The Rightful Lord (The Saga Of Wolfbridge Manor Book 3), Sahara Kelly [english novels for students .TXT] 📗

Royce rose and gathered a sheaf of papers from the top of a sideboard. “Here. You’ll need these.” He glanced at Ione. “Thank you for bringing them.”

She smiled, but remained silent, sipping her brandy and turning her gaze to her husband.

Giles cleared his throat. “Well, as you all know, the ownership of Wolfbridge has been challenged of late. Even though that particular threat has been—er—eliminated, Royce and I agreed that we should attempt to follow up on the matters that have been raised during the last few months.”

Harry frowned. “Didn’t we discover that there were no heirs to the property? We had a pretty good idea of the people involved…the Bishop and the illegitimate child, and so on?”

“We did,” Royce answered. “But once Giles got the bit between his teeth, he gained access to many more records than we had.”

“Indeed I did,” Giles concurred. “And we traced the same families, starting with Lord Nicholas Pinebridge and his illegitimate child by Wilhelmina Markeley. We followed that through the various branches of Markeleys, and the consequent entails, along with the ownership of Pinebridge and its ultimate split into Fivetrees and Wolfbridge. We can’t forget that problematic Mortmain either.”

“So we weren’t too far off in our assumptions, then?” Gwyneth tilted her head to one side as she asked the question.

“No indeed, they were right on the mark. Your discoveries sliced through hours of unnecessary research. We were able to take what you had learned and follow a variety of different paths. It led us to an interesting place.”

“Oh?” Jeremy leaned forward. “Come on then, Giles, don’t keep us waiting.”

“Very well.” He picked up a piece of paper. “A question that I understand you all asked at one time or another, was about whether this property, Pinebridge, actually has an heir.” He paused and looked around at the waiting faces. “I can now confirm that yes, there is an heir to Pinebridge. Nicholas Markeley had no children, as you know. However, the way such things work is to find the next closest surviving male relative. There was only one.”

“Giles, if you don’t tell us right now, I swear…” Evan glared at him in mock fury.

“Michael Markeley’s wife had a brother who had several children. One of them is still alive.” He looked across the room at one of the occupants. “Michael Markeley was married to Letitia Parr.”

He emphasised the last name and slowly heads swivelled to look at Gabriel, whose mouth fell open. “What?”

“Yes, Gabriel. You are the last remaining male Parr, a direct descendent of the Parr family. Letitia Parr, Michael Markeley’s wife.” He took a breath. “Therefore, I am pleased to inform you that you now own not only Fivetrees, but Wolfbridge as well.”

“Good God.” Gwyneth slumped in her chair, her eyes wide. “We thought it was Parn or Purr or something, if I remember correctly. We never imagined it was a Parr. I’m…stunned.”

Which pretty much summed up everyone else’s response, too.

“I dd-d-d-don’t want this…” Gabriel stuttered. “No, no, it can’t be me. It can’t be.” He looked around, his eyes so wide that the whites all around the blue irises showed vividly. “I’m no Lord…”

“It’s all right, Gabriel, please relax. We have a solution.” Royce’s voice was unusually gentle. “We wouldn’t drop this on you if we hadn’t worked things out first.”

Still pale, Gabriel reached for Gwyneth’s hand as she sat next to him on the couch.

“If they say it’s all right, Gabriel, it will be.” She spoke softly and reassuringly and squeezed his fingers. “Let’s hear the rest.”

Giles nodded. “She’s right. All you’re inheriting is the land, Gabriel. The title comes through the Wolfbridge line, not the Parr line. So you can take a breath…” He looked at Royce. “You’d better carry on from here.”

Royce cleared his throat. “All right. Well, the other issue that may well prove to be a threat to our home is the matter of the entail going to women.”

Gwyneth frowned. “Wait. I thought that Aphrodite’s wishes were solidly backed and quite legal?”

“They were when she made them, Gwyneth, yes.” Royce said steadily. “The problem is that we’re now several generations on from that time. These days, as Giles pointed out, many more estates are being inherited by women, to the distress of the men who expected to run them.” He held up his hand to forestall what was obviously about to be an outraged shriek. “We cannot do anything about this, love. I swear. We looked into it, but the threat is real. What worked for Aphrodite will most likely not remain in place today if challenged by an experienced lawyer. So rather than take that risk, we came up with a plan of our own.”

Gwyneth gulped, still frowning. “And that is?”

“You must marry.”

The silence was profound.

“Royce,” she finally managed, after her brain stopped whirling. “I do not want to marry. I’m happy the way things are. Marriage was never part of my life here at Wolfbridge.” This time Gabriel squeezed her hand for reassurance.

Giles saw the panic rising in her eyes. “We know, dear child. We know. So we have made a plan. You will marry a nobleman with a distinguished title, thus ensuring the legality of any disposition you care to make for the future of Wolfbridge. It will be done in his name.”

“But…” She choked a little, fear and anger warring on her face. “How can I do that? I don’t know anyone like that.” Her expression changed to one of grave suspicion. “Who have you chosen for me?”

Giles looked at Royce.

Royce looked at Gwyneth. “Actually, that would be me.”

Once again silence fell, broken in a few moments by Jeremy, who clutched his heart. “All right. You need to stop doing this. I’ve been shot. I’m a weak man. I might just die of heart