Heirs of the Body(39)
Mr. Crowley came over to have his teacup refilled, and stayed to talk to Daisy. “Let me get this straight,” he said with his charming smile, “you’re the daughter of our illustrious host’s predecessor?”
Ingratiating, Daisy thought. Was he a bit of a bounder, out to make something from his stepson’s possible good fortune? Perhaps even something of a con man? However, presumably he’d satisfied Tommy Pearson that Ben really was a Dalrymple, though, like the others, without proof that his was the eldest line.
“That’s right. Lord Dalrymple is my cousin.” Daisy looked round the room. “One of my cousins, I should say.”
“Oughtn’t you to be Lady something, then?”
“No.” She didn’t bother to explain the ramifications of her honorary “honourable” title. “Benjamin is an orphan, I gather?”
“Yes. His father was Lucas Dalrymple, son of John Dalrymple, who came to Port-of-Spain from Jamaica when he was a child, it seems, with his father Josiah. John married Dolores—I brought their marriage cert so that part’s all legit. That’s why I thought there’s half a chance…” He glanced round the room, with a wry face, while Daisy tried to memorise the names so as to create Ben’s family branch. “Quarter of a chance for the lad. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see the old country, though I didn’t expect to do it in such luxury!”
“How did you come to be responsible for Ben?”
“Luke was a pal of mine. He volunteered for the West India Regiment and before he left I promised to look out for Susanna and the kids if he didn’t come back.”
“Kids?”
“Ben has two older sisters and a younger brother.”
“Luke Dalrymple was killed in the war, I assume.”
“The Palestine Campaign. Your brother, too, I heard?”
“In Flanders.” Ten years later, Gervaise seemed to belong to another world. “Hence the search for an heir. A legitimate heir,” Daisy added.
Crowley grinned. “Don’t worry, Susanna and Luke were properly married, I assure you. In church. I was Luke’s best man. Susanna was a mulatto, a beauty. Her father was a Frenchman. We’ve got all sorts at home. I won’t say mixed marriages are common, but matches between white men and black women aren’t as uncommon as you may think.”
“You married Susanna, after Luke died?”
“A couple of years later. She was going to have my baby. They both died.” After a sombre pause, he went on, “I don’t know why I’m boring you with all this.”
“You’re not boring me, I’m interested. I’m so sorry about Susanna and your child. How on earth have you managed with the children?”
“My brother’s wife’s sister, Carlotta, has been helping, taking care of them after school and so on, and I’ve paid her what I can. But now … Look here, if I tell you something, you won’t pass it on? It’s personal, nothing that will change Ben’s prospects.”
Why people insisted on confiding in Daisy she had no idea. Alec blamed her deceptively guileless blue eyes, which she considered very unfair. More likely it was because her insatiable curiosity, her besetting sin, made her interested in whatever people told her, and in turn her interest made them want to confide. Was that circular reasoning, such as Alec had been known to reproach her for? She was still never quite certain.
“Tell me,” she invited. “I won’t gossip.”
“I want to marry Carlotta. I’m fond of Susanna’s brood, and we’ve done our best for them, but we want to settle down and have a family of our own. Carlotta won’t marry me if it means becoming mama to four kids from eleven to fifteen.”
“It’s quite a lot to take on,” Daisy said doubtfully.
“Carlotta thinks Anita, the eldest, is old enough to take responsibility for them all—with a hand from the family. But Anita won a scholarship to Bishop Anstey High School and she wants to get her School Certificate, even the Higher Cert. The rest are bright, too. I promised Luke … To cut a long story short, when I heard about the lawyer looking for a Dalrymple heir, I decided it was worth a gamble. I reckoned that if Ben turns out to be a lord, or an honourable or whatever, they’ll all be taken care of.”
“I’m sure they would be, if…”
“If.” Crowley nodded ruefully. “I didn’t count on so much competition. I don’t like the odds. What happens if the lawyer man can’t find the proof he needs?”
“I can’t imagine.” Daisy looked up as Belinda came towards her, Ben trailing behind. “What is it, darling?”