it and intends to redeem it at his earliest convenience. I shall of course oblige him.â
âI am surprised that you played with him after what happened to your father?â
âI was not drunk, neither was I desperate. I know my limits and when to rise from the table. I had my reasons, sir.â
âI dare say you did.â The earl looked at him through narrowed eyes. âDid Marcus approach you for help? The young fool! He should have come to me immediately.â
âHe did not wish to distress you, sir. He sent me a letter. It was waiting at my club. I did not discover it until I went to visit my lawyer recently.â
âYour father left a damned mess for you, Daniel. You have only to ask if you need help.â
âThank you, sir. I know it, but I believe I shall manage. I thought I might sell the London house, but for the moment I shall let it to tenants. I shall not be able to afford to visit London much until I have the estate on an even keel again.â
âYou wonât tell me, but I dare say your father took a mortgage.â The earl nodded as Daniel remained silent. âNot my businessâbut you might look for an heiress? If she suits you and her father is on the catch for a title you might save yourself years of penny pinching. Besides, you will wish to marry in a year or two, if not now.â
âYes, perhaps.â Daniel laughed ruefully. âMarry a fortune to pay my debtsâthat would be a little hard on the young woman, do you not think so?â
âIt is often the case that a young woman of fortune has little else to commend her to a husband. Look for a plain chit, my boy, and she will be grateful to you. She will give you a couple of sons and then you may both live as you please. It is done all the time.â
âI know you are right, sir, but I shall try to sort my problems myself if I can.â
âWell, you donât need advice from me.â The earl frowned, suddenly seeming very toubled. âIt was odd the way Marcus died⦠His groom told me that he found a sore beneath the saddle when he groomed the wretched beast, which might explain why a man who was an excellent rider fell and broke his neck. I just canât understand how it happened. He should not have taken the horse out in such a stateâthough Jed swears there was nothing there when he saddled up that morning. If something caused the horse to chafe, it must have got there between Marcus leaving home and returning that evening. He had, of course, been drinking in the villageinn, though I have been told he was not drunk when he left.â
âIs the groom still in your employ, sir?â
âNo, he left me a week or two back. Lives in the village, name of Jed Baileyâwhy?â
âMarcus was a damned good rider, but something must have made his horse bolt the way it didâ¦â Daniel frowned, remembering his cousinâs confusing letter âThe coroner brought in a verdict of misadventure. Is there any reason to think there might have been foul play? â
âNone then and none now,â the earl admitted. âMarcus was in with a bad crowd, though I do not know who they wereâbut I sensed he was hiding something from me.â
âI should like your permission to investigate a little, sir.â
The earl looked at him thoughtfully. âYou know something I donât, of course. Donât want to tell me?â
âI know very little, sirâbut I intend to find out.â
âTake care, then. If whoever was behind what happened to Marcus learns you are poking your nose in, he wonât stop there. I would rather nothing happened to you, Daniel.â
âI shall be on my guard. Besides, there may be nothing in it.â
âYou wouldnât be bothering to investigate if you thought that. Is Cheadle behind this, Daniel?â
âWhat makes you think that, sir?â
âNo reason. Just donât trust