Page 55 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)

"What do you mean, she's not told you what is happening with that man's will, Edward?" Charles Chisholm demanded as he and his son rode on horseback around the estate.

Edward felt conflicted, torn between respect for his father, and respect for his wife.

"She has not mentioned it, Father, and I will not pressure her to do so.

If she wishes to speak to me about it, she will," he said.

"But if she has been left anything, it is lawfully yours," his father said.

Edward took a deep breath, wondering if he should speak his thoughts about the very subject they were embarking on.

He did believe that in doing so, he might upset or anger his father.

After much contemplation, he found the courage to express his views.

"No, Father, if she has accepted Missinger's fortune, it can remain her own," Edward said.

"What?!" Charles exclaimed in disbelief.

"What is this madness, Edward? What has made you think that is acceptable..."

"What has made me rethink this 'system' of everything going to a woman's husband, is the fact that my child is a daughter, not a son," Edward said, cutting his father's words short.

"Father, take a moment to think - as Elizabeth grows and eventually marries, would you want all of this to be taken from her and placed in the hands of her husband? No! It shall not be! This land has been passed down through your family for generations, and I intend to make sure that it stays in our family, not whoever my daughter marries."

Edward looked at his father and saw his face relax in understanding of what his son was saying.

It was different for Charles as he had been the oldest son in his generation.

Edward had the only son in his.

Edward saw things differently, being father to a daughter.

"You may yet have a son," his father said quietly, not wanting to argue too hard with his son, given how much little Elizabeth had begun to charm him also.

"Perhaps we shall," Edward said.

"Alessandra and I will discuss what is to happen in that event.

For now, however, please respect whatever is happening with Missinger's will, as far as my wife is concerned.

The estate is fine for now, is it not?"

"Yes," Charles said as he nodded.

"With the money that was injected from Alessandra's dowry, the estate is in good condition, and will be so for some time yet.

You are right.

For now, we do not need to worry about any other income. I will not say another word about it."

"Thank you," Edward said softly to his father, knowing that the way that he and his wife were doing things, was different from the way his father had done things.

Even Alessandra and Edward spending so much time with their daughter was different to how Edward's parents had raised him.

In the 'glass jungle room', Alessandra sat quietly and thought about all that had been told to her by the lawyer that morning.

Soon she would go and see her daughter once again.

After that, she planned to seek out her mother-in-law to see how she could be of assistance to her.

For the current moment, however, she needed to be alone to think.

Everything was being signed over to her, and while it was not what she had wanted, she was determined that she would make good decisions about what to do with it.

In addition to the financial gain she would have for herself, she was inheriting an estate that incorporated the Missinger family home and associated land.

The lawyer had offered to look after everything for her, but had also advised that she try and get to the property when she could, to decide if she would want to keep it or sell it.

The property was not anywhere near the estate she now lived on, so she was not in a situation where she could add it to Chisholm Manor Estate.

It was closer to her parents' home, which provided some options, she supposed.

The lawyer had said there were staff on the property who would be eager to know what was happening to them, and deserved to meet their new mistress and receive instruction from her.

For the monetary side of things, she had talked to the lawyer about options for investment.

She had agreed with him that she would like to receive a regular payment to herself as money just for her spending.

That was something she'd never had.

She couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of being able to purchase something if she wished to, without it being billed to the estate and Edward's parents, and adding to their expenditure.

The most pressing issue about it all was what to do as far as Edward and his family were concerned.

Alessandra knew she had to tell them that she was inheriting land and fortune, but would they be offended by her wanting to keep it separate from their estate?

Standing up, she resolved to put legal and financial decisions aside in her mind.

Instead, she would go and see her little Elizabeth, determined that day, as every day, to make her a priority over other less important aspects of her life.