Chapter Eleven #2
Old framed photos of the building hung on the walls, along with some artwork.
What appeared to be law books lined the shelves on the wall behind him.
Beneath them were filing cabinets and a coffee machine.
There were some personal touches. Like family pictures, a cute ‘Best Dad’ mug, and memorabilia.
He waved a hand toward the seats opposite his desk. ‘How are you after Saturday night’s attack?’ he asked her.
‘Pretty good, thanks.’ She took a seat. The leather padding was warm from the beams of sunlight that slashed through the windows’ Venetian blinds. ‘I’d feel a lot better if my family would accept the conditions of the will.’
Ripper sank into the chair beside hers. ‘They really mean to render it invalid?’
Faint irritation leaching into his brown eyes, Clarence let out a put-out sigh.
‘Yes. One of the coven’s lawyers, Tyra Mosby, called me Friday to inform me of it.
She claimed it would be best if you released your “false claim” on the land’ – his gaze moved to Emberlyn – ‘and if you released your similarly false claim on the manor before it came to that.’
Emberlyn hauled in an annoyed breath, inadvertently taking in the scents of coffee, wood polish and leather. ‘What did you say to that?’
‘I told Tyra that there was nothing false about the claims, and that any attempts to contest the will would result in nothing. I didn’t contact either of you about it because I thought she might be bluffing – overturning a will isn’t easy, after all.
But when I came in early this morning I found an official notice in my mail.
’ Clarence swiped a letter from a mail tray and held it up.
Emberlyn exchanged a frustrated look with Ripper.
Clarence set the paper on his desk. ‘To sum up the letter, Gill is the main challenger of the will. She insists that Millicent lacked the mental capacity to make one; feels that the existing will can’t possibly reflect her mother’s true last wishes.
Gill also asserts that under no circumstances would Millicent want you to have the manor, Emberlyn.
She is requesting that you be removed from it until the matter is resolved.
’ Clarence looked at Ripper. ‘She also requests that your clan not set foot on the land in the interim.’
Emberlyn felt her jaw harden. ‘She can shove that request up her ass.’
‘Yeah, it ain’t happening,’ Ripper clipped.
‘I will be making that clear,’ Clarence assured them. ‘Don’t let it worry you. She has no way or right to enforce these demands.’
‘Be honest,’ began Emberlyn, ‘does she have a shot at winning?’
‘She would have to convince the council of her claim. That will be difficult when the will was signed in the presence of both myself and a medical practitioner.’
‘Why a medical practitioner?’ asked Ripper.
‘Because Millicent asked that one talk with her and confirm she had the capacity to write a valid will,’ Clarence replied.
Well, damn. ‘She anticipated that it would be contested.’
The lawyer nodded. ‘Tyra will have surely noticed the practitioner’s signature but has proceeded anyway, perhaps thinking it won’t be enough to convince anyone that Millicent was stable.
What she and your family will not be aware of is that Millicent also left a letter of wishes.
Something she wrote separately to explain the stipulations of the will. ’
He rose to his feet and headed to the metal drawers. Having slid one open, he pulled out a brown envelope and then shut the drawer. Returning to his seat, he passed the envelope over to Emberlyn.
She took it from him and tore it open. ‘Why wasn’t this released before now?’
‘Because she gave me strict instructions to only release it to you if the validity of the will was challenged.’
Emberlyn pulled the letter out of the envelope and quickly read it. Her brows hiked up. ‘My family won’t like hearing this.’
Ripper leaned toward her. ‘What does it say?’
She angled the paper so he could read it.
His own brows winged up after he’d done so. ‘Yeah, they ain’t gonna like hearing that.’
Clarence tilted his head. ‘Do you understand now why Millicent didn’t simply bequeath you the manor, Emberlyn?’
She exhaled heavily. ‘Yes. I thought she’d just wanted me to prove I had the right to reside there.’
His chair rocked slightly as he leaned forward. ‘Millicent spoke to me about you, you know.’
‘Calling me her biggest disappointment, no doubt,’ Emberlyn muttered, feeling her lips twitch.
‘She did say that. She also said you were a woman to admire. You’d pushed past pain, grief, persecution and prejudice.
You didn’t let any of it hold you back. You’d carved a place for yourself in this town, started a business she would never have thought of, and chose your own path rather than let her or anyone else dictate what you should do with your life.
‘She respected that. Respected you. And she cared for you more than I’m sure she would ever have let on.’ Clarence paused, looking at her intently. ‘Don’t let your family ever make you think that Millicent didn’t want you to be exactly where you are.’
Mentally fumbling after Clarence’s little declaration, Emberlyn fiddled with her bracelet. It was hard to imagine her grandmother saying such things, but there was no reason for him to lie. ‘I can’t blame them for thinking it. She told them she didn’t want me to have the manor.’
‘Probably to keep them off your back. This letter provides context and background, showing the motivations behind her decisions – and making them seem explainable, not bizarre. In other words, we have what we need to rebut Gill’s claim of lack of capacity.’
Ripper planted his hands on the armrests of his chair. ‘So, what happens now?’
‘A meeting is scheduled for us all next Monday at the town hall,’ Clarence replied.
Exactly a week from now, then.
‘The only council member who should be on the bench is Shane as he has nothing to gain from the result of Gill’s challenge to the will,’ Clarence added. ‘But both Reena and Carver are claiming that – having now “accepted” the terms of Millicent’s will – they will be unbiased.’
Emberlyn snorted. ‘Will they fuck.’
Ripper grunted.
‘All parties, including both of you, would need to agree that they can remain impartial,’ said Clarence. ‘My guess is that neither of you have that opinion.’
‘You guessed right,’ Ripper told him.
‘If Reena had backed down, she wouldn’t have appointed her own daughter to represent my family.’
‘Indeed,’ said Clarence. ‘And if Reena hasn’t backed down, Carver will still be under the impression that the project may go ahead.’
After they’d rounded up the conversation, Emberlyn returned the letter to Clarence for safe-keeping. She and Ripper then left the building, coming to a halt on the sidewalk.
‘Millicent really did have all her bases covered,’ mused Ripper.
Emberlyn nodded. ‘It would appear that way. She wasn’t risking that her wishes would be overturned.’
‘I don’t believe it was just that. From what she wrote in that letter, I think her aim was also to protect your claim on the manor.’ Ripper’s gaze roamed over her face. ‘Regardless of what she may have told you, I don’t think you disappointed her, Emberlyn.’
‘Why is that?’
‘She was right in the things she said to Robbins. It would have been easy for you to stay with her or rejoin the coven – it’s normal to want to belong.
But you ventured out on your own and planted a flag in neutral territory, asserting your right to be part of Chilgrave.
And opening the laundry hub was smart. Real smart. ’
It was, even if Emberlyn did say so herself.
‘I think, in truth, she was proud of you. She just didn’t know how to tell you that.’