Reluctant Heir

by Barbara Miller

  “Planning? For what?”

  “To get away.” Why was he being so dense? It was his plan.

  “You are a clever woman, Juliet, to have worked out a plan on your own but you have outwitted me. What made you think we had to flee?”

  Juliet felt herself flush as she began to have grave doubts about what had seemed so obvious before. “They weren’t going to let us get married, at least not right away, or let you study medicine. On our own we could do both those things.”

  Gerard rose stiffly and came to take her hand, smiling sadly. “I know we joked about living on our earnings but it is not that easy. And it would have been wrong at your age.”

  “Of course we could have done it. I have almost a hundred pounds. If you have even close to that much we could easily live for two years.”

  “Where did you get a hundred pounds?” Claude asked.

  “I saved it from my pin money.” She held her head up proudly.

  Into the dead silence this statement produced, Claude laughed. “You must be a changeling. No Cochran or Chandler was ever able to save money.”

  The general chuckled at this and that pulled a reluctant smile from Gerard. Claude had made a joke, sort of.

  “If I had been so villainous as to elope with you we would not have been able to marry for a year but I would not be a doctor by then. I might indeed have had to support you as a blacksmith and you would have been ruined.”

  “But I thought you meant to marry me in two weeks time. Why else did you go to the church at Grafton Underwood if not to post our banns or else obtain a license?”

  “But, Juliet. You are not of age. Had I attempted such a thing the curate would have written to your brother and my grandfather and scotched the scheme. It isn’t just wrong, it’s illegal.”

  “I thought you might have…lied to the curate about my age.” She looked at him hopefully. “No, I suppose not. You never lie about anything. But why did you go there?”

  He looked pained as though she’d revealed something she should not. “Not for that.”

  “I think I can answer that question,” Nash said. “To discover that a very foolish young man named Nash Cochran married the miller’s daughter there many years ago.”

  “You what?” General Cochran asked, his gaze swinging in Nash’s direction.

  Nash nodded. “Mother had it annulled, of course.”

  Gerard glanced at Helen who was fuming, then back at his cousin. “Nash, you were both of age. She could not have had it annulled. Your marriage to Anna Herrick was legal then and is still in force unless there was a divorce I don’t know about.”

  “Then I’m a bastard?” Claude asked.

  “No Claude. You are Nash’s son,” Juliet said. “As Gerard pointed out you have his smile when you choose to use it.”

  Claude swiped his brow. “But how can that be?”

  Nash looked as though the earth had dropped from under his feet. “Then my marriage to Diana was bigamy. Thank God it was never consummated.”

  “Then I am a bastard,” Claude concluded.

  “Shut up, all of you,” Helen commanded.

  “No, Juliet is right. You are my son.”

  Juliet stepped toward Claude. “I had not seen Anna before but when I visited her I realized what a strong resemblance there is between you two.”

  “You were born while I was away,” Nash said. “Anna delivered you a few days before Diana died of consumption. I was not told of this by Helen who conspired to take you into the household as my rightful son. She gave it out that my wife died in childbirth. No one except the maids had seen her for months so Helen got away with it.”

  “Not consummated,” Helen grumped. “Nash, you are a bigger fool than your son.”

  “The marriage was not even real. We should return her dowry to the family.” General Cochran was shaking his head as though confused.

  “Claude was raised here as Diana’s son and mine by Anna acting as his nurse.”

  “So I am the changeling?” Claude said.

  “You are just what you always were,” Juliet said. “Nash is your father and Anna your mother. They are both alive. You should be glad.”

  “How could all this happen under my very nose?” Cochran asked.

  “If I am legitimate then I am the heir because Gerard’s father was disinherited.”

  “What?” demanded the general.

  “I have come by a letter that you may not recall.”

  “Claude, no!” Helen cried.

  “You told me to do something. My man has found this in Gerard’s room, proof that Grandfather disinherited John.”

  “Chandler, would you read the letter,” the general asked wearily.

  “No, I will not. It is hateful and Gerard wanted it destroyed.”

  “We all want it destroyed,” Juliet said.

  Nash took the missive and scanned it. ”Sir, I cannot believe you ever wrote such things to a child of yours.”

  Finally the general grasped the paper and held it at arm’s length. “I cannot read all of it but this is not my writing. It is Helen’s.”

  “I did what was best for all of us,” Helen said, backing toward the door. “I was the only one trying to hold this family together.”

  “By keeping my son from reconciling with me? By denying his wife and child shelter? I will keep this letter in case it is ever questioned why you are living alone in York and not permitted at Old Stand.”

  “You cannot divorce me.” Her hand went to her throat as though her heart had been taxed too far.

  “No, that would be too easy for you. You will stay married to me but be a wife in name only. Pack your things. You are the only one leaving today.”

  “This is all your fault, Claude.” Helen opened the door and strode out.

  Claude growled and left the room.

  “My head is still reeling,” the general said, “but now that I think back I see the truth of all this. Nash, you must bring Anna to live at Old Stand.”

  “No, that I will not. I shall do what I intended when you died.”

  “What?”

  “I will reaffirm my vows to her, which I have never broken. I would like to live at the mill house with her.”

  “Claude could manage the mill,” Juliet offered. “Gerard says it’s one thing he loves to do”

  “But you won’t shut us out?” Cochran asked. “You will still be part of the family?”

  “If that is important to you, yes we will visit nearly every day.”

  “This is a shock for Claude,” Gerard said. “I had never meant for any of this come out.”

  Nash shrugged. “Perhaps it’s as well that it did. Secrets such as these fester with time. I must go speak to him.” Nash left them and neglected to shut the door.

  “As for you two,” the general said but an under groom ran into the room.

  “Sir, Mr. Tully sends word that Mister Claude has taken Wagram.”

  “Oh, no!” Gerard strode to the door, unmindful of all the things that ached.

  “I’m sure he won’t hurt the horse,” Charles said.

  “But it may kill Claude.” He launched himself after the groom shouting. “Saddle me anything fast. We must stop him before he gets to the woods.”

  Five minutes later Gerard took off on Juliet’s mare, having a care not to hurt her. But she was fleet and agile. He followed the sound of Wagram’s hoofbeats and finally saw his erstwhile cousin struggling with the old stud near the clearing where he’d had his discussion with the horse. But when Claude tried to avoid the tree by the trick Gerard had used he pulled the horse down on top of himself. The unmistakable crack of bone breaking made Gerard flinch.

  Wagram struggled up, shook himself, then trotted off with his head held high to keep from stepping on the reins. Then he scented the mare and came back to chuckle to her as Gerard made a running dismount.

  Nash came running down the drive and got to Claude first. He must have been headed for the mill when he heard the co
mmotion. He started to raise Claude’s head.

  “Wait,” Gerard said as he knelt and ran his hands lightly over his cousin’s limbs. “Wait ’til he wakes and tells us what his injuries are.”

  Tully rode up and Gerard shouted. “Go get a carriage or wagon so we can move him. Then send someone for the doctor.” Tully nodded and was off.

  “I heard something crack,” Nash said.

  “His leg.” Gerard undid the button of his breeches at the knee and saw swelling. “At least it’s the lower leg and only one bone, not the thigh. If the femoral artery got cut in a femur break he’d be as good as dead.”

  “We need to cut the boot off.”

  “Not ’til we get to the house. It will form something a brace to keep the bones from moving any more than they have.”

  Claude woke and moved his arm.

  “What hurts, Claude, just your leg? What about you head or neck?” Gerard asked.

  “Just the leg. Is it broken?”

  “Slightly,” Gerard said.

  “Stop mincing words, Gerard. Is it broken or not?”

  Nash chuckled. “He means yes but not badly. Stay still now.” Nash patted his shoulder.

  “I’m such a fool. I’m the one who doesn’t belong.”

  “I think your grandfather might disagree with you about that,” Gerard advised as he used his neckcloth to bind a stout stick to the outside of the whole leg. He motioned for Nash to strip off his neckcloth as well.

  “Helen told me if I obeyed her, everything would come right and it hasn’t. I think it was my valet who tried to shoot you. I smelled powder on his coat.”

  Gerard sighed. “Then Grimpel can escort Helen to York.”

  “You love Anna anyway, Claude. Now I will be able to acknowledge her as my wife.”

  “But the world still thinks I’m the son of the woman in the portrait.”

  Gerard wadded his coat as padding under Claude’s neck and bound the second neckcloth about the branch. “All will be well, Claude. At least you are a Cochran.”

  “Yes, all we Cochrans make stupid mistakes.” Nash felt his son’s forehead and smiled at him.

  Gerard looked up at Nash and smiled. “More than our share it seems. Ah, here comes Juliet and Chandler with a wagon. Far better than a carriage.”

  “I’m sorry for the mess,” Claude said “but Grandmother swore you were an imposter.”

  Nash looked thoughtful. “Come to think of it, that’s what she told me. Why did I believe her?”

  Claude sighed. “When Grimpel showed me that letter, I thought she’d got it wrong. All that writing about being disinherited.”

  Gerard touched his brow and it was not hot yet. “She probably has her own copy of that letter ready to pull out at Grandfather’s death.”

  “She’s manipulated all of us for years,” Nash said. “If I had not been grieving over my lost life I might have realized it.”

  The head groom had arrived by then and the men used blankets as slings to load Claude onto the wagon on a bed of hay. Gerard got up beside him to steady the leg and Juliet knelt to hold up his head. Claude bore all with gritted teeth and no audible complaint. Nash grabbed a horse and rode to get Anna.

  * * * * *

  Juliet took a tray of broth and tea up to Claude’s room which was crowded with family. She should have let a servant do it but Claude had been through a rough enough time, losing both his valet and his grandmother, plus the disillusionment he had suffered. The carriage had just left with those two, Helen’s dresser and Juliet’s unfaithful maid. Juliet rapped on the door with the toe of her shoe and Chandler opened it. Anna was standing by the bed bathing Claude’s forehead.

  The doctor was packing up his bandaging materials. “Good thinking not to move the leg. It should heal fine in a few months though you may get the occasional twinge.”

  “When the wind is in the east,” Gerard said.

  Claude gave a tired chuckle and accepted the cup of broth from Juliet.

  “We should leave you to rest,” Chandler said.

  “I will watch over him,” Anna replied. “I cannot believe it. After all these years the three of us will be together.”

  Juliet hugged her. “I wish I had always known you.”

  Nash went to open the door for them. “I’ll stay with him too. Gordon promised to help as well though he is stretched a bit thin with all the recent accidents.”

  “I wonder what the servants think of all this,” General Cochran said.

  Nash shrugged. “The worst of our secrets have been exposed. Frankly I do not care what they think. Before Gerard came I was waiting for you to die so I could get on with my life with Anna. Now I find you accept her. I had only to tell the truth and our lives need not have been led in secret.”

  “The truth was ever a powerful weapon,” the old man said. “I had forgotten that.”

  Juliet heard wheels outside and ran to the window. “It’s almost dark but I see a carriage coming up the drive with a team of four. I wonder who it is. Sorry, Nash. I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Oh that’s probably General Soutine,” Gerard said. He went to stand beside Juliet and gaze down at the equipage, then turned to his grandfather. “In all the excitement I forgot to tell you.”

  “What?” Cochran said. “You invited him here?”

  “I’m surprised he accepted.”

  “You little blackguard. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Receive him with hospitality as you would any old enemy.”

  “Very well, since I do owe him for saving your wretched neck, though I sometimes regret that. I’ll tell Goff to prepare a chamber for him. I know. We’ll put him in your father’s room.”

  “The ground floor might be better.”

  “Oh, very well. Chandler tell Goff to move my things upstairs somewhere and put the general in my chamber.”

  Charles stared at his great-uncle as though he had run mad and left shaking his head.

  * * * * *

  Gerard took Juliet’s arm as they came out the front of the house with General Cochran. When Conde had difficulty helping Soutine out of the carriage, they went to lend a hand. But someone else got out and helped the general. Gerard blinked and staggered. It was his father. He ran to him and almost bowled them both over when he clasped them each in a hug.

  “Have a care, boy,” his father chided. “You’ll topple us all.”

  “But where have you been all this time with us thinking you dead?”

  “Nearly dead and out of my senses most of the time. I took a head wound and the locals must have picked my pockets before some enterprising Belgian farmwife carried me home in a wheelbarrow and nursed me back to heath.”

  Gerard looked at him and noted the cropped hair and a fresh angry scar tracing a path along the side of his head.

  “John, home at last,” General Cochran said. “Left it a bit late.”

  “I wasn’t sure I’d be welcome.”

  The general came and embraced his son. “Nonsense. I have been asking you to return for years.”

  “Really? I got no such letters.”

  The general nodded and looked at his son. “Letters do have a way of going astray.”

  “I am getting too old for this jaunting about,” Soutine said, “and certainly for such heartwrenching reunions in the middle of the road.”

  “We are all getting old, Soutine,” General Cochran said. “Come inside if you think you can make it.”

  “Nothing would dissuade me at this point. Has this young jackanapes been turning your household upside down?”

  Gerard took Soutine’s right arm as Conde grabbed his left.

  “Yes, just as you foresaw that he would but when the pieces all landed we discovered we are still a whole family. By the way, this is Juliet Chandler, engaged to be married to Gerard.”

  “Congratulations. Ah, how sweet to be young.”

  “Gerard, you have been busy,” his father said.

  “After we found the major we ha
d to come,” Soutine said. “I hope you do not mind we kept his life as a surprise. There is still one piece to the puzzle up in the air.”

  Having said that, he retired to his room, General Cochran’s ground floor chamber and did not emerge again, seeing no one but Conde.

  * * * * *

  “What is this revelation he plans to make?” Major Cochran asked his son as he poured himself a brandy in the drawing room.”

  “I had hoped you knew,” Gerard replied.

  The door cracked open and Nash entered. “Is it true? My God! John, you are alive.”

  When his father and uncle came together the embrace was so genuine that Gerard no longer doubted the love between them.

  “Don’t ever do this to us again,” Nash chided.

  The general poured his youngest son a drink. “I always suspected you were fearing you would inherit, Nash, not living in expectation of it.”

  “Yes, when I have not the least aptitude for sheep or wool.”

  “Oh, as though I have?” the major said.

  The general smiled. “On a place this big there will be employment for all.”

  “But how is this possible?” Nash asked.

  His brother smiled. “Soutine kept searching for me and sending Conde to look where he could not go. I fancy he spent a great deal of money trying to find my remains. Instead he found me. If he had not come to me himself and recalled my memories of Amilee and Gerard I’m not sure I ever would have remembered. And the farmwife had no incentive to remind me I was a British officer. I became quite handy in the dairy. Did I always know how to milk a cow?”

  His father laughed and choked on his brandy. “No, that was never one of your skills. You become more valuable as we speak.”

  “The missing piece must be the connection between Soutine and Father. I know there is one,” Gerard said.

  Chandler poured himself a brandy. “He mentioned a debt of honor. Gerard doesn’t know what he was talking about either.”

  “There is no mystery about that,” the general said. “John married General Soutine’s only daughter.”