Chapter 13

Tank settled in his seat for their transcontinental flight. It had taken a while for them to reach Chicago, and then they’d had to wait almost six hours, but the four of them were on the plane. Tank didn’t want to think how much these seats had cost. George had pulled some strings and called in a few favors. Apparently one of the men he went to boarding school with was a bigwig at the airline, and he had helped secure the business-class seats they were sitting in. “Try to relax and get some sleep,” Tank told Collin, who was as wired as a high-voltage line.

“I can’t.”

“Are you worried about your father? We can call one more time before the plane takes off.”

Collin shook his head. “I already called, and there’s no change.” He blinked a few times. “I know this is going to make me sound like the most selfish prig on earth, but I’m worried about the mess he’s left me with.” The cold in Collin’s voice was almost enough to frost the windows.

Tank slipped his hand into Collin’s as the plane backed away from the gate. He didn’t say anything more because he really didn’t understand the dynamic at play. It wasn’t like he’d always gotten along with his father. Dad had been tough to get to know, and he tended to be a lot like Tank. His mother always said they were two peas in a pod. Still, he came to understand his father and that he had simply been overwhelmed and not able to keep up any longer. Life had picked up speed at a time when his father had been slowing down.

After takeoff, the flight attendants came through with drinks, and Collin ordered a couple glasses of wine, which he downed quickly. Once he ate, Collin reclined his seat as far as it would go and tried to sleep. Tank watched over him, worried about what was going on and relieved once Collin dozed off.

He did his best to let him sleep until they prepared for landing in London.

“Do you feel any better?” Tank asked as his third movie ended. If Collin had needed him, he’d wanted to be awake and ready.

Collin shook his head, looking out the window as their plane touched down.

George had made arrangements to get them home by train, and they shifted their luggage to the station in the airport. After a change at a huge London station, they were on their way north.

This time Tank drifted off. He’d spent too much time trying to stay awake.

“Tank,” Collin said gently, “we’re coming into the station.”

Tank stretched and yawned, getting his muscles to work. Once they were off at the small local station, a man approached George, speaking very formally. He took their luggage to the Rolls.

“Should I take you home, sir?” the driver asked George.

“No. Collin needs to get to the hospital to check on his father. Please take us right there,” George instructed.

Tank looked out the window at the flowing verdant countryside. It was all grass and trees of every shape and description. So different from the range back home. As they continued traveling, the open land gave way to a small city with homes right next to each other. It seemed to Tank that folks lived almost on top of one another.

Tank didn’t try to figure out where they were going. There was no need. The driver knew, and Tank simply held Collin to try to comfort some of the building anxiety—which apparently only increased the closer they got, because by the time they pulled into the hospital drive, Collin’s foot was bouncing on the floor. “We’ll figure it out,” Tank said softly. “You aren’t alone. We’ll be here for you.”

Collin nodded but said nothing, getting out once the car pulled to a stop. He stood outside the building until the rest of them joined him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Tank put his hand on Collin’s back, just to let him know he was present. Then they went inside and were directed to a critical care unit. A nurse behind a desk told them, “I’m sorry, but this is family only.”

Collin looked about ready to fall apart. Tank was unable to suppress a growl.

George patted his arm in an “I got this” way. “I’m sure you have your rules. The man in there is the Earl of Doddington. This is his son, the Viscount Haferton, and I’m the Duke of Northumberland. We’re here to see the earl and help make sure both he and his son have everything they need.” George flashed a smile, and Tank saw the moment the nurse nodded. Then he gave them the room number, and they went on down.

“Geez, that really worked.”

George shrugged. “There are only a couple dozen dukes in the country. A good share of them are members of the royal family, so the title carries some weight.” They stopped outside the room. “You and Tank go on in and see your father. Alan and I will be out here if you need us.”

Tank followed Collin inside. The earl lay on the bed, his eyes closed, machines monitoring him, an IV in his arm. He looked peaceful, his chest rising and falling.

“Father, it’s me,” Collin said, but he got no reaction. Tank stayed back, letting Collin approach the bed. “I came back.” The nearby machines displayed numbers and visualizations of his heartbeat, but other than their muted beeps, the room was quiet. Collin took his father’s hand, sighing softly. Then he stood silently next to the bed for a few minutes before turning away. “I don’t know what else to do.”

“Sometimes people can hear what you say even though they aren’t conscious. I heard that on TV.” Tank knew he sounded lame. “Maybe tell him what you want to say in case this is the one chance you have.”

Collin turned around. “What? I’m supposed tell him that he ignored me as much as he could while I was growing up and then tried to run my life for me?” He shook his head with another sigh. “That has to be the most un-British thing ever said.” He turned back to his father. “You know, I could tell him that we caught the person that he hired to try to force me to come back. That I have evidence to turn over to the local constabulary, and that he could make headlines as the earl convicted of crimes and sent to prison. That should get the old bastard to wake up.” There was so much hurt and anger in Collin. Tank wished he could help.

“Then tell him whatever you want to say. Good or bad. Have it out. Say what you want, and then maybe you can let it go.” He patted Collin on the shoulder and left him alone, joining Alan and George.

They turned toward the room, probably expecting Collin to follow. Tank leaned against the wall.

“What’s going on?” Alan asked.

“They have things that they need to say,” Tank said.

“He’s awake?” George asked.

Tank shook his head. “Sometimes it’s just easier to get years of crap off your chest when the other person is comatose. Collin needs to clear the air with his dad.” Tank settled in to wait.

After almost half an hour, Collin emerged from the room with a look of peace on his features that Tank hadn’t seen before. His lips were relaxed, and his eyes held much less of the hurt that always seemed to be there before. “Any change?”

Collin shook his head. “We need to speak to the doctor.”

“I checked while you were inside, and he’ll be over soon.” George went in to see Collin’s father and emerged as the doctor strode up. They followed him inside, and the doctor closed the door.

“What’s his prognosis?” Collin asked.

“Well, sir,” he began, “his stroke was quite intense, but there is brain activity. We kept him sedated for a few days to give his system a chance to repair. We have backed off the medication, and hopefully he’ll start to come around.” Tank moved closer to Collin, just to be there. “But I’m afraid there will be lasting damage. We’ve run a number of scans, and this stroke is only the latest and most severe of the ones he’s had over the past year.”

“Excuse me,” Collin said. “Others?”

“Yes. We believe he’s been having small strokes for years. They probably went unreported, and he may not have known he was having them, but the earl has been in a state of mental decline for quite some time.” The doctor was being professional, but his tone seemed almost detached. Maybe he had to be.

“I see. What do we do from here? There is business that will need to be managed, and so much to do.” Tank could almost see a weight descending on Collin’s shoulders, and he knew exactly what it felt like. Responsibility and duty could be damned heavy, nearly overwhelming. It didn’t matter if you saw it coming. When it arrived, it could feel totally oppressive.

“Well, regardless of his physical recovery, it isn’t likely that your father will be able to manage his own affairs. He is going to have some cognitive impairment. I’ll put it in my report.”

“Thank you,” Collin said. “My father and I both thank you for all your help.” He suddenly seemed very formal.

The doctor nodded respectfully and then left the room.

Collin turned back to his father, shaking his head. “We may as well go.”

Tank followed them out of the hospital and back to the car. Tank sat in back next to Collin. “Let’s get you home.”

“Yes,” Collin agreed, and they rode through the countryside while George made a few phone calls.

They drove up a long drive lined with trees and sprawling lawns to a large brick estate with multiple chimneys and white trim. The place looked solid, like it had seen the passing of many years and was ready to weather whatever lay ahead. They pulled to a stop in front of the door, and Tank climbed out and grabbed his and Collin’s luggage before following everyone inside.

“Would anyone like a drink?” Collin asked.

Tank set the bags in the hall as the others went into a side room. Books littered one of the tables, even covering the seat of one of the chairs. Collin pointedly ignored the mess and sat on a sofa with his legs stretched out. “This is the family library. It used to be meticulously organized, but my father had a tendency to take a book and put it back anywhere he wanted, so over the years it’s become a real mess. Just like everything else here.” He sighed and grabbed a whisky bottle off a cart with some glasses. He held it up. Tank shook his head, as did Alan and George. Collin viewed the bottle before setting it back down again. “What in bloody hell do I do now?”

“Well,” George said, “I’m assuming that your father didn’t express his wishes as to what was supposed to happen if he became incapacitated.”

“Unless we can find it in the rat’s nest of his office, then your assumption is correct.”

“What about his solicitor?” George asked.

Collin shrugged and seemed completely overwhelmed. Tank just wanted to get him upstairs to a bedroom so they could both sleep.

“Okay. I called mine to put him on alert. Let me send him a message. He can be here tomorrow and help you figure out the legal process. You’re going to need to have some sort of authority to run the business here. Thomas can help you get all of that in order.”

Collin simply nodded.

“I think I need to get him upstairs so he can rest.” Tank didn’t know what else to do. “Maybe after he wakes up, we can go back to the hospital?”

“No problem,” Alan said. “Just call and I’ll come pick you up and take you there.” He stood. “Come on, George, let’s let these two get some rest. I know you have calls to make, and I need to check on the tasks I left while we were gone.” He guided George out, and Tank went to one of the deep-set windows, where he watched the two of them with a certain level of jealousy. Just watching them warmed his heart.

“Tank,” Collin said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

They brought the luggage upstairs to a long hall that ran in both directions. “Which way is your room?”

Collin led him down to a large bedroom, neat and clean, with dark colors and heavy, rich furniture, incredibly masculine. Tank liked it a lot. The bed was large, with heavy wood and a thick comforter. He set down the luggage, and Collin went through to close the curtains. “The bathroom is right through there.” He stopped. “There’s another bedroom on the other side of the bathroom that you can use if you want.” Tank scowled but didn’t say anything. Hell, Collin suddenly seemed like he was going to shatter at any second.

“I’d rather stay with you.” Tank took him in his arms. “Just go get yourself cleaned up and come back in here. I’m not going to leave you. I promise.” He released Collin and watched him go into the bathroom. Once he was gone, Tank opened his hastily packed suitcase and got out his things. Once Collin returned, he took his chance in the bathroom and came back to find Collin already under the covers.

Tank undressed and slipped in next to him. He was bone weary, but more concerned about Collin than anything else. “If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.”

Collin rolled over, pressing against him. “It’s like my father had the stroke as the world’s biggest up-your-bum. Like he can make me do what he wants one way or another.”

Tank had no idea what to say to that. “Didn’t you always know you’d have to take over?” Collin blinked before nodding. “Then it’s coming sooner rather than later. And maybe that’s a good thing. Your dad doesn’t care about this place. That’s pretty obvious.” He cupped Collin’s cheeks. “But you do. I see it in your eyes. You care a lot. So do what I did. Take over and manage the place the way it should be. Rebuild your own ranch and make it something you can be proud of. Talk to George and Alan. I know they’ll help you.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they will.” He sighed. “But when Dad dies, I’m sure there’s going to be a tax bill, and I won’t have any way to pay it.”

“Cross that bridge when you come to it.” Tank smiled. “Alan told me that he and George have one of those estates that’s open to the public. Maybe you could do that here.”

Collin scoffed. “Not looking like this. Though I can contact National Heritage and see what the options are.” He yawned, and Tank gathered Collin to him. “I need to rest.”

“Then do that, and we’ll figure out things when you’re rested.” Tank closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep, but his mind kept going to the fact that as much as he loved this—holding Collin in his arms and wanting him there all the time—this was just a temporary reprieve. He was here to help Collin get through a difficult stretch.

“Yeah. But I don’t know where to start,” Collin mumbled.

“We’ll figure that out too. You and I will do it together.” He smiled as Collin snuggled closer, and Tank slowly stroked up and down Collin’s back until he fell to sleep. Tank just wished he could calm his own mind and follow him.

“This is quite a place you have here,” Tank said the following morning when Collin wandered into the huge kitchen area on the ground floor. Tank had explored the area once used by servants, as well as the main two floors and the old quarters on the third floor.

“Yeah, it is. A lot of the house is not used anymore. We have a lady from the area who comes in to clean, and there used to be a valet and butler who took care of things and managed the house, but he retired, and my father didn’t replace him. Sometimes Tamsin will bring in a friend with her to do some extra cleaning.” Collin sat down at a long table that had probably seen many servant meals around it at one point. “I see I’m going to have to get them.”

“If I were you, I’d have a whole crew come in to tackle this area. It’s really cool but needs a lot of work.” Tank had enjoyed poking his head into spaces that hadn’t been used in quite a while. “It’s like a time capsule down here.”

Collin took the offered cup of tea. “I’m sorry for yesterday,” he said.

“There’s no need to be. You needed to sleep, and I poked around a little. This place is like Downton Abbey, except not quite as big, but it has all that sort of stuff.”

Collin nodded. “Walls filled with paintings that all need to be cleaned. There are rooms full of furniture that need attention. Rugs, ceilings, you name it. All of it will take money that I don’t have.” He finished his tea and seemed a little refreshed.

“It’s all part of rebuilding the ranch,” Tank said gently. “When does the solicitor get here?”

Collin checked the time. “A couple hours.”

“Then why don’t we try to tackle your father’s office, see what’s in there, and maybe we can get a sense of things. He’s going to need to know anything we can tell him.” Tank was thinking that if they could prove some sort of decreased capacity other than the say-so of the doctor, Collin might have a stronger case for taking over.

“Are you sure you want to go in there?” Collin swallowed hard.

“Let’s do it. We can think of it as a treasure hunt.” He grabbed the pot of tea, and Collin took the cups before they headed upstairs.

The office was a mess. Papers were piled everywhere, stacks on top of other stacks in some cases. “Where do we start?” Collin asked.

“I don’t think it matters. Why don’t we put any bills or things that are financial in nature in one place. Letters can go in another, and we can put junk mail in the trash.” Tank found a stack of old shoeboxes sitting in the corner. They were empty, and he labeled each one and set them on the deep windowsill because it was the only clear space he could find. Then Tank cleared off a chair and started reviewing papers.

“It’s pretty clear a lot of this is pure rubbish,” Collin snapped an hour later as Tank took out a plastic trash bag and brought in another one. He opened it, and Collin added another stack of fliers and circulars.

“I found some things that I set aside.” Tank had asked a number of questions about some papers and had separated out anything he thought might be meaningful, but he agreed that a lot of what was strewn around the room was trash. In an hour, the chair and sofa were clear, as were the nooks and crannies that paper had been stuffed into between books and under bric-a-brac, as Collin called it.

The financial shoebox was full, so Tank closed it and set another on top before walking over to the bookshelves. “What’s in here?” Tank asked as Collin tackled the desk.

“I don’t know. Those doors have been locked for years, and I don’t think my father has the key,” Collin said. Tank gently pulled on the doors below the bookshelves. They were indeed locked.

“Are there any old keys in the house somewhere?” Tank asked.

“Try the cupboard under the stairs in the basement. It’s the one place I remember the old butler used to keep things like that.” Tank left Collin sitting at the desk, sifting through more papers and shaking his head as he added more to the trash, while Tank found the door Collin referred to. He opened it to a board filled with keys. Some were on hooks that were marked, and others sat in a box on a shelf. Tank checked the hooks, grabbed the office keys as well as the unlabeled box, and returned to the office.

“I found all these, as well as keys to most every other room in the house,” Tank reported. The keys on the pegs were to the office doors. He labeled them and set them on the table in the corner near the door. Then he began on the keys in the box, trying each of them in the various cabinets and glass doors in the room.

“Look,” Tank said as one of the glass doors swung open to a cloud of dust. He closed it again, leaving the door unlocked, and labeled the key. “Maybe we’re on the right track.”

Tank continued working, door by door, key by key, releasing decades of dust and dirt. He sneezed and was about to hang it up, but he had about ten more to try. He found the ones to all the glass cabinets, but so far none of the keys had opened the doors under the bookcase. Tank picked up the pace, trying each of the keys, and with two left in the box, the key turned in the lock.

The front doorbell rang, and Collin started. Tank left the key where it was and went to answer it, then let in the solicitor, who was dressed in a suit. “Is the viscount available? Andrew Waddington.”

“Collin is in the office. We’ve been trying to make sense of his father’s papers. Mostly what we’re finding are piles of junk.” He shook the solicitor’s hand and smiled.

“Maybe I can help,” he said as Tank led him into the office. The solicitor introduced himself, and Tank got ready to leave. He figured this was family business.

“Just stay,” Collin said, so Tank sat in one of the chairs out of the way. “What do we have?”

“I’ve looked into things since I talked to you and His Grace. I haven’t been able to find any outstanding debts or mortgages. Your father has quite the reputation, but as far as I can tell, he didn’t overextend himself.”

“No. He just paid men to try to get me to come home from the only vacation I’ve ever had,” Collin snapped, and told Andrew the story and what they had found. Andrew went through the records he had.

“It seems there was a withdrawal of two thousand pounds about ten days ago, and it was transferred to America.” He frowned. “We can use that as grounds for diminished capacity, along with his current physical state and the recommendations of the doctors regarding his prognosis and medical history.” He made notes. “Is there anything else you’ve been able to find?”

Collin pointed to the boxes. “Just mounds of financial-related papers and gobs of rubbish.”

“Don’t throw any of it out. Not yet. If you think it’s rubbish, put it in storage until everything is sorted, just in case. As for the rest, I’ve filled out the basic paperwork for a conservancy for the estate. You’ll be the logical choice since you are the heir to the title and everything else, so I don’t anticipate any issues.” He pulled out the papers and reviewed them with Collin. He and the solicitor signed them, and Tank acted as a witness.

“Is there anything I can’t do?” Collin asked once Andrew got ready to leave.

“Once these are filed, I’ll have copies sent over so you can take them to the bank and contact any organization you need so you can access the estate’s accounts. It should take a few days. The biggest thing is that you are a conservator, which means you must do what is best for the estate and manage the money to the very best of your ability. Making major changes or selling major assets is something that would probably be frowned upon. But if you feel that is necessary, contact me and we can look into it.” He shook hands with both of them before letting himself out.

“That went well,” Tank said. “At least you know there isn’t a mountain of debt somewhere.”

“No. Just a ton of livestock, tenants, rents, and God knows what else to try to get my head around. I did a lot of work on the estate, but there were things that my father tended to either keep to himself or have others do, and I was too busy to try to oversee everything.”

“I had to get myself up to speed when I took over from Dad. It took me a while to figure out a plan and strategy to get the ranch back in shape. You’ll need to do the same things, and unfortunately that may mean selling the things that aren’t producing. I had to slim down, because Dad loved to think of himself as a great horseman. Unfortunately what we ended up with was a barn full of livestock that had gotten older that we were just taking care of and not using. I sold a number of them for riding and other purposes. Then I was able to rent out stall space to bring in more income. It was a hard decision because they were Dad’s.”

“I know.” Collin got comfortable behind the desk. Hell, he looked so good back there, like he belonged. “Dad has a string of ponies that he uses for the polo team he sponsors. It’s an expensive hobby and one that I think is going to need to go. I figure I’ll offer the horses to the players first and then sell them on the open market. Anything I get I’ll put aside and use for the taxes on the estate trust.”

Tank sat across from the desk. “And what will you do with the facilities and the people?”

“I don’t know. I can lease the stable space. I have a few horses of my own, but….”

“The rest of the space can be put to use.” Tank understood exactly what Collin was going through. The decisions he had made would not have gone down well with his father, but it meant the difference between a future on the land or selling up.

Collin set the page he was looking at aside. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with anything yet. But we’ll have to see.” He picked up the papers again, and Tank went back to checking out the cabinets.

“What is this?” he asked, pulling out a gold-colored ship and setting it on the side of the desk.

“My God. I haven’t seen that in years. My grandfather used to have grand dinner parties, and this would be in the center of the table. It’s probably two hundred years old. My father must have put it away for safekeeping and forgotten about it.” Collin pushed the chair out of the way, and Tank unlocked the other doors. They carefully pulled out the items from inside, with Collin shaking his head at each find. “I thought all these things had been sold or broken, but here they are.” He almost seemed to smile.

“You remember them, then?” Tank asked, holding up a piece of glass that shimmered in the light coming through the window.

“This was one of my mother’s favorites. She had it on her desk. I wonder why all of it was just put away.” Collin looked over each item, and Tank saw him truly smile for the first time since they returned. He sat on the floor, holding these treasures, and seemed transported. Tank left him to his memories, wandering the rooms on the main floor once more. He ended up in the library with the box of unclaimed keys, wondering what else he might find.