| General Fiction posted May 28, 2018 | Chapters: |
...14 15 -16- 17... 
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Book chapter
A chapter in the book Briarly Hall
Will &Testament
by zanya
| Background Lady Betsey's longtime friend Dowager Spencer invites Betsey to visit with baby Giovanni with a view to discussing the possibility of Giovanni inheriting her residence Mansfort Manor |
Lady Betsey pushed Giovanni's perambulator carefully, over the rough stones. Giovanni gurgled and cooed.
Soon they turned the corner into Dowager Spencer's courtyard at Mansfort Manor.
All seemed quiet. Two tan colored Corgis lay sleeping in the afternoon sun.
As soon as Lady Betsey rang the bell, Butler Haines answered the door. Elderly now, Haines had served at Mansfort for many a long year.
'Good afternoon, Lady Betsey,' Haines said.
'The Dowager is expecting you. Do you wish to leave your grandson's perambulator in the hallway? ' he enquired.
Lady Betsey took some time to compose herself. She loved the sound of the word'grandson', but could not as yet officially lay claim to such a status.
'Why no, Giovanni is happy to remain in the perambulator', she replied.
Haines showed Lady Betsey and Giovanni into the drawing room.
Dowager Spencer sat by her bureau reading letters.
The two women embraced fondly.
'Lady Betsey', Dowager Spencer began, 'why you are blessed by the heavens in the arrival of your first grandson. How sweet a child, he is. Yet he is dark of skin tone.'
'Yes, yes,' Lady Betsey continued, ' he is such a sweet child'.
'Dearest Lady Betsey,' the Dowager continued, ' we have been friends for a long time. I have some decisions to make about Mansfort. I shall soon be celebrating my three score and ten years. The future of Mansfort has not yet been determined. Having no living issue, since both my husband and I were only children, and our only son killed in war, I must decide to whom I wish to bequeath the estate.
My late husband's solicitor has made an appointment for me to meet him in his chambers in London next month to determine the matter.
How lucky you are Betsey to be blessed with a male grandson to continue the blue blood line of Briarly Hall'.
Lady Betsey shifted nervously. Giovanni had fallen asleep in his perambulator.
'Ah, but Dowager,' Lady Betsey continued,' Giovanni is but an infant. Who knows what he may decide. He may not wish to live as a blue blood.
The old mores are changing fast, are they not?'
Butler Haines strode purposefully through the morning room, puffing up some cushions on the chaise longue.
'Ladies,' Butler Haines interrupted,' If I may be so bold. I could not help but hear your conversation earlier about Mansfort's future. I am reliably informed that some Manor Houses in the area have already pulled down their shutters.The war is taking a terrible toll on England's heritage.
Some Lords and Ladies are inviting in offspring of dubious origin to attempt to continue the line'.
'Yes, yes', Lady Betsey replied. ' Do you think that is a good idea to ensure continuity of the blood line?'.
'Good Heavens, no', Haines interjected.
'English blue blood is english blue blood', Haines continued.
Dowager Spencer seemed irritated.
'Haines, prepare afternoon tea for my guest and I a little earlier today. Lady Betsey and her grandson must return home soon.' Dowager Spencer ordered.
'At your service, ma'am, ' Haines replied.
Turning to Lady Betsey who was crooning quietly to Giovanni, Dowager Spencer continued.
'Haines is such a blue blood enthusiast,' she began 'quite frankly, times are indeed changing and we must change too or fade away'.
'And how do you recommend we change with the times,' Lady Betsey enthused.
'Hard to say as yet, but we must begin to consider the distinct possibility that the Manors of middle England may soon have to bow to the inevitable. Blue bloodery, if I may dare to call it that, has been greatly diluted by the ravages of war. Where do we go from here is the question?. Allow the peasants to take control or find some other appropriate solution?'
'Or hope against hope our offspring have scattered enough of their blue blood seed on some foreign shore, that will sooner or later come to fruition.' Lady Betsey proffered, now warming to her subject.
'Is that how Giovanni came to be?' Dowager Spencer asked.
'Eh..m-m- well,' Lady Betsey reddened, as she searched for an appropriate answer.
'Who really knows, at any rate, he is my son's heir,' Lady Betsey replied.
Dowager Spencer's face broke into a gentle smile.
'Perhaps,'she continued, 'I can bequeath Mansfort to Giovanni. Since our Manor Houses have stood side by side through all these centuries,it would be appropriate. However, I would need proof of blue blood and the Briarly Hall blood line'.
Lady Betsey was dumbfounded.
'Ah, but Dowager,' Betsey continued, 'perhaps you have some distant relative of your own or your late husband who would wish to inherit?.'
'No', Lady Betsey,'not at all, why do you think I have requested your presence here today, under the pretext of ill health. As you can see I am in fine health. But having heard rumours of a Briarly heir, it seemed like the possibility of an answer to my dilemma'.
Lady Betsey was at sixes and sevens. After all Squire, who was abroad, was not yet aware of the new Briarly heir and the news was already spreading through the neighbourhood.
Lady Betsey arose abruptly from her seat.
''We must go, Giovanni and I', she began.
'Yes, Lady Betsey, so good to see you. Now I feel Mansfort will be safe for future generations, when Giovanni inherits. Lady Betsey, I shall send you the papers to sign when we have established lineage'.
Lady Betsey tied Giovanni's bonnet beneath his baby chin.
Dowager Spencer leaned into the perambulator.
'Giovanni, my darling,' she said, 'soon you may be our frequent visitor'.
Lady Betsey remained composed throughout.
As soon as she rejoined the country lane taking her back to Briarly, she stopped for a moment and gazed at Giovanni.
'My precious Giovanni', she began, 'Who are you, really?'.
Soon they turned the corner into Dowager Spencer's courtyard at Mansfort Manor.
All seemed quiet. Two tan colored Corgis lay sleeping in the afternoon sun.
As soon as Lady Betsey rang the bell, Butler Haines answered the door. Elderly now, Haines had served at Mansfort for many a long year.
'Good afternoon, Lady Betsey,' Haines said.
'The Dowager is expecting you. Do you wish to leave your grandson's perambulator in the hallway? ' he enquired.
Lady Betsey took some time to compose herself. She loved the sound of the word'grandson', but could not as yet officially lay claim to such a status.
'Why no, Giovanni is happy to remain in the perambulator', she replied.
Haines showed Lady Betsey and Giovanni into the drawing room.
Dowager Spencer sat by her bureau reading letters.
The two women embraced fondly.
'Lady Betsey', Dowager Spencer began, 'why you are blessed by the heavens in the arrival of your first grandson. How sweet a child, he is. Yet he is dark of skin tone.'
'Yes, yes,' Lady Betsey continued, ' he is such a sweet child'.
'Dearest Lady Betsey,' the Dowager continued, ' we have been friends for a long time. I have some decisions to make about Mansfort. I shall soon be celebrating my three score and ten years. The future of Mansfort has not yet been determined. Having no living issue, since both my husband and I were only children, and our only son killed in war, I must decide to whom I wish to bequeath the estate.
My late husband's solicitor has made an appointment for me to meet him in his chambers in London next month to determine the matter.
How lucky you are Betsey to be blessed with a male grandson to continue the blue blood line of Briarly Hall'.
Lady Betsey shifted nervously. Giovanni had fallen asleep in his perambulator.
'Ah, but Dowager,' Lady Betsey continued,' Giovanni is but an infant. Who knows what he may decide. He may not wish to live as a blue blood.
The old mores are changing fast, are they not?'
Butler Haines strode purposefully through the morning room, puffing up some cushions on the chaise longue.
'Ladies,' Butler Haines interrupted,' If I may be so bold. I could not help but hear your conversation earlier about Mansfort's future. I am reliably informed that some Manor Houses in the area have already pulled down their shutters.The war is taking a terrible toll on England's heritage.
Some Lords and Ladies are inviting in offspring of dubious origin to attempt to continue the line'.
'Yes, yes', Lady Betsey replied. ' Do you think that is a good idea to ensure continuity of the blood line?'.
'Good Heavens, no', Haines interjected.
'English blue blood is english blue blood', Haines continued.
Dowager Spencer seemed irritated.
'Haines, prepare afternoon tea for my guest and I a little earlier today. Lady Betsey and her grandson must return home soon.' Dowager Spencer ordered.
'At your service, ma'am, ' Haines replied.
Turning to Lady Betsey who was crooning quietly to Giovanni, Dowager Spencer continued.
'Haines is such a blue blood enthusiast,' she began 'quite frankly, times are indeed changing and we must change too or fade away'.
'And how do you recommend we change with the times,' Lady Betsey enthused.
'Hard to say as yet, but we must begin to consider the distinct possibility that the Manors of middle England may soon have to bow to the inevitable. Blue bloodery, if I may dare to call it that, has been greatly diluted by the ravages of war. Where do we go from here is the question?. Allow the peasants to take control or find some other appropriate solution?'
'Or hope against hope our offspring have scattered enough of their blue blood seed on some foreign shore, that will sooner or later come to fruition.' Lady Betsey proffered, now warming to her subject.
'Is that how Giovanni came to be?' Dowager Spencer asked.
'Eh..m-m- well,' Lady Betsey reddened, as she searched for an appropriate answer.
'Who really knows, at any rate, he is my son's heir,' Lady Betsey replied.
Dowager Spencer's face broke into a gentle smile.
'Perhaps,'she continued, 'I can bequeath Mansfort to Giovanni. Since our Manor Houses have stood side by side through all these centuries,it would be appropriate. However, I would need proof of blue blood and the Briarly Hall blood line'.
Lady Betsey was dumbfounded.
'Ah, but Dowager,' Betsey continued, 'perhaps you have some distant relative of your own or your late husband who would wish to inherit?.'
'No', Lady Betsey,'not at all, why do you think I have requested your presence here today, under the pretext of ill health. As you can see I am in fine health. But having heard rumours of a Briarly heir, it seemed like the possibility of an answer to my dilemma'.
Lady Betsey was at sixes and sevens. After all Squire, who was abroad, was not yet aware of the new Briarly heir and the news was already spreading through the neighbourhood.
Lady Betsey arose abruptly from her seat.
''We must go, Giovanni and I', she began.
'Yes, Lady Betsey, so good to see you. Now I feel Mansfort will be safe for future generations, when Giovanni inherits. Lady Betsey, I shall send you the papers to sign when we have established lineage'.
Lady Betsey tied Giovanni's bonnet beneath his baby chin.
Dowager Spencer leaned into the perambulator.
'Giovanni, my darling,' she said, 'soon you may be our frequent visitor'.
Lady Betsey remained composed throughout.
As soon as she rejoined the country lane taking her back to Briarly, she stopped for a moment and gazed at Giovanni.
'My precious Giovanni', she began, 'Who are you, really?'.
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