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  All’s Fair in Love and Debauchery

  The Inheritance Clause

  Samantha Holt

  © 2019 Samantha Holt

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

  Edited by Dom’s Proofreading

  Proofed by Destini Reece and Em Petrova

  Cover art by LoveBooks

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  London, 1818

  Suppressing a sigh, Theo ignored his sister Angel who was making a rather indelicate attempt at sneaking into his study unnoticed. His two other siblings kept their attention fixed on Mr. Barton, the family lawyer, while Angel slumped onto a chair.

  A crease appeared between the slightly sweating lawyer’s brows while he peered over the papers in front of him, apparently oblivious to their sister’s late arrival. Theo pressed his lips together. Of all days to be delayed.

  “You are late,” his mother whispered to Angel while the lawyer shuffled a few papers.

  “Well, you see…there was a problem with my hair. And then I saw Miss Newhurst as I was about to leave, and naturally I could not be rude. And there was trouble with my carriage…” The chatter ceased abruptly. With any luck, their mother had given Angel a scolding look and put a stop to it. As much as they all found Angel charming in her manners, there was a time and a place—and this was not it.

  He stole the briefest of glances at his siblings Minerva and Seth—just quick enough so that neither of them noticed. He was the head of this family and needed to set an example after all. Both were fair-haired like him, and they shared similar looks but were entirely different from him. Seth was the very definition of a rake and poor Minerva…well, life had never been the same since she was kidnapped as a child.

  The lawyer cleared his throat. Theo frowned. Mr. Barton’s hands shook a little as he shuffled the papers once more for no reason that Theo could see. He dealt with Mr. Barton on a regular basis, and though a will reading was no pleasant matter, there did not seem to be any need for nerves.

  “Well, now that we are all here, shall we begin?” he asked, looking to Theo.

  Theo gave a stiff nod. “If you please.”

  The lawyer tweaked his cravat and pushed spindly glasses back up his nose. “As you are aware, your grandfather had no sons, and there are no direct male relatives to inherit.”

  Theo resisted the urge to ask Mr. Barton to get to the heart of the matter. Theo had places to be and many letters to deal with today. The money would either go to Mother or himself, as the oldest male grandchild. He was not certain why this needed to be so complex.

  Mr. Barton turned his attention to their mother. “My daughter will inherit a sum of one thousand a year for the rest of her natural life,” he continued, “and my beloved family home—Holbury Hall.”

  Though his mother did not react visibly, it would be a relief to them all. At least Theo would not have to worry about supporting her financially any longer. With the heavy debts on the estate thanks to his late wife, it was a struggle to keep the estate and three siblings and a mother afloat.

  Though, his siblings had been doing their best to keep their expenditure low, they still lived very much a life of luxury. Of course, if Theo let on quite how large the debts were, he suspected they would try harder.

  But that was for him to worry about. Not them. After all, they had not been foolish enough to marry a woman who would turn out to be one of the most dishonest women he had ever met.

  Mr. Barton fished a handkerchief out of his pocket to dab his forehead. Theo had to resist the urge to lean in. He did not know all the details of his grandfather’s finances, but there was a very real chance the inheritance could save every bit of the family’s estate. He held his breath.

  “And finally, I, George Lockett, decree that my grandchildren, herein named, will inherit the rest of my fortune in its entirety, so long as they fulfill the following terms.”

  Theo stilled. He released the breath he was holding slowly. This wasn’t expected, but he supposed it would not be terrible if the inheritance was split. Then Theo would no longer have to worry about his siblings.

  Before Theo could ask for further details, Mr. Barton continued. “Each person must complete their task to my lawyer’s satisfaction or their share of the inheritance shall be forfeit.”

  Theo tugged on his jacket. Forfeit? What the devil did that mean? He glanced around the room. Minerva pursed her lips and opened her mouth before shutting it again. Seth leaned in then shifted back in his chair.

  Angel gave them all a sour look, huffed, and held up a finger. “Mr. Barton, if I may, what on earth do you mean by ‘task’? And to whom shall the money be forfeit?”

  The lawyer shifted in his seat and scanned the paper in front of him. “I was just…um…about to get to that.”

  “Well…?” Angel pressed.

  “Angel,” Mama hissed.

  Adopting a pouting expression, Angel folded her arms across her chest and tapped a finger against an arm.

  “Let’s see.” Mr. Barton’s brow puckered. “Ah.”

  “What is it?” Theo asked, a hint of irritation edging his voice.

  “If you are unable to fulfill your tasks to my satisfaction, all remaining inheritance shall be bestowed upon a Mr. Hastings.”

  A sharp inhale of breath echoed around the room. Theo curled a hand into a fist. What the hell? It couldn’t be correct. Grandfather loathed Mr. Hastings.

  “That’s preposterous,” Theo blurted.

  “Theo,” Mama scolded, sending him that infamous Templeton look that he usually used to great effect. He did not much like being on the receiving end of it, however.

  “What the devil was Grandfather thinking?” murmured Seth.

  Minerva shook her head. “This cannot be right. He would never give his money to that man.”

  Mr. Barton shrugged. “The will is quite clear. Should you fail, Mr. Hastings shall inherit.”

  “He is not even family,” Theo muttered.

  Especially not after he separated from their cousin and brought utter scandal upon their family when he tried to gain a divorce and ran off with a nursemaid to Ireland. Mr. Hastings had not been part of the family for a good five years, and their grandfather had been as riled as them all about the matter, especially after their poor cousin passed away only six months after the event.

  “You said there were tasks, correct?” Seth leaned back in his chair and waved a hand. “We’ll do whatever it is that Grandfather wanted of us, and that will be the end of the matter.”

  Mr. Barton grimaced. “Well, ah, the instructions are extremely specific. All four grandchildren must complete their tasks within two months of this reading.”

  Seth’s expression turned smug. “Easy enough.”

  “For you, perhaps,” said Theo. “You have few commitments.” It was all very well for his brother and sisters. They did not need to spend every spare second trying to keep this family and their legacy afloat.

  “And I had volunteered to help Lady Whitbury reorganize her library. I can hardly back out now,” cried Minerva.

  “I am sure she will survive without you, Minnie,” Angel said.

  “But—”

  Mama lifted both hands. “Perhaps we should find out what these tasks are before we leap to conclusions.”

  Theo straightened in his seat. “Quite. Yes. Mr. Barton, what exactly did our grandfather want of us?”

  “There are letters for all of you…” Mr. Barton lifted a stack of letters. “Each describes your task.” He handed them out.

  Theo’s heart gave a little jolt at the sight of his grandfather’s handwriting. There were many men in Theo’s life who had tried to give him advice, but after the marquis had died and Theo had been thrust into the position, the one person who had been able to offer the best advice had been his grandfather. He missed their occasional whisky together followed by the sage advice of a man with much life experience.

  Theo went to press open the seal, but Mr. Barton spoke up hastily. “But before you do.” The lawyer dabbed his forehead again before thrusting his handkerchief back up a sleeve. “You must understand that no one can know of your task. The only people who may be privy to your task are the people in this room, including me. I will, ah, assess whether or not it is felt you have completed your undertaking.”

  “So, we can discuss this with each other?” Theo asked.

  Mr. Barton nodded. “And your lady mother. But no one else.”

  “Well, let us get this thing done, and then we can ensure that awful man does not get a penny of Grandpapa’s fortune.” Minerva flicked open her letter and scanned the contents.

  Her complexion paled instantly, and she shook her head slightly, her eyes wide.

  “What is it, Min?” Seth demanded.

  “I
…” She waved the letter at Seth. “Perhaps you should open yours.”

  Seth rolled his eyes. “You do not need to be scared of everything, Min. How bad can it be?”

  Theo watched his brother scan the letter, and his skin turned ashen too. What the hell was in these letters?

  “Bloody hell,” Seth murmured.

  “Seth!” their mother scolded.

  “Theo?” Angel nodded to the unopened letter in his hand.

  Drawing in a breath, he took out a penknife and pressed it under the seal. He scanned the letter quickly, and his stomach sank. Damn.

  “Will no one tell me what theirs say?” Angel asked.

  Mother tapped Angel’s hand. “Perhaps you should open yours, dear.”

  Angel’s hands shook a little as she opened it. Theo had never seen his vibrant sister look so gray.

  “No.” The word escaped Angel.

  “Well, what is your task?” pressed Minerva. “Is it truly awful?”

  Angel’s throat worked. “I…I have to get a job.”

  Seth laughed. “A job?”

  Angel scowled at him. “Yes.” She waved the letter. “I have to go be a lady’s companion.” Her scowl deepened when another laugh escaped Seth. “It’s not funny.” She jerked her head toward Seth’s letter. “What does yours say anyway?”

  “I, dear Sister, have no sympathy for you at all I am afraid, because I…” He sucked in a breath. “I must be engaged to be married within two months.”

  Theo resisted the urge to press fingers to either side of his head where a headache was starting up. Seth was in no position to marry, and the last thing Theo wanted for his brother was to be forced into a marriage with someone he did not love. He knew all too well what it was like to be trapped in a loveless marriage.

  “I am sorry, Seth.” Minerva leaned over and squeezed his hand. “I cannot believe Grandpapa would press such a thing on you.”

  “Nor I,” he breathed.

  She pressed a finger to her lips. “Perhaps…perhaps there might be a way out of it. I mean…forced into marriage. It can hardly be ethical, can it?” She glanced to Mr. Barton, who lifted his shoulders.

  “I may only do what I am instructed by my client. I cannot help in any other legal matters.”

  “I know of an excellent private library,” Minerva told Seth. “It is said to have the biggest collection of legal documents in the country. You should apply to visit.”

  Seth shook his head. “Less worrying about me, Min, and more worrying about yourself. What do you have to do?”

  She gave a little shiver. “I must…” She had to swallow a knot that bunched in her throat. “I must travel to Scotland to collect something that belonged to Grandpapa,” she announced.

  “Oh boy,” murmured Angel.

  A heavy silence hung about the room. Minerva could hardly travel across London let alone go to Scotland. Her kidnapping as a child had left her terrified of travel and new experiences. He did not much blame her. She had only been eight and witnessed the killing of the driver as well as been held for three days. Seth and Angel had been too young to really understand what had occurred, but Theo still remembered going out with his father to search for her—all fearing it was too late and she was dead.

  Angel reached for Minerva and squeezed her hand. “You have been talking about trying to be braver, Min. Perhaps this is your chance.”

  “I am surprised my father would put such a task upon you.” Their mother sent her a worried glance. “He knows how awful that time in our life was.”

  Minerva smiled, but he saw her lips quiver. “It will be fine, Mama. As Angel said, I have been trying to become braver. If Grandpapa thinks I can do this, then I must.”

  Their mother’s lips tightened. “I nearly lost you then. Now I am to send you away?” She shook her head. “Surely, there must be some other way?” She sent a look toward Mr. Barton, who merely shrugged.

  “Min can do this,” Seth assured their mother. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

  “Perhaps I should come with you,” her mother suggested.

  Shaking her head vigorously, Minerva folded the letter and tucked it into her sleeve. “You need rest, Mama. My lady’s maid can accompany me—I am sure she shall enjoy seeing Scotland.”

  Theo grimaced. It was true. Their mother could not accompany her—their grandfather’s death had taken its toll, and their mother was a delicate sort. But by the looks of it, neither could he or Seth. He did not much like the idea of Minerva trekking across the country, even if accompanied by others.

  Mama twined her hands tightly together. “And you shall have to take some strong men with you. Who knows what you might encounter.”

  “Oh, take Mr. Young. He’s tall and handsome,” Angel suggested with a grin.

  “Handsome does not matter,” their mother said tightly. “But he is strong.”

  “See? I shall be fine.” Minerva offered another fragile smile.

  He certainly hoped she was not wrong. The estate needed this inheritance too badly for them to fail.

  “Theo, you are being awfully quiet,” Angel commented. “What is your task? Or are you going to keep it from us as you do with everything?”

  He knew what she was getting at. The state of their finances had been a recent revelation, and even then, they did not know the full state of it all. But that was his job as the oldest brother and the marquis. The last thing any of his siblings needed was to be burdened with such stresses.

  He clenched his jaw and re-read the letter, aware of everyone’s gaze upon him. None of them would understand, of course.

  “I am to return home,” he said tightly.

  “Home?” Seth asked. “As in to Eastbrook Manor?”

  Theo nodded slightly.

  “Well, it seems as though you have lucked out there, Brother.” Seth grinned.

  Theo would not remind them that he had not been back there since his wife had died. There were too many memories, too much pain in that place. He did what he needed to keep the entailed estate running—but from a distance.

  “I must spend two months there and then plan a ball for when you have all completed your tasks.” Theo pinched the bridge of his nose. He had never planned a blasted ball in his life. That had been up to his wife when she’d been alive, and since then, he’d been far too busy trying to repair all the damage she had created to worry about such frivolities.

  “Well, a ball shall be fun,” Angel said brightly “Goodness knows we shall all deserve one after this.”

  Trying to ignore the noose tightening around his throat, Theo nodded vaguely. Angel had to work, Seth needed to find a wife, and Minerva would have to face fears that had haunted her for most of her life. He’d hold a ball, but he couldn’t be certain they would be celebrating anything.

  Chapter Two

  Gold burnished flourishes caught the light, giving away the location of the house. Eastbrook Manor—his ancestral seat. That small glimpse of the house through the trees sent weight into his stomach, leaving him feeling as though he would not be able to take one step out of the carriage. Theo pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced. Of all the tasks that had been set, his was the easiest.

  So, why did it feel so bloody hard?

  He rapped his knuckles on the roof of the carriage, which ground promptly to a halt. He stepped out swiftly and adjusted his hat. “I’ll walk from here, George.” Theo gestured down the long road that led to the house. “You continue on and unload the luggage there.”

  The driver gave a curt nod. “As you will, my lord.” The carriage rolled off down the bumpy road until it disappeared around the corner. Theo knew what awaited him around that corner.

  The house would come into full view. He would be greeted by cream stone, long columns, elegant sash windows, and those infamous gold tips that sat like burning flames all around the roof of the house. Put on by his grandfather as a show of wealth, those little flashes of gold could be seen far and wide on good days.