Lady Pirate by Lynsay Sands Read Free Book Online Page B

anyone outside the family. And he succeeded in doing so! Had he not been robbed and killed…” Valoree fell silent as her throat constricted with emotion. For a moment she struggled with anger and grief, then, noting the pitying expression on the lawyer’s face, she straightened. “But he was killed,” she finished gruffly.
    Whister immediately began to shuffle his papers again. “Yes. Well, in the end it was fortunate that he hadn’t claimed Ainsley…since he left no will. As it is, since he died without either producing an heir or claiming his inheritance, we must revert to your father’s will. According to that—” He paused briefly, skimming a few lines of the paper he held. Nodding, he said, “According to this, that makes you the heiress. Which, of course, you already know. Else you would not be here.”
    â€œAye,” Valoree murmured, shifting uncomfortably. It did not feel right that she was there to collect an inheritance gained through her brother’s death. She would rather her brother were alive. Still, things had not turned out that way, and she had to be strong.
    â€œWell, then, on your twenty-fourth birthday…Let us see, that would be…My goodness, that was almost three months ago.”
    Valoree nodded solemnly. They would have come sooner, but they’d run into rough weather on their first attempt to head for England. It had been as if the sea itself were trying to prevent her gaining her inheritance. They had been lucky to pull through the storm, but not fortunate enough to escape with their ship undamaged. They’d had to put in to port for a bit to make repairs; then there had been a bit of trouble with illness—several of the crew had come down with a fever of unknown origin. And as Valoree had refused to leave the ill men behind, since they had fought for her for long and well, they had waited until the sailors’ illness had run its course.
    â€œWell, then, let me see here.” Propping a monocle over one eye, Whister lifted several pages and squinted to read them quickly. “Yes, yes,” he murmured after a moment, then set the sheets down and smiled at her sweetly. “It is all very simple and straightforward. All you need to do is have your husband come with you to sign these papers—”
    â€œMy husband?” Valoree stared at him blankly.
    â€œAye. According to the will, your husband must sign—”
    â€œHusband?” Valoree interrupted. “It is not mine, but my husband’s?”
    Eyebrows rising slightly at the dismay in her voice, the lawyer shifted unhappily. “Well, technically it will go to your heir, but your husband will have charge of it until your son is of age.” Seeing that the news did not appear to improve her grim expression one whit, he began straightening his papers nervously. “It is very common. Most men are hesitant to leave such a large estate in the hands of their daughters. Either they leave it to their sons, or—”
    â€œFine. I shall marry then,” Valoree announced calmly, almost to herself. It was little enough trouble to accomplish that deed. She could marry one of hermen, for that matter. None of them would be foolish enough to think that they could take control of her inheritance, and if they did…Well, they simply wouldn’t. They would realize that the rest of her crew would quickly make her a widow should they try it.
    Mr. Whister peered from her to her aunt and then back. “Am I to understand that you are not married?”
    â€œNot yet. No.”
    â€œI see. Well…” Frowning, he began to straighten the papers on his desk, then glanced at her uncertainly. “Your husband has to be of noble birth, you know.”
    Now Valoree was frowning. “Noble?”
    â€œAye. I fear that was a stipulation of your father’s will as well. A noble of some intelligence, good reputation,