Page 29 of Legacy of Roses

The mountain community had helped each other when necessary, but many of the inhabitants had been solitary folk. He hadn’t anticipated how quickly the gossip would spread, especially in a town the size of Thebarton.

“Anyone not heard that the old lord’s heir has finally returned? Not likely!” Wyatt grinned.

Dimitri wondered who had first told Wyatt and how many people Wyatt had subsequently passed the news on to. He couldn’t regret the man’s apparently garrulous nature, however. Not when he hoped to make use of it himself.

“I hope I may soon meet more of Thebarton’s residents,” he said. “I’ve not yet had the chance to spend much time in town.”

“So you really do mean to stay?” Wyatt regarded him keenly as he waited for an answer.

“For the time being,” Dimitri said after a slight hesitation, Rosalie’s entreaties playing through his mind. “I have no other plans.”

That seemed to satisfy Wyatt who nodded wisely. “Right shame it was to see such a fine estate going to ruin. I haven’t been out there myself, but I hear you’ve turned it around quickly.” He glanced sideways at Dimitri while he shoveled in another mouthful.

Dimitri grimaced. “I’m not sure I can take any credit for that. It seems the Legacy approves of my arrival.”

Wyatt laughed. “Aye, indeed. I haven’t heard tell of golden roses in this region since my grandfather’s day.”

“I can only hope the Legacy doesn’t cause the locals any trouble,” Dimitri said with a frown. “The manor’s roses seem uncommonly attractive, and I understand matters might become…complicated if someone were to pluck one.”

“You have more to lose than us, now, don’t you,” Wyatt said, as cheerful as ever. “Might want to get onto building a high wall round that manor of yours.” He laughed at his own joke.

Dimitri considered how to turn the conversation in more informative directions.

“I dined with the Fosters yesterday,” he said. “I understand they’re one of Thebarton’s most prominent families.”

It wouldn’t do to mention Rosalie too quickly. He had no desire to indicate his interest in her to either the gossips ofthe town or the Legacy itself. And while he wanted more information about her family’s past, he needed to balance that against the secondary purpose of his excursion. He intended to show both Jace and the Legacy that if they were determined to link him with a young lady, there were plenty of options besides Rosalie.

“The Fosters?” Wyatt took a moment to chew a large piece of meat. “Aye, I suppose they’re prominent enough nowadays. Top family, you might say. Seem to know it, too, if what they’ve done to their house is anything to go by.” He sounded displeased about that for some reason.

“You disapprove?” Dimitri asked, trying to remember if there had been anything peculiar about the Foster’s home. It had been rather ostentatious, but he hadn’t thought it offensively so.

“In general, he’s a careful one, Foster,” Wyatt said. “But he’s got a soft spot for his wife, and she doesn’t always have the best sense when it comes to fancy displays. He indulges her, which is admirable as far as it goes, but he should know better about the house.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure I follow.” Dimitri was getting sick of conversations that made little sense to him.

“Well, everyone knows the risk, don’t they?” Wyatt stabbed a round of cooked carrot. “The fancier the home, the more liable it is to burn down without warning.”

Dimitri’s eyes widened. He could only assume this was another quirk of the Glandorian Legacy. He did remember something about a house burning down in the original history, and he’d seen a burned-out husk on the town square as well. He’d assumed the fire must have been fresh, but perhaps the locals feared tempting the Legacy by rebuilding on the spot.

“Just look at Clifford,” Wyatt continued. “He was always careful to keep his home modest in style, even if it was thelargest and finest in town. And look at what happened to it anyway!”

“Is that the burned building on the square?” Dimitri asked. “How long ago did it burn?”

“Aye, that’s the one. Burned down only last year. Clifford and his family used to live there before they lost everything.” Wyatt shook his head. “A real shame that was. They were a fine first family for Thebarton, always generous to a fault and welcoming.” He speared a hunk of potato. “They had more claim to the position than those Fosters, too. Clifford’s merchant network was a good sight larger than any other business in town, including Foster’s.” He sighed heavily. “Clifford did everything he could to stay out of the Legacy’s notice, too. But it was all for naught in the end. Determined to grab ‘em, it was.”

“Because he was a merchant?” Dimitri asked tentatively, fascinated by the story despite his original intentions for the conversation.

Wyatt nodded, warming to the tale. “Like I said, he was real careful because of it, but the Legacy can be tricksy.” He leaned closer. “His wife had three girls, you know. Another man might have wanted a son to follow in his footsteps, but Clifford doted on those girls and said he wasn’t taking any chances. Stopped with just the girls.” Wyatt nodded approvingly. “Very sensible.”

“You mean because of the danger of being a merchant with an equal number of sons and daughters?” Dimitri clarified, remembering something he’d read.

Wyatt grunted an affirmative. “Dangerous business that is, as we all know. Why the Legacy decided the total number don’t matter, just that there be equal boys and girls, I don’t know. Right illogical if you ask me, but there’s no use thinking the Legacy should be reasonable. Doesn’t have a brain to think, let alone reason. Not as if it’s sentient.” He laughed again at his own humor.

“So he only had three daughters, but the Legacy caused his house to burn down anyway?” Dimitri asked, feeling stirrings of alarm. Up until now the Legacy had seemed more odd than villainous—despite Rosalie’s exaggerated fear and his mother’s delusional conclusions.

“No, no, it started before that.” Wyatt leaned closer. “Clifford and his wife intended to stop, but it don’t always work out like we intend, do it?” He winked, but Dimitri wasn’t sure what he was implying.

“Fell pregnant again several years later!” Wyatt explained impatiently when Dimitri remained blank. “And if the pregnancy wasn’t the Legacy’s work, the outcome was.”

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