Page 91 of Once Upon a Devilish Duke

Her stomach churned, but she held her chin high. “Your Honor, he had hoped that I would when I was ready. Although I am now in my majority, I had nursed him for several years until his death six months ago. I was therefore not able to have the seasons on the marriage mart that I would have otherwise had.”

The magistrate nodded.

She continued. “I helped my father with estate matters and ran the house when he was ill. You will see my handwriting in the house accounts ledger.”

Mr. Barlow stepped forward. “We have requested these household accounts to be sent here as evidence of her competency in this area. They should be here by this afternoon.”

Cecil, who had been slouching in a chair behind her, sat up. “I did not agree to such a thing!”

“I believe it will show that after his father’s death, Lord Brookhaven took vast sums of money from the estate to buy horses and various other expenses. He has not paid his staff for over three months. I have sworn statements here if you wish to view them.”

“That is not true!” Cecil yelled.

“My Lord,” the magistrate said in a low tone. “You will get your chance to speak. Until then, please be quiet.”

Cecil shrank back into his seat. “Yes, Your Honor.”

Barlow turned back to the judge. “I have statements from the bank saying that no large sums were ever taken out of Lady Rose’s account in the last few months despite living in London. All her creditors have been paid in full. However, Lord Brookhaven has been busy at the gaming tables and has several IOUs due to various gentlemen, who are also willing to testify.”

“This is ridiculous. She is my sister and therefore she is mine to…”

The magistrate banged his gavel again. “Lord Brookhaven, may I remind you again it is not your time to speak.”

Cecil crossed his arms and said something to his solicitor that made the other man’s eyes bulge.

“Lady Rose,” Cecil’s lawyer began. “Lord Brookhaven has indicated that he suspects that you coerced your dying father into leaving you this rather large allowance. Did you poison your father’s opinion of your brother so that you may gain such an allowance?”

“Of course not. My father made that will prior to getting ill. He always wanted me to have some independence. I believe he promised my mother before she died several years prior.”

“Why would your independence be so important when you had your brother to look after you?” the barrister asked.

She could feel the nausea building. Rose took some deep breaths to calm herself and tried not to look up at the faces in the stands above. “My father,” she began, “believed that his son would not provide for me. He said he lacked character and grace. That his personality was not one of compassion or empathy and suspected he would be cruel to me were I to be under his rule. I wished many times it were not so, but my brother hates me and I cannot undo that. I believe my father also knew this.”

“Why would your brother hate you so? Enough for your father to believe this?” the judge asked.

“I cannot say, Your Honor. You would have to ask him.”

“You may sit for now, Lady Rose.”

She took a breath. “Thank you, Your Honor.” Rose let Barlow escort her to a seat while her brother brushed past her to take up the stand, his barrister at his side. Rose looked only at the judge while her brother took the stand.

“Lord Brookhaven. It is your intention to prove to me that your sister is not able to look after her own finances and that control be handed back to you. Is this correct?”

“Yes, Your Honor. My sister may look firm of mind, but she is not,” he said.

Rose gasped and looked at Barlow, who simply shook his head at her. So, she stayed silent.

“She has spent years slandering my person to any and all and convincing our father that I would not do good by her. That is not true. I promised my father on his deathbed that I would look after her.”

Oh, you did not just say that, she thought, her anger rising. It was she who had stayed by her father’s side until his last breath while Cecil drank with his friends downstairs, waiting for news of his father’s passing.

“I believe she needs treatment, as her mind has soured and she is blaming me for things out of my control.”

“Such as?”

“She lies, Your Honor. She cannot help it. It is like a compulsion for her. She has convinced the duke and his family that she is the one hard done by, but it is I who has suffered from her constant lies. She is trying to ruin my reputation,” Cecil declared.

Barlow stood. “Your Honor, there has been no proof of such things reported by the duke or his family. They have known her since childhood. I have had no accounts from the ton either that she has ever said a sour word about him.”