Page 48 of A Gentleman's Reckoning
“Good afternoon, my lord. I am loath to disturb you when you are in the middle of a game. I am hoping to have a word with you as soon as you are free.”
Lord Hollingsworth responded amiably enough, announcing he was about to relieve Eckert of his purse and would be with John in five minutes. He could wait for the earl in the private room on the first floor that he would find by climbing the stairwell and entering the room directly above this one.
John thanked him and found the room easily enough, taking a seat in one of the leather chairs to wait for Lord Hollingsworth. As the earl had predicted, his game did not take long, and John performed the usual civilities as they ordered something to drink and raised a glass to each other. When this had been done, John laid his business before the earl.
“One of the partially load-bearing walls in the foundling asylum weakened, and the stones crumbled and fell. It laid bare a large hole that now looks into the adjoining chapel. When this occurred, a marble plaque was revealed that appears to have been concealed between the wall and the reredos built around the cross inside the chapel.”
“Most interesting,” Lord Hollingsworth took a pinch of snuff but said nothing further, as it was clear that John had not reached the point of his visit.
“Your name was etched on the marble plaque, along with other early donors, and I saw the sum of seven hundred and fifty pounds recorded.”
Lord Hollingsworth chuckled softly. “Ah, my whimsy comes back to haunt me. Yes, I was inspired to make a donation to the asylum in hopes of showing my abiding affection for Lady Goodwin—and perhaps irking her husband.” A reminiscent smile lingered on his face. “Mr. Adam Woode had the marbleplaque made and presented it to Goodwin at the opening ceremony.”
“How did he know the amounts given for each donor?” John asked, certain it meant that the entries were once recorded in a more faithful manner than they were now.
“They were made public at first, likely in an attempt to encourage more people to donate. It spoke of one’s status.” Lord Hollingsworth raised his eyes as though thinking back. “There had been a fuss about how the donations would be used, and Mr. Woode loudly championed the earl and had the plaque made as a demonstration of candor. As I did not return to the asylum after its opening, I never knew what became of the plaque.”
John nodded. He had no reason not to believe this. “The thing that troubles me, my lord, is that your donation was never recorded in the early books as having been received. However, there is a record of an anonymous donor who gave seven hundred and fifty pounds in sponsorship of an orphan by the name of Gabriel Smith.” John stopped, hoping that Lord Hollingsworth would become voluble and fill in the missing pieces.
Hollingsworth was not stupid, and he turned an amused set of eyes John’s way. “I suppose that you are implying Gabriel is my baseborn son.”
John felt a flush of embarrassment. This was more awkward than he had intended for it to be.
“I will admit that my first thought was that he was yours and Lady Goodwin’s—” He stopped when he saw an indignant look flash upon Lord Hollingsworth’s face, rushing on to add, “But I quickly deduced that her character would never have allowed for such a thing. However, I could only draw as the most obvious conclusion that you stepped forward to support Gabriel because he was yours.”
Hollingsworth sipped his drink and set it down quietly. “Did you never suspect Lord Goodwin?”
This came as a jolt of surprise. Somewhere in his conscience, despite the evidence to the contrary, John had continued to exonerate Lord Goodwin of wrongdoing when it came to immorality.
“I didn’t, but perhaps I should have.”
“I do not, in general, allow orphans to come under my notice, but I remember the boy because at the opening ceremony, Lady Goodwin pointed him out to me with pride. She said such a bright and handsome boy would represent the asylum in a favorable light, and all of society would see what a good thing they were doing.”
He stretched his legs out, although John did not know if he was attempting insouciance, or if he truly felt it. Lord Hollingsworth continued his story in an unhurried manner.
“I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I chanced to hear one of the workers saying that he had been brought in from Windsor, where his mother had recently departed this world. I confess that I was intrigued by that little piece of information, for as you likely know, Lord Goodwin’s estate is located in Windsor.”
John had not known it, although it would have been an easy thing to find out.
“I did a little digging,” the earl said, “and it turns out that Gabriel’s mother had been the daughter of a blacksmith and a servant on Lord Goodwin’s estate. She was turned away from it for her shame and spent the remainder of her short life in a cottage paid for by the earl himself.”
Comprehension dawned, and John was staggered by the implications. “So Gabriel is Lord Goodwin’s by-blow. The earl did not see fit to use his own money to sponsor the boy and see to his well-being, perhaps for fear of being found out. So he used your donation for the purpose.”
“Poetic justice, I suppose,” Hollingsworth said.
John puzzled over this for a moment. “Did you inform Lady Goodwin of what you had discovered?”
Hollingsworth met his look with a weary one, as though John were not above average in intelligence.
“I loved Lady Goodwin. I didn’t wish to destroy her happiness.” He ruminated in silence a time before saying, “But as she died of an infection of the lungs that she had nearly recovered from, I have long wondered whether someone with less scruples apprised her of the fact.”
John shook his head, thinking of Lady Geny’s loss. “It’s unfortunate.”
“’Tis. Ah, if only Lady Goodwin could have known all of this before she pledged her troth to Lord Goodwin, her marriage might have been to me instead.” Lord Hollingsworth drank the rest of his wine in one gulp.
This was nothing John could respond to. Hollingsworth turned to him. “Do you intend to do anything with your information?”
“I do not know.” John still had no evidence that could terribly hurt the earl, even though it was badtonto use another peer’s funds to sponsor his own illegitimate child. “Perhaps, but I must think it through. The knowledge will hurt Lady Eugenia.”
