Julius's Passion (Regency Club Venus #4) - Carole Mortimer Page 0,2

at enough gambling dens over the years and knew of the lavish lifestyle the older man preferred. He doubted there was much of that fortune left.

Julius had also noted, when he was out and about in Society, that Metford didn’t acknowledge the existence of anyone below the rank of lord.

It was because of this snobbish pomposity they had decided James would enter Ipswich Park as Julius’s valet. A mere servant wouldn’t even merit a first glance from Metford, let alone a second one which might arouse suspicion. James had decided to use the name of John Franklyn for this deception.

He had also assured Julius it was not the Ipswich fortune he sought. It was regaining the title which was important to him, so that he might stand tall and proud when he made an offer of marriage for the sister of one of Julius’s close friends, Lord Benedict Winter. Benedict, having befriended James first, had already assured the younger man he had his blessing to the union. He had even offered to make James his estate manager, but James wished, if Beatrix accepted his proposal, to be able to make her his countess.

The younger man’s feelings on the matter were to be applauded, but still, one did not march up to a man as powerful as Adrian Metford had made himself and accuse him of murder in order to usurp the Ipswich title without first having some sort of proof. Beyond Julius’s investigations into the matter, and James’s word as to who and what he truly was, there was no one to substantiate his claim.

Consequently, they had come up with the plan of Julius claiming to be traveling through after visiting friends in Lowestoft, when his carriage hit a rut in the road and one of the wheels had snapped off. Hopefully, its need of repair was the means by which both Julius, and James as his valet, could enter the Metford household.

It was far from foolproof, and—

“—as long as we are able to ensure he does not have the time or opportunity to use my sister’s future welfare against me.” James glowered.

Julius’s thoughts were instantly halted, and he stared at the younger man. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said we will have to act quickly if my uncle becomes aware of who I really am, so that he does not have time to use my sister’s continued well-being to control the situation.”

“What sister?” Julius barely held his anger in check.

“I am sure I have mentioned—”

“I am sure you have not!” Julius snapped. “Are you telling me you’ve had a sister residing at Ipswich Park all this time?”

Color crept into the younger man’s cheeks at the rebuke. “Bethany’s safety is the reason why I have never dared to challenge my uncle for my title before this.”

“I had thought that was originally because of the seriousness of your injuries and then later because of how difficult it would have been to prove the truth.”

“Partly that, of course.” James nodded. “But also because my uncle was named as guardian to Bethany and myself upon our parents’ deaths. He is Bethany’s guardian still, and will remain so until she is aged one and twenty or I am able to establish myself as being the true Earl of Ipswich, and so discredit him.”

“But—but how can you be sure he has not been as harsh a guardian to her as Lord Gordon was to Chloe?” The two of them had recently had opportunity to help rescue that young lady from her uncle’s cruel clutches.

James’s eyes narrowed. “Possibly because I did not simply abandon my sister to her fate!”

“I apologize.” Julius stiffly acknowledged the rebuke.

James nodded tersely. “Once I was well enough to travel after my beating, I went to Suffolk to reassure myself of Bethany’s safety.” He smiled slightly. “She was a beautiful child and always could twist my uncle around her little finger. I was relieved to observe that had not changed. Under the circumstances, I deemed it best to leave her to live that life of comfort and luxury rather than steal her away, only to drag her down into the life I was being forced to live. I also believed that while I attempted to prove to the authorities that he had no right to the title or estate, my uncle might counter that accusation by accusing me of kidnapping Bethany.”

“Could Bethany not have refuted that accusation?”

“I doubt that they would have listened to, or believed, a young child.”

Julius stared at him. “How