He frowned.
“In heavy rain, the water would collect against the embankment.”
“And where would it go?”
He looked at the village.
“Downstream.”
“Toward Mrs. Beale's cottage.”
“Toward all the lower cottages.”
They exchanged a long look.
Clara straightened.
“Who approved this survey?”
Julian turned the map over.
The initials were written in a neat, narrow hand.
S. V.
“Silas Vane,” he said.
Clara nodded.
“And who recommended the navigation company to you?”
“Sir Edmund Cross.”
“Who serves as one of my mother's trustees.”
“And who arranged our proposed marriage.”
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Then Julian said, “We must be careful.”
Clara looked at him.
“Because he may be innocent?”
“Because if he is guilty, he has had months to prepare.”
It was the first time he had spoken of their suspicions as though they belonged to both of them.
Clara felt the change.
She did not comment.
Instead, she withdrew another document.
“This is the proposed marriage settlement Sir Edmund sent me last month.”
Julian examined it.
The paper was covered with dense legal language, much of it familiar.
He had seen dozens of such settlements.
The first clauses concerned Clara's portion, the jointure to be provided for her widowhood, and the estates upon which that income would be secured.
Then he reached the seventh clause.
He stopped.
Clara noticed.
“What is it?”
Julian read the paragraph again.
Then a third time.
“Has your solicitor approved this?”
“Sir Edmund says he has.”
“Which solicitor?”
“Mr. Keene.”
“Have you spoken to Mr. Keene yourself?”
“No.”
Julian slowly put down the document.
“Then you must.”
Clara's stomach tightened.
“What does it say?”
“It gives the managers of the Alderwick Northern Improvements Fund authority to negotiate certain rights belonging to the Langley property.”
“Negotiate?”
“In effect, to convey them.”
“To whom?”
“The navigation company, should the managers consider it advantageous.”
Clara looked at the paper.
“My mother's meadow?”
“Yes.”
“The school?”
“The land upon which it stands.”
She stared at him.
Julian's expression darkened.
“Clara—”
The use of her Christian name stopped him.
He had not intended it.
He looked briefly embarrassed.
“Forgive me. Miss Langley.”
She barely heard.
“My mother stipulated that the school must remain upon that land for as long as it was used for education.”
“I know.”
“Then how can this settlement permit a sale?”
“It cannot properly defeat every restriction in the original trust, but it could create a legal dispute expensive enough to ruin the school.”
Clara's fingers tightened around the document.
“And if the sale were completed before the dispute was resolved?”
“The building might be demolished before anyone could obtain an injunction.”
She looked at him.
“So our marriage would place the land within reach of men who cannot presently obtain it.”
Julian's expression became very still.