The older man shrugged. “Deep player, that one.”
“He wasn’t happy when I told him I came to refuse it. He tried to tell me it couldn’t be done. I’m fairly sure it would revert to the estate. I would say he wanted to protect the earl’s desires, but I don’t think he has an altruistic bone in his body.”
“Why didn’t you do it?”
“It would go to back to Clarion, and…”
Amusement filled the older man’s expression “Lucy,” he said.
“I take it she isn’t what I thought. Mad—the duchess told me it was Clarion’s home before the old earl died.”
“Aye. He and Lady Marjory were happy there for some years before she took sick. Lucy is his wife’s sister. She came to live with them when her parents died and then to nurse Lady Marjory. When old Clarion died first and then Lady Marjory soon after, the young earl couldn’t stay under the same roof with her, so he just left her there with Agnes.”
“Damn. So, I’m saddled with a farm I didn’t ask for and a dependent that isn’t my responsibility. One to whom I owe an apology.” He glared at the coffee, wishing for something stronger.
“You can still refuse it.”
“I may.”
“If…” the old man prodded.
“If I understood what Spangler gained if I keep it.”
Old Rob nodded. “I’d lay a monkey he wants it. If Clarion took it back, the estate wouldn’t let it go.”
Rob snorted. “It might help if I knew how Clarion planned to provide for Lucy Whitaker,” Rob went on. “If I stay around and leave her there—or worse, give it to the blasted woman—all of Ashmead will thinkI’mkeeping her.”
“Aye,” the old man said with the ghost of a grin, taking a careful sip of his coffee. “It’s a fine piece of land, though, no matter why old Clarion decided to give it to you. You could sell it.”
“If I sell, I’ll choose my agent carefully. And I can’t do that until the Whitaker woman has some place to go. Should I sell it back to Clarion?”
Old Rob shook his head sadly. “Can’t afford it. Besides, Spangler doesn’t want it to go back to him for some reason. I’d like to know why.”
“Me, too. What would you do?”
The old man leaned back. It was the moment he had waited for. “First, I’d have your brother Eli look at the papers.”
“Eli?” He’d meant to ask after the boy who had been nowhere to be found in the three days he’d been home.
“Apprenticing with solicitors in Nottingham. You can trust Eli.”
Rob’s brows rose. “Good advice. I’ll ride over tomorrow.”
“Delay until you can smoke out Spangler’s plans. You’d be doing us all a favor. Then I’d ask the lady for an accounting, even before you sign. Demand she come here to talk to you. Let Ashmead know you seek information about the Willowbrook finances. Make sure she pays rent publicly once you sign. That should deflect gossip off of her.”
“And on to me?”
Old Rob grinned. “It can’t hurt you in London, can it?”
Rob nodded. “Good advice, but one thing—my baby brother wants to be a solicitor?”
The old man beamed. “Has been over there these three or four years now.”
“I thought he’d take this place after you,” Rob said.
“I always thoughtyouwould,” the old man replied sadly.
*
