Page 150 of The Seaside Homecoming
Dear Claire,
I must say, I am surprised and impressed. If you are reading this it is because you have decided not to marry Lord Bertram. I daresay he will not be happy with that decision, but you may well be happier for it! Marrying him might have improved your social standing andreputation—or served to stir up all the old rumors again. Who knows?
As he did not fulfill the terms I set forth, he shall not inherit a farthing from me. I told him, should he fail, that my property would go to a favorite charity. And that it will.
One of my favorite charities is you.
Now, before you get too excited, I am bequeathing an endowment to the church and parish poor fund, so you don’t get it all, but I am also leaving you, Claire Summers, my house in Edinburgh, where you served me with such long-suffering patience beyond anything I deserved. You will also receive the funds to maintain it with a small staff. You may live here or opt to sell the place outright. That is your choice.
You may wonder why I did not leave it to you in the first place instead of involving Lord Bertram. After looking into his financial dealings, and realizing how much he needed money, I feared if he learned you were an heiress, he might charm you into marrying him without revealing his true motive. So I decided to give you two options. If you still cared for the man despite his faults, or if marrying him was the only way to reconcile with your mother, then you could do so and benefit from the inheritance as his wife. Or, if you chose to refuse him, you would have a place to live and the means to keep body and soul together should your mother stand by her husband’s command not to shelter you.
I believe you made a wise choice.
I know I was not as kind to you as I should have been. I hope you will forgive me and believe me when I say I grew quite fond of you. I sincerely hope you canput the past behind you and live a full, satisfying life of love and service.
Yours sincerely,
Agnes Mercer
“Good heavens...” Claire breathed.
William watched her in mounting concern. “What is it?”
“It is astounding—that’s what it is.”
“Good news or bad?”
“Good, I think. Unless ... You were planning to marry a penniless woman. How would you feel about marrying an heiress?”
A short while later, Claire went to find Mary and explained what Mr. Hammond had learned about her intended, and the efforts made on her behalf to have him sent back on the next available ship.
“Oh, miss! I’m that thankful!”
“It is a long journey,” Claire cautioned her. “And Mr. Hammond says Mr. MacBain is unlikely to reach England before the child is born. However, if all goes well, he could arrive soon after.”
“And may I stay on? Till then?”
“Armaan and Sonali will probably manage the boarding house in future, and I cannot speak for them. But Mr. Hammond has promised you shall have a home, either here or wherever we live after we wed. So rest assured. He is a man of his word and incredibly understanding.” Claire gratefully counted herself as another recipient of his compassion.
“Aye,” Mary agreed. “How blessed we are to be loved by such men.”
That night, when they retired to their shared room, Claire asked Sarah, “What would you say to going to Edinburgh with us after the wedding? I seem to have inherited a property there and would like your opinion on whether I should keep it or sell.”
“Edinburgh?”
“Aunt Mercer left me her house.”
“You’re joking.”
“I am as surprised as you are.”
“Surely you’d prefer to travel alone with Mr. Hammond after you wed?”
“Not at all. I’d love to have more time with you too. And favorite sisters often travel with the bride.”
“I don’t know. It’s a long way. I don’t think I could leave Sea View for that long.”
“Oh, I’m sure between Mamma, Emily, Georgie, and the extremely efficient Mr. Gwilt, things at Sea View will go on perfectly well for a fortnight or two.”
