Page 33 of A Raven Returns

Trent nodded. “I’m listening.”

“I have no family. My parents and my brother are all dead.” Ash sipped his brandy. “I don’t want to just dismiss the fact that I suddenly have a brother, and a niece.” The muscles in Trent’s jaw were tight and he folded his arms across his chest. This was difficult for him. Ash knew what it was to not want to accept help or kindness from people.

“Let me tell you how I’d like it to go, and then you can tell me your opinions. First up, I’d like to settle some money on you, that should have been rightfully yours when our father died.”

Trent shook his head. “I don’t want charity from you, Ash.”

“It’s not charity. Like I said, it should have been rightfully yours. In addition to that, I’m in need of an estate manager. I know you’re not trained for that, but I also know you’ve been watching the comings and goings on this estate for a year. It’s clear that you’re smart and resourceful, and you even have a family connection to the estate. Is that something you’d be interested in learning if I brought someone in to teach you?”

“How could you possibly trust me to manage your estate? You don’t even know me, and the small amount you do know isn’t good.”

“I’m a fairly good judge of character. Besides that, I won’t be making the same mistakes I made before. There will be a lot of eyes around here, and everyone will have access to me. I’m leaving, but I won’t be disconnecting the same way I did before. I won’t be just abandoning this place. So I’m going to make the choice to trust you, and I hope that in time, you’ll prove me right. Until then, there will be checks and balances in place to ensure everyone is taken care of. It is a big job, though, so you certainly don’t have to take it on.”

“I would be honored to, and will do my best to learn as much and as quickly as I can.”

“Good man!” Ash wasn’t sure if he’d actually agree to it, and was truly pleased he had.

“And for what it's worth, I would be grateful to have you as my brother, Ash.”

These sensations of warmth in his heart were still so foreign to him, but they’d happened several times these past few days. From Gwen and Benson, Maggie, and now Trent. Is this what it felt like to have a family who cared about one another?

Ash raised his glass. “To our future, whatever it may hold.”

“To our future.” Trent clinked his glass against Ash’s and they both downed the remainder of their brandy.

“I’ll reach out to Lord and Lady Epworth. I know them personally, and their estate isn’t far from here. He’ll be helpful for knowing who to bring in to train you up, and they have young children, so Lady Epworth will know where to start in finding a governess for Maggie.”

Trent held up his hands. “Whoa. I feel like you and I have very different visions of this, Ash. Surely, an estate manager does not earn enough to afford a governess, not to mention, there’s not an extra room in the home I’m living in.”

“I just assumed you would live here.”

“You what? Here?” He looked around the room again.

“I know this house is a lot, and it will take some getting used to, but it would be beneficial for us both. You’d be here to oversee everything. And it’s a massive house. It seems silly for it to just sit empty while you’re living in barely more than a shack.”

“I’ve worked hard to be able to afford that shack.”

“I know you have, and I’m not discounting that. I’m in no way implying that you can’t make it on your own without my money. You obviously can. You’ve done just fine, and you’ve worked hard to provide for yourself and Maggie. You’ll work hard here, too, Trent. And I know you want the best for Maggie. I believe living here and being provided with a good education will give her a leg up in life. It will give her opportunities that, I’m sorry to say, she wouldn’t be afforded without those things.”

Trent nodded, but he wasn’t happy. He let out a long sigh. “It still feels like charity to me.”

“And yet, I feel as if I’m taking advantage of you. I’m asking you to take on immense responsibilities that should really be mine. The truth is, I can never live here. There are simply too many nightmares from my past that still reside within these walls. I found my brother’s lifeless body hanging in his room. I looked on as my mother was beaten to death in hers. I endured countless beatings, many of them in this very room. I can’t get away from those things here, which is why I left in the first place, and why I must leave again.”

“It’s so hard to believe that such horrific things happened in a place filled with so much beauty and lavishness. Enduring all of that, how in God’s name did you end up a decent man? Why are you not the despot that he was?”

Ash shrugged. “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

Trent shook his head. “No. I don’t believe that. You’re a good man. You’re not simply masquerading as one.”

“Hopefully you’re right. Now, I would like to leave here and get back to my normal life, as soon as possible. I would feel better about leaving if I knew there was someone here I could trust, and for whatever reason, I believe I can trust you.”

“You can.”

Ash nodded. “Good. Let’s get you moved in, then. You and Maggie can choose your bedrooms today.”

Trent closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “This feels like a dream, like it can’t possibly be real.”

Ash got to his feet and came around the desk. “You’ll feel differently once you’ve taken on the workload.” Trent stood and the two of them embraced, thumping each other on the back. He had a brother. In truth, it felt a bit like a dream to him, too. “I’ll show you around, and then we’ll collect Maggie from the nursery.”

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