“I have been looking for you. We must speak at once. Where have you been?” Kenneth demanded, his voice sharp and accusatory.
Lord Carlisle blinked as if confused by this demand. “I went for a walk with Lord Worcester. Why do you ask?”
Kenneth narrowed his eyes at him. He hadn’t seen Lord Worcester anywhere, but that didn’t mean Lord Carlisle was lying—this time. Before he could say anything else, he felt a tug on his arm. Head snapping around, he saw Judith’s wide eyes starting up at him.
“Your Grace, can we speak for a moment?” she asked anxiously.
He shook his head, not interested in whatever she had to say. He had to speak to Lord Carlisle, and he wasn’t going to miss his chance. “No, Lady Judith. I need to speak to Lord Carlisle. Alone. If you could give us use of the library, please.”
Judith’s face fell, and Kenneth felt a pang of guilt. What if her kissing him had indeed been born out of genuine admiration? But he couldn’t think about that now. He needed to get to the bottom of this, to find out what was really going on.
Kenneth took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He knew he had to be careful. He couldn’t let Lord Carlisle get the upper hand.
“Your Grace, I need to go find my daughters,” Lord Carlisle said.
Kenneth stepped in his way, blocking his exit. “I think not. We must speak, and we must do so now.”
He motioned to the library, and after a moment’s hesitation, the Earl acquiesced and made his way into the room. “Your Grace, I do not know what this is about.”
“It is about you taking money from the orphanage for your own use,” Kenneth thundered once the door closed behind them.
Lord Carlisle’s eyes grew wide. “What is it you are accusing me of?” He crossed his arms and glared at Kenneth.
“You heard me. I know what you did. You took money meant for the orphanage and put it in your own pockets. And do not tell me they were pledges that did not come through, or that the patrons do not want to donate to a ‘Catholic’ orphanage. We both know the truth,” Kenneth growled.
Lord Carlisle’s face twisted in anger at the accusation, but there was something else in his eyes. Guilt. He knew what he’d done, and being called out had not come as a surprise entirely. Alas, for now, he decided to attempt to save face by denying it all.
“How dare you make such an accusation! I have done nothing of the sort.”
Kenneth stood his ground. “I have spoken to Lord Barring and several others who all confirmed that they donated money, not made pledges. They each showed me proof of their donations. And yet, the funds are gone, and the orphanage is in ruins. The children are starving, My Lord.”
Lord Carlisle’s eyes darted nervously around. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice trembling slightly.
But Kenneth wasn’t finished. “Do you not? So, you are telling me they are all lying? Mrs. Hardy is lying? And what about the vineyard?” he pressed. “I know all about that as well. It was nearly ruined because of your mismanagement. You were more interested in lining your pockets to save your vineyard than in the welfare of the children you were supposed to be helping.”
Lord Carlisle’s face turned red, though Kenneth did not know if shame was the reason or anger.
The Earl took a step toward him. “You have no proof of any of this. You’re just making baseless accusations.”
“I have enough evidence to take this to the authorities. And I will do so, unless you come clean and return the money you stole.”
Lord Carlisle’s expression softened slightly, and he took a step back. One hand went to his forehead, and he rubbed his temples, pacing up and down like a trapped animal.
“I have five gentlemen willing to testify against you, Lord Carlisle. It is better for you to admit what you did now.”
The Earl stopped and looked up at the ceiling as if looking for divine intervention. Eventually, he dropped his shoulders and threw up his hands in the air. “Fine, I’ll admit it. I took the money. But I had no choice. I owe a lot of money to the people working in my vineyard. I had to get fresh vines and, I had… It… I would have lost everything,” he confessed, his tone desperate.
Kenneth felt a surge of anger. “That’s no excuse for what you’ve done. You’ve hurt a lot of people. The children starved! You’ll have to face the consequences of your actions.”
Lord Carlisle nodded, looking defeated. “I know. And I’m sorry. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. I always intendedto give it back. In fact, I already made arrangements. I did! Lord Worcester is going to help me—he agreed on our walk.”
Kenneth tilted his head to the side. Lord Worcester? Hadn’t Judith just told him that her father had no intention of helping?
“I thought he would not help you after you broke your arrangement,” he probed.
Lord Carlisle frowned, genuinely puzzled. “That’s right, but I told him how dire my circumstances were and what I had done, and he agreed to help, in order to help the orphanage. How did you know I spoke to him?” he inquired.
Kenneth tapped his foot on the floor. So, it was true what Judith had said. Lord Carlisle had gone to Lord Worcester for help. So, what about her other claims?
