Coles wore a pair of spectacles with squarish frames, and his grizzled hair defied whatever pomade had been applied. He scooted together a few papers and tapped them into a neat pile in the center of the blotter.

“Yes, yes, birthday felicitations. Twenty-five now.” He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, assessing Daniel. “Have you had an altercation? The side of your jaw is bruised.”

“Thank you. No. At least not with a person. I did have a bit of a mishap while investigating a case, but it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be more careful next time.”

The solicitor seemed satisfied with the explanation, but Daniel could feel the duke’s eyes on him.

“Hmm. Now, let’s see about winding up this patronage, shall we? I was instructed by your patron to find a respected nobleman who could assist and advise you once the patronage ended, and when I asked His Grace if he knew of someone, the duke was generous enough to volunteer his services.”

Daniel glanced at Haverly. A tidy enough offer, since the man was now his supervisor in the agency.

“First, the final installment of your allowance has been paid. And it is a generous one. Five thousand pounds, deposited in an account at the Bank of England for you.”

Five thousand pounds? That was many times his quarterly allotment.

Haverly stifled a noise, putting the side of his finger across his lips as if trying to hide a smile, and Daniel realized his mouth was open like a bream’s.

Coles read on. “There will be one final delivery of clothing, and the accounts opened for you at the various vendors will be closed. If you wish to continue having your garments made at these establishments, you will need to open new accounts for yourself. After today all receipts received at these offices will be payable by you.”

Fair enough.

“The lease for your lodgings is paid through the end of the month.”

He would have to find a new place, though with five thousand pounds in the bank, he could perhaps take a bit more time.

“Finally, your patron insists that you do nothing to attempt to discover his identity. Should you do so, you will be in violation of the original agreement, and every expense that has been paid by your patron on your behalf for the last thirteen years will be placed upon your mother and yourself for repayment.”

Daniel sat up straight, pain from his injuries shooting through him. “That was never a stipulation in the arrangement.”

“I’m afraid it was, though it was not revealed to you until now. Your mother was made aware of this clause at the outset, and she agreed to it.”

So any plan to find out the identity of the man once the patronage ended flew out the window.