Summer on the River by Marcia Willett Read Free Book Online Page B

with his younger brother. Later, one of the papers shows that David had begun to feel resentful that his elder son, George, would inherit nothing whilst Charles – who was technically illegitimate – would get the lot, but he was clearly anxious about making things difficult for his sister-in-law. He wrote about the love they had for each other.’
    â€˜Poor devil.’
    Evie looks sad for a moment; then she shrugs. ‘TDF’s only comfort was that if George had inherited there would probably be nothing left now. He was a wild young man, a gambler, and he went out to America to try his luck in the gold rush. He was killed in some kind of shoot-out, leaving his wife and children more or less destitute. His cousin – well, half-brother – Charles looked after them. Even so, TDF was gutted. He didn’t know if he should try to put things right but he could think of no way of making restitution without telling Ben the truth and he feared that it might cause huge problems.’
    â€˜But what could Ben do? It’s hardly hard evidence, is it? A few flimsy letters? Nothing to back them up.’
    â€˜TDF was afraid that Kirsty might think it was worth a legal try. They were very hard up at the time. But it wasn’t just that. He thought that it would destroy the family. Ben and Charlie are very close and he was afraid that this news might cause a lot of misery. Let’s face it, Ben would never be able to run the business. He has no head for figures and he wouldn’t want to. TDF and Charlie worked very hard to keep it so successful, and TDF feared it might all be broken up. Yet he still wanted to make some kind of restitution.’
    â€˜Hang on a minute,’ says Claude. ‘Just to be clear. Ben’s great-great-grandfather, David – who already has a son, George – has an affair with his sister-in-law, Charlie’s great-great-grandmother, who becomes pregnant and bears David’s child, and calls him Charles. So Ben and Charlie’s great-grandfathers, George and Charles, were half-brothers not cousins. And, because the estate was entailed, George, being the elder and legitimate, should have inherited, which means that everything would have come down to Ben and not to Charlie.’ He begins to smile. ‘Ah, I begin to see. So you think that’s why TDF left the Merchant’s House to you?’
    She nods. ‘It was a huge shock but I’ve wondered if that might be the reason. He couldn’t leave it to Ben without some kind of explanation but now that the laws of entail no longer apply he could leave it to me as his wife even though it might raise a few eyebrows.’
    â€˜As it did. And you leave it to Ben?’
    She is silent for a moment. ‘Possibly. Clearly TDF still couldn’t decide how to make restitution or he’d have made it clear in his will. Maybe he thought I’d have a better idea.’
    â€˜That’s a bit tough on you, isn’t it? I mean, how can you possibly know the future?’
    â€˜Well, I still haven’t come to a decision and I’d welcome any ideas. Meanwhile, Ange is furious that the house is mine. It all came off the boil when I let the house to those friends. Ange and Charlie didn’t come down for a while so it went a bit quiet but I’m rather dreading regatta.’
    â€˜And where are the letters?’
    Evie sighs. ‘In a sealed envelope in my desk.’
    â€˜And what will you do with them?’
    She shrugs. ‘What would you do, chum?’
    He thinks about it. ‘Have you made a will?’
    â€˜Of course I have. The Merchant’s House is left equally between Charlie and Ben at the moment, though neither of them knows that. It’s not the right answer but what else could I do? I had no idea when I made the will that Ben would need somewhere to live and would move in, so I have to think again now. I certainly wouldn’t want him chucked out if