The Hunter’s Tale by Margaret Frazer Read Free Book Online

better to have it over with?“ Hugh said.
     
    ‘Or better to put off knowing the worst until later,“ Miles returned. There was laughter under his low-kept voice. Miles too often found laughter where no one else did, was sometimes reckless with it, and had brought Sir Ralph’s wrath down on himself more than once that way. These past few days Hugh had caught glints of it behind Miles’ few words and long silences that warned his outward seemliness was very thin and barely holding; but this wasn’t the time to give way and Hugh punched him just hard enough in the small of his back to remind him and said, keeping his voice low, ”Easy enough for you, anyway. You already know the worst for you.“
     
    ‘True,“ Miles returned. ”One badly neglected and diminished manor, complete with Sir Ralph’s curse because he couldn’t find a way to keep it from me.“
     
    And Sir Ralph would have kept it from him if he could. About that, Sir Ralph had always been very clear. All else that he held was his to dispose of as he chose and he had more than once goaded Tom and Hugh with, “I can leave you no more than the clothes you stand in. You cross me once too often and that’s all I will leave you. I swear it.” But the manor of Goscote in Leicestershire had come to him by right of blood and was entailed by law to pass to the eldest male heir of the blood, meaning Miles, only son of his loathed eldest son. Bitterly grudging that, Sir Ralph had taken pains over the years to take as much from the manor as he could, do as little for it as possible, and make certain Miles knew it. “Still,” said Miles cheerfully now, “better a broken manor without Sir Ralph than Paradise with him. Not that any place with Sir Ralph would be Paradise.”
     
    But the rest of them—except Lady Anneys with the dower land of her marriage agreement—were not assured of anything. Despite all his talking and threats, Sir Ralph had never told them for certain what was in his will; for all any of them knew, he might have left everything to the Church or a cousin they had never heard of or “a long-discarded mistress,” Miles had once speculated, “who’s become a nun and will pray forever for his soul.”
     
    ‘I doubt it,“ Tom had said. ”If he was going to do a thing like that, he’d tell us, to watch us writhe.“
     
    With that Hugh fully agreed, so it was not to avoid something he feared to hear that Tom was delaying as he turned from Sir William and Master Wyck and said, “Hugh, help me here. Mother doesn’t need more today. She—”
     
    Lady Anneys straightened, lifted her head, and quietly, firmly interrupted him. “I’ve said that I’m ready.” She looked at Master Wyck, waiting in front of her with papers in his hand. “If you think this time is good, then let’s be done with it. Go on.”
     
    ‘Lady Anneys,“ Sir William said kindly, ”this may not be wise.“
     
    Lady Anneys looked past Master Wyck and Tom to Hugh and Miles. “Hugh. Miles. What do you say?”
     
    Hugh hesitated. It was Miles who answered, “If you say now, then now it should be.”
     
    Lady Anneys returned her quiet gaze to Master Wyck. “Now, sir, if you please.”
     
    He made her a small bow and said to the rest of them, “If you would care to be seated, gentlemen?”
     
    Miles promptly hitched a hip onto the edge of the table. Hugh and Sir William sat on the benches. Tom hesitated, looked at his mother, who understood what he was silently asking and nodded at Sir Ralph’s chair. “Now, for you, too,” she said with a smile. And he sat down in it.
     
    ‘Well done,“ Miles said, lightly mocking. ”You fit.“
     
    Tom shifted a little uneasily, settling himself more firmly, and turned his heed to Master Wyck.
     
    The attorney had stayed standing, his papers at the ready. With them settled, he briefly bowed his head to them all and said, “What I have here is Sir Ralph’s will, with his sign and seal upon it, witnessed by my