“I’m not certain how to answer that,” Dair replied, getting up and taking both their glasses back to the bar cart to recharge.
“It doesn’t seem like Blake has put it together,” Ned remarked.
“She hasn’t and hopefully will continue not to do so until I can get rid of his arse,” Dair said, pouring both of them more Scotch. “The good news, I dinnae believe Christine will state his case for him.”
“I wonder how many more nasty surprises Helena has in store for my girls,” Ned muttered.
This was what Dair was wondering.
Dair brought back the drinks, gave Ned his, and again sat down.
He did this before he asked, “Is there anything particularly nasty she could do?”
“Helena had a knack for ‘particularly nasty,’” Ned said into his drink.
“I mean, regarding the estate or the inheritance.”
Ned looked to him. “Say, bequeathing it to her young stud?”
Dair nodded.
Ned shook his head.
“No. She could name him in her will. Give him a monetary bequest, or a personal gift, but it would be minor and appropriate to a servant, especially since most of Helena’s assets were owned by the estate. There’s no circumventing the terms of the passing of assets or title in a hereditary peerage. It’s my understanding, to do something like that, she’d need direct permission from the king, and unsurprisingly, he wasn’t very fond of Helena.”
“What about providing for him? Any terms that would make it difficult to sack him?”
For the first time since he arrived, Ned smiled. “Absolutely not.”
“Good,” Dair murmured. He cleared his throat and said, “Now’s not the time, but she’s going to have a lot shoved her way she’ll have to get her head around.”
“Helena didn’t manage this house, Dair,” Ned explained. “The housekeeper, Christine does. I very seriously doubt Jeff has taken on any of those duties. And she has financial advisers who act as trustees for the estate,” Ned shared. “Yes, Blake will have to familiarize herself with all of this, but thanks to Christine and the trustees, I believe the estate runs very well without the need for her to be overly involved, unless she wishes to be.”
“Good,” Dair repeated and took another drink.
“I’ve made arrangements to stay a while,” Ned informed him.
It might have come late, but he was a good father.
“I won’t get underfoot, and if you need me to give you privacy—” Ned continued.
“It’s a big house, Ned,” Dair murmured, not wishing to get into the awkwardness of why they would need privacy.
Ned swiftly set that aside. “But I intend to be here not only to support my daughter, but to look over everything and go over it with her so she understands what she’s taken on.”
“That’s good too,” Dair replied.
“She looks pale, haunted,” Ned got to the important shite.
“She’s barely eaten today. Christine said she’s making Blake’s favorites. She needs food. She needs rest. She slept like the dead and woke like she hadn’t slept in a year. You’re here. That helps. Nora helping with the funeral will be appreciated. And when Alex is here, I think she’ll feel even better.”
“And you’re not saying?” Ned prompted.
“The last time she saw her mother, she struck her violently.”
“I was worried her mind would turn to that,” Ned sighed.
“It can’t but,” Dair replied. “Regardless that Helena deserved it for a variety of reasons.”
