Page 11 of Her Magnificent Mistake
“Aye, but ye are auld enough to ken better—och,” he broke off when he saw her smirk. “Ye’re doing it on purpose, aye? To piss me off.”
“See?” Her smile turned impish. “Every other word out of your mouth is a curse.”
He scowled, she laughed, and Hawk realized having an impressionably young niece as a ward—an impressionably young niece who didn’t care about Society’s rules—might become problematic. “I dinnae ken anything about propriety,” he grumbled, slouching backward. “I should’ve never been a lord.”
“Yes, but if you had not inherited, then you would not have control of Tostinham,” Allie pointed out with a gentle squeeze. “And even I can see how much you love this place.”
It was true.
Cowal was where he’d fallen in love with the natural world. His grandfather had been a great believer in the benefits oftromping through the woods, as he’d said, and had made many improvements to his land to make the wilds more accessible to people like his guests and grandsons.
Or at least, one grandson in particular. Hawk was one of seven grandchildren, with three older male cousins…but he was the one who had followed Grandda around, with his woolen knickers and miniature hiking pole, tripping over roots and laughing at funny-shaped mushrooms from a young age. While his older brother Stephen had viewed Tostinham and the wild nature as something to be avoided, Hawk had embraced it.
And now it washis.
“You do love it, do you not, Uncle Maxwell?”
“Aye,” he sighed sadly. “I never expected Tostinham to come to me, but I do love it with all my heart.”
“Well, then.” Allie pulled her hand from his and patted his arm briskly before sitting back with a satisfied air. “We are lucky it is yours now.”
“Much to Society’s surprise,” grunted Hawk through gritted teeth.
“Well, I admit the family tree is a little convoluted,” Allie continued conversationally. “Although arguably it is easier to keep track, now it has been…well. Pruned.”
Hawk’s jaw dropped. “Allie!”
“Well,” continued his unconcerned niece. “There was Grandda—your Grandfather, I mean. Then your cousin Franklin. Is that right?”
Hawk considered throwing himself out of the carriage to avoid this conversation, but they were moving at a pace, and he’d broken enough bones to last a lifetime. “Auldest son of my Uncle Douglas. He’d died the year before.”
“And Cousin Franklin died last year, yes?”
Allie was alert and attentive, and as little as Hawk wanted to have this conversation right now, he also had to admit that she deserved to know her family’s history. Shehadto know the history, since she was now his heir.
So he scrubbed his hand down his face and tried to be more alert. “Aye, he succumbed to a stomach ailment brought on by eating bad seafood. His younger brother Roger inherited, but barely had time to settle in before he was killed in a fall while riding.”
Allie clicked her tongue. “Tragic.”
“Aye,” Hawk muttered, folding his arms in front of his chest. “But Roger had always been a shite horseman.”
His niece held up her finger to tick off names. “Your grandfather had Douglas and William. The title skipped Douglas, the elder, who was dead by then, and went to first his oldest son—Franklin—and then his younger, Roger.” She frowned at the remaining finger. “So Tostinham reverted to William, Douglas’s younger brother?”
Hawk shifted his gaze out the window, finding the story easier to tell when he was looking at such natural beauty.
“My Uncle William was a jolly sort, loved his wine and heavy foods. He had three children, but his son—my cousin Willy—died many years ago of a childhood fever. He has—had—two daughters, Anna and Marianne.”
“But Tostinham can only be inherited by a female if there are no more males left, yes?” came Allie’s question.
“Aye,” he sighed, focusing on the farmland passing by. “When William became Baron, his solicitors told me I was his heir until such a time as he had a grandson. Anna has been married for a few years, so we all assumed it would only be a matter of time before that happy event occurred.”
“But he died first?”
Hawk swallowed. “A month ago he went to sleep and just…didnae wake up.” A deep breath, the emotions still strange and roiling at the thought of losing such a jolly man and benefitting so greatly from his death. “My cousin Marianne protested, her solicitors state that she has a better claim to the land but…”
“But the Crown has ruled in your favor,” Allie stated firmly, patting his arm once more. “And I am pleased for you, Uncle Maxwell. Your grandfather would be happy to know Tostinham is in the hands of someone who loves it as much as you do.”
That was…true.
