Coming next month
A WILL, A WISH, A WEDDING
Kate Hardy
‘Miss Grey changed her will three months ago,’ the solicitor confirmed, ‘and she was of sound mind when she made her will.’
You could still be inveigled into doing something when you were of sound mind, Hugo thought. And Rosemary liked to make people happy. What kind of sob story had this woman spun to make his great-aunt give her the house?
‘There are conditions to the bequest,’ the solicitor continued. ‘Dr Walters, you must undertake to finish the butterfly project, turn the house into an education centre — of which she would like you to assume the position of director, should you choose — and re-wild the garden.’
The garden re-wilding, Hugo could understand, because he knew how important his great-aunt’s garden had been to her. And maybe the education centre; he’d always thought that Rosemary would’ve made a brilliant teacher. But, if Rosemary had left the house to his father, as her previous will had instructed, surely she knew that her family would’ve made absolutely sure her wishes were carried out? Why had his great-aunt left everything to a stranger instead? And he didn’t understand the first condition. ‘What project?’
‘I’m editing the journals and co-writing the biography of Viola Ferrers,’ Dr Walters said.
It was the first time he’d heard her speak. Her voice was quiet, and there was a bit of an accent that he couldn’t quite place, except it was definitely Northern; and there was a lot of a challenge in her grey eyes.
Did she really think he didn’t know who Viola Ferrers was?
‘My great-great-great-grandmother,’ he said crisply.
Her eyes widened, so he knew the barb had gone home. This was his family and his heritage. What right did this stranger have to muscle in on it?
‘Miss Grey also specified that a butterfly house should be built,’ the solicitor continued.
Rosemary had talked about that, three years ago; but Hugo had assumed that it was her way of distracting him, giving him something to think about other than the gaping hole Emma’s death had left in his life. They’d never taken it further than an idea and a sketch or two.
‘And said butterfly house,’ the solicitor said, ‘must be designed and built by you, Mr Grey.’
Continue reading
Kate Hardy
Available next month
Copyright © 2020 Kate Hardy