Unwelcome Inheritance

I had considered myself to be comfortable financially but Alfred's bequest turned my assets from comfortable to seriously rich. I would far rather have married Alfred instead of being a beneficiary of his will. I was still regretting Alfred when the solicitor produced some more documents.

"Miss Ruth?"

"Yes."

"Alfred left you his personal estate. What he didn't know was that his brother James Simons had made a will leaving everything he owned to Alfred. We have just finished the probate of James' will. Now what is left of that after death duties for both James and Alfred has been left to you. That will be another four thousand acres of farmland, the former dower house and forty thousand pounds remaining after the death duties have been paid. We need you to sign some papers accepting the bequests and then we can settle both brothers' estates."

"What about their father? Alfred was worried that he might be homeless."

The solicitor smiled. If he hadn't been a solicitor I think he might have laughed.

"Alfred was worrying unnecessarily. Mr Simons' estates are twenty thousand acres, the family mansion, and a quarter of a million pounds. The death duties on his sons' estates will not affect him at all. Even when he dies, death duties won't seriously damage the family's wealth. That might be left to a nephew, if the nephew survives the War. If not, to a niece, or Alfred's father might have other ideas. He is intending to contact us to make a new will now both sons are dead."

"OK. Thank you. I am going to see Alfred's father later today. I am pleased he will still have the family home."

I signed the papers I was given. I also had to advise the solicitors that I had no intention of changing the servants at either estate and left them instructions to continue running the estates in my absence, as they had done with Alfred's father while Alfred and his brother were in the Army.

"Miss Ruth? There is one more thing you should think about before you return to France. You, I presume, have already made a will?"

I nodded. My current will would give my possessions to one of my female cousins who was my best female friend and would have been my chief bridesmaid had I married Alfred. I was going to amend that on marriage to leave most to Alfred and any children we might have.

"You might need to think about revising that to take account of the two estates you now own in Suffolk. We can advise if you like."

He was right. I now had significant responsibilities for two estates and the staff of both. I didn't want to make a decision at once. I'd like to talk to Alfred's father and my parents but I would have to do something before returning to France where I might be killed.

+++

I had sent a postcard to Alfred's father to tell him on what train I would be arriving at the rural station. Alfred had hinted, but not been explicit, that visiting his father without prior notification might be embarrassing. Why? Alfred didn't say.

I had lunch at the railway line's terminus hotel before catching an early afternoon train.

I was the only person to get off at that station. There were two attractive middle-aged ladies waiting for me. They had come by pony and trap and would take me to Alfred's father's estate.

"Miss Ruth? I am Caroline. This is Amelie. We came to meet you now so we can explain before you become embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? Why should I be embarrassed?"

"Alfred didn't explain?"

"No. He said it might be awkward if I arrived unexpectedly but didn't say why."

Caroline laughed.

"Alfred didn't approve of us. Nor do many of the local gentry. What Alfred should have told you but was probably too embarrassed to say outright is that Amelie and I are Mr Simons' mistresses."

"Two of you?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

"Yes, two of us. One would be bad enough but acceptable for a widower, but two? That is too much for the locals - and apparently Alfred."

"Isn't that awkward for you?"

"Which - being disapproved of by the locals? No. Gerald doesn't go in for social visits to the local gentry. Or, being two of us? No. We're sisters. We don't fight each other over Gerald."

"How did you become Gerald's mistresses?"

"We were in South Africa and we volunteered to become nurses during the Boer War. Gerald was injured and we were part of the team treating him. He had been hit by shrapnel in both legs and was in a wheelchair. We began talking to him. He liked us, we liked him. But then the two of us were in trouble. Our father was convicted of embezzlement and committed suicide. We were left without any financial support at all. What made it worse is that our father's conviction was overturned. Someone else had done it and made it look as if our father was to blame. But we were destitute."

"Mr Simons insisted on employing us as his private nurses even after our period as voluntary nurses ended." Amelie continued. "We were grateful to him. Without Gerald we would have been homeless. But he didn't treat us as employees. He treated us as if we were honoured guests in his bungalow in Pretoria. He had a staff of locals and also treated them as his friends. They loved him. He might have loved them except we two decided we would be his lovers as well as his nurses. As his injuries healed he began to take a more active role. He would have married us but he couldn't marry two. But ever since then we have been his wives in all but the name."

"Alfred treated us with respect but he didn't accept us as stepmothers. That hurt a bit but we knew Alfred missed his own mother," Caroline said. "We think it is a reflection of how the aunt that raised him thought of us. She might have reluctantly accepted the situation if Gerald had remarried but living with two women? Scandalous!"

"I'm pleased to have met you," I said.

"And we're pleased to see you, Miss Ruth, Alfred's letters said a lot about you. Of course he never wrote to us, but Gerald showed us all of Alfred's letters."

"Miss Ruth? That's too formal. Please call me just Ruth."

"OK, 'Just Ruth', if you call us Caroline and Amelie." Caroline replied.

"I would be honoured," I said.

"Honoured?" Caroline laughed. "By associating with us, you'll be ostracised by the local gentry too."

"Why should I care? I don't know them. They don't know me."

"But Ruth, after Gerald, you will be one of the largest landowners locally."

"So what? I'd rather know those who might have been my step-mothers-in-law."

"You're not wearing black," Amelie blurted. Both women were.

"No, Amelie, I don't have the right, Alfred hadn't given me that right. He might have proposed, soon, but I was just his girlfriend, not a fiancée yet. If he had proposed, and I had accepted his proposal, then I could have a show of mourning. As it is, I can mourn but it would be presumptuous of me to wear black when I'm not part of Alfred's family."

We turned in through the formal gates and started down the long carriage drive. I was surprised to see so many tents on the parkland.

"Ruth" Caroline said, "Most of the hall and the grounds are now a training school for new officers. Gerald is the honorary commandant."

"Surely he's too old and out of date?" I blurted.

"Too old?" Caroline laughed, "He doesn't think so and says we two keep him young. Out-of-date? No. He was a reserve officer in 1914 and went with the British Expeditionary Force at the start of the war. His injured leg meant that he couldn't walk fast enough or for long enough to keep up with the retreat. He had to ride on a gun's limber truck. That decided the War Office in early 1915 that he should be recalled to run a training school - at his own home. The school occupies most of the house. We live in the West Wing."

The pony and trap passed the formal portico of the main house and went round to a set of steps in the middle of the West Wing. Gerald was at the top of the steps, leaning heavily on a cane and in his field uniform.

As I got out of the pony and trap and approached the steps I gasped. Gerald was older, but he looked exactly like my Alfred. He was obviously Alfred's father. I walked up the steps towards him.

"Welcome, Miss Ruth..." he said.

"Ruth, just Ruth, please."

He seemed surprised but pleased when I hugged and kissed him. Unlike Alfred he didn't seem embarrassed to be hugged so publicly.

"I am sorry Alfred never brought you here, Ruth. Please call me Gerald."

"So am I, but we never had time. At the most we had a forty-eight hour pass and Alfred insisted that he had to warn you before we came."

"Silly Alfred. His idea of giving me a warning is so I would have time to hide my wives away. He disapproved. But warning or not, I would have kept them by my side despite Alfred."

"And I would have been pleased to meet them as I now have, Gerald."

"Perhaps, if you had married, you might have made Alfred more reasonable. But now? We have tea waiting for us."

He held out his arm, away from his stick. I put my hand in the crook of it but I think I was supporting him more than walking beside him. Amelie was close to his other side, ready to grab him if he wobbled. He didn't but when we walked into the drawing room two maids took his arms and helped him to sit at the table. As they finished, each maid kissed him on the forehead and gave him a fleeting hug.

Gerald looked at them smiled, and whispered: "Thank you."

The maids left. Amelie started pouring the tea.

"Gerald," Caroline said, "When we left you were in civvies. Now you're in uniform. How?"

"You mean I have to have help to dress? The maids helped, of course."

"Should we be worried about the maids? Two of them kissed you just now."

Gerald laughed. "No, Caroline. Yes, the maids love me, but as on old buffer who needs looking after sometimes. I love them too for all they do to make my life comfortable. They know I love and appreciate them. But this is a school for training young officers. The maids have a choice of far more attractive men than an injured ancient like me. If they are worried that the trainees won't be here long, the instructors are also young men. None of the maids is a competitor for my affections. They know I love you two."

"Ruth? In half an hour I have to welcome the new entry of trainee officers." Gerald said. "That shouldn't take long. You can come if you like and sit with the officers' families. Amelie and Caroline have heard my talk several times so they don't need to come if they don't want to."

"Don't be silly Gerald." Amelie said. "Of course we'll come. You need our help to get on to and off the podium."

"OK. Thank you. Afterwards, Ruth, I would like you to come to my study to discuss your inheritance. I had been acting for both sons while they were on the Western Front but now that responsibility is yours."

"I'd rather have had Alfred," I blurted.

Gerald sighed. "So would I, Ruth, so would I. Both sons. But the War demands sacrifices. I have given my sons and most of my house..."

"And your retirement, Gerald." Caroline added. "You should be growing cabbages, not training young officers."

"They, and the War Office, need me. I can't refuse while I am still useful."

There were five steps up to the podium. Amelie and Caroline supported him as he climbed those stairs very slowly and with obvious pain.

The three of us sat at the back of the room. Most of Gerald's speech was conventional but one thing surprised me. He said that junior officers would sometimes have to decide whether to obey or refuse a direct order from a superior.

"If you do, make sure that it is the right decision. You may well have to explain that decision to a court martial who will take days to examine your decision that you took seconds to make. We will try to make you aware of that possibility but the decision has to be yours, to save your men from unnecessary slaughter, or to take advantage of a situation your superiors don't know about. Refuse an order when you shouldn't? In the ultimate you could be shot. The decision and responsibility is yours but your aim should be to advance the war effort. A genuine error of judgement would be treated fairly. A stupid one? You could pay the ultimate price. We will try to make you confident in your own abilities to assess the situation you are facing."

At the end of the talk Gerald remaining sitting until everyone except us three had left. Amelie and Caroline helped him down the steps again. All four of us walked slowly to the study. Amelie and Caroline helped him to sit down. A maid brought the tea things in.

"You can leave us, now," Gerald said to Caroline and Amelie.

"Why?" I asked. "I might need their advice and help."

"But we are going to discuss some very personal things, Ruth," Gerald said.

"So what?" I responded, "I'm sure you have no secrets from them, so why should I?"

"You're sure, Ruth?"

"Of course I am. They love you and I love them too for that. Please?"

"Very well."

Amelie and Caroline hugged me before hugging Gerald. He looked very pleased.

"OK, Ruth. You have inherited Alfred's estate and James'. Those two estates aren't as large as mine but they are substantial. I assume you have no experience of running an agricultural estate?"

"None at all. All I have run is my parent's household in their absence and a team of nurses at the field hospital."

"OK. Your experience with the nurses might be more useful. The income from the estates doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?"

"No. Even if there were to be a depression you could still live very well with either estate. With both? More money than you are likely to ever need. What is important is that you are now responsible for about two hundred people including the tenant farmers. They are all worried. They are worried about the war and so many of their menfolk in the Army. They are worried about a new owner - you. For all they know you could be harsh mistress or worse, forgive me for saying it - a heartless bitch. An unsympathetic landowner can be terrible for those on an estate."

"I'm not, and I'm unlikely to be," I protested.

"Having met you, Ruth, I'm sure you won't be. But tomorrow we'll take you to both estates so you can meet your people and they can see you aren't going to be terrible. But you have very little time."

"I know. I'm on fourteen days leave and I haven't seen my parents for months. I've got to go to Lydd before returning to France."

"While Alfred and James were in France I've been looking after their estates for them. It helps that the heads of their domestic staff all have long service. But for the War, many of them might have retired to make way for younger people, but they have stayed in post for the duration of the War. In a few years' time they should retire, but we have that time to decide who should replace them. As of now, their experience is invaluable with absentee landlords. And you'll be an absentee as well - but maybe not. I'll come to that later."

"What did the estate's staff think of James and Alfred?" I asked.

"They were happy with James but cautious with Alfred. He was a stiff and distant person before the War. He had started to change because he had responsibility for his soldiers, but you were a larger influence, Ruth. You were making him more human. His estate staff thought that Alfred, married to you, even if they had never met you, would be more sympathetic and less formal. Had he stayed single they would have been concerned."

"I'll try to be reasonable, Gerald, but I will need your help and advice."

"And that statement alone is a good sign. But back to what I said earlier about you might not be an absentee. The War Office had been in contact with me, and with Alfred when he was on leave. They want to set up a rehabilitation unit for officers locally and were asking whether The Dower House, formerly James', and parkland could be used. Alfred had been thinking that if he agreed and IF he had married you, that unit could be run by you..."

"Me?"

"Alfred was thinking more about getting you away from the bombs, but the War Office took his vague suggestion seriously. If you had married, the farmhouse on Alfred's estate wouldn't have been suitable. Apart from being small and antique, the tenant farmer lives there. Alfred's original idea was that you two would use the East wing here but when that was taken over for the training school. James had offered the Dower House until Alfred could build a gentleman's residence on his own land - after the war, of course.

But the War Office had looked at your personnel record. Their last letter to Alfred, unfortunately received after his death, asked him to explore the possibility with you. If you said yes, the unit would be established in the Dower House and surrounding estate within the next couple of months."

"OK. But what we they want me to do?"

"They would want you to be the resident director responsible for a staff of nurses with visiting doctors. The object of the unit would be to try to improve the mobility of injured officers, usually those with leg or arm injuries that would need care, and individual exercise plans. They would like some of them fit enough to resume their duties but if not possible, to be as active as they could become to return to civilian life. You know from your father than even injured officers can still be effective trainers and even leaders if they are not actually needed in the trenches. The physical requirements would be less for more senior staff but even junior officers can fill some roles."

"Caroline? Please would you bring me the folder marked 'Rehabilitation' on that table?" Gerald asked.

Caroline had to sort through the large heap of folders before she found it. She gave it to Gerald who passed it to me.

"Ruth? If you look at the last few pages in the file you can see what the War Office intend. While you are looking... Amelie? Could we have some more tea, please?"

Amelie poured the tea while I looked at the War Office specification. I looked at Gerald,

"This looks OK except for one thing, Gerald. They want me to employ locally-recruited VAD nurses. They would be untrained amateurs. In a few months they could be trained to be competent, but at first? They would be useless and I couldn't run the place, do all the professional nursing work, and train new VADs. I would need some experienced nurses, probably four for the scale of operation suggested."

"Then write to them, suggesting that, Ruth. Amelie or Caroline could type the letter."

I was surprised and it showed.

"They're more than just my wives, Ruth. They are employed as my secretaries, paid by the War Office. They type all the correspondence that the training school needs."

"OK, Gerald, I'll draft something..."

"Tonight? If that letter could go tomorrow you might not be going back to France."

"OK, Gerald - tonight."

"Which reminds me," Caroline said. "We have had to put you in what was Alfred's room. Now the training establishment has taken over most of the house, we are short of bedrooms. Will that be OK, Ruth?"

"It will have to be. It won't be for long. I've got to see my parents in Lydd, so all I can do is stay here tonight and tomorrow night. I'd like to stay longer, but..."

"I understand, Ruth. But that letter needs doing now, please."

It was. I drafted it, with input from Amelie and Caroline, and before the evening meal it had been typed and signed, ready to go out with the first post tomorrow. I asked that any reply be sent in triplicate, to the training school, to the London house, and care of my parents at Lydd since I had no idea where I might be. I also wrote, by hand, a letter to the London solicitors. I didn't want Amelie or Caroline to see what I had written.

The evening meal with the four of us was a delight. We made light conversation, including Gerald's, Amelie's and Caroline's experiences in Africa. For a few brief hours we could forget the War.