Miranda's Family E-Book

Anna Jacobs

• Herausgeber: Allison & Busby
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Miranda's Family
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 410

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

When Miranda Westerby's estranged and unpleasant great-aunt suddenly passes away, it appears that she left a legacy behind: a home in the idyllic village of Fairford Parva, Wiltshire. However, there are strings attached to the inheritance . . . The move prompts more discoveries about her family history than Miranda bargained for, which leave her confused and hurt. But while she might not have any flesh or blood around, Miranda does have the chance to shape a new circle of people dear to her. And perhaps find love along the way.

Leseprobe

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Miranda’s Family

Anna Jacobs2

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Contents

Title PageChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveAbout the AuthorBy Anna JacobsCopyright4

5

Chapter One

Miranda Westerby walked into her tiny alcove of a kitchen, sighing as she looked at the envelope she’d picked up from the post box in the entrance hall to the block of flats. The letter had a lawyer’s name and address printed on the envelope.

She couldn’t face opening it yet, just couldn’t, so tossed it down on the table. She was always afraid when she got a letter from that law firm that her only close relative would have played another nasty trick to spoil her peaceful life.

Before she did anything, she wanted to sit and relax for a few minutes after ending her working day with another tedious so-called ‘team meeting’ run by the recently appointed CI (which stood for Chief Idiot, in her opinion, whatever fancy title the senior management might give him). The new man now supervising her working group would win a gold medal in the boring Olympics if such a thing existed.

Unfortunately, Miranda couldn’t push the thought of the 6unopened envelope out of her mind, so she didn’t manage to relax properly. The Westerby family’s lawyers had never before contacted her at this time of year and that worried her. What did her great-aunt want?

She picked up the letter and scowled at it. There was a new name given on the back as the actual sender from the lawyers’ office. Who was this guy?

It was ridiculous to be so anxious because the main thing these people had contacted her about during the last few years was the annual statement by the auditors, saying that the accounts of the Westerby Family Trust Fund had been found to be correct. She had to approve this formally by letter, not email, each year.

Only, the audit wasn’t due for another three months so was there some other problem? Oh please, no! The less she had to do with her only close Westerby relative, the happier she was.

She had unpleasant memories of her great-aunt Phyllis, who had become her guardian when she was orphaned at the age of fourteen. Phyllis had immediately made it clear to Miranda at their first and only meeting that she wanted nothing to do with her young relative and was only doing her family duty by arranging for her to be looked after. She hadn’t spoken to her great-aunt in person since then.

Phyllis hadn’t sent her another letter until four years later. That one stated that she had done what she considered to be her duty to the family by making arrangements for Miranda’s care until she turned eighteen.

Care! No one else would count it ‘care’ to leave her for four years in a boarding school which lodged and supervised mainly students whose parents were working 7overseas. There had been no such thing as going home for the school holidays for any of them but at least the others got letters from their families.

When Miranda turned eighteen, she applied to the Trust for help going to university and the lawyers had told her that her great-aunt would agree to the fees and living costs being paid only if she studied accountancy and her marks were good.

At the end of her final term of university, her great-aunt had sent another message saying she felt she had now done her duty to the family and her great-niece could manage her own life in whatever way she chose from then onwards.

There was no offer of money to tide her over till she got her first wage and Miranda was proud of how well she’d coped. She’d got a good degree and worked part-time as a barmaid while she studied, living frugally and saving money so that she’d have something to fall back on.

She was still in touch with some of her university friends but they were now married with children and it wasn’t possible to stay close when they moved to other parts of the country.

How pitiful was it now to get anxious about that spiteful old woman simply at the sight of this envelope? ‘Get it over with, you fool,’ she told herself loudly, so picked up her mug of coffee and went to sit at the small kitchen table.

After another warm, comforting mouthful, she ripped open the envelope and quickly scanned the letter it contained. Gasping in shock, she read it again slowly and carefully.8

Dear Ms Westerby,

I have recently taken over management of your family’s account with our company and regret to inform you that your great-aunt Phyllis passed away suddenly two weeks ago.

She did not wish a formal funeral to be held and had made arrangements years ago to be cremated privately when the time came, with only a lawyer in attendance.

This has been done as per her instructions.

I would appreciate it if you could contact our London office and make an appointment to come here as soon as possible to discuss her Will with me.

Since your great-aunt mistrusted modern technology, as you are no doubt aware, the instructions that came with the Will require this to be done in person.

Yours faithfully,

Darren Parker

Miranda’s initial reaction was to wonder whether this was some sort of trick. No, her great-aunt must really be dead, but typically she worried that the old witch would still be trying to cause trouble for her great-niece if she could.

Then she snapped her fingers as she guessed that this must be to do with the Westerby Family Trust Fund. There were probably new forms to be signed because, as she’d been informed by the lawyers when she turned twenty-one, the management of the trust would pass from her great-aunt to herself after that lady’s death, since Miranda was next in line. Yes, that’d be it.9

The trust might have paid for her secondary education after her mother died, but she’d never had to apply to it for financial help since getting her degree. She’d felt deeply ashamed when she found out that her father had incurred debts that had had to be paid off by the trust after his sudden death.

Now that her great-aunt was dead, she would be in charge of managing the trust but there wouldn’t be a lot to do, surely, with such a small number of family members involved. This meeting should be quite straightforward, therefore, and would presumably be only to sign relevant documents.

Unfortunately, the lawyers’ office was right across the other side of London and it’d take two or three hours out of her working day to get there and back. Her new supervisor wouldn’t be happy about that but too bad. It’d be great to get away from him and his fussy ways.

She checked the time and reached for the phone, hoping someone would still be in the lawyers’ office but she only got an answering service. Bother! She’d have to wait until the following morning to arrange an appointment.

The letter ruined the peace of her evening, of course. And what a nuisance that this had happened now! She’d booked to go on holiday, starting in three days’ time, and had been looking forward to spending a couple of weeks in a luxury hotel in Italy with her friend Libby, who was older than her and had started out as a pleasant new neighbour in their block of flats a couple of years ago, then quickly became a close friend.

Oh well, these things happened. She’d manage. She always did.10

The following morning, Miranda phoned the lawyers’ office as soon as it was open to make an appointment to see this Mr Parker.

Whoever picked up the phone told her there were no vacant time slots that day and said it casually, as if it didn’t matter.

For once she let her irritation show. ‘Then you’ll have to make time, won’t you? It was your Mr Parker who contacted me to say it was urgent that he speak to me in person and he asked me to make an appointment. However, as I have an overseas holiday booked, either I see him today or he’ll have to wait two weeks till after I get back to deal with whatever this is about. Please don’t forget to tell him I tried to do as he asked.’

The woman’s tone changed. ‘Ah. I see. Sorry. Could you please hold on for a moment, Ms Westerby? I’ll pass you to our chief clerk, who’s just come in.’

Miranda half hoped this man wouldn’t be able to arrange an appointment, either. If it was bad news, it could jolly well wait as far as she was concerned. When you didn’t particularly enjoy your job, holidays were doubly precious.

However, the chief clerk fitted her in for an appointment just after lunch the next day and said Mr Parker would be very grateful to her for contacting them so promptly.

‘Could we not do this online?’ she asked.

‘I’m afraid not. There is not only the question of passing on management of the trust and signing a contract to that effect, but also your great-aunt’s personal Will to deal with.’

‘What about her personal Will? That surely won’t have anything to do with me.’ The old hag had hated her and 11it wouldn’t be likely that she was leaving her great-niece a bequest.

‘It’s a bit complicated, Ms Westerby. Better if Mr Parker explains in person, then he can answer any questions you may have.’

Miranda worried about that for the rest of the morning. She only hoped she wouldn’t have to go to Wiltshire afterwards to deal with the family home, in which her great-aunt had been living for decades and which Miranda could only vaguely remember visiting once as a small child.

She didn’t know any details about the place but guessed that at the very least there might be Phyllis’s personal possessions to dispose of. Her heart sank at the mere thought of having to go through drawers and cupboards to throw away an old lady’s underwear and who knew what else. Ugh.

At just before one o’clock the next day, she walked into the lawyers’ rooms and Mr Parker immediately came out to greet her. He was about her own age with a more pleasant manner than the previous elderly man she’d dealt with, which made her immediately feel better about this visit.

‘Thank you for coming here so promptly, Ms Westerby. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?’

‘Nothing, thank you.’ She just wanted to get everything to do with her great-aunt over and done with and then forget that the woman had ever existed.

He led the way into a luxurious office, gesturing towards a chair. ‘Please take a seat.’

She did that and waited. She was so anxious to get this finalised that she spoke more sharply than usual. ‘I was surprised that whatever this is about couldn’t have been 12dealt with digitally now that my great-aunt is no longer involved. I know she always refused to deal with things online but surely we can move on from that now?’

‘I’m afraid we still have to deal with this in person because of the conditions set by your aunt in her own Will.’

She might have known it’d be that old witch’s doing! ‘I usually deal with a Mr Lloyd, who understands the situation between my great-aunt and myself, in that she disliked me for some weird reason, so he always used to fill me in on all the details she’d missed out. Isn’t he available today?’

‘I’m afraid he retired a few months ago. I took over your family’s accounts, but it wasn’t time for the annual auditing of the trust and Miss Westerby was managing the other things that cropped up as usual, so there was nothing that needed doing until she passed away quite unexpectedly.’

‘How did she die?’

‘Massive stroke. She was found by her housekeeper, Miss Parnham, who dialled for an ambulance and they took her to hospital, quite rightly informing us. We knew Selma Parnham owned a house in the village so when the hospital informed us that your aunt wasn’t likely to recover, we immediately closed up the big house. Your aunt lingered for a week or so but never regained consciousness.’

‘I see.’

He got out a folder that appeared to be brand new, with the name Westerby Family Trust in big letters on the front label. ‘I took the liberty of starting off a new folder because the family records are in rather a mess.’

‘My great-aunt hated spending money on administrative matters.’

‘That’s obvious. Um, did she ever share any information about the contents of her own Will with you?’

13‘No, never. I’ve had no contact whatsoever with her in person since I was fourteen.’

He looked at her in surprise. ‘Goodness! But I thought you were her closest relative and that she used to be your guardian?’

‘Once she’d taken over as my guardian, she did everything through your firm. I never visited her at Fairfield House after that.’

‘Ah. I see. Well then, I’m happy to inform you that apart from one other relatively small legacy to a third cousin of yours, a Mr Mitchell Westerby, you’re her sole beneficiary.’

‘Mr Lloyd informed me when I turned twenty-one that the trust would come under my supervision after my great-aunt died,’ she said cautiously, puzzled by how he’d phrased that. Surely he couldn’t mean it literally? Phyllis wouldn’t leave anything to a niece she hated, surely?

‘It’s not just a question of you taking over management of your family trust, Ms Westerby. You inherit that task automatically for the rest of your life, then it passes to your next of kin. No, what concerns us more today is that you’re also Miss Westerby’s main beneficiary and she’s left everything she owned personally to you apart from that one small bequest to your cousin.’

Miranda was too surprised to say anything for a few moments, could only gape at him, thinking she must have misheard. In the end she managed to say jerkily, ‘There must be some mistake. Why on earth would she do that? She hated me.’

Mr Parker looked startled. ‘Surely not!’

‘I’m certain of it.’ She had been since the age of fourteen.

‘But you’re her great-niece, her closest relative if I’m not mistaken.’

14‘I might be related to her but we only ever saw one another a few times and I’ve not spoken to her in person since I was fourteen. No, there must be some mistake.’

‘I can’t tell you why she did it but there is definitely no mistake legally. You are her main heir. At least, you will be if you accept the conditions attached to the bequest.’

‘Conditions?’ Ah. That sounded more like something Phyllis would do, pretend to leave everything to her then make it too awkward for her to accept. ‘Go on,’ she prompted.

‘To inherit you must go to Wiltshire and live in the family home in the village of Fairford Parva for two years.’

‘What? Is that sort of condition enforceable legally?’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve made a quick check with my colleagues because it’s quite rare for someone to do that these days and I’m not sure of all the ins and outs. You might have to take it to court to find out for certain whether you’re obliged to accept the condition, which could waste a lot of your time and inheritance money. One or two senior colleagues whose opinions I respect said that people who inherit substantial amounts which have conditions attached usually do as they’ve been asked, as long as it’s something fairly reasonable – whether it’s legally enforceable or not.’

‘And does this cousin who also has a bequest have a similar condition attached to his inheritance?’

‘That information is confidential.’

When she didn’t say anything, he added quietly, ‘To return to your bequest. This type of conditional legacy seems to be generally regarded by most inheritors as a moral obligation, especially when they’ve been left a generous amount of money, as you have been.’

15She might as well find out what was involved. ‘Oh? How generous?’

‘I gather it’s enough to live on comfortably for the rest of your life after the two years have ended and that you’d never need to go out to work again.’

She could only stare at him in shock.

He waited then added gently, ‘Living in that house as per your aunt’s request seems a fairly reasonable thing to ask in view of the amount of money you’d end up with, don’t you think, Ms Westerby? It’s only for two years after all and there would be no rent to pay, of course.’

Miranda didn’t answer at once, was still trying to come to terms with this. There had to be some nasty trick involved if this had been arranged by her great-aunt, she was sure. ‘How much has she left me? Will there really be enough to live on and to maintain Fairfield House? And I’d need some regular payments myself during those two years because I’d have to give up my job in London to live there.’

‘I don’t know the exact financial details, I’m afraid. Your aunt’s final Will was drawn up long before I took over your account and there were no copies giving the details left in the office. I therefore only have the summary and the information that the financial details of the trust have been stored in the family home.’

She hesitated, not liking the idea of being beholden to her great-aunt in any way but at the same time unable to get past the fact that it’d free her from working under the Chief Idiot or anyone like him ever again. She stalled for time as she tried to figure out the pros and cons.

‘I don’t actually know anything much about my great-aunt’s finances, except that they include the home that’s 16been in the family for well over a century and is, I gather, entailed so it goes to the Westerby relative who is the next of kin.’

‘Nor do we know the details. As I said, all we have here is a summary statement that everything goes to you because of your relationship to her. She kept any other paperwork at the house in Wiltshire for safety, so I’m afraid you’ll not find out the full details of the inheritance until you move there.’

Something he’d said puzzled her. ‘Why did you say she kept it all there “for safety”?’

‘Because most of the older records were lost in a fire at our company’s storage unit in London over two decades ago. From then onwards, I gather that your aunt didn’t trust us to look after the remaining documents.’

He paused, shaking his head sadly. ‘We could actually have retrieved more information from digital sources even then but she said she didn’t see the need to waste her time or money on accounts that were long over and done with, and all she needed to carry on was the relevant financial information from her mother’s generation onwards.’

‘I do wish she’d let you retrieve more of the details. I know hardly anything about my ancestors!’ Miranda exclaimed involuntarily. ‘You’d think she’d want future generations to understand their family background.’

‘Apparently she considered going that far back irrelevant. However, we could still help you to learn more about your family history if you’re interested, Ms Westerby. My firm works occasionally with a very good genealogist and I’m sure he’ll be happy to see what else he can find out about the earlier records and therefore your ancestors. And we could then add the verified details to your family’s account 17records at no extra cost to you. I’m very much in favour of preserving history.’

‘Oh, good.’

‘I’m afraid you’d have to bear the extra cost of the research after all these years.’

She knew so little about her family background that she seized this opportunity without hesitation. ‘I’d like to do that. I’ll check the records at Fairfield House, then get back to you about what I find there, after which you could perhaps arrange a search for any older family records for me by this expert? I wouldn’t know how to undertake genealogical research at that level myself.’

‘Yes, of course we can arrange that. It’s not cheap but the expert we consult from time to time is very skilful. Um, I presume this means you’re going to accept the conditions of the inheritance?’

‘Yes, I am.’ She didn’t actually feel she had any choice. She was, after all, the heir and had a duty to the family – well, she considered she did even though the head of that family had neglected her. But she’d love to know more about her family, she had felt so alone in the world.

‘I’m delighted to hear that.’

She watched him make a note in the file. She’d regretted for years her lack of knowledge about her mother’s side of the family. She had no idea about her father’s family either, but had less interest in that. They might be as careless with money as he had apparently been. Did you learn such careless habits or were they engrained in your genes? She was enough of a Westerby to be upset at the idea of him incurring such debts.

She found it hard not to smile at the thought that she would be getting away from her idiot of a boss, and there 18would be nothing about the reason for her resignation that he could use to blacken her reputation professionally, in case she needed to find another job.

She’d become an accountant because it was the only way Phyllis would agree to finance her university education. She wouldn’t miss it as a job, though the skills would probably come in useful for helping her manage her inheritance and the family trust.

19

Chapter Two

Mr Parker gave Miranda an uncertain look, as if he had something else to tell her. What next, for heaven’s sake? she wondered. He indicated the brand-new file lying between them. ‘This contains copies of our summary documents and when you’re at the family home in Wiltshire you’ll be able to access the specific financial information of both the trust and your aunt’s personal details, which I gather she kept in the safe there.’

He’d already told her that and she wondered why he was repeating it. She frowned down at the file as something else occurred to her abruptly. ‘If so much information about the Westerbys has been lost, how do I know someone from another branch of the family won’t suddenly appear and claim to be the heir instead of me?’

‘I’ve been calling her your aunt but actually she’s your great-aunt, and she still had the relevant records dating from her generation of the family onwards. I followed them up and you can be quite sure that you really are her 20heir. From what I’ve heard of her, I doubt Miss Westerby would have made a mistake about something as important to her as that.’

‘What about my cousin? How is he involved?’

‘Mitchell Westerby is the son of your great-aunt’s second cousin, so there isn’t the slightest doubt that you take precedence over him as the direct legal heir. And since she’d found out that he was a gambler and not particularly successful at it, she couldn’t bear to leave him even the more generous bequest she had originally planned. Since you’re accepting her conditions for inheritance, I can now tell you that she’s given him the right to live in a small cottage on the estate for his lifetime. You will, presumably, meet him there.’

‘Oh. I see.’

‘It makes things easier for you that your mother kept the Westerby name when she married and that you did the same, because it was extremely important to your aunt that a female Westerby born and bred inherit the family home.’

Miranda had also been very glad of that when her own brief marriage had broken up. What was wrong with the women of her family, though, that they didn’t seem to form happy marriages?

‘You also met with your aunt’s approval about the way you’ve managed your own finances since you graduated. That was very important to her.’

‘Good heavens! It must be the only thing she ever approved of about me.’

‘Well, she always sounded a little surprised about your financial skills, I gathered from my colleague when he was handing over your affairs to me.’

She frowned. ‘How did my great-aunt know about that 21for sure? As I told you, I’ve had no actual contact with her since I turned fourteen.’

He hesitated, then said, ‘I gather from our records that she hired a private investigator from time to time to check up on you.’

The thought of that annoyed Miranda intensely but done was done, as her friend Libby would say. ‘I actually know very little about Phyllis’s personal background. She never married, did she?’

‘No. She, um, seemed to dislike men, if you don’t mind me saying so.’

‘I prefer to know the truth about any situation. Did she ever live in a house of her own as well as managing the family home in Wiltshire?’

‘No. She didn’t have another home when she was younger, either, because she lived with her mother in a cottage in the grounds of the family home, the one that she has now allowed your cousin to live in. So you see, she lived in your family home in Wiltshire all her life, taking charge of it when her own mother died without ever inheriting.’

‘So she owned it after the former Westerby died?’

‘No, she never actually owned it and you won’t either. Fairfield House is owned by the trust and whoever inherits the management of that is entitled to live there rent-free for the rest of their life, as you will be able to do from now on.’

That was a wonderful thought, even if she would have to move away from her friends in London.

‘I gather the house is quite old and has belonged to your family trust for nearly two hundred years.’

Why had her mother never told her more about it? That thought made her see another potential problem. ‘The house isn’t heritage listed, is it?’

22‘No. Definitely not.’

‘Well, thank goodness for that. One of my friends and her husband had a lot of trouble modernising a house she’d inherited because of that. Has this house been modernised at all?’

‘I’m afraid I don’t know.’

He opened his desk drawer and took out a piece of paper, looking rather embarrassed now. ‘There’s one other thing I’m required to do. Your great-aunt wrote this a few years ago and when Mr Lloyd retired, she made me promise that I would read it aloud to you after she died. She had apparently insisted he do the same thing. If I hadn’t given her my word about that, she would have taken her business away from our law firm, so I can’t avoid doing this, I’m afraid. The senior partner reminded me of it only this morning.’

He scowled down at the paper. ‘Believe me, these are not my own feelings and if I could avoid doing this, I would.’

Miranda shrugged and waited, feeling quite certain whatever it was would be unpleasant.

He took a deep breath and began to read it in a dull monotone, avoiding her eyes. ‘“To my great-niece Miranda Westerby when she inherits. There are too few family members nowadays, so it is your bounden duty to get married again as soon as you can find a man willing to have you. Please choose a more decent husband than the last one. It was a relief not to have his genes dumped into our family pool.

‘Remember, it’s only right that you pay the family back for this generous inheritance by creating a potential heir of your own, preferably more than one daughter to ensure that the Westerby family name and genes survive. Your 23mother refused my request for her to remarry after your father died, so she only produced one child and that is not secure enough. Phyllis Westerby.”’

Miranda’s annoyance got the better of her. ‘The old bat should have had children herself, then.’

He gave her an uncomfortable glance. ‘I was told by the head of our firm when I too queried this aspect that she was unable to bear children because she’d had a bad accident as a youngster and that had precluded it.’

‘That’s no excuse for her gratuitous insults to me, though.’

He nodded as if he agreed but didn’t say anything, only waited for her to gesture to him to continue. He had clearly distanced himself from what he’d had to read, so she didn’t hold it against him.

She didn’t say anything else about the Will and other documentation. What was the point? Her great-aunt was dead now. But no way was Miranda getting married again merely to provide heirs for the family. ‘Once bitten, twice shy’ described her feelings about marriage very accurately, because it was too stressful getting unmarried if things didn’t go well. She’d only marry if she felt utterly certain someone was decent as well as attractive.

And if her ex ever dared to come near her again, she’d throw something at him on sight and ask questions later. She would never forgive Keith for thumping her, had been taken by surprise at how quickly he’d changed into a bully once they were married. She’d left him after only a few months because he was stronger than her and hadn’t kept his promise to seek counselling for his violence.

She realised the lawyer was waiting for her to speak so she asked the first thing that came into her mind to give 24herself time to calm down again. ‘What’s Fairfield House like, Mr Parker?’

‘Don’t you remember?’

‘No. I was very young and I only have a vague memory. Isn’t there a photo among the records?’

‘No. Your aunt said it wasn’t appropriate for it to be photographed.’

‘Why on earth not?’

‘I can’t tell you why not. I’ve only spoken to her a couple of times by telephone since I took over and she was very abrupt both times.’

Had the old woman been losing her marbles? ‘Go on then, please.’

She listened carefully as he continued to share the little he did know about the financial side of things. ‘Your aunt also bequeathed to you her personal portfolio of shares, her collection of Victorian jewellery and whatever money was left in her bank account when she died. She seems to have been good with finances so I should think the share portfolio will amount to a generous sum.’

‘I’m still feeling surprised that she left me any additional bequests after the way she stayed away from me.’

‘The senior member of my firm told me when I took over the account that no one ever knew what to expect from Miss Westerby. He said I should just do as she told me and not even bother to try to advise her about better financial alternatives because she would take no notice. She apparently always went her own way in everything she did.’

‘I already found that out.’

He gave her what looked like a sympathetic glance then changed the subject slightly. ‘Are you at all familiar with the family home?’

25‘No. I only went there once with my mother just after my father died. I was very young so have only a very vague memory of it. We didn’t stay long and my great-aunt didn’t offer us any refreshments so I only saw the entrance hall and what was probably a small sitting room.’

‘Goodness.’

‘My main memory of that visit is of my mother getting angry and shouting at her aunt loudly. I found out later that Phyllis had been very reluctant to provide more generously for us from the trust money.’ She shivered at the memories that had brought up of the way her mother had had to scrimp.

‘Well, our records show that your aunt helped financially with your education.’

‘I can understand now why she kept so close an eye on me. She offered to pay all my expenses only if I studied accounting at university, something I hadn’t been interested in.’ Still didn’t really find it interesting, though it had earned her a steady income for years and she knew that she was a capable accountant.

‘That was kind of her.’

‘I doubt it was done out of kindness. She still didn’t want to see me in person. But I did as she asked and she paid my university fees as promised, which I appreciated.’

When she’d told one of her university friends about it, Rosie had tried to persuade Miranda to refuse to sign the annual trust fund audits unless the lawyers told her more about the family home. She hadn’t even considered doing that. She wasn’t into quarrelling as a way of solving problems and by then she’d had no desire whatsoever to meet her great-aunt.

She gave him a grim smile. ‘I realised even then that she 26was doing it to take care of the future of the family, not to help me personally. But I was able to go to university in comfort and not end my course loaded with debts. I enjoyed my years there very much. She not only let me live in a flat she paid for but covered the electricity bills and so on as long as they were reasonable.’

‘Yet you still didn’t visit Miss Westerby?’

‘I was never invited to do that, so I presumed I’d not be welcome and didn’t even try. After I graduated, I was given a month’s notice to vacate the flat, again through your firm, and told to look after myself from then onwards. You probably know that from your records.’

‘Yes. It seemed, um, rather strange, given that you were her heir. I understand the overall situation a little better now and I’m grateful to you for being so frank.’

‘I try to live honestly, Mr Parker. My only contact with my great-aunt from then onwards has been your firm’s annual statement to confirm that the accounts of the family trust have been certified correct. And to tell the truth, I’ve always been chary of crossing her.’

She smiled wryly as she saw him shaking his head as if not happy about this either. She was used to her strange and rather hostile family situation and had learnt that it was usually better to keep the details of it to herself in social situations. Mostly she got on with her life in her own way and her only real regret was the failure of her marriage.

She’d been fooled by Keith, who had turned out to be a rat. He’d started thumping her within a few weeks of the wedding, so she’d warned him she wouldn’t put up with that. When he didn’t stop, she kicked him where it hurt a man most then called for police help to get him and his 27possessions out of what was, fortunately, her own house.

She’d rushed into a bad choice because she’d been desperate for a family of her own. It was still her duty to marry again and provide an heir, but she was terrified of being fooled by surface charm and making another bad choice. What if she was no good at choosing men? Some women didn’t seem to be able to do it well. How could you ever be totally sure of anyone?

‘You seem to have managed your own finances much better than your cousin Mitchell has done,’ the lawyer said. ‘He barely scraped through a similar degree to yours, which Miss Westerby had funded him for as she did you. Then he invested a legacy from his father’s side of the family unwisely, tried to remedy things and failed, getting into debt even more deeply. I can’t understand why your great-aunt continued to support him.’

‘My guess was that she was helping him in order to provide a back-up heir, in case I let her down and one was needed. I don’t wish to meet him or have anything to do with him if he’s careless with money.’

‘You will inevitably meet him because she’s still letting him live in that cottage and has arranged for that to continue independently of your management of the estate.’

‘So I suppose he’ll be staying there.’

‘Yes. Does it matter?’

‘I suppose not.’

‘He’s never got into financial trouble since. I guess that your aunt had a soft spot for him personally.’

Given this information, Miranda could feel herself relaxing a little. She’d be able to give up her current job and if she didn’t enjoy living in Wiltshire, she could move away after the two years were over. You could put up with nearly 28anything for two years – except a husband who thumped you.

She’d miss her London friends, though, and would have to try to get to know other congenial people near her new home. Sadly, she didn’t think that most of her current friends would be able to come and visit her because nearly all of them were at the having babies and rearing small children stages of life. One baby was relatively easy to take visiting, but a baby plus a couple of toddlers was far too difficult for both sides to cope with, and she had little experience with children, sadly.

She’d miss Libby most of all. Her neighbour had rapidly become a close friend even though she was old enough to be Miranda’s mother. The two of them had booked to go on this holiday together but regrettably, she didn’t think she should go now, given the conditions attached to the legacy. She’d need to get down to Wiltshire and take a firm hold of the historical family home and everything connected to it. It had been standing empty for weeks and she didn’t think it prudent to leave it any longer in such a vulnerable position.

Such a pity. She hoped Libby would forgive her for cancelling the holiday. Perhaps her friend would be able to come down to Wiltshire for a visit soon.

29

Chapter Three

When Miranda looked across at him again, Mr Parker asked gently, ‘Would going to live in Wiltshire interfere with your long-term career plans, Ms Westerby?’

She shook her head. ‘I don’t have any. I’ve always seen accounting more as a reasonable way to earn a living rather than as a career I care deeply about. I have no desire whatsoever to climb the so-called corporate ladders in the profession. There’s more to life than checking columns of figures and outdoing your colleagues at attracting new clients to the firm you work for, don’t you think?’

He smiled. ‘I agree absolutely. I’m fortunate that I enjoy my job but I don’t think I’d enjoy one that meant dealing with figures day in, day out. It’s people I find interesting. Was there nothing else you wanted to study or do for work?’

‘Not really. I’d been vaguely considering studying architecture, but my great-aunt refused point blank to pay for me to do that. It was accounting or get into debt for 30the university fees and spend years paying them off. Only I didn’t dare get into debt because I had no other family members to turn to if anything went wrong. So I accepted her offer, got my degree and I presume that’s what led to my inheriting and therefore my absolute independence, which is something I shall value highly.’

He was silent, frowning slightly.

‘Is something wrong?’

‘You won’t be independent in some senses while you’re living at Fairfield House. Will that upset you?’

She hadn’t meant to mention the current situation which had already made her apply for a couple of other jobs, but it slipped out. ‘Unfortunately, at the moment we have a new team leader at work and he’s going to get a slap across the face if he bumps into me or brushes against certain parts of my body again.’

He gaped at her in shock. ‘He’s that bad about harassment? In this day and age?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why haven’t you reported him?’

‘Because he’s very cunning about when and where he harasses me. I think he must have been honing those skills for years. It’s been going on for months and there have never been any witnesses nearby or I’d definitely have challenged him publicly. When I warned him privately he just smiled and said that if I accused him of anything he’d sue me because I have no evidence. And CCTV cameras aren’t allowed inside our office complex, only at the entrances and exits.’

She couldn’t help shuddering. ‘He smiles as he eyes my body up and down after each incident. I find him very creepy.’

31‘I’m sorry to hear that. I had no idea things could still be so bad.’

‘Oh, they can, believe me. I only mention this to show why this inheritance is particularly timely. It will give me a good reason to leave my job suddenly and I’ll be financially independent afterwards. Please tell me a little more about this family home I’d be living in. I looked up online where the village is situated in Wiltshire but what’s the house like?’

‘I’m only allowed to tell you that sort of thing after the paperwork has been completed and you’ve agreed in writing to move in for two years.’

That made her stare. ‘My great-aunt wasn’t very trusting, was she? Well, all right. If this house has been the family home for nearly two centuries, I would very much like to see it, even without the financial inducements. History is one of my hobbies.’

‘Apparently both house and garden are quite large, so it should be a pleasant place to live.’

‘Good. Because my flat feels to be growing smaller each year and you can’t help acquiring new possessions, especially books, can you? If this house is in pleasant surroundings, I could perhaps set it up as a holiday home after my two-year sentence to live there full time has been completed. I could go there sometimes at weekends on my own or with friends, or even hire it out.’

He shrugged. ‘You won’t be legally allowed to hire it out, but after you complete your two years there it will be up to you how often you use the house as your home or simply leave it empty. You still won’t be able to sell it. And by then you might have become fond of it and want to live there full-time.’

‘Who can tell how I’ll feel about it afterwards? I’ve 32never had a whole house to live in.’

‘She must have been. Though quite frankly, I think only a fool would refuse such a bequest. I’m told that Miss Westerby was good at organising people into doing what she wished.’

‘Chivvying them into it might be a better way of describing it.’ Miranda was unable to hide her bitterness about her own dealings with her aunt, or lack of dealings unless Phyllis wanted something from her.

He looked at her and added, ‘I’ll deny that I said this, but from reading my colleague’s records, I think you’re right. At times it did seem more as if she was tricking people into doing what she wanted.’

She looked at him in surprise and couldn’t think what to say so kept quiet and left it to him to continue the conversation.

When she didn’t say anything else, he took over again quite quickly as she’d expected. Some people were in more of a hurry than others to fill a conversational silence. ‘Well, I’ve told you everything I was required to but I shall need you to sign a contract agreeing to adhere to your aunt’s conditions before we go any further.’ He opened the folder and took out a piece of paper.

The contract was very brief and straightforward, though of course no less binding for that. She read it quickly and looked at him. ‘Is this the last of the paperwork?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll sign it, then.’ She reached out for the pen that was lying on the desk.

He put out his hand to stop her. ‘Just a minute. I’ll have to call in my senior clerk and the receptionist to witness this properly.’

33They must have been waiting to be summoned, so the signing was quickly dealt with and once the two witnesses had left, Mr Parker opened a lower drawer in his desk and took out a small padded envelope, pushing it across the table to her.

‘These are the keys to your new home and to the safe. They’ve been changed recently, to keep you more secure there.’

‘Good idea. Where in the house shall I find this safe?’

‘I have no idea, I’m afraid. The address of the house is written on the envelope and that’s all I can tell you about it. A safe shouldn’t be hard to find, though. Most of them are too big to be easily hidden and they don’t usually look like pieces of furniture. Now, is that all?’

She nodded.

‘Then I hope you’ll be happy living there. And do get in touch if you find any problems when you arrive, though I doubt there will be. Our clerk was there as soon as we heard about your aunt’s death and he took a female colleague with him to pack the housekeeper’s things. They made sure that even she couldn’t get inside.’

She stared in surprise.

‘We didn’t know what items should be there so made sure that nothing could be taken away. Our firm has not had good relations with the housekeeper, you see. She has a very sharp tongue and can be very demanding. She got on well with your aunt, though, which is what mattered.’

‘Well, thank you for being so careful.’ She took the envelope from him and stared down as it, wondering what sort of life this would lead her into.

He asked quietly, ‘Do you like living in the country, Ms Westerby? Is it something you’re used to?’34

‘I’ve never tried it, never even had a whole house to live in. But I’ll still have my flat in London to fall back on afterwards if I don’t like it in the family home, and I shall be able to live anywhere I wish once the two years are over, shan’t I?’

‘Yes, indeed.’ He took a couple of other folders out of a drawer and clipped his old-fashioned pen back into the breast pocket of his jacket as if making ready for his next client.

She didn’t stand up straight away, just ran through mentally what he’d told her in case she had any other questions. She didn’t intend to do anything that jeopardised the inheritance, whatever she had to put up with. No way.

This inheritance would make such a wonderful difference to her life. She’d been independent for a few years because she had been determined to own a home of her own since her mother died, absolutely determined. But all she’d been able to afford was a very small flat, on which she had paid off the mortgage the previous year.

And now, here was the opportunity to as good as own a decent-sized house for the next two years and save like mad during that time in case she needed to buy a new home somewhere else afterwards. She wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Independence was something she treasured. Her present flat might be small but it was in an increasingly popular area with good transport links and had gone up nicely in value since she bought it. She would be able to sell it easily after the two years were up and put the money towards whatever she managed to save.

She didn’t expect to like a home that had been lived in by her great-aunt, but if she did like it, she’d stay there and rent the flat out. She could feel herself grimacing at 35her own deep need for independence and security.