The Inheritance Read Free Page B

Unentailed?”
    “I’m not sure I understand myself, Colin.”
    “Please allow me to explain, Your Grace.” Phipps turned to Colin and said, “It means, m’lord, that there is no restriction on the sale of the land. That it is not a lifetime tenancy, so to speak, but can be sold by the present duke. Unless he wishes to entail it for his heir?” Phipps looked to Nicholas for direction.
    “Colin is my son,” Nicholas said in a quiet voice, “but I wasn’t married to his mother.”
    “Oh. Oh, dear.” Phipps took another look at Colin, his face sympathetic. “Of course, then, you wouldn’t wish to entail the properties, not if you would wish your eldest son to inherit them, rather than the heir.”
    Colin had a frown between his eyes. “I’m confused again, Pa.”
    “What Phipps means is that under English law you’re not my legal heir. Isn’t that so, Phipps?”
    “Quite so, Your Grace.”
    “Under those circumstances, Phipps, I don’t believe I’d care to entail the properties,” Nicholas said. “Assuming I accepted the title, that is.”
    “Does that mean I’m not an earl?” Colin asked, his face slightly flushed.
    “I’m afraid so, sir,” the solicitor said, amending his form of address and his level of deference. “Not a lord at all, I’m afraid.”
    Colin grinned. “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t know what to do if I had people bowing and scraping at me all the time.”
    Simp had been sitting quietly, listening. He turned to Nicholas and said, “I think you ought to take him up on it, Nick. We could use the money to do some improvements around here.”
    Nicholas raised a black brow. “Use the money from England to improve the ranch? I hadn’t thought about that.” He turned to Phipps. “Any reason why I couldn’t sell everything in England and use the proceeds here?”
    Phipps kept his face impassive. The only evidence of his feelings on the subject were the balled fists at his sides. “Of course that is possible, Your Grace. But surely Your Grace won’t wish to dispose of Severn Manor. It has been in the family for generations and—”
    “That’s enough, Phipps,” Nicholas said. “How soon can I take control of my inheritance, assuming I agree to do so?”
    “There are papers to be signed, Your Grace, some formalities.”
    “Can I take care of it here?”
    Phipps shook his head. “I’m afraid it will be necessary for you to go to England, Your Grace.”
    There was a moment of silence while Nicholas pondered the strange whims of fate. He was the Duke of Severn. He had wealth beyond his dreams. He could return to England, finally, and put to rest the ghosts of the past.
    It’s too late. Your father is dead
.
    But maybe whoever had told the lie wasn’t dead. Maybe he could still find out the truth about his birth. And he wanted to see Severn Manor again. He had spent his first eight summers in the palatial manor house, playing with his cousins, Tony and Stephen.
    “All right,” Nicholas said. “I’ll go to England.”
    The solicitor smiled. “You’ve made the right decision, Your Grace.”
    “Really, Pa?” Colin said, leaping from the rocker and crossing the room to his father in three strides. “Are we going to England?”
    “Yes, Colin.”
    “Jehoshaphat!” Colin said. He grabbed Simp’s hands and pulled him up from the sofa to dance him around in a circle. “We’re going to England, Simp! We’re going to sail across the ocean in a ship!”
    “Ain’t gettin’ me off dry land,” Simp retorted.
    “You have to come, Simp,” Colin said, pausing in his celebration. “We couldn’t leave you here all alone!”
    “Someone has to watch this place,” Simp said. “I’ll be waitin’ right here when you get back.”
    “Pa? Tell Simp he has to come.”
    “Simp’s right, Colin. Someone has to stay here and take care of the livestock. Besides, we’ll be back before you know it. It won’t take long to sell Severn Manor and collect my inheritance, isn’t