I was beginning to, and yet I was uncertain, so he spelled it out.

“There is another man who kens the secrets that my brother holds. My uncle, Colonel Patrick Graeme. Do ye follow now?” He saw the confirmation in my face, and carried on, “My uncle is a man of honor. He would come for Lily anytime she were in trouble whether she were Jamie’s wife or no. ’Tis fortunate the duke is unaware of that.” On seeing my reaction he remarked, “It is the Duke of Hamilton behind this then?”

“I think so, aye.”

“That’s not surprising. Seafield might be clever, but he lacks the motivation to put all these wheels in motion, and he never could charm Lord Grange into doing him a favor. No, it had to be the duke, there like a spider at the center of his web, controlling everything. I should imagine it was just too great an opportunity to miss—these payments being made, from the Equivalent.”

The plan was simple and straightforward. As it stood, with James Graeme officially unmarried, his sole heir would be his father, Colonel Graeme, who would then be sent the payment owed to Jamie. No competing claim had yet been filed with the commissioners, since Lily’s claim had not been put in front of them. The duke, when he had first seen her certificate, had likely noticed the same problem Robert Moray pointed out at our first meeting—the same problem Moray told me would have prompted the commissioners to disallow the claim: there was no way to prove it with so little evidence.

Which would explain why the duke had then resorted to a secret inquiry, and passed the certificate on to Lord Grange.

“Lord Grange has Gilroy,” Moray said, “who, as you’ve seen, is very good at what he does. He’s like a bulldog with investigations.”

Frowning, I asked, “Do you think Lord Grange is in the scheme?”

“I shouldn’t think so. Not his style. He’d take the duke’s word at face value, that it was a task that needed to be done, that’s all.”

I thought on this. “So, Gilroy and I get the proof that James and Lily married, and we send this back to the commission…”

“And then the commissioners declare the marriage valid.” Moray nodded. “And my uncle, being now informed he is no longer heir, learns Jamie had a wife. I’d think about this time the duke will also move behind the scenes to see that Lily’s taken up and put in prison. Not in here,” he said, “but in the Tolbooth. Have ye ever seen the Tolbooth, Sergeant Williamson?”

I had. I did not wish to ever see the inside of that place again.

He said, “Would ye wish to see Lily there? And under torture? Because I can promise ye, that’s what they do intend. They will use any means to draw my uncle out into the open, and God help both him and Lily if they’re able to succeed.” His mouth made a grim line. “So no, I will not sign your document. And if ye care for Lily as I think ye care for Lily, ye will let the matter drop, for then she’ll be no further use to them.”