Page 16 of Hearts of Stone

“There is no provision for multiple heirs. Everything goes to one member of the Whiteley family,” he explained.

“But I’m not a Whiteley. I’m a Barlow. My mother was a Grant. She said she’d speak to my grandmother, but she has never heard mention of Madeline…”

“Davenport,” Mellors added.

“Madeline Davenport.” As soon as I said this so-called ancestor’s full name I felt a strange quiver inside me. “I had to doa family history project in primary school, but I don’t remember that name being there.”

“Because she went by another name.” Mellors’ lips thinned. “She left the house with Master Kenneth’s son growing within her. At the time she wanted nothing more to do with the family, but by the time Luther Whiteley took control of the estate… She had fallen on hard times, had a young son who needed support and she thought to ask Eric for her son’s share of the estate but… Luther’s father held the position as master for only a short time before dying of a heart attack. And so it was that she met with the son, not the father.”

I found my hands tightening around my cup of coffee, seeing Z Ward in my head and all of those horrific devices.

“She hadn’t held out hope of receiving a warm welcome, but Luther’s attempt to forcibly inter her in the brand new Z Ward was completely unexpected. Madeline escaped Luther’s clutches and she and her son went underground. They changed their names, left South Australia, creating a new life in New South Wales. She married, had more children and…” Mellors produced a tablet and with a few taps, he brought up a genealogical site. “This is her direct line of descendants. From her son, whose name had been changed to Nicholas, down to here.”

It was a thin line, and one I was familiar with. When most people’s family trees included ancestors that had four, five, six or even seven children, mine on my mother’s side had few. Congenital birth defects, that’s what my grandmother had said was the issue. I had PCOS, so I wondered if that was a factor.

“Nicholas Grant,” I said, with a slow nod. I’d only ever seen one scratchy looking photo of him in a Grant family history book, but as things stood, I owed him a beer.

Because that proved it was real.

When I looked up, Mellors and Jameson both seemed to catch my moment of realisation: Mellors looking more relaxed,Jameson all too alert. He was like a hunting dog who’d picked up the scent of prey and to engage with him was a strange experience. If he’d walked into the supermarket I’d worked in, I would’ve moved subtly closer, made sure whoever was serving him did so swiftly and politely. He was a man of obvious power and wealth, so in the world I’d known up until yesterday, that meant he was to be pandered to.

But if what they were saying was true, the same could be said of me.

“So what exactly have I inherited?” I asked. “The house—?”

“The house and the considerable landholdings attached to it.” Jameson’s words came out in a rush. “Land that has been gaining a lot of attention in the last few years. You could easily subdivide—”

“No.” I surprised myself with that, my voice perfectly flat.

“Excising even half the block would still leave you—”

“No.” I looked over at Mellors. “I don’t need to, do I?” Jesus, was I really having this conversation right now? “Like, the estate isn’t in any trouble, is it? I don’t need to sell off some land to pay taxes or get a new roof?”

“The estate is not in any trouble,” the lawyer confirmed. “Quite the opposite. While Master Ashley inherited quite a lot of wealth, with some savvy investments he managed to use it to significantly expand the family fortunes.” He shot Jameson a cool look. “There’s no need to sell anything if you don’t wish.”

“But the land… Ms Barlow, you could—”

“I think we’re done here.” Who felt like a girl boss right now? This bitch. I got to my feet and then held out my hand. “It’s been lovely to talk to you, Mr Jameson. Thank you for confirming the terms of the inheritance for me. I needed an independent set of eyes to look over the paperwork, just in case this was some kind of set up for an incredibly shitty reality TV show, but it soundslike Mellors has been the family lawyer for some time. I’ll be retaining his services until I find a reason otherwise.”

“Yes, well, take my card, just in case you change your mind.”

Watching Jameson get all flustered, finding his wallet and then pulling out a business card? That was worth the price of admission at this swanky cafe, but I took it with a smile and a nod, before turning to go.

The hyperventilating started when we got back into the car.

“I need to ring Mum and Dad…” I said, slapping my hands down around my head. “I need to get their mortgage details from them and pay that off. Or maybe they’ll want a new house. Mum always wanted a greenhouse and Dad—”

“Jade.”

Daniel leaned closer and took my hand.

“Danny…” I stared at him. “We’ll get you somewhere too. Better than the place that smells of cat’s piss.”

“Pretty sure that’s Mr Franklin whipping it out when he comes home late from the pub,” he muttered, then shook his head sharply. “You’re not buying me a damn place.”

“But—”

“No.”

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