Page 45 of Claiming the Tower (Council Mysteries #1)

The next morning

H ereswith woke, slow and her brain full of fog, but aware someone was moving around the room. She put her hand down. Then she heard a slight cough. “Over here.”

Bess was awake, dressed, and in black, her hair pinned up, looking severe. It hit Hereswith again, what had happened last night, what had changed, how it would always be changed. She pushed herself awkwardly, sitting. “What time is it?”

“Half ten. Your brothers have sent messages. They’ll be here in an hour. I gather the solicitors sent someone around first thing, two hours ago?” Bess gestured. “There’s tea and toast in the sitting room, and Mary said you have a black dress ready.”

Hereswith did. For one thing, one of her colleagues had quietly pointed out that there might be a need to attend a funeral.

And unlike Blanch, who avoided that problem by wearing black all the time, the rest of them had to have something suitable at hand.

Also, while Hereswith had hoped she’d have years more with Papa, she had known she might need black for him, far sooner than they’d wanted.

“Yes.” She swung her legs out of the blankets as Bess came and handed her a dressing gown. “I should, could she run a bath?”

There was a sudden fear that she thought she knew how Papa had arranged his will, and it wasn’t as if her brothers would turn her out of her home.

But it might not be her home for much longer.

She knew Papa had made an addendum a month ago, but not what it was.

It had been properly witnessed, of course, and he’d mentioned it to her brothers as well, so it wouldn’t surprise them.

But she did not actually know the details of how he’d left things.

Fussing now wouldn’t help anything. “And this afternoon?”

“I’ll start the bath as soon as you’ve eaten a little.

The solicitors thought it would be better to lay out the bequests immediately.

It may take a few days for the funeral arrangements, but the undertakers have a proposal for you.

” Bess hesitated. “I don’t know what your family customs are about All Hallows, whether before then or after would be preferable. ”

“Oh.” It was not a question Hereswith had given particular thought to.

She counted days of the week. Some of the Council would likely come, unless it was an entirely private service.

Papa had a number of friends, fellow scholars, people who he’d liked, who might come.

“I suppose I’ll see what they advise. We don’t have strong customs, but whatever happens, I’ll want some time on my own on the thirty-first to reflect. I have for Mama all these years.”

“If you’d like company, I’d be honoured to join you.

If it’s a private thing, tell me where not to be.

” Bess’s voice wasn’t joking. She was serious, but it had a gentle lightness to it that was actually a help.

“Here. Have a little to eat, then we can go downstairs. Set me for whatever you need. Cook’s working on a cold collation for luncheon, that people can eat as they wish, and something lighter for supper. ”

“Thank you.” Hereswith rubbed at her cheek. “Have you done this before? For someone else?”

Bess’s face softened. “Helped with arrangements, yes, but not for someone I actually liked. Or helping someone I cared about far more than just liking? Tell me if something’s not helpful, or not as you wish.”

“I thought...” When she’d had nightmares about this day, over the years, or at least unsettled dreams, she’d always expected she’d be alone to deal with it.

She was competent too. A funeral and everything that came with it had protocols and etiquette.

She knew every bit of it and what other people would be judging her for.

She’d assumed she would see to all of that, and her brothers would be there, and maybe their wives or her nieces and nephews would help.

But here was Bess, warm and ready and yet also not taking control.

It was entirely unexpected and exceedingly welcome.

Over the next hour, Bess shepherded her through eating enough to be going on with, then having a bath, choosing some salve that would ease her hands a little.

Then Bess and Mary between them got her into a proper mourning dress, with Mary murmuring that she’d already sent a note around to the dressmaker to have several others made up for her current measurements.

Hereswith had glanced at Bess, and Mary promptly said, “And if you’d give permission for the account, for Mistress Marley, too? ”

“Yes, enough for her needs. I suspect I may wish her to accompany me in public at times in the coming months.” They hadn’t talked about it at all, what happened next. But Bess did not seem startled by this.

Then it was back downstairs to sit vigil.

Healer Oglethorpe excused himself once she was there, and half an hour later, her brothers turned up, separately.

She left them to sit vigil, and found the senior solicitor, Magister Bryce, waiting for her.

Someone had set up chairs in the sitting room— better than the library, really— in a circle, enough for everyone. Including, as she counted, Bess.

“Who is expected for the reading, Magister?” Hereswith asked.

“Yourself, your brothers and their wives— there are bequests to their children, but those are more rote. The staff. And Mistress Marley.” His eyebrow went up, and Hereswith blinked, but did not ask further. “I am glad to wait until your brothers are ready, but am at your disposal.”

The thing she couldn’t figure out was whether he was speaking to her as mistress of the house for two decades now, or as mistress of the house for some time to come.

Or, honestly, as Council Member, and therefore ranking basically everyone else in Albion just by breathing.

If one were formal about precedence. She was still recalibrating how that last point affected things, and she expected she would be for months or years to come.

Now, she just nodded, and went off to murmur in ears, and then tell Bess.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was in the sitting room, supplied with tea.

Magister Bryce opened with the usual sort of comments.

His condolences on their loss, his quite genuine appreciation for their father, and a tactful hope that he and his firm could continue to be of service to the family.

The will began with the smaller requests.

Comfortable amounts to the staff. Those included the confirmation of pensions and life rights to live in cottages owned by the estate for all the staff who’d been with them for more than ten years. That was generous, but just like Papa.

There were various other bequests to charities and institutions, the amounts listed out and passed around on sheets. That was entirely as Hereswith had expected. The next set of comments gave her brothers each a substantial portion, and a smaller one for each child.

Magister Bryce looked up and said, “Magister Rowan made the next arrangements six weeks ago, witnessed by myself and one of the senior clerks. It was properly registered in the Courts after his ability to make a binding will was confirmed by his Healer and a neutral consultant.” Hereswith blinked at that, because that was what someone did if they expected it to be contested.

In fact, Magister Bryce went on, “A codicil clarifies that contesting it will have consequences. In my professional opinion, any form of contest would have nil chance of success. Magister Rowan was quite careful of the formalities.”

Everyone sat, silent, though Hereswith’s brothers were looking concerned.

They’d been happy enough about the amounts settled on them, though.

Magister Bryce went on. “To Mistress Elisabeth Marley, known as Bess, is left a sum in trust and life right to live in one of the estate cottages at the estate’s expense if she wishes.

This is granted in gratitude for her kindness and care in Magister Rowan’s last days, to both himself and Magistra Rowan.

” The sum he mentioned made Hereswith’s eyes widen.

That was more than enough that Bess did not need to worry about funds for years, if that.

Carefully managed, possibly for the rest of her life, given the use of the cottage without rent or maintenance costs.

Before Hereswith could so much as think of anything further to say, Magister Bryce went on.

“The remaining estate along with this house, Verdant Court, is left entire and complete, with all chattels, possessions, property, household items, contents of the library, art, and other goods, to Hereswith Rowan. He does so that she might have the resources to entertain in a style suitable for a member of Albion’s Council and to uphold the high standards of hospitality and attention that she values.

” Her brothers might choose items in memory, but it was Hereswith’s choice whether that was permitted.

Hereswith felt her mouth open, closed it, folded her hands firmly in her lap, and took a deep breath.

When she looked up, everyone was waiting for her to speak.

Hereswith looked around, then said, carefully.

“Papa has always been careful to plan for the future, and we are all fortunate for it, aren’t we?

Of course, if there are items you wish, I am glad to discuss that.

And delighted to continue hosting for the holidays or other times when a larger space would be helpful.

Supper, of course, as we have every few weeks.

” She was trying to make it normal, and it wasn’t, but that would have to do.

Slowly, tumbling over the words a few times, her brothers made their own comments in the same vein. Of course, that was what Father wanted, they wouldn’t argue. They asked a question or two about arrangements for the funeral, then took themselves off to sit with Papa.

Hereswith was kept busy through the rest of the afternoon and supper.

By then, the awkwardness had decreased, though Hereswith was fairly certain they had the wrong end of something.

Bess had stayed handy, but always the next room over, so it wasn’t as if she were looming.

It wasn’t until they’d retired upstairs, her brothers in guest rooms, that they had a chance to talk.

Bess knocked tentatively as Mary was helping Hereswith with her hair. “Come in, Bess. Thank you, Mary. Can you have breakfast ready in the morning and brush out the dress for tomorrow?”

“Of course, Mistress.” She bobbed. “And if tomorrow would be convenient, it would be a help to know how to arrange things for this week.”

Hereswith nodded. “Tomorrow morning, if you’d let the staff know. Thank you.” Mary slipped out and Hereswith held out a hand to Bess. “Will you come to bed?”

“You need sleep. Also, I’d—” Bess stopped. “I can’t believe your father did that.”

“I am fairly certain that my brothers are wondering if you were, well, a particularly female sort of help in these last weeks,” Hereswith said.

There wasn’t a delicate way to put it, but she certainly had seen enough affairs at a certain distance, along with that sort of thing.

A younger woman tending to an older man, and generously rewarded beyond the obvious service.

“You— you don’t think that, do you?” Bess took half a step back.

Hereswith stood, then. “Hush, no. But you made Papa happy. You kept him company when I could not. And as he said, you made me smile the right way. I think he hoped I wouldn’t be alone now. But at the same time, he wanted to give you enough. Independence.”

“Very generous independence. I don’t want to be independent, though. Can we do that?”

“Can we make a life here? Oh, yes. We might make a few changes, I think. But I would like you here with me. To go to sleep with company, I am certain I like that. Possibly other things, too. Not today.”

“Not the day for it, no. Besides, whenever, if we try such things, I want you to be able to immerse yourself fully in the experience.” Bess hesitated. “It won’t cause a scandal?”

“Council Members are not chosen for their lack of scandal, actually. I have been collecting stories about that.” Hereswith felt herself smiling.

“Those are also for later, but some of them will curl your hair. But our staff are loyal. We can be private, at home. And in public, well, it is certainly quite ordinary for a woman of my station to have a companion with her at all sorts of events. I was thinking you might do far better than I do at managing some of the social calendar, too.”

Bess snorted. “Certainly. I could take that over and give you more time. More of the household matters, as you feel comfortable too.” She tilted her head. “And as I continue to get a better sense of your tastes.”

“Sometime, I really ought to have you sit down with Marcus to discuss me while my ears burn. He can tell you a few of those that I’d not admit to easily.”

“There, now, that is a challenge to look forward to.” Bess nodded. “All right. And tonight?”

“Come to bed. I want Papa, wherever he is, to know I’m not alone. And neither are you.”