhaps,” she answered, meeting the mood with hope and optimism of her own. “As soon as he is old enough we… I… shall send him to the musical academy in Liverpool. It will be terribly hard to part with him, but it is the only way he will get the education that is right for him. I can go and spend time there now and then, to be near him. It is the right thing to do.” She looked to Henry for his agreement.
He realized how bitterly hard it was going to be for her to bring up such a remarkable child alone, make the decisions, try to be both mother and father to him.
And he was about to add an even greater burden for all of them, but he could not remain silent. He could feel Naomi's eyes on him also—waiting.
He cleared his throat. “I went to Kendal today,” he began. He could feel his stomach tightening and in spite of the fire and the good food, he was cold.
They were waiting, knowing he would go on and tell them the reason.
“I went to see Percival, the forgery expert…”
“We all know it was forged,” Ephraim interrupted him. “It's already been proved in court! We need to show that Judah was murdered, and that Gower did it, out of hatred and revenge.”
“For heaven's sake, let him finish!” Benjamin said tartly. “Why did you go, Henry? What can Percival do to help?”
“I think it would be best if I gave you the whole story I found out,” Henry answered. “Rather than follow my path of discovering that Mr. Percival dislikes Gower intensely, so much so that he seems to have allowed his animosity to govern some of his decisions. He admitted he was quick to come to conclusions, and to pass them on to Judah.”
“Are you saying that he was wrong?” Ephraim demanded. “That is the only fact that matters.”
Henry ignored his manner because he understood the emotions that drove it. “The date made the property legally Ashton Gower's, but the forgery was so bad it could never have passed for genuine.”
“We know that,” Benjamin agreed. “Ashton Gower is both a villain and a fool.”
“No,” Henry contradicted him. “He may have killed Judah, which would make him a villain, but he is not a fool. And if you think about it honestly, you know that.” He leaned forward across the table. “Percival gave me the name of the original solicitor, who was not called to testify. He did not believe the deeds were forged, but he is not an expert. He was willing to be overruled.”
“Your point, Henry?” Benjamin asked. “All this means nothing.”
“Yes it does, Benjamin,” Henry replied. “Overton read the deeds very carefully. He remembered the date in particular.”
Naomi drew in her breath sharply.
“It was the same date as on the forged deeds,” Henry told them.
“That's ridiculous!” Ephraim exploded. “Why in God's name forge something and make it exactly the same?”
“Because it was obviously a forgery,” Henry answered. “And the original had been destroyed. Naturally, like you, everyone assumed that the original had been different.”
They looked stunned. He turned to each of them, one by one. It was Benjamin who realized the meaning first.
“You mean the original gave the dates that make it Ashton Gower's?” he said incredulously.
“Yes.”
“Oh, God! It…” he stopped.
Antonia was ashen. “Judah didn't know!” she said hoarsely. “He would never lie! Never!”
“Of course he didn't,” Henry agreed instantly. “But he was, as you say, an honest man, not just outwardly, but of heart and mind deep through. He went back over all he had done to prove to Ashton Gower that he was wrong. And he found what I did. He saw Overton as well, and knew that the land was Gower's. That was the day he died.”
“You mean the day he was murdered!” Ephraim almost choked on the words.
“Yes.”
“What a hideous irony!” Ephraim was white-faced, his hands clenched into fists on the table. “Gower was right, and Judah could have told him, if Gower hadn't murdered him first. He could have had his name cleared…”
“Are we sure it was Gower who killed him?” Henry