Chapter 55

"What do you mean, she's not

told you what is happening with that man's will, Edward?" Charles

Chisholm demanded as he and his son rode on horseback around the

estate.

Edward felt conflicted,

torn between respect for his father, and respect for his

wife.

"She has not mentioned it,

Father, and I will not pressure her to do so. If she wishes to

speak to me about it, she will," he said.

"But if she has been left

anything, it is lawfully yours," his father said.

Edward took a deep

breath, wondering if he should speak his thoughts about the very

subject they were embarking on. He did believe that in doing so, he

might upset or anger his father. After much contemplation, he found

the courage to express his views.

"No, Father, if she has

accepted Missinger's fortune, it can remain her own," Edward

said.

"What?!" Charles exclaimed in

disbelief. "What is this madness, Edward? What has made you think

that is acceptable…"

"What has made me rethink

this 'system' of everything going to a woman's husband, is the fact

that my child is a daughter, not a son," Edward said, cutting his

father's words short. "Father, take a moment to think - as

Elizabeth grows and eventually marries, would you want all of this

to be taken from her and placed in the hands of her husband? No! It

shall not be! This land has been passed down through your family

for generations, and I intend to make sure that it stays in our

family, not whoever my daughter marries."

Edward looked at his father and

saw his face relax in understanding of what his son was saying. It

was different for Charles as he had been the oldest son in his

generation. Edward had the only son in his. Edward saw things

differently, being father to a daughter.

"You may yet have a son," his

father said quietly, not wanting to argue too hard with his son,

given how much little Elizabeth had begun to charm him also.

"Perhaps we shall," Edward

said. "Alessandra and I will discuss what is to happen in that

event. For now, however, please respect whatever is happening with

Missinger's will, as far as my wife is concerned. The estate is

fine for now, is it not?"

"Yes ," Charles said

as he nodded. "With the money that was injected from Alessandra's

dowry, the estate is in good condition, and will be so for some

time yet. You are right. For now, we do not need to worry about any

other income. I will not say another word about it."

"Thank you," Edward said

softly to his father, knowing that the way that he and his wife

were doing things, was different from the way his father had done

things. Even Alessandra and Edward spending so much time with their

daughter was different to how Edward's parents had raised

him.

~~~~~

In the 'glass jungle

room', Alessandra sat quietly and thought about all that had been

told to her by the lawyer that morning. Soon she would go and see

her daughter once again. After that, she planned to seek out her

mother-in-law to see how she could be of assistance to her. For the

current moment, however, she needed to be alone to

think.

Everything was being

signed over to her, and while it was not what she had wanted, she

was determined that she would make good decisions about what to do

with it. In addition to the financial gain she would have for

herself, she was inheriting an estate that incorporated the

Missinger family home and associated land. The lawyer had offered

to look after everything for her, but had also advised that she try

and get to the property when she could, to decide if she would want

to keep it or sell it.

The property was not

anywhere near the estate she now lived on, so she was not in a

situation where she could add it to Chisholm Manor Estate. It was

closer to her parents' home, which provided some options, she

supposed. The lawyer had said there were staff on the property who

would be eager to know what was happening to them, and deserved to

meet their new mistress and receive instruction from

her.

For the monetary side of

things, she had talked to the lawyer about options for investment.

She had agreed with him that she would like to receive a regular

payment to herself as money just for her spending. That was

something she'd never had. She couldn't help but feel excited at

the prospect of being able to purchase something if she wished to,

without it being billed to the estate and Edward's parents, and

adding to their expenditure.

The most pressing issue about

it all was what to do as far as Edward and his family were

concerned. Alessandra knew she had to tell them that she was

inheriting land and fortune, but would they be offended by her

wanting to keep it separate from their estate?

Standing up, she resolved

to put legal and financial decisions aside in her mind. Instead,

she would go and see her little Elizabeth, determined that day, as

every day, to make her a priority over other less important aspects

of her life.