Page 7 of A Viscount's Stolen Fortune

At that very moment, someone came to speak directly to them, and Lady Florence and Alice were left to stand together, staring at Lord Foster as he moved into conversation with this new gentleman.

Lady Florence had not yet let go of Alice’s fingers.

“Whatever can such a thing mean?” Alice whispered as Lady Florence stood there, her jaw a little slack. “Florence, are you quite alright?”

Her concern seemed to tug Lady Florence out of her stupor as she turned wide eyes towards Alice.

“Whatever can he mean?” she asked, in such a harsh tone that it took Alice every ounce of strength not to hush her friend. “What he said is entirely incomprehensible and yet I have such a great sense of fear that I do not think I shall be able to remove it from me until I can hear what my father has to say. I wish to go home at once and demand that he speak to Lord Foster this very day!”

“I understand that you wish to do so, but you must not.” Alice did her utmost to keep her voice calm whilst inwardly questioning everything Lord Foster had said. “We must linger here until the soiree is over. You cannot draw attention to the situation. It would only make things worse, for you would catch everyone’s attention by your sudden departure, and rumors might quickly spread thereafter.”

Lady Florence stared at Alice as though she were making very little sense.

“Come in search of some refreshment.” Ignoring the gentleman who had come to speak with them but was, at present, in conversation with Lord Foster, Alice slipped her hand through Lady Florence’s arm and began to walk away, murmuring reassurances to her friend. Her mind continued to hound her with questions. Whatever was troubling Lord Foster, it sounded very grave indeed, and Alice could only pray that Lady Florence was not about to become injured in any severe way. She had to hope that the truth would soon be revealed – for everyone’s sake.

Chapter Three

“Lord Blackford.” Clearing his throat, William put both hands behind his back and looked directly into the face of the gentleman who would decide his future. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“You have put my daughter into quite the state.” Lord Blackford did not appear at all amused. “She has been almost inconsolable since her arrival home from the soiree yesterday afternoon. I told her that there was nothing of great concern, but now, from your expression, I believe that there is, in fact, something for me to be concerned about. Is it a serious matter?”

“It is.” There was no point in pretending otherwise. William had come here with the full intention of being entirely open and honest with Lord Blackford. “A few days ago, I found myself in a part of London that I had never set foot in before. My friends and I went together at the invitation of another acquaintance, Lord Gillespie. Unfortunately, that evening did not end pleasurably.” Seeing Lord Blackford’s eyebrows lift, William quickly tried to explain. “When I awoke the following morning, my friends and I recalled very little of what had taken place. We were all in differing situations, but the truth is, Lord Blackford. we were all stolen from.”

The gentleman's eyebrows lifted sharply.

“You were attacked.”

“In one respect, yes.” His hand reached up to rub through his hair, as though he could still feel the hand sweeping hard at his head. “It seems Lord Blackford, that we were incapacitated in some way. My friends and I have found ourselves lacking a good deal of funds. They have been taken from us by the most unscrupulous of means.” His words were coming quickly now, as William did his best to not only explain but to reassure Lord Blackford that he would soon recover the situation. “Given that my friends and I were all in different gambling houses and the like, it has proven difficult to find ourselves back to a path of understanding. However, we are all singularly determined to find the culprits behind these attacks so that we might recover our fortunes. It will take a little time, but I am certain of success.”

Lord Blackford’s eyebrows dropped as his eyes narrowed slightly, looking hard at William. Silence filled the space between them. William shifted from one foot to the other, his hands clasped behind his back as he waited for the gentleman to reply. The urge to say more and to explain himself further pressed down hard on him, but with an effort, he remained stoic. It seemed like an age before Lord Blackford replied.

“Do you mean to say, Lord Foster, that you have no fortune?”

“I have wealth, Lord Blackford.” William tried his utmost to explain. “As I have said, it has been taken from me, but I am determined to get it back. I am not the sort of fellow who throws away his fortune for the sake of a spot of gambling or a little game of cards!”

Lord Blackford looked away. Again, silence filled the space, and William’s heart began to drop low. From the gentleman’s expression, it did not seem that he was at all understanding.

“You have no fortune, Lord Foster.” Lord Blackford spoke slowly as if he wished to understand the present situation entirely. “You say you have had it stolen from you, but the truth seems to be that you have lost it through gambling, not through theft.”

William shook his head.

“No, that is not so. I was given something that made me –”

“I will not have excuses!” Lord Blackford suddenly rose from his chair in a thunderous cloud of ominous fury. “If you have lost your fortune, then you shall not be betrothing yourself to my daughter!”

“As I have said, I did not lose it. It was taken from me.” His voice sounded weak against Lord Blackford’s wrath.

“So you say, but I am afraid I cannot quite believe that. For all I know, you could be making up this excuse to continue with your betrothal to my daughter in the hope of gaining her dowry! Do you really think I would be so foolish as to permit my daughter to marry a gentleman who lost his entire wealth on an unwise game of cards?”

The air between them crackled with ire, and William saw in the darkness of Lord Blackford’s eyes that there was nothing he could do or say which would convince him otherwise. He appeared quite determined to believe that everything William said was nothing but a lie and that he had lost his fortune by his own foolishness.

I cannot blame him for that. Even to my own ears, my explanation sounds ridiculous.

“Then you will not permit me to offer my hand to your daughter.”

Lord Blackford threw out both hands.

“You should not need toaskme such a thing. No, Lord Foster, you willnotbe permitted to wed my daughter.” His words dripped with irony. “Furthermore, your courtship has now come to an end. You may greet her, yes, but there will be no continuing of this familiarity between you. Do I make myself quite clear?”

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