Beggars and Choosers (51 page)

‘If you don't mind, I will help myself to a brandy, Mrs Bull. Can I get you one?' Mr Richards picked up one of the decanters set on a silver tray on a tripod table.

‘No, thank you, Mr Richards, but I will have a small sherry, please, so we can toast Aunt Edyth and Mansel's memory.'

‘I had no idea Mrs James and Mansel knew so many people.' He poured and handed her a glass of sherry.

‘Given the crowds outside the chapel and graveyard, I think every customer of Gwilym James must have come to pay their respects.'

‘I am sure that you are right.' He pulled up a chair and sat opposite her, as Harry climbed back on to her lap. ‘You two are very close.'

‘We are.' She kissed the top of Harry's head. ‘I try to spend as much time with him as I can.'

‘To Mrs James and Mr Mansel James.' He touched his glass to hers. ‘May they rest in eternal peace.'

‘To Aunt Edyth and Mansel.' She sipped her sherry.

‘Did Mrs James ever discuss her will with you?'

‘In a letter to me once. I didn't really take it in.'

‘She knew exactly how she wanted to dispose of her estate; the difficulty was in accomplishing it because of the age of her heir. But within certain well-defined parameters, she has managed to leave the bulk of her estate to Mansel's son.' He looked down at Harry who was engrossed in his book.

‘But Harry is illegitimate ... and Mansel ... there are .. .' She faltered. ‘I know he fathered other children,' she revealed abruptly.

‘Harry is the only one named in Edyth James's will.' He pulled an envelope from his pocket.

‘If you are going to read the will, Mr Richards, shouldn't the other beneficiaries be present?'

‘The only other beneficiaries are the servants and, apart from a bequest to Jenkins of five hundred pounds, they will receive relatively minor legacies. I have asked them to assemble in the hall after the mourners have left so I can give them the details.' He opened the envelope and removed the papers it contained. ‘I could read this to you or I could explain it. It is a little complicated.'

‘I'd prefer it if you explained it to me.'

‘Mrs James left her personal jewellery to you for your use in your lifetime, but she stipulated that you cannot sell it, and on your death it is to be passed on to Harry. Everything else she owned, this house, Gwilym James department store, the shares in the Market Company, her other investments and money have been left to Harry and he will come into his inheritance on his thirtieth birthday. Until that time, the businesses and investments will be controlled by a board of twelve trustees, made up of the three senior members of staff at Gwilym James, the two senior directors of the Market Company, two partners from my firm of solicitors, three directors from the Capital and Counties Bank, yourself and Jenkins.'

‘Me?'

‘And Jenkins,' he added. ‘Mrs James settled on twelve trustees because, frankly, she was appalled by the way your uncle commandeered your father's estate. And she didn't even live to see the fraud Morgan Davies perpetuated,' he added bitterly.

‘You really cannot blame yourself for what Uncle Morgan did, Mr Richards.'

‘I can and I do, but to return to the matter in hand,' he steered the conversation firmly back on course, ‘the board is to meet once a month, reasonable expenses to attend the meeting to be drawn from the trust fund, all business and policy decisions to be carried by a majority vote. This house and all its contents belongs to your son, but you can both live in it until he reaches the age of thirty, as can your brother, sisters and mother. I believe Mrs James foresaw a time when you might be called upon to act as the guardian to your family that I should have been. Please,' he protested as she attempted to speak, ‘do not attempt to lessen my culpability by making excuses for my deficiencies. However, Mrs James inserted a clause in her will stating that neither Owen Bull nor Morgan Davies can spend a night beneath this roof.'

‘Effectively preventing them from stealing Harry's inheritance as they did mine,' Sali murmured thoughtfully.

‘Precisely,' he confirmed. ‘But the validity of these exclusions are open to question. If, for example, you had wanted to move into this house with Owen Bull –'

‘That would have been the
last
thing I'd want to do!'

‘Nonetheless, if you look upon it as a hypothetical case, you could, in theory, appeal to the board of trustees, who have the legal right to overturn Mrs James's instructions if they feel the situation warrants it.'

‘Please, don't concern yourself, Mr Richards. I have no intention of appealing to the board of trustees to challenge any of Aunt Edyth's wishes.'

‘The household expenses, staff wages, the cost of Harry's education, and your and Harry's personal accounts at Gwilym James will be met from another account, which is also controlled by the trustees. My only concern, which I voiced to Mrs James, is that the board might tend to be a little conservative in the investments they choose to make on your son's behalf and in effecting policy changes in the store. But when I consider what Morgan Davies did with your father's estate, that might be no bad thing.'

‘No, it might not.' She wrapped her arms around Harry and held him very close.

‘Your son will be a very wealthy young man, Mrs Bull.'

‘You will be one of the two trustees appointed from your firm, Mr Richards?' she asked.

‘No, Mrs Bull, I will not. In view of my dereliction of duty towards your brother, that would not be appropriate.'

‘Please, reconsider,' she begged. ‘My father and Aunt Edyth trusted you implicitly.'

‘A trust that proved entirely misplaced.'

‘Uncle Morgan let us down, Mr Richards, not you. Everyone in Pontypridd respects you as a man of integrity and no one knows our family affairs better than yourself. Besides, no one else could have possibly explained the complicated terms of Aunt Edyth's will to me as simply as you just did.'

‘I have already resigned from the firm, Mrs Bull.'

‘That is a great pity. Please, if you won't sit on the board as a trustee, will you consider a position as my adviser, for Harry's sake?'

He looked at her for a moment. ‘If I do, I will only be able to counsel you. I will not even be able to vote.'

‘I realise that.'

‘And I will not accept any remuneration for my services, not even expenses.'

‘If that is what you wish.'

‘Then for whatever it is worth, my advice is at your disposal.'

‘Thank you.'

‘So,' he looked around the room, ‘how do you think you and Harry will like living in Ynysangharad House?'

She recalled Harry's repeated requests to go home. ‘To be honest, Mr Richards, I am not sure, but I believe that my mother, brothers and Llinos will be relieved. It will solve their most immediate problem.'

‘But not all of them.' Mr Richards left his chair. ‘If only I could turn the clock back.'

‘And do what, Mr Richards? Challenge my uncle to a duel? Accuse him of trying to defraud Geraint before you had any evidence that he was plotting to do so?'

‘I should have done something.'

‘Don't be so hard on yourself. You are an honourable man accustomed to dealing with honourable men and Uncle Morgan has proved himself to be anything but.'

‘You are so forgiving, Mrs Bull. If I may say so, very like your father and your aunt.'

‘That is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid me, Mr Richards,' Sali said simply. ‘Please, would you do me a favour and explain the terms of Aunt Edyth's will to my brothers and sister. And would you tell them that they are welcome to live in this house until Harry reaches the age of thirty. After that, any invitation will have to be extended by him.'

‘I thought we'd be having something hot after eating cold food all day,' Geraint grumbled as he surveyed the cold collation of smoked fish, meat, bread, cheeses, butters, chutneys and salads the parlour maids had laid out for the family's supper in the dining room.

‘The servants have been busy all day, Geraint,' Sali reminded. ‘I suggested a cold supper as a way of using up the leftovers and giving the cook a rest after catering for the mourners.'

‘I suppose it's your decision to make,' he muttered mutinously, pouring himself a glass of whisky from the decanter on the sideboard.

‘And what is that supposed to mean?' Sali enquired frostily.

‘That you waltz back after four years away, appoint yourself head of the family, have cosy little chats with Mr Richards and make decisions that affect all of us without consultation or as much as a by your leave.'

‘I haven't made any decisions.'

‘Oh no?' Gareth challenged. ‘What about you ordering Llinos and me to reject Mr Richards's offer to pay for our education.'

‘I didn't order you. I merely said that I didn't think Mr Richards could afford to pay your school and university fees.'

‘Whether he can or can't, in my opinion, we should take him up on his offer. After all, he is the one who allowed Uncle Morgan to steal our money, so it's only fair that he should be the one to pay for his mistake.'

‘You make it sound as though Mr Richards condoned what Uncle Morgan did, Gareth. He didn't
allow
Uncle Morgan to do anything of the kind. Besides, you have lost very little compared to Geraint, and the rents from your properties will be more than sufficient to pay your school and university fees and give you a reasonable living allowance,' Sali said calmly.

‘And me?' Llinos demanded plaintively. ‘I was to go on to a finishing school in Switzerland to learn French and German.'

‘Perhaps you will still be able to. I could ask the trustees for a loan for you.'

‘A loan!' Llinos exclaimed.

‘Yes, a loan,' Sali repeated irritably. ‘If I had the money to replace your dowry I would, but the trustees are not handling my money, they are handling my son's, and I am not in a position to give it away.'

‘And how exactly do you expect me to pay it back?' Llinos helped herself to a portion of smoked salmon.

‘When you start work after you have finished your education.'

‘Work at what?'

‘You must have plans ...' Sali began.

‘I had my dowry and Geraint his inheritance. Pass the lemons, Gareth.'

‘You were expecting to get married?'

‘I haven't accepted anyone, as yet.' Llinos squeezed lemon juice over her salmon.

‘I should hope not.' Sali buttered the bread on her plate. ‘You are only fifteen.'

‘The police could find Uncle Morgan tomorrow.' Llinos cut viciously into her salmon.

‘Even if they do, it's unlikely that he will have a penny of Geraint's or the trust fund's money,' Sali pointed out realistically. ‘Mr Richards and the bank manager agree that he invested everything in a bogus company.'

‘So what are you suggesting? That I find work as a domestic?' Llinos questioned acidly. ‘And there's no need to look at Geraint like that. He told us what you've been doing since you left your husband.'

‘I am more ashamed of allowing Uncle Morgan to marry me off to a man like Owen Bull than I am of working as a housekeeper to Lloyd Evans's family. But shouting at me isn't going to change your situation, Llinos. Things being what they are, all of you have some hard thinking to do about your futures.'

‘What future?' Geraint enquired miserably, sipping his whisky.

‘You may have lost your money, Geraint, but you have a home.'

‘Your son's home,' Geraint corrected viciously.

‘Yours until he is thirty,' Sali reminded. ‘Llinos, have you considered training as a teacher?'

‘A teacher! Don't be ridiculous. No girl at my school would dream of doing such a thing.'

‘I did,' Sali countered. ‘And one of my greatest regrets is that I didn't finish my training.'

‘That was you.'

‘Father encouraged us to be independent. I can't understand how all of you have changed so much in four years. Frankly, if that's what going to boarding schools have done to you, then I never want Harry to attend one.'

‘You'd prefer him to go to a council school?' Geraint sneered.

‘He may grow up realising that he has to work for a living if he does.'

‘I have my rents –'

‘Yes, you do, Gareth, but surely you have some ambition beyond collecting them?'

‘I was going to use the three thousand pounds to buy land and build a house.'

‘You were going to farm?' Sali asked hopefully.

‘I was going to employ a farm manager.'

Bewildered by their attitudes, Sali looked from Gareth to Geraint. ‘When Father was alive, you both had ambitions. You wanted to be an engineer, Geraint, and you've just graduated from university. You must have considered a career when you were there.'

‘I studied English Literature.'

‘Why did you change your mind about engineering?'

‘Because Uncle Morgan sold the colliery,' he informed her sourly.

‘You must have had something in mind when you decided to study Literature,' she pleaded.

‘I intended to return to Danygraig House and look after Father's business interests.'

‘What interests? The first company Uncle Morgan sold was the colliery company and Father didn't have anything to do with the day-to-day running of any of his other investments. Can't you see that if all of you adopt the attitude that the world owes you a living, Uncle Morgan will have won?'

‘In what way?' Geraint replenished his whisky glass.

‘He will have destroyed Father's children, as well as his life's work and legacy.'

‘So, what are you suggesting, Sali? That you've changed your mind about allowing us to move in here and live off our nephew's charity?'