“He couldn’t steal something from you that you never had, Franklin,” said his grandfather coldly.
To this, Franklin Highcrofft merely shrugged. “Well, there’s something else. This whole thing was an accident of fate, you might say. In some incidental conversation we had, Hawker Doak mentioned that his wife was ailing, and the doctor held out little hope for the child she was to bear. That birth was to happen about the same time as Adelaide’s baby was due. I also knew they were to be in the same hospital, although, of course, Adelaide was to be in a private suite in another part of the hospital, while Hawker Doak’s wife lay in a public ward.
“I then simply began thinking ‘what if.’ At first it was more wishful thinking than anything else, at one stroke not only to acquire the tenement holdings, but to avenge myself. I spoke to Hawker Doak, who assured me he could manage the exchange without my name ever coming into it, presuming all fell into place. It did, much to my surprise. I never really expected it. As you can see, however, this was certainly not something I’d plotted and planned for months or years. Whatever that’s worth.”
“For your information, it’s worth exactly nothing, Franklin,” the outraged old Mr. Highcrofft flung at him. “There’s not one thing you can say to justify such a heinous crime no matter what you dig up to add to your despicable list. Not a thing!”
“Then I won’t even try,” said Franklin Highcrofft. “I’m sorry I disappointed you, Grandfather. I apologize. But what are you going to do about this, Jonathan? I suppose you’d like to see me hanged.”
“Right now, yes, I would,” replied his cousin. “Thrown behind bars for the rest of your life at the very least. Of course, I haven’t had much time to think about it, but so far this is what I’ve concluded. First of all, though Grandfather may have been at the root of this madness, he had nothing to do with perpetrating this unspeakable crime. He’s proud, even if overly proud, of the family name, and I won’t have it besmirched by having you taken to court and thrown in jail. Furthermore, I don’t wish to see Harriet, your innocent wife, and also Adelaide’s sister, with a jailbird for a husband. And most especially, I don’t wish to have our son’s cousin, Harriet’s expected child, to have a jailbird for a father.”
“It’s not that I wish Franklin behind bars, much as he deserves it, as you say,” said old Mr. Highcrofft. “But surely you’re not letting him off without some kind of retribution for this hideous act, are you, Jonathan?”
“I do have an idea, if you’ll go along with it, Grandfather,” his grandson replied. “First, I’d like you to destroy those papers in which you leave your tenement holdings to the grandson who produces the first male heir.”
“Consider it done,” said old Mr. Highcrofft.
“What I’d like you to do then is turn those holdings over now, half to Franklin and half to me, if you’re willing to do that,” said his grandson.
“I’m perfectly willing,” said old Mr. Highcrofft. “But I thought you never wanted the tenements, Jonathan.”
“I didn’t,” he replied, “not as they are, at any rate. But as soon as I get the buildings, I intend to have them torn down and rebuilt. No human being should have to live as those poor wretches do, worse than rats in a sewer. My intention is to put up decent buildings in their place. And my suggested punishment, if you want to call it that, for Franklin, is that he must do the same with his share of the tenements. And lest there be any misunderstanding, I want you to make that a condition of your gift of the buildings to us both, even though you can have no doubt as to what my intentions are.”
“I suppose I need to thank you for this, Jonathan,” said Franklin Highcrofft. “So, thank you. But what I want to know is what you plan to tell the world and all our friends about the sudden reappearance of the baby. And what am I to tell Harriet?”
“I’m sure Adelaide and I will simply tell the truth, Franklin,” replied his cousin. “And that is that the villain who kidnapped our baby confessed to the deed on his deathbed, and the baby was returned to us. I see no need to say more. If you choose to tell Harriet the same, we will abide by that. Outside of this room, whose doors I requested be closed, all are dead who know anything of the whole truth. I’m certain I speak for Adelaide, Grandfather, and the young man with us, Robin, when I say that, but for the explanation as I’ve given it, everything remains locked with those of us here. But now I fear it’s getting late. Harriet will be growing concerned and looking for your return, Franklin. Grandfather, I’d like it if you could remain for just a few more minutes.”
“No need to call Fletcher. I’ll let myself out,” said Franklin Highcrofft.
“Oh, there is something I wondered further about,” said Jonathan Highcrofft. “Weren’t you concerned about doing business with someone like Hawker Doak? He could have held you in his clutches the rest of your life, blackmailing you, Franklin.”
“I’d thought of that,” said his cousin, “but it would always be his word against mine, wouldn’t it? And which one of us do you think the courts would believe? I must say, though, the possibility of a deathbed confession never crossed my mind. Well, good night, all. I’m happy to see the baby is doing well.”
“Strange coming from you, Franklin,” said Jonathan Highcrofft. “Didn’t you tell Hawker Doak you didn’t care if he died?”
“No, no, no, he got that quite wrong,” was the cool reply. “What I said was that if the
