by Rhys Bowen
“I wouldn’t say that being the owner of all this is such a hardship.” Darcy smiled as he looked up at Kingsdowne, its stone glowing in the afternoon sunlight.
“If Mr. Carter recovers all right, I hope he’ll stay on and give me a bit of book learning,” Jack said.
“I think it’s quite hopeful that he will recover,” I said. “They got to him in time. Funny, isn’t it? He was branded a coward in the war but he’s just shown us what a brave man he is.”
“How do you mean?” Jack asked.
“He worked out that the twins must have killed their uncle and he took the blame for them.”
Jack nodded then looked from Darcy to me. “You’ll stay on for a while, won’t you? I still haven’t got the hang of which fork to use for what.”
“I’ll be happy to stay,” I said. “Your poor grandmother is going to need our support in the coming weeks. She has essentially lost her family.”
“What about you, Darcy?” Jack turned to him. “Are you going to be here?”
Darcy’s eyes met mine. “I can’t say how long,” he said, “but for the immediate future, anyway.”
And after the horrid events of the past few days, I felt a bubble of hope and happiness forming inside me. Darcy was going to stay for a while. Everything would be all right.
We looked up as we saw Edwina coming across the forecourt to meet us. “Mr. Camden-Smythe says he’ll sort everything out,” she said. “Those poor children. My poor daughter. If I didn’t have you, Jack . . .” and she left the rest of the sentence hanging. Jack went over to her and took her arm. “Don’t worry, Grandmama,” he said. “We’ll get through this.”
She nodded. Then she looked up at us. “And do you know what Mr. Camden-Smythe told me? He said that under the terms of the entailment, the title can only pass to an heir of the body, and failing that, to the next male in the line of succession. So all this stupid talk of adoption was for nothing. So stupid. Such a waste.”
We watched them go back to the house. I went to follow them but Darcy held me back.
“What’s the rush?” he said. “They don’t need us in there, and it’s a lovely evening.”
“What had you in mind?” I smiled up at him.
“I know Edwina wouldn’t approve,” he said, “but I was suggesting a stroll down to the local pub.”
I laughed as I took his hand.
