“Cal is not as sensitive. It is a cat.”
“How old is Max?”
“Three years.”
“How old is Cal?”
“A year.”
As the hackney came to a halt, Demetrius was surprised to look out to find that they had arrived at his home. After paying the driver, Demetrius made his way into the building, up the first flight of stairs, turned left and entered his set of rooms, the footman following.
“Where would you like this?”
“Set it by the door,” Demetrius answered absently, then watched as it was set down and the footman left him alone, still holding a purring cat and the leash of a dog.
What the bloody hell just happened?
With a deep breath, he set the cat on the floor and removed Max’s leash then went directly to the sideboard, poured a glass of brandy, took a sip then settled behind his desk and placed the missive before him.
He recognized the neat script of Viscount Totten and wondered what words were contained within.
After taking another drink, he set the brandy aside and turned the missive over, broke the seal and unfolded the parchment.
Demetrius,
You began at the humblest of beginnings and rose to make something of yourself. Intelligence and hard work made you a much sought after solicitor. I have benefited from your advice over the years and I trusted you more than any gentleman of my acquaintance. You once said that if you had the means, that you would consider leaving London. I do not believe you will and London would be at a loss without you present to offer your excellent advice. However, there are times when we all must leave, if only for a holiday. You, Valentine, deserve that holiday. Therefore, I am leaving you my cottage known as Hartshorn in Seaford.
Demetrius was certain that he had misunderstood Bottomley, but apparently he had not. Totten should not have left him anything, especially a cottage. What had he been thinking?
You now understand why I had another solicitor draft my last will and testament. I know that if I would have asked you to prepare the document with such a bequeath that you would not have done so. Further, your taking something from a will that you have prepared for an old man would have been suspect and I did not want anyone to cast suspicion upon your character.
I hope you enjoy the cottage, Mr. Valentine. You deserve a place to holiday, to rest, and possibly one day settle. You claim to want to remain a bachelor and I just ask that you reconsider so that you are not lonely or alone when your time comes.
Demetrius most certainly would have objected to such a gift, but there was little he could do now, other than ignore the request to reconsider his bachelor state.
As you will likely dismiss my concerns, and so that you are not alone, I also leave you Max and Cal. Please care for them as I did.
Yours,
Harold Fulton, Viscount Totten
He stared at the missive for the longest moment, not certain what to think, when Cal jumped up on the desk and started to lap up the brandy from his glass.
Demetrius picked the cat up and dropped it on the floor then wondered if it was even safe to drink after a cat.
Erring on the side of caution, he crossed to the sideboard to pour himself a fresh drink only to be startled by the sound of glass shattering on the wood floor and Cal sitting where his brandy glass had been.
“Bloody hell!”
Chapter
Two
This was where she needed to be!
Lavinia stepped onto the terrace and stared out over the water as she recalled the happy memories of her childhood when her parents would bring her and her siblings here. They’d play along the beach, running in and out of the waves. They were her fondest memories.
This may be the last place that she had ever truly been happy, so why hadn’t she ever returned?
