Chapter 3
Several emotions chased through Violet in quick succession.
The first was fear. She couldn’t help feeling as though she’d done something wrong—she must have, if the result was being threatened with the authorities. And what if they were called? Would she be dragged off the property, locked behind bars, or thrown out on the street?
No, that doesn’t make sense. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen.
She knew better than to think it. She had the copy of the will her father had given her, actual documentation that reassured her this house did belong to her.
She hadn’t done anything illegal, and she wasn’t going to be arrested today. She would stand her ground.
The next emotion she felt was anger. How dare he try to frighten her like this?
Given that she knew the house was hers, he must also know that he had no claim to it.
What was he trying to do by telling such a wild tale?
What did he think it was going to achieve?
Was he trying to frighten her so badly that she would flee, so that he would be able to lay claim to her home by virtue of the fact that she simply wasn’t in it?
What an underhanded tactic, if that was what he meant to do!
Surely he couldn’t be such a vile person.
Though I don’t know why I say that. Why couldn’t he be utterly vile, if he’s the sort of man who sneaks onto someone else’s land?
“You had better leave,” she said firmly. “I’ll summon my footmen to drag you out.”
“Well, they aren’t your footmen,” he told her. “They’re my footmen. As I told you already, this is my property.”
“You can say it all you want, but that doesn’t make it true.”
“I have the paperwork I can show you.”
“I have paperwork of my own. I have my aunt’s will, in which she clearly states that the home belongs to me.”
“You expect me to take a woman’s word for that?”
“Do you think I can’t read just because I’m a woman? I read the document thoroughly, I know what it says. But no, you don’t have to take me at my word. I’m more than happy to show it to you—though I really shouldn’t have to do such a thing.”
“I think these papers should be reviewed by a solicitor,” he said smoothly. “And you’re in luck, because mine happens to be here with me. He’s waiting in the carriage. I’ll go and fetch him, and I’ll meet you in the house. Then we can talk about this further.”
He turned and walked off.
Violet simmered—she hadn’t invited him into her house, and he presumed to tell her he would meet her inside?
But this did need to be straightened out, of course, and perhaps the only way to make sure that happened was to sit down and speak with him.
If there really was a solicitor out there, that would be the perfect person to review the will and to make sure the duke knew he was wrong in his claims. That would put a stop to this once and for all.
She made her way back inside. Williams was waiting for her. “Williams, I need you to go and find Noah,” she said. “I have unexpected company, I’m afraid.”
Williams nodded. “I saw you speaking to someone,” he said.
“Do you know that man?”
“The Duke of Alderwick?”
“So he is who he says he is.”
“I don’t know what he’s told you, my lady. I know he had some business dealings with the dowager viscountess before her death, but I never knew the details.”
“I see.” Violet sighed.
“Should I have tea sent in for the two of you?”
“No, he isn’t going to be here that long.” She pressed her lips together. “Just make sure, please, that Noah is all right.”
“Yes, my lady.” Williams turned and went out to the garden.
By this time, the duke was coming up the front walk with another man, who must have been the solicitor, in tow.
Violet watched them through the window, noticing for the first time that the duke was a rather handsome man.
If she had been meeting him under different circumstances, she might have admired his broad shoulders, his square jaw, the defined muscles of his arms, and the softness of his dark hair.
As it was, all she could see when she looked at him was an enemy on her doorstep.
The solicitor reminded her of a weasel. He was unpleasantly skinny with patchy hair and beady eyes. She wished she didn’t have to sully her first day in her new home by inviting the two of them in.
But it’s the best way to solve the problem and to get rid of them.
She took a deep breath, threw open the door, and walked off in the direction of the sitting room without looking back. “Shut that behind you,” she called over her shoulder, and was gratified when she did hear the door close behind her.
Once in the sitting room, she turned to face them.
“I have the document here,” she said, pulling it out of her travel bag, thankful for the fact that she had decided to carry it there instead of tucking it away somewhere that would have been harder to access.
She addressed the solicitor, ignoring the duke altogether, and passed him the paper.
“You’ll see that everything is in order.
My aunt left this house to me, and it’s my intention to live here. ”
The solicitor unfolded the paper and skimmed over the contents.
“It’s absurd,” the duke pronounced, folding his arms. “Perhaps she led you to believe you would inherit the house, but she was in the process of selling it to me. I’ve made a sizable investment here. That doesn’t just go away now. That money was paid, and I’m entitled to what I bought.”
“His Grace is right,” the solicitor said. “Money did change hands, and that means there’s a question of legal ownership to be resolved. But, Your Grace, the lady is also correct. This is a legally binding will, and it does say that the home belongs to her.”
“Preposterous,” the duke said firmly. “If that’s the best you can do, we may need to bring in another solicitor.”
The man lifted his chin. “Anyone else will tell you the same thing,” he said. “You have a conflict here to be sure, but it doesn’t stem from either of you being mistaken in your ideas. You both have reason to think that the house should belong to you.”
“But then what are we to do?” Violet asked, feeling anxious.
She needed this house—it wasn’t as if she had anywhere else she could go.
Not that she was going to let these men find that out, of course.
She could never let them know how desperate she was.
If she did, they would find a way to use it against her. “We can’t just both own the house.”
“The most straightforward solution would be for one of you to buy it from the other,” the solicitor said. “Since His Grace has paid about half the amount due for the purchase, he could pay the remaining half to you, Lady Violet…”
“I’m not selling,” she said. “Perhaps my aunt wanted to do that, but I do not.”
“Then you can pay him back what he already paid on the property.” The solicitor named a sum.
“I would accept that,” the duke agreed.
Violet’s head spun. “I don’t have anything like that kind of money.
” She didn’t know what kind of household budget she had, but even that, she was sure, wouldn’t add up to the amount they were talking about.
And that was if she was even allowed to spend that money on something like this.
Maybe it was tied to the house itself, so that she wouldn’t be permitted to use it to purchase part of the house. She didn’t know.
“If you can’t pay, I’m not going to transfer ownership,” the duke said.
“Well, there’s something else you two ought to consider here,” the solicitor said. “There’s the matter of the dowager’s ward.”
Noah. “What about him?” Violet asked.
“Ward?” The duke’s voice sharpened. “What ward?”
“A young man of ten years, according to the papers,” the solicitor said. “And she was more clear on this than on anything else—he is to stay with the house, and the owner of the house is to serve as his guardian. Whoever takes ownership of this place will have to take responsibility for the boy.”
“Well, of course there will be some way out of that,” the duke said. “We’ll bring in tutors and governesses. There will be no personal obligation, only financial.”
“No!” Violet was firm. “Absolutely not. Aunt Margaret took that child in because she wanted to give him a home. Fight with me all you want over the house, but I won’t have Noah’s care turned over to staff as if he’s nothing more than a burden.
That isn’t an option. Listen, you don’t want him, so give me the house.
Allow me to take care of the boy. I can’t give you back that money—I don’t have it.
But you don’t want this life, raising this child, anyway, and I do. There’s no need for us to argue.”
She held her breath, hoping that he would see sense, but he was already shaking his head.
“You can’t possibly think that I would just walk away from an investment,” he said.
“I’m not a fool, Lady Violet. I spent a good deal of money on this house, and I’ve had my eye on it for many years now.
I’m not going to forget all about that just because it comes with the inconvenience of a award.
Something can be figured out. Some sort of arrangement can be made for the boy. ”
“You could allow Lady Violet to purchase the estate for whatever she can afford,” the solicitor said. “Perhaps an equitable amount can be agreed upon.”
“So I ought to take a loss?” The duke shook his head. “It offends me that you would even make such a suggestion. And of course I had no intention of doing that. She may pay me the full amount or nothing at all.”
“Well, then I’m afraid the two of you have one another over a barrel,” the solicitor said.
“You both have rights to this house, and if neither of you will waver, then neither of you has the power to eject the other. What’s more, you have a shared responsibility for the boy.
I think you’re just going to have to live here together—to share the place, until you figure out what it is you want to do about it, or until I can find a way out of this conundrum.
Of course, I will keep looking…” He trailed off.
Violet felt ill. “You really expect me to live here with him?”
“What I expect has very little to do with it, Lady Violet. I don’t care much at all how the two of you decide to handle the situation.
I’m just telling you what the law requires here.
And unfortunately, neither of you has the authority to turn the other out, as I told you.
You may leave of your own accord if you wish, though if it transpires that the boy isn’t cared for, you will both have to answer for that. Or you can stay here.”
The duke folded his arms. “Well,” he said, “I’m not leaving. You may do what you like.”
“You’ll neglect Noah.”
“I won’t throw him out. The servants can look after him, as long as he stays out from underfoot.”
But I have nowhere else to go.
“I’m not leaving either,” she said. “This is my home. My aunt meant me to have it, and I am not going to walk away from what she wanted for me.”
“That settles it, then,” the solicitor said, looking from one of them to the other. “Until a solution can be found under the terms of the law, you are the new co-owners of Westlake Estate.”