“He was unaware of your presence?”
Colbridge nodded.
“The door was ajar as I waited to speak with him, and I could not help but overhear. I did not understand fully, at first, what it was that he intended to do, but the more I listened, the more I became thoroughly convinced that my uncle is nothing more than a scoundrel. The shame that it would bring to my family was too great for me to ignore and therefore, I determined to stop him from implementing his schemes. Perhaps you will think me foolish for doing so, but I was there that evening.” His eyes turned towards Henry, who nodded slowly. “Do you recall?”
Henry shook his head.
“I am afraid that I do not, although I was told of your presence by the proprietor. I do believe the man spoke with more freedom than he ought to have, for the moment that he recalled the person who had taken you from the premises, he immediately stopped talking and asked me to forget all that he had said.”
“That does not surprise me.” Colbridge shook his head. “My uncle is a terrifying man. He will do whatever he wishes, without any fear of the consequences, and certainly, with very little consideration for those, he may injure. The only thing he cares about is his coffers and, therefore, himself. He will have no interest in what will happen thereafter, will care nothing for those who fall by the wayside because of his actions – and he will certainly have no qualms about threatening anyone who decides to step in his way. Silence will be bought or demanded. Promises will be made, and they will never be fulfilled. That is the sort of man my uncle is, the sort of man who cares for no one and nothing, save for what he can garner for himself.”
“But you are determined not to be like him,” Lady Emma said softly as Colbridge nodded, the color slowly returning to his face. “With you, your family line will be much improved. When that time comes, your family name will regain its honor.”
“If that time ever comes,” he replied as a slight shudder ran over his frame. “As I have said, my uncle is a cruel man. I have thwarted him on more than one occasion, but I confess now that I am somewhat afraid for my life. I do not know what he will do to me, but there is a fear that he may very well seek to strike me from this earth.”
“Surely he would not do such a thing, for what then would become of his heir? He would have no one to take on the family line.”
“Indeed. The title would pass to some very distant relative, someone entirely unknown to our family, I believe.” Colbridge took another sip of his brandy, and Henry noted how his hand was still shaking. “But perhaps my uncle may consider that to be preferable to a nephew who goes against the many plans he has made. I say such a thing without any embarrassment: my uncle’s anger is a terrifying prospect.”
Henry shot a glance toward Lord Stoneleigh, who was shaking his head.
“The man you speak of would be willing to injure someone such as myself if I were to show any signs of refusing to do as he asked.”
Subconsciously, Henry rubbed at his back, as Colbridge nodded.
“He would not hesitate.”
Henry’s eyes drifted towards Lady Emma, who was now sitting opposite Colbridge, her hands clasped on her lap, but her fingers so tightly twined together that they were white at the knuckles. He could understand her concern, for he felt it within himself.
“Is there anything more you wish to say?” Speaking rather quickly, Henry found a seat, not wishing to give any appearance of being demanding. “If so, might you be willing to tell me what it is?”
“Yes.” Swallowing a bit more of his brandy, Colbridge nodded. “Lord Montague instigated this plot, and my uncle was very pleased to go along with it all. However, I believe that you are acquainted with my uncle?”
“Yes, I am, and I do not recall him being there that evening. But then again,” he shrugged. “I do not recall very much about that evening at all, given what was placed in my glass.”
“That is because my uncle was not present.” Taking a deep breath, Colbridge spread both hands, his elbows resting lightly on his knees. “Given that my uncle knew who you were and was already acquainted with you, he had no intention of revealing himself to you. He did not think that his plan would work if he was present himself. Therefore, he hired another man to act on his behalf.”
At this, Henry’s eyes flared in surprise, his breath catching.
“You mean to say that Viscount Warrington was not present that evening at all? Not even for a moment?”
“That is precisely what I mean.” Sitting back, Colbridge reached for his brandy again. “My uncle paid another fellow to place tainted brandy by your hand. I knew of his intentions, given that I had already overheard his plan. Therefore, I made my way there that evening. You can imagine my surprise when I did not see my uncle, but I soon realized what he had planned. As you are aware, I then did all that I could to make certain that your drinks remained untampered with. But, unfortunately, I was prevented from doing so.”
“Surely that must mean that your uncle was nearby.” Lady Emma shifted forward in her chair slightly, her lips twisting. “He must have been keeping a close watch on the situation, for how else would he know that you were doing such a thing as that? He must have seen it, and then sent someone to make certain that you could not continue.”
Henry’s heart clattered as he looked from Lady Emma to Colbridge and back again. The young man’s eyes had cleared, and he was beginning to nod slowly.
“I had not thought of that, but I believe you are correct.”
Licking his lips, Colbridge rose to stand, beginning to pace up and down the room as Henry spoke.
“If your uncle was nearby, if he was watching, then it would make sense that he came to me once I was in a particular befuddled state and, thereafter, took possession of my fortune. If he is a violent and aggressive fellow, as you have stated, then the injuries to my back and shoulders perhaps took place at the gambling den itself.”
Lady Emma’s eyes flared.
“Of course! If you had fought in any way, then he would have used his strength to force your hand.”
“Or he would have hired someone to do it,” Colbridge added, as Henry grimaced. “On that, I find myself in agreement.” Taking a deep breath, Colbridge turned to face Henry. “I can only apologize to you for the scoundrel my uncle has become. I do not know if there is any way for you to recover what he has stolen from you, but I will do whatever I can to be of assistance.”
