Lock Up Honesty by Anna Castle

Author:Anna Castle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: elizabethan, tudor, sixteenth century, 16th century, amateur sleuth, urban setting, women sleuths, set in london, court of wards, corruption
Publisher: Anna Castle
Published: 2022-01-22T00:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

“I’ve worked it all out,” Tom said. “You can examine my figures, if you like.” He drew a roll of paper from the front of his doublet and attempted to hand it to his guardian.

Lady Elizabeth Russell waved it off. “I’m sure your plan would make sense if we were discussing the leasing of a farm. Your marriage is a far weightier matter.”

She lay in her bed, propped up on a mound of pillows. Her back ached too much to get up today. Her spine curved instead of running straight, and sometimes the pain got the better of her, physically. Nothing and no one could best this woman mentally. She was impervious to reason, emotional appeals, or even dimples.

Tom had come to Blackfriars to negotiate terms for the repayment of the three hundred pounds he owed her. Never mind that the debt itself was outrageous; it had been legally incurred in accordance with the rules of the Court of Wards, obsolete as they were. He had to pay.

He could never save up such a sum, not when Her Ladyship controlled his income. He didn’t want to borrow that much, assuming he could find a lender. He’d only be trading one master for another.

But he could pay fifty pounds a year for the next six years once he had the full use of his six hundred per annum. That sum would allow him to grant himself and his mother substantial increases while continuing to improve his properties. And to purchase that little manor south of the Thames he’d been dreaming about for years.

“You can’t hold me as your ward forever, my lady.” Tom held out both hands in supplication. “I’m twenty-seven years old. Need I remind you that I have passed the bar? I’m no longer a feckless youth in need of guidance.”

“I am so proud of you, Thomas. You’ve exceeded all our expectations. I flatter myself that I played some part in that achievement.” She dabbed at her nose with a lace-trimmed handkerchief.

Tom had never visited a woman in her bedchamber, apart from his mother — and Trumpet, but that was different. He’d rarely set foot in this chamber over the six long years of wardship. Until today, his visits could always be postponed when Her Ladyship felt ill. He’d expected to find an elderly dame in a state of discomfort. He’d modified his proposal in his head as he climbed the stairs, not wanting to be too abrupt or demanding.

He needn’t have worried. Lady Russell could rule from her bed as rigorously as from her library. The bed itself inspired respect. Wide enough for three dowagers, the walnut headboard and posts were thickly decorated with carvings. Both the tester and the tasseled curtains were made of red wool embroidered with golden thread. The snowy linen covering the pillows and mattresses was thick enough to lie smoothly but thin enough to feel soft against the skin. Red flannel lining gleamed under a coverlet of rabbit fur.

Her Ladyship wore a dressing gown of finest scarlet with white velvet trim around the wrists and neck.

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