The Shrouded Walls by Susan Howatch Read Free Book Online Page A

betrayal of my father’s wishes and the trust he had placed in me. He had made this will in a sane rational frame of mind and no doubt had reasons for eliminating his other sons from any share of Haraldsdyke. I felt the least I could do to implement his wishes was to accept the inheritance nominally at least. However, I had my own affairs to manage and it was obvious to me that I could not stay long at Haraldsdyke. The estate was at any rate in the hands of trustees for a year—this was because my inheritance was contingent on my marrying an Englishwoman and was not mine outright until I had fulfilled this condition. I told the trustees, James Sherman and his brother Charles, that I wished Vere to be allowed the practical administration of the estate in my absence, and then I returned to Vienna to arrange my affairs so that I could return to England at the earliest opportunity and seek a suitable wife.”
    “But supposing you hadn’t married, ” I said. “What would have happened to the estate then?”
    “It was willed to Vere’s son, Stephen, who is at present a child of three. Even now, if I die without issue, the estate is to pass to Stephen. If Stephen dies childless before the age of twenty-one, his younger brother will inherit—and so on ... Every contingency is provided for.”
    “I see.” I was silent. “Will you still have to go back to Vienna often?”
    “About once a year. I’ve consolidated and delegated my business interests to enable me to spend most of the year in England.”
    “And Vere and Alice? What’s to happen to them? How they must resent us coming to usurp them!”
    “I see no reason why they should be usurped. I would welcome Vere’s help in administrating the estate for I know nothing of agriculture, and Alice will be able to show you how a country house should be run.”
    “But how old is Alice?” I said, feeling very insecure indeed. “Won’t she be angry when I take her place?”
    “You forget,” said Axel. “Alice is a simple, plain country girl who has had experience of acting as housekeeper in a large mansion. You are a young woman of an education and background far above her. There won’t be any conflict at all. It will be obvious from the beginning that you are the rightful mistress of the house. Alice won’t mind in the least—it will give her more time to attend to her children. She’s the most excellent mother. ”
    “But the others, your step-mother ... ”
    “Esther and I have always been on the best of terms,” he interrupted. “She will be glad to see me again and anxious to see that you feel comfortable and at ease at Haraldsdyke. Who else is there? Only Mary, my father’s ward, and she is a mere child of fourteen who will be far too busy trying to please her governess to be much concerned with you. You needn’t worry about her in the least.”
    “And Ned,” I said. “You’ve forgotten Ned again.”
    “Ned? Well, I hardly think he need concern you much either. I think I shall suggest to him that he enlists in the army. He must be nineteen now and it’s high time he did something constructive with his life instead of idling it away in the taverns of the Cinque Ports or the haystacks of the Romney Marsh. He’s not intelligent enough to go to a University. Any attempt at providing him with further education would be a waste of money. ” He drained his tankard of ale and took out his watch to glance at it. “I think we should retire soon,” he said abruptly. “We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow and you should get plenty of rest to avoid becoming too tired.”
    “As you wish.” I was recalled at once from my thoughts of the past by the dread of the night to come.
    “The landlord fortunately has a private room for us both,” he said. “So often in these English inns one has to share a communal bedroom even if not a communal bed.”
    I tried to look pleased.
    “Perhaps you will have some wine with me before we retire?” he said.