by Mary Wood
At that moment a figure in the shadows caught her eye. Jay! Oh God, why hadn’t her father spoken up?
When she had spoken to Jay the day after they and the cortege had arrived, and after the carrying of Aunt Muriel’s coffin into the parish church, he was undecided about what to do. Whereas he had been adamant that he would not stake his claim while Aunt Muriel was alive, he now felt differently. She had told her father this, but he had cautioned her that until Jay said one way or the other what he wanted to do, the subject was best not broached.
Why do men think they know it all? Father could at least have talked to Jay!
How would Douglas feel, finding out he was not the rightful heir? How would he react to having the position and wealth that the title would bring him snatched away from him?
Douglas wasn’t materialistic, but he had been schooled in the responsibilities that he thought would be his; and he had been studious, even as a young boy, in preparing himself. He knew, and had the respect of all the leaseholders of the farms belonging to the estate. Before the war he’d taken on his shoulders the setting-up of a monthly meeting of the tenants to discuss new farming methods, and how they could implement them and share the cost as a team. He’d never liked London and had already made plans to live permanently in Hastleford Hall once the war was over.
Jay moved out of the shadows and walked forward. Several of the family glanced at him. Looking at her father, who stood holding her mother’s arm a little to the left of her, Eloise saw a look of shock and fear cross his face.
No one said anything, but an uncomfortable ripple of disapproval went through the mourners as Jay came and stood between her and her father. She didn’t dare look at him. The heavy wooden door of the crypt was closed, and then came the grating, screeching sound of its outer gate, as it too was closed.
The click of the key being turned in the rusty lock made her tremble.
Life was never going to be the same again. Jay’s appearance had told her what his intentions were – intentions that would shake the foundations of everything she and her family had come to expect.
What had happened so far had shaken the rock that her family, and that of her cousins, was built on. But what was to come – if Jay did declare himself – would surely crumble it.
20
Jay
Leicestershire, Christmas 1916
Rightful place
As the funeral party turned away from the family crypt, Jay took hold of Lady Eloise’s arm and turned her to face him. He could see that she was embarrassed and a little afraid. He needed to see her face to know what she had to say. How he longed to hear her voice – any voice.
Sometimes, since Florrie had attacked him, he had heard sounds. They had frightened him at first, as he had no concept of what they were. Now he dreaded them coming, as they were high-pitched zinging noises that drove him mad. They lasted for hours once they started. Unsure if they meant anything, he hadn’t told anyone about them and it was all he could do to try and cope with them.
Lady Eloise’s mouth formed the words, ‘Not now, Jay. It is not an appropriate time.’
‘I can’t leave it, Lady Eloise. As is the custom, you will go back to the house now, to listen to the will being read. I cycled to Rugby the other day, as soon as I heard of Lady Mur . . . my half-sister’s death. I contacted your family solicitor. I know of him as I’ve often posted letters for your father and have seen his address on envelopes. I told him my story. He has looked into it and, just this morning, has verified it by talking to Doctor Henderson. He had no time to contact your father before the funeral, but will inform him the moment the family arrives home. I needed you to know. I didn’t want it to be a shock to you. It is likely the rest of you won’t be told until you are gathered for the reading of the will. A will that is null and void now, as the estate belongs to me and cannot be disposed of as my half-sister wished.
‘Why now, Jay? Couldn’t you have waited?’
‘No. I would never have revealed the truth whilst Lady Muriel was alive, but now I have to. If I don’t, there will never be a good time. I want what is rightfully mine.’
‘I can understand that. But when Douglas has just buried his mother? It can’t be right.’
Jay shrank away from the look she gave him. Her expression showed disgust. Maybe he should have consulted her. But when he did, she did nothing. She only wanted to save her aunt from shock and humiliation. Oh yes, he could understand that, but right is right. It was right that he was the owner of Hastleford Hall and the estate, and not Douglas; and that he, Jay Tattumby – or whatever his real name was – was the new lord.
Lady Eloise had been silent for a moment. She let out a release of breath. ‘I will speak to my father. Look, he is waiting for me. I have to go.’
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘No, you can’t!’
‘Then I will make my way to the Hall and wait outside. The solicitor has told me to attend.’
‘How could he do that, without first consulting my father? Please, Jay, give me time to speak to him. Please.’
‘You will have time to speak to him on the way. The solicitor told me that the wake is to be held at Hastleford Hall, my ancestral home. I will cycle straight over there now. You will all be there before I arrive. This will give your father time to inform everyone, so that it isn’t a shock at the formal will-reading.’
‘Jay! You have been planning this? Why do it in such a cruel way? Why didn’t the solicitor ring my father and warn him what was happening, so that he could prepare my uncle and my cousins?’
‘No, I have been left with no alternative. At first I just had a quest to learn the truth. The undeniable truth. I . . . You knew that. Didn’t you speak to your father?’
‘I – I, yes, I did. Look, I’m sorry, Jay. In all fairness to you, my father should have done something, but as you were not willing to declare yourself whilst Aunt Muriel was alive and none of us dreamed she would die as soon as this, my father can’t be blamed for not acting.’
‘No, and I can’t be blamed for acting the moment she did die. At least if the family had been made aware as soon as she died, it would have helped. What was your father thinking of?’
‘What does anyone think of on a sudden death? The shock is—’
‘It was a shock to me, too. A tremendous shock. You see, though it was unlikely to happen, I had hoped that if Lady Muriel was told about me, we could have got to know one another and arrangements could have been put in place. I would have signed something to say that nothing should change until after her death, other than my acceptance into the family. I have been let down – ignored by your father. He should have acted once he knew the truth, even though he knew I did not intend to take up my rightful inheritance. As it is, it is going to be such a shock that it could cause a chasm in the family that will be irreparable. Though I do have plans to try to avoid that.’
For a moment Eloise hesitated, but then he saw that she was coming round to seeing his point of view, as she lifted her head. ‘None of this is your fault, Jay. No one can deny you what is your own. The family will see that you were prepared not to do anything to hurt Lady Muriel, by claiming your just rights whilst she was alive, and will respect you for that, I’m sure. They may be angry and hurt and disappointed at first, but they will come to terms with that. As you say, my father should have done something, once he knew the truth. He has always suspected, and that is why he has treated you so well. But how will you go about things so that there will not be a split in the family?’
‘I don’t intend to abandon them. I will need their help. I won’t even take their beloved home away from them, but will have one built for myself and my family nearby, on my land. I want Douglas to run the estate with me, and to have the standing that he would have had as the lord. I’m not sure of the details, as I don’t know the extent of my inheritance.’
‘From what I know, it is extensive. Come with me – we will have to speak with my father.’
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br /> As they reached the car, Lord Mellor climbed out and looked from his daughter to Jay. His anger was evident in his red face and in the way his words formed on his lips. ‘What’s going on? This is very bad behaviour, delaying the family in this way, Eloise. Your cousins need our comfort. We should have arrived back at their home just after them.’
Eloise made sure that she faced Jay, so that he could make out what she said. And he felt very grateful to her and watched carefully as she answered her father. ‘I am sorry, Father. But the conversation Jay and I have just had is of great importance. Jay has seen the family solicitor, who has verified everything. He is waiting to talk to you and Uncle Christopher. Jay is going to claim his rightful ownership—’
Lord Mellor struck Jay’s shoulder with his glove, bringing his attention to him. ‘What? Don’t you dare, young man!’
Before he had time to answer, Jay felt Lady Eloise grasp his arm. Turning towards him, she kept her face to him as she made her angry retort to her father. ‘Father! Compose yourself. You should have acted before now. But at least you can take Uncle Christopher and the boys to one side and tell them, before we all gather to hear this formally from the solicitor. Jay has plans that will make this all a lot less painful than you imagine. It is time to give him the respect he should be afforded. He is mortified it has happened like it has. But we need you to deal with it with as much dignity as you can muster. Getting angry with Jay is not going to do any good, and is undeserved.’
By the look on her own face and her father’s, Jay surmised that Lady Eloise had never spoken to her father in this manner before. Something in him recognized that she had put her duty to him above her respect for her father – something that, he hoped, wasn’t all down to duty, but due to a much deeper feeling she might have for him.
These thoughts didn’t stop the fear he felt, as Lord Mellor looked angrier than Jay had ever seen him. However, what Lord Mellor said belied what he must be feeling, as his words told of a calmness. ‘Get into the car, Eloise. Jay, make your way to the Hall, but have the kindness to give me time to deal with the situation as best I can before you arrive. Nothing formal will be done until you do so. And I hope to God you are going to deal with this with compassion. I apologize for not having acted when Eloise told me of your rightful claim, but I—’
‘Please don’t apologize, sir. You have always been good to me, and I appreciate that. I – I hope you believe that I would never have taken anything from Lady Muriel, and that I intend to make sure things don’t change too much for my family. It will take them time to get used to everything, but once they see that I am not going to lord it over them and leave them penniless, I am sure it will help. None of us are equipped to deal with such a situation. Mistakes have been made, but we couldn’t know they were mistakes until we had the hindsight to see what has happened. Lady Muriel’s sudden death has brought everything to a head.’
‘Thank you, Jay. It doesn’t excuse my behaviour, but it does help that you understand. Now we must get going, as they will all be worried about us. We will see you back at Hastleford Hall. And may God help us all through the next few hours.’
As he watched them leave, Jay reflected on how his feelings had changed. At first, when Lady Andrina had died, his inheritance was no longer of any importance to him. Loving her, or at least thinking himself in love with her, had made him want to be accepted in her society.
But since he’d begun to know Lady Eloise, he had known what real love is. Every minute of his waking day he pined for her. That hadn’t happened with Lady Andrina. What he felt then was excitement as a result of his burgeoning sexual feelings, though he would never have let it materialize in that way. He’d had a love and respect for Lady Andrina, and her death had affected him greatly. But Lady Eloise was part of his being. She was in his soul. If he was ever to ask for her hand, he had to pursue his rightful heritage.
By the time he was called into the house Jay thought that he would freeze solid. He couldn’t believe that, after learning who he really was, Lord and Lady Mellor had still shut him out to wait, as they would one of the servants. They had even left instructions for him to wait in the kitchen, but his pride had not let him do that, and so he had stood by the front door and waited.
When Woodacre opened the door, his words grated on Jay. ‘What do you think you’re doing, standing here at the front door, young Jay? You should have waited in the kitchen. Go round there now, and they will let you in and bring you through.’
‘No, I would prefer to be let in through the front door, as is my right. You and the others will learn why very shortly, Mr Woodacre.’
Woodacre’s mouth dropped open, showing his toothless gums, but he opened the door and, without a word, showed Jay through the huge hall to the room where the family were assembled. As he went to open the door he said, ‘Well, I never thought this day would come. Good luck!’
Jay stared into Woodacre’s blue-rimmed hazel eyes. ‘You knew?’
The old man nodded. ‘What does it matter now?’
Anger made Jay want to shake him, but the door was open and Woodacre was announcing his name.
For a moment he stood with all eyes on him – even those of Lady Eloise, whom he had not expected to be there, thinking that maybe only the male members of the family would be in attendance. He was glad that she was.
Douglas and Christian stood together, stiff and tall, every inch the soldiers they were. Their expressions told him of their devastation. Mr Ramsey, the solicitor, was there too.
‘I’m sorry, but I think we should all begin with the knowledge that I couldn’t help what your grandfather – my father – did,’ Jay said.
Douglas said something to the solicitor.
‘Please look at me when you speak, even if you’re not addressing me. You all know that is the only way I can hear.’
‘I apologize, Jay,’ Douglas responded. ‘I said, “This is preposterous!” There must be a mistake, or some rule of possession or something. I am the new lord, and I will not allow you to take that away from me.’
‘I am not taking it. It is rightfully mine. I expect you know that I would never have done anything whilst your mother – my half-sister – was alive, may God rest her soul. But now I must.’
‘Why must you? I will appeal against this. I will fight you in the courts. There must be something I can do.’
It was Ramsey who answered him, and again Jay had to ask him to look at him as he did so. ‘As I see it, there is nothing that can be done. Mr Tattumby is the new lord. As a male-line successor, before your grandfather died, he has precedence over you. Your mother should never have inherited. I have spoken to all those who are still alive whom I could contact, and who witnessed Mr Tattumby’s true identity, and I have their written testimony.’
‘IT CAN’T HAPPEN!’
‘Douglas, my dear, please. Please try to accept it, and hear Jay out. It is not as bad as you think.’
‘It is worse than I think, Eloise. Nothing can make it better. We – Christian, Edith and me – and Father . . . we will be penniless, and homeless!’
‘Please tell me what Douglas said, Lady Eloise.’
After she had finished telling him, Jay walked over to where the solicitor stood. ‘From here, I can see what you are all saying.’ His eye caught the figure of a broken man, that of Sir Christopher sitting in the corner. ‘Listen to me. You’re my family. Douglas and Christian, I am your uncle; and I am your brother-in-law, Sir Christopher. As such, I will never see you penniless, or homeless. I don’t know the size of my fortune, but I am hoping that my plans are well within my means.’ As he outlined how they would be gifted this house and the one in London, and how he would build a new mansion for himself and his family, they began to look at him with interest, rather than disdain. ‘I will settle a sum on you all – a generous one. The title is nothing. Your friends will hear that an unknown heir came to light, as is indeed the truth. It will be up to you how little, or how much, you tell them. They will
see that your status has not diminished, so there will be no talk that would harm your name.’
When Jay finished speaking, no one moved. After a minute Douglas flopped into the nearest chair, and Sir Christopher sat up straight and looked at him with an unreadable expression, before standing up. ‘You were wronged by my wife’s father. For that I apologize. And I would like to thank you, Lord Daverly – because that is your true name.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate you saying that, but no fault lies with you, or any of you. My status has come as a deep shock to you all. I only hope we can go forward in a manner that will unite us, and not divide us.’ Turning towards the solicitor, Jay asked, ‘Please can you tell me if what I propose is within my means?’
‘It is, Lord Daverly, you are an extremely wealthy man.’
An excitement that he hoped did not show clenched in Jay’s stomach. Me, rich! He tried to maintain his composure. ‘I’ll leave you now. You have a lot to come to terms with, not least the reason you are gathered together today. Your guests must be wondering where you are.’
Then the most surprising thing happened. Douglas came over to him and shook Jay’s hand, saying as he did so, ‘I can’t pretend that I’m not bitterly disappointed and hurt, and that it’s not painful to see my plans for the future of the estate rendered worthless, but I accept that this was not your fault. I want to thank you for your generosity.’
‘None of your plans will be wasted. I would like you to work alongside me to manage the estate. I can’t do it on my own. We could form a partnership.’
‘Good God, man. I am trying to hate you, but I can’t. Of course I accept your offer, for this estate is all I know. Christian has his scientific studies; and Edith – poor Edith – has her medicine. But as for me, well, this estate is in my blood.’
‘Yes, you are right. It is in your blood as it is in mine, for we are of the same line.’
Sir Christopher came over to Jay and placed his hand on his shoulder, getting his attention. ‘Your father’s family were bankers and politicians, Jay. And I would say you have the latter in you, as you also have my late wife Lady Muriel’s kindness, and that of your niece, Eloise.’