Luke rode slowly home. He was about to make a new start but was taking a heavy anxiety with him. He had just received a letter written by Lord Longbourne a short time before his death. In it, Alex had actually compiled a list of all those public figures he’d threatened to expose as members of the Society. What a fool the man had been to imagine he could bargain his way out of paying his enormous debts. He’d told Luke it was the only way he could think of to protect Alicia. How could he not have foreseen that the Society would search for the evidence he’d told them he had secreted away and murder them both anyway? Why, Luke asked himself, had he not begged Alex to take Alicia and flee? But at that point he had not realized just how ruthless the Society could be.

Luke had assumed the Society had found what they’d been looking for before stabbing Alex to death. The names on the list had shocked him. The letter contained meticulously gathered details of over fifty dates of national criminal occurrences, of blackmail in high places and of murders. Evidence that could not be ignored by any seriously minded person, or nobleman of impeccable character. The King qualified for this distinction and Alex had even bandied his name in his threats. He had also stated in his letter that he would be willing to give first-hand evidence in the law courts.

Luke’s immediate reaction was to destroy the letter. It was the safest, the obvious way to protect Jack, Alicia, his family and himself. He had told Jack that the letter contained only goodbyes and Alex’s wishes for Alicia should he be killed. But on second thoughts he decided it might be wiser to keep it, at least for a time.

Unlike Alex, he would hide it very carefully and keep total silence. Wisdom also argued that he should seek his father’s judgement, but he had got into this sorry state of affairs by himself, and if he wanted to go his own way and not have his father put all manner of guard and restrictions on him, he must carry on with it alone.

Twelve

Oliver was sprawled at the desk in his study, scratching at an indentation left on the mellowed wood by a long-dead Pengarron.

Important papers had been left unattended for days. He had cancelled the local court he was due to take today. Let the petty thieves, poachers and drunkards go free! How could he look a miscreant in the face when he had performed such a heartless, offensive act himself?

It was hard not seeing Kane and Harry. If it had been for any other reason he would have ignored Jessica’s prohibition, but she had the right to exclude him from her home and family for what he had done.