"Haha! Thomas, I already sent General Washington out of the city. Now I've run into a legal case and need a great lawyer to help. You've just arrived at the perfect time!" Charles also laughed happily.
He had been worried that he, alone, would be too weak to contend with those behind the butler. If he could drag a few people like Biddle into it, it would be much easier to resolve. He hadn't expected the even more powerful Jefferson to show up now. Since he had already come to him, he naturally couldn't let him go. Feeling delighted, the smile on his face looked a bit mischievous.
His smile made Jefferson feel a bit bewildered.
"A legal case? What do you mean by that smile? I only stand on the side of justice and fairness; I won't help a party that's in the wrong."
"Thomas, I am on the side of justice and fairness."
Charles didn't hide anything and thoroughly explained the situation with Diana Rogers to Jefferson.
Jefferson was not only a great lawyer but also a fighter who upheld democracy and civil rights. He detested anything that violated these principles. Upon hearing about such a property seizure case, he didn't differentiate because of Diana Rogers' British noble status.
He immediately expressed his willingness to take on the case and represent her in an appeal to the Pennsylvania Court. He didn't even ask Charles if other important figures from the Continental Congress were involved.
With Jefferson's statement, Charles felt much more at ease.
Jefferson's prestige had long been established, and he had many influential friends. With his backing, Charles basically wouldn't have to worry about conflicts with other influential figures. Because, based on his understanding of Jefferson, he was more interested in contending with people of his own caliber than with weaker individuals.
The subsequent events unfolded more smoothly than Charles had anticipated.
The next day, Jefferson, representing Diana Rogers, formally sued the butler in the Pennsylvania Court for illegally seizing property and requested a property freeze.
Also that morning, the first Military and Ordnance Committee meeting, originally scheduled to be held at the Philadelphia City Hall, was postponed due to Charles and another important member, Wilson, taking leave.
After leaving the Pennsylvania Court, Charles did not return home. Because as soon as he and Jefferson walked out the door, Biddle, who had been waiting at the court entrance, pulled them to his family's tavern.
In a luxurious private room, old Biddle, the patriarch of the Biddle family, Wilson, a member of the Military and Ordnance Committee, and several other respectable figures, sat around with Charles and Jefferson, drinking and beginning their conversation.
"Councilor Godfrey, we understand the earl's daughter's situation. We are truly sorry that such a thing happened. We did not know that earl Rogers' butler had forged documents and arbitrarily sold off the earl's property. Now, by buying those few plots of land, we have not only caused trouble for ourselves but also put you in a difficult position," old Biddle was the first to apologize to Charles.
"Yes! I didn't expect such a thing to happen," Wilson and the other respectable figures also spoke with a hint of awkwardness.
Of course, it was impossible for them not to know that the land was problematic, but they believed that the British earl was unlikely to return to this land. After the war, it would be difficult to clarify the ownership of those lands, so buying them wouldn't be an issue. They then took advantage of the situation to buy a large plot of land at a very low price.
However, they soon discovered that the earl's daughter had not left America and had even filed a lawsuit directly with the court. As they had implicitly benefited from the butler, they naturally had to subtly display their influence. With the reputation of Wilson, who was an official, it was very easy to send Diana, who had come alone, back.
But now the situation was completely different. Not only was there Diana, the victim, but also Charles and Jefferson, two formidable figures, by her side. Not to mention that if this matter were exposed, it would bring them very negative consequences; they were even reluctant to confront Charles and Jefferson. That's why, after the two filed a complaint in court, these interested parties immediately sent invitations. This was also because Charles and his group acted too quickly, leaving them no time to discuss and prepare; otherwise, it's uncertain what Wilson and his group would have done.
"Mr. Biddle, Councilor Wilson, this matter is actually very clear. It was that butler who forged the documents and deliberately deceived you. You are actually victims as well," Charles said with a smile and a nod.
He was also in a difficult position. It was clear that they had taken advantage and done something wrong, but they were also closely related to him, so he couldn't easily take action against them. The Biddle family was his ally, needless to say, and Wilson was also a colleague on the Military and Ordnance Committee, someone he would most need to support in the future. Falling out with them at this time would not benefit him in the slightest. Since they had already sent invitations to negotiate with him, presumably intending to resolve it privately, Charles simply didn't state his position directly, waiting for old Biddle and the others to propose their terms for how to resolve the matter.
"Haha! Forging documents is one thing, but helping to embezzle family property without authorization is another," Jefferson interjected.
This made Wilson even more embarrassed.
He naturally understood that it was inappropriate to buy or sell without authorized documents, so he had gone through old Biddle for the transaction, which amounted to indirectly helping the butler embezzle property. If investigated, he would still bear some responsibility.
"This is all my fault. I trusted that butler too much back then, which is why I bought the land and then resold it to Councilor Wilson and a few others, and I've also implicated you. How about this: I'll buy the land back at market price and return it to the earl's daughter. I'm also willing to testify in court for the earl's daughter to prove her identity," old Biddle took full responsibility, proposing a solution.
This was entirely because the origin of the matter lay with him. He was both the intermediary and the one who truly understood the butler's background. If he didn't step in to resolve and coordinate, allowing the matter to escalate, he would simultaneously offend both Charles and Wilson's sides. It was better to simply take all the responsibility upon himself, gain sympathy from both sides, and have a chance to turn things around with their future help in his career.
"Haha! Mr. Biddle, it's absolutely right for you to buy the land back from Mr. Wilson and the others, but there's no need to return the land. That was the butler defrauding money with someone else's land; you should also be a victim. At this point, the court only needs to recover the money the butler defrauded; why return the land?" Charles smiled and shook his head.
If they were to follow old Biddle's idea, his partner might be completely drained. It would be better to do him a favor and just reclaim the land. Anyway, given Diana's situation, it was already quite good for him to help her reclaim the land; that money wasn't his to begin with, so he might as well not take it. By withdrawing this money, not only would old Biddle be grateful to Charles, but Wilson and the others, who had made a profit from the land's appreciation, would feel that Charles had allowed them to earn that money, and would also develop a good impression of him.
However, with his suggestion, the responsibility was completely shifted to the poor butler. Jefferson, observing, twitched his mouth, then simply put his hat back on and said nothing.
How could old Biddle and Wilson disagree with Charles' benevolent way of resolving the situation? They immediately expressed to Charles their willingness to provide relevant evidence to prove the identity of the earl's daughter and to accuse the butler of embezzling family property.
Once the matter was resolved, Charles happily returned home, preparing to tell the girl, Diana, the good news.
By the time he returned home, it was well past lunchtime. When Charles saw the scene, it made him chuckle. On the dining table at home, there were still a few loaves of bread and some other dishes. In the first seat at the table sat a cute girl in a white dress, her eyes fixed on the bread and cheese in front of her, swallowing mouthful after mouthful.
Perhaps hearing Charles' footsteps, the girl suddenly wiped the corner of her mouth, then quickly turned her head to look at Charles at the doorway.
"Ah! Godfrey, you're finally back!" The girl hopped off her chair with a crisp laugh and ran into Charles' arms.
Charles quickly went forward to steady the girl, kissed her forehead like an elder would a junior, and asked with a smile:
"Haven't you had lunch yet?"
"No! Everyone else has already eaten lunch, and I've only tasted a little bit. I was planning to wait for you to come back so we could eat together," the girl held up one finger, indicating she had only eaten a tiny amount.
"Haha! You're growing up now, how can you not eat on time?" Charles stroked the girl's hair and said with emotion.
"En! Now that you're back, I can eat!" Diana nodded affirmingly.
Her firm tone made Charles feel a pang of awkwardness. What a sensible girl.
The two then ate together. This meal was the most delicious Charles had eaten since coming to this world. He had once fantasized about coming home after a busy day outside, with his wife and children waiting for him to eat, but he didn't know what that feeling was like. Today, seeing Diana waiting for him to eat at home, he suddenly felt very fulfilled and at ease.
At the end of lunch, Diana again used pieces of bread to soak up the last bit of sauce on her plate, leaving not a single speck of leftover food. Charles secretly shook his head. This was definitely not the girl's upbringing from the earl's Castle; it must have been the painful experience of hunger and starvation outside that had deeply rooted itself in her mind, making her cherish every grain of food at all times, fearing that she might one day return to a life without food. From these details, one could imagine how tragic her situation had been during that period.