“Getting an appointment with you is nigh on impossible,” Robin replied in her schoolmarmish voice, snippy as ever. She was the picture of a country wife in her sensible brogues and two layers of tweed. The streaks of grey that were apparent in Robin’s hair when Susannah last saw her a few weeks before had been covered up by an aggressively auburn hair dye. And while she wore no other make-up, there was a swipe of ill-suited coral lipstick at Robin’s lips.
All that was missing was the husband—but Robin, who was in her fifties, had never married. She’d somehow gotten the impression that although neither she nor Susannah could inherit Jimmy’s title, the house and its land would come to her, despite the generous inheritance she’d received from their father, and the fortune she’d made investing it.
Jimmy had explained, before he met Susannah, that his money would go to some sort of charitable foundation; but the facts had never made much of an impression in this particular family feud.
“I’ve been trying to reach Finn here all day,” Jonathan chimed in, “even on the private office line Lord Karlson gave me when I worked here. If we can’t get an appointment, then what else can we do but show up?”
Robin toted Jonathan around everywhere these days like a talking handbag, and Susannah never got a better impression of him than as a sneaky little brother just bursting to tattle at the first opportunity. The fact that he dressed like the unpopular kid in a cartoon didn’t help his case, right down to the fussy dark curls on his head. Well into his thirties, he had the permanent air of a man chasing his lost youth.
“Well, as you probably know from Jimmy saying it often enough, running this estate is a busy job. Not a lot of free time to chat.” Susannah did her best to keep things on civil terms, but Robin’s sheer entitlement drove her crazy. They’d all been born to certain advantages, but Robin was so grasping about wanting what everyone else had. Jonathan was even worse, on her behalf, and whenever he cast a glance towards a vase or a painting, Susannah had the overwhelming urge to make sure it was fixed in place.
“If you’re not up to the job, there are actual family members more qualified. Which is why I felt I had to start this dispute in the first place. And, really, you should be referring to my late brother as Lord Karlson in front of the help. You know what they say about familiarity breeding contempt!”
“It breeds in-laws?” Susannah muttered under her breath.
“Honestly, Susannah, if you would just accept that you’re in over your head, then this wouldn’t need to be acrimonious. You’ve always been helpful. When I take over, I’m sure I could find some sort of project to keep you busy.”
“Oh, could you?” Susannah advanced across the black-and-white marble floor, wishing it looked less like a dusty old chessboard. She could change that if she wanted. Maybe she could invite Robin over to watch someone taking a sledgehammer to it. “And I suppose you’d still throw me out of my house? My home?”
“Now, listen here—”
“No, I don’t think I will. Finn, please show Robin and Jonathan to their car. We’ve got a lot to do this afternoon.”
Finn did their best to corral Robin, but she was on one of her missions and wouldn’t back out without getting the last word. It was funny that no matter how much Susannah looked, she could see nothing of Jimmy’s kindness or quiet nobility in his sister’s face. With her pursed lips and beetling eyebrows, she displayed only temper and sourness. He had always chafed at her snobbery too, how she threw around titles as if they made some people more worthy than others.
His greatest weakness, though, had been opportunistic men like Jonathan, after money and status when Jimmy had been offering simple, discreet affairs. Susannah had spent years turning the agreed blind eye as men had come and gone from the periphery, as women had quietly drifted in and out of her own life in turn.
“You’ll be hearing from me. And my solicitors. You’ll regret fighting me on this,” Robin warned as Finn finally guided her out of the door and down the drive, Jonathan scurrying in their wake.
That left Susannah alone in the cavernous entryway, surveying the kingdom she never exactly asked for.
“Fucking hell, Jimmy. Couldn’t you have broken it gently to your sister before you died? How long am I going to pay for this?”
The house held its stifling silence, of course. Susannah was getting used to the echoing emptiness with each passing day. Everything of Susannah’s had come from a lot of hard work. She came from a titled family in her own right, one older and, in fact, far more distinguished than the Karlsons. Unfortunately, her father had been careless with his gambling, his drinking, and his temper, meaning their estate had all but been stripped for parts while Susannah was yanked in and out of boarding school depending on whether the fees had been paid on time.
Then, like something out of a depressing pulp novel, Susannah had gotten herself into trouble at one of the draughty old schools for sneaking vodka and kissing girls, a shame that even her usually shameless parents couldn’t endure. She’d learned the hard way that her value was in snaring a husband who’d keep them all in a more reliable kind of luxury.
She’d never expected to find a kind man with secrets of his own. Jimmy had simply been looking for a business partner, a wife to keep the other ladies charmed on shoots and endless, tedious dinners. Even with money and power, Jimmy hadn’t ever been able to confront where his real preferences lay.
“I need another drink,” Susannah said to no one, but she ignored the kitchen and its wine.
