Fallen Grace - Mary Hooper [63]
‘What’s he done?’ James opened and closed his mouth several times, then was moved to stand up and give vent to his feelings. ‘What has he done?’ he asked. ‘He’s died abroad and left you his complete fortune, that’s all! You and your sister are probably the richest young women in the whole of London!’
There was a long pause when Grace could neither speak nor move; indeed she went so still that the snow settled on the brim of her black bonnet, so that it looked as if it was edged in ermine.
At last she said, ‘You must be mocking me, sir, and it is not kind of you.’
‘Indeed I am not. I promise I am not,’ James said very sincerely, sitting down again.
‘A fortune?’ Grace asked. ‘A fortune, you say?’
‘Indeed. A king’s ransom, I have heard.’
‘And are you quite sure that it’s my sister, Lily Parkes, who is being sought?’ Grace asked, dizzy and confused.
‘I am perfectly sure. The legacy is left to your mother and Lily, but as your father didn’t know of your existence and your mother is dead, then you are her direct legatee.’ He gave a great clap of laughter. ‘We’ve looked at the advertisements often enough in chambers, speculated so much about where the girl and her mother might be, that I know the details by heart.’
‘So the Unwins know all this, too,’ said Grace.
‘I rather think so.’
‘And Lily hasn’t run off with a young man.’
‘Indeed not. The Unwins must be keeping her somewhere, grooming her in order to swindle you both out of the inheritance.’
‘Oh, Lily!’ Grace suddenly cried.
James was silent, thinking deeply for fully two minutes while the snow fell around them. Before he spoke again he took Grace’s hand in his own. ‘I will take advice about what to do,’ he said, ‘but in the meantime you must stay with the Unwins, keep a watchful eye on what goes on and play the mute.’
‘That last part won’t be difficult,’ Grace said wryly.
‘But I beg you to be careful. Together, the Unwins are a very powerful family. The cousin . . .’
‘Sylvester Unwin?’
‘Yes, he. He’s extremely rich, fiercely ambitious and undoubtedly crooked – but there’s talk of him becoming Lord Mayor of London. If crossed, he would make a formidable opponent.’
‘You think he’s involved, too?’
‘Most definitely. The Unwins always work together.’
‘But surely . . . surely you know what to do to stop them? Surely there’s something that can be done?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve given you an inflated idea of my powers,’ he said, ‘when actually I’m the most junior member of chambers and have as much authority as the man at the end of the street selling matches.’
Grace managed to smile a little despite her disappointment.
‘No, this delicate matter calls for some cunning. I shall confide in one of the senior barristers and ask his advice.’
‘How will I know what’s happening? Shall I come here again?’
He thought for a moment. ‘Would you be able to leave the house for a short while in the evenings?’
‘Possibly,’ said Grace.
‘We must arrange a venue. Do you know the letter box at the top of Edgware Road?’ On Grace nodding, he continued, ‘I pass it each evening about eight o’clock; I could break my journey and wait there for you.’
‘You may have a long wait – I may not be able to get out.’
‘I’ll be there every night for up to an hour until you do come,’ James said. ‘And together we’ll decide what should be done.’
Grace smiled at him tremulously. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’
‘It’s my pleasure,’ he said. ‘This is a very renowned case and may help my name become known in the legal world. Besides . . .’
Grace looked up at him.
‘Besides . . .’ he said again, and then merely squeezed her hand and smiled until Grace had to look away, blushing. ‘If you can, find time to go to Somerset House to get birth certificates for your sister and yourself. And – even more important – obtain your mother and father’s marriage certificate.’ He withdrew some coins from his pocket. ‘You’ll find that the certificates are one shilling each.’
‘I cannot possibly take money from you!’
‘Well,’ he