“I suppose you’re right my boy.” Father sounded tired. “But you shouldn’t have to be dealing with it. You’re the younger son, after all. Edward should be taking the responsibility. He’s the heir, he’s going to inherit the Estate.” I could hear that he was pacing around, too.
I could picture him in his library. The dark, book-lined walls, the faded carpets, the old leather chairs. The large windows looking out over the gardens of his Hampshire home. His breathing rasped in my ear. I wondered how his health was. Perhaps I should fly over to England and see him more often.
“I tell you, your brother’s getting into all sorts of trouble. He’ll meet a bad end, I shouldn’t wonder.” His sigh reached me across the line. “I wish you were the eldest son. I’ve wished that for a long time.”
I laughed. “Please don’t put that on me, Father. I tell you, I really don’t want to inherit. I’ve made my life the way I like it. Why would I want to be the Earl?” I glanced out of the window, seeing Lawrence reflected. Still at his desk, he would be waiting to see if anything transpired of this conversation that I’d need him to do.
“So, what is Edward getting up to now?”
“I don’t know.” Father grumbled. “He was gone for nearly a week this time. Came back stoned out of his mind. One of these days he’s going to get arrested for something we won’t be able to keep quiet. Or worse.” He sounded sadder than ever.
“I’m just glad your mother didn’t live to see it. It would have broken her heart.”
I was silent. My mother was just a memory to me now, I’d been so young when she died. But I remembered how beautiful she was, her stately, elegant figure and the way she ruled the Estate with an iron grip. No one got away with anything when she was alive, not even my father. I smiled.
“Maybe Edward would have been different if she’d lived. It was hard losing her when we were so young.”
Father laughed. I was glad to hear it.
“Yes, maybe you’re right. She certainly kept me in hand, didn’t she?”
I grinned at the phone. “You’re right. Even I could see that. And I was only ten.”
His chuckle was tinged with sad memories. “But I loved her so much. I didn’t think I would, you know. My own mother found her for me. She knew just what I needed. I certainly wanted to choose my own wife, but it just wasn’t done. But it all worked out so well.” He stopped.
“I tell you what, my boy, why don’t you find a suitable girl for Edward? One who can keep him in line, make him turn over a new leaf. And someone who could run the Estate as well. Your mother was so good at that.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Father, life’s different now. And anyway, why on Earth would any girl want that job? Just look at Edward.”
“Oh, go on. He’s Viscount Pineham. He’s going to be the Earl when I’m gone, inherit the Estate. I’m sure he’d be all right once he’d been taken in hand. Any girl would want that job.”
“That’s what you think. The only sort of girl who’d want that would be completely unsuitable.”
“Oh. Well, I’m sure you could find someone with some good breeding in the background, train them up.” My father’s voice was pleading now. “I think it’ll be a really good idea.”
“Well.” I thought. “It’s not going to be easy. I mean, finding her. Once I’ve found her, I just have to find a good finishing school. I suppose they’re still around. Switzerland, they all were, weren’t they?”
“Oh, yes.” Father sounded enthusiastic. “Your mother went to one. She said it was very freeing for most of them. I suppose they’d been very much under their family’s control until then.”
“I bet.” I tried to picture my mother as an eighteen year old, but failed dismally.
“All right, Father. I’ll commission a genealogy firm to do the research and see if we can come up with anyone who’d fit the bill and might be persuadable.” I flung myself back in my chair. “And don’t forget, get the contractors to contact me with their quotes for the roof.”
When I hung up, I turned and looked at Lawrence. He was utterly professional and discreet, but I could see that even he was trying not to smile.
I grinned. “What have we let ourselves in for?”
He relaxed and let his smile show. “An interesting diversion for you, sir.” He came towards my chair with his notebook. “There are several genealogy firms in the UK who would be able to find someone for you. I think they’ll be better placed to at least begin the research. I suppose they’ll want to start with the female lines several generations back, and see where they lead.”