Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (88 page)

signature—or a reasonable facsimile?”

signature—or a reasonable facsimile?”
“Mister Barney attested it was the only document,”
Theodore said with a touch of guilt. “And Whyse has assured us
no one willcontest it.”
“Well, damn, it is good to be favored by the king,”I said
sincerely.
Theodore sighed and handed me a small sack that
clanked heavilyonthe desk. “Those things are the personalitems
Jenkins retrieved fromthe bodies.”
The first thing I withdrew from the sack was a sterling
snuff box with Shane’s initials. “What of my cousin’s will?” I

asked.Theodore shrugged. “He was not known to have

executed one. Allsayhe held no propertyto convey.” “Has anyone looked throughhis things?”I asked. “Non, we were not sure who might wish to,” Theodore

said. “His servants were dismissed. We insured they took nothingofvalue withthem.”
“I willsee to his things,”I said.
“He truly shot your father to defend you?” the Marquis asked quietly. “After allthat passed betweenyou?”
I smiled sadly. “Not allthat passed between us was bad. I forgave him, and inthe end I think he wished to make amends.”
The Marquis sighed. “It is sad, then. He was viewed by all we have spoken with as something akin to your father’s unfortunate and unrulydog.”
I nodded. “That is indeed the state to which my father reduced him.”

I had been pulling other items from the sack as we

I had been pulling other items from the sack as we spoke. I now held my father’s signet ring: the one with the Dorshire arms. I placed it onmyindexfinger.

“So, what has he left me?”I asked.
“He owned an array of business interests: some outright, and others only by a percentage of investment,” Theodore said. “I have been given a list of the ones the king would have you pass to the Crown.”
“Do I stand any chance of contesting these
gifts
?” I asked.
“Non,”Theodore said firmly.
“Then I do not wish to hear the list. Let it be as if they never existed,”I said witha shrug.
Theodore nodded and set the list aside and picked up another one. “This then, is the list ofproperties you are expected to divest yourselfofto Gastonor your family.”
“Perhaps we should wait on these properties until I can discuss themwithSarah,”I said.
Theodore glanced toward the open study doors. There were only the four of us in the room. Striker and Liamhad gone with Captain Horn to hire men to replace the ones that left with Jenkins, and Rachelwas busyinstructingmaids.
“Perhaps we should discuss themnow, before there is a chance for dissension,”Theodore said.
“Has Sarah or Striker expressed an interest?” I asked. “And is there any reason to believe my other sister or her husband expect anything?”
“I know nothing of Lady Beaucrest.” Theodore said. “Your father’s primary solicitor, Mister Barney, has made no “Your father’s primary solicitor, Mister Barney, has made no mention of her, nor has Whyse’s solicitor, Mister Milton. They have also not acknowledged Mistress Striker’s existence; so I am not sure whether your father never intended to leave them anything, or whether Whyse has swept all such concerns aside with little thought for the ladies. Lady Beaucrest is married to a lord, however, so other than land, it is not as if he or she should benefit fromthe commoninterests.
“As for the Strikers, I feel there is an expectation on your sister’s part,” Theodore said. “It is, of course, your decision, but I feel you should know in advance what you have to give away.”
“Your sister has been very frustrated to not be involved in these negotiations,” the Marquis said. “Of course she knows that is impossible, but she still rails. She is with child again,” he added as anafterthought.
I frowned. “She has become quite the brood mare.”
“She wishes to support quite a brood—possibly all sons,” Theodore said. “And her husband only has partial ownership ofa vessel.”
And, of course, she was my father’s child more than I ever was. I sighed.
“You have five children, two of them will need dowries, and two of them will not inherit a title or estate.” the Marquis said. “And, you and my son both possess philanthropic urges, and I amsure mysonwillwishto start a hospitalofsome kind— allofwhichwillbe a drainuponthe estate’s fortune.”
He was smiling genially, but Gaston and I hunkered downinour chairs like scolded boys.
downinour chairs like scolded boys.
“Well, when you speak of it in those terms…” I said. I shrugged. “What might Sarah want that we could afford to part

with?”Theodore was chuckling. “Well, there is the damn

 

plantationonJamaica.”

I swore quietly with amusement. “Can we not simply sell it?”
“Oui, we could. There are also several West Indies shippingconcerns your father invested in—none ofwhichI knew about,”he added withanger.
“Is there anythingyoumight want?”I asked.
He awarded me an incredulous look. “Will, I will spend the rest ofmydays managingyour affairs. It willtake allmytime, and I willrequire a staff. Your father has three solicitors and they have a small army of clerks. And your father spent most of his time at this endeavor. I willnot have time to manage ought else.”
“Oh,” I said. “Well, insure that you are wellcompensated,”I teased.
He appeared torn between pounding his head on my father’s desk and laughing. “Why do you think I am going to manage your affairs?”
“To insure I do not make a total mess of things,” I said; not sure ifhe was beingrhetoricalor not.
“Just so,”he said—without a smile.
“Truly, Theodore, I do not know how we would manage this without you, but ifthis is a thingyouwould rather not…”
“Oh, hush,” he said with a grin. “I find utter delight in stickingit to these fat Londonbastards.”
stickingit to these fat Londonbastards.”
“Well, as long as you derive some personal benefit,” I

said. “As for Sarah, there is an English shipping company,” he

said seriously. “It is quite profitable: approximately…” He consulted a paper and made a calculation on a tablet. “Twenty percent ofthe annualincome ofthe remainingproperties.”

“Enough to support Striker and Sarah comfortably?” I

 

asked.“Oh, oui. And if well-managed, and perhaps with the

addition of the West Indies interests, the Bard, Dickey, Cudro and Ash—ifthey willallstillbe considered the Striker’s business partners—canlive quite comfortablytoo.”

If they are all still alive
, I could not help but think. “Fine then, let Striker and the R and R Merchant Company have the shipping interests. And the other eighty percent of our

income?”He smiled grimly. “Will likely be reduced by your not

wishing to pursue your father’s policies in all ways—as will the estate’s: since much of that is derived from land rents. I have assumed that you willwish for your landholders to be allowed to keep enough money to live, and that you will want your employees to be paid a decent wage.”

“Oui,” I said with a grin. “Am I to understand this will greatlyreduce our income?”
He shrugged. “I would not saygreatly, but it willaffect it, oui. And changes in policies will likely anger the men who manage these enterprises.”
I shrugged.
He sighed. “There might well be a substantial loss of income for a year or two until we can change the way things have beendone and establishnew procedures and policies.”
“Canwe afford that?”I asked.
“Oui, without problem,” he said with assurance, “as long as we do not go mad buying estates or establishing hospitals or the like—for a few years. If you transfer the remaining assets— other than the shipping concerns—to Gaston, he will stand to earn at least six thousand pounds a year if all goes well—once matters are stable again and we have new management in place. That is not counting what
you
can receive from the estate’s fortune—if you choose to draw upon it. That would be another two thousand pounds. In addition to this, there is over fifteen thousand pounds in gold and coin—that we know of. There very well may be money secreted away in the houses we do not know about.”
I whistled appreciatively. “How much damn money was my father making per year—pursuing his policies and with the assets beingtransferred to the king?”
“At least fifteenthousand a year,”Theodore said.
“What in the name of… What was he doing with all that money?”I asked.
“Well, purchasing and expanding his business interests— some of which have not performed well and I suggest we address or sell—and supporting the estate parish quite handsomely, and…” he shrugged. “According to Jenkins and one of the solicitor’s, Shane cost your father at least three thousand pounds a year.”
“As no one man could possibly drink that much, even if he bought drinks for every man in every tavern he visited, I must assume it was some kind ofblackmailmoney,”I said.
“Veryastute,”Theodore said.
“I guess they could not kill everyone he bedded,” I said sadly.
“Oui, and two of the payments were to the parents of youths purportedlykilled induels,”Theodore said.
“Willwe stillowe them?”I asked.
“I do not know. These are matters that need to be attended to.”
“Tellme what I cando to assist,”I said.
“For those matters, let us see if we are approached by the parties concerned once they learn of Shane’s and your father’s demise. As for the rest…Your task is to please the king and maintainyour title.”
I nodded. “I would be involved inother things as well.”
He smiled sincerely. “We willneed you to be involved— and not merely as a figurehead of this grand enterprise, if that is what youfear.”
I grinned. “Good, I amalready here; I might as well pull myweight.”
Gastonchuckled.
I did too. “We will shepherd this grand enterprise into the future so that it might be of use to the children,” I said. “All the children: ours, the Strikers’, Elizabeth, Liam’s son, and any other offspring we might find ourselves saddled with. I would have them all educated and provided with fortunes so that they might pursue what endeavors they choose; and not have the cast oftheir lives determined by their marriage prospects or who they curryfavor withat court.”
“Well, then,” Theodore said with a smile, “let us do that. As for the adults… I have assumed Liam, Rucker, Bones, Hannah, and Sam will be part of your household. And we have assumed that business associates such as the Bard and Dickey, Cudro and Ash—God preserve them wherever they are—and Julio and Davey will be business associates of the Strikers and therefore more involved with the Strikers’ business interests than your affairs.”
“Julio and Daveyare here?”I asked. At Theodore’s nod and frown, Gaston and I smiled. “We were not sure they boarded the
Magdalene
.”
“Oui, allcame, the only thing we left behind was your fat horse,”Theodore said.
“I would have him found and brought here,” I said. “Carefully.”
The Marquis beganto laugh.
Theodore again looked as if he might pound his head on the desk. “This is why we worry about the estate,” he said calmly. “But we know you well, and the matter has already been discussed by Striker and the Bard. They do not feel they should returnto Île de la Tortue withthe
Magdalene
, however.”
I smiled. “I am honored indeed that anyone put thought into it at all.”
“We willhave to send someone who might recognize the animal,”Gastonsaid quite seriously.
I sighed as I considered the complications—but truly, it was a thingI felt I should do. “I know it is a fool’s errand.”
“Oui, but unfortunately, as you are the one who killed a priest, you are not the one we can send,” Theodore said with a trulybland mienas he considered his papers.
The Marquis, Gaston, and I could not hold our laughter at bay. We howled such that Rachel poked her head into the studywithcuriosity.
“The fat horse,” Theodore told her and she shook her head indisapprovaland walked away.
Theodore relented and shook his head with a smile. “Now that you are here and all is well, we will arrange something. Some ship will have to go and make arrangements and the like for your business onJamaica, anyway.
“Now, as we were discussing… beyond the horse, there are those
people
who might not be included in your household, or possibly the Strikers’, who presumably must be cared for: namely, Pete and Mademoiselle Vines. God preserve them as

well.” “Do you truly feel they might marry?” the Marquis

asked. “We had thought Mademoiselle Vines—or the Comtess Montren—would be established in some suitable place in Christendom with a comfortable fortune; but after your tales fromlast night…”

I chuckled. “Myhope is that Pete willjoinour household and do for us what Jenkins did for my father and Whyse does for the king: manage matters requiring discretion and… underhandedness—when necessary; and safeguarding all we

hold precious. I can think ofno one I could trust more for such a

hold precious. I can think ofno one I could trust more for such a duty. I onlyprayhe canjoinus and do sucha thing.” Theynodded solemnly.
“And the Mademoiselle?” the Marquis asked: still apparently incredulous she might be anything other than what he had seenher to be.
“I would assume she will stay by her husband,” I said. “And thus be part of the household as well.” I thought of Chris and his—or her—abilities and smiled. “Actually, I think she is ideally suited to performing the same duties. I would dearly like her to hear Whyse’s briefings on matters of politics. She is trained to the intrigues of court.” The more I thought on it, the more I realized how devastating a pair of opponents she and Pete could be.
Gaston apparently thought the same; he was grinning widely. “No one willbe able to get the better ofus.”
“I think not,” Theodore said, “and if you are correct, we willnot have the added expense ofanother noble household.”
There was a knock on the door, and a maid informed us Mister Winger had arrived. Gaston and I somewhat reluctantly excused ourselves and went to try on our first sets of the new clothes. They came complete with new, high boots I found surprisingly comfortable, and plumed hats I found amazingly gaudy. The clothes, of course, fit beautifully; and with the heavy wigs of ringlets framing our faces and flowing to the middles of our backs—each matching the actual color of our hair—we looked to be completelydifferent men.
“You truly do not have men to dress you?” Mister

Winger asked as we regarded one another and our reflections

Winger asked as we regarded one another and our reflections with curiosity. He had been accompanied by two youths who had made much of straightening pleats and adjusting ruffles and