“I have found the account, but is your grandmother aware that her balance is almost depleted?”
Thomas was so shocked he stood up. “How can that be?”
Mr. Burk studied the entries. “Yes, six months ago her balance was well over fifteen thousand pounds.” He studied the entries more closely. “And today the balance is just a little over five hundred pounds.”
“How can that be? She barely uses any of her money as her basic needs are provided for by my estate.”
“Have you been making any withdrawals for her?”
“None whatsoever,” Thomas insisted.
“Ah… I see you are not the only other signer on her account. It seems her son, the Earl of Denham, also has access to her account.”
“This is outrageous,” Thomas said to himself. He took up his hat and prepared to leave when he remembered he still needed the trust papers.
“Mr. Burk, I think I understand the situation now. If you would be so kind as to fetch these documents for me, I shall begin to take care of this matter immediately.” He handed him a list of the documents required.
“I assume I am unable to remove the Earl of Denham’s name from her account?” Thomas asked.
“That is correct. It is your grandmother who must request the removal of his name as a signer on her account.”
“Then if you will prepare those papers for me, as well, I shall take them to her for her signature,” Thomas said with resolution.
* * *
Thomas did not know if his uncle was in town or not, but he went directly to his uncle’s house, was admitted by the butler and taken to the drawing room.
“I shall let his Lordship know you wish to see him,” the butler said and left.
While he waited, Thomas studied the room. He had been here many times before but had never had the opportunity to study the room. Now Thomas was not particularly knowledgeable about furnishing a house, but he did believe he could tell good taste from poor. His uncle’s furnishings were garish with colors that did not match—yellow draperies with an overabundance of red cording, tassels and fringe—green and purple upholstered chairs, paintings with monstrously baroque gilded frames and an almost obscene tapestry of nude maidens dancing in a forest glen with a number of attending satyrs. Thomas could not help but give an involuntary shudder.
“Nephew, I did not know you were to be in town. Might I get you a whiskey?” he asked heading directly over to his sideboard where he poured himself a drink.
“Uncle it is not even noon yet. Far too early for me.”
“Please sit. Might you stay for lunch? If so, I must alert cook.”
“Not today. I am here on rather serious business and I need your full attention,” Thomas said rather sternly.
“Oh, how ominous sounding. There is not something wrong with Mother, is there?” Wilcox asked, and sat opposite Thomas.
“Her health is fine, but I am afraid her bank account is not.” Thomas let that statement hang in the air for a moment and watched carefully for his uncle’s reaction.
Wilcox sat back in his chair. “Ah…”
“Nothing more to say?” Thomas asked.
“I take it you have been looking at the bank accounts,” he quietly said.
“I have. And imagine my astonishment when I saw the balances of not only the estate’s account but Grandmamma’s account as well. I need to know whatyouknow about these matters.”
“And why should I know anything?” Wilcox asked with no hint of guilt.
“Because I have evidence that you were buying and selling stocks from my account and you were a signer on your mother’s account and there was a lot of activity that drained her account of nearly fifteen thousand pounds. There is no one else who had access.”
His uncle shrugged. “Well, you had access to both accounts I believe. How do I know that you did not take advantage of that access?”
“Oh, Uncle, how stupid do you think I am? First, you admitted to me only recently that you had been continuing to manage the estate account because you rightly accused me of neglecting my duty to the estate. I certainly acknowledge my fault in that, but I have proof that there was a substantial amount of activity on that account and large sums of the capital have disappeared.”
