Heir to a Title Chapter 14

Ellie had been food shopping prior to picking up Callista from her dance classes and the storm had sprung up while she was waiting in town.

The wind was almost shrieking like a banshee as Ellie finally made it home to her cottage. The lanes had proved to be a nightmare as small branches broke off in the wind and blew against her windscreen. Her car crawled fearfully down the lane to avoid larger broken branches and Ellie fully expected one of the larger boughs to come crashing onto her car. Instead of reading her book, her daughter Callista had to add her eyes to the task of spotting dangers in the road. Finally they made it home. After parking away from the larger trees and close to the dense privet hedge as a wind-break, she concluded it was safe to emerge.

She cursed as the wind caught the car door and yanked hard at her arm as she struggled to get out. Eventually she regained control and she offered the house keys to Callista who squirmed and wriggled across the gear column to the driver’s side towards her mother. The child did not have the strength to hold her own door so she was exiting from the driver’s side while Ellie struggled to hold the door.

“Go and open the front door darling, it’s sheltered by the porch, my hands will be full.”

Callista dutifully took the keys and one small bag of groceries before crossing the parking area to attend to the door. Ellie watched her leaning into the wind and she smiled as Callista finally made it to the porch and got the front door open. After a struggle to close the car ‘driver’s door’ Ellie managed the ‘fifth’ door and gathered the rest of the groceries before picking her way to the front door of her cottage. There Callista stood braced against the wind to hold the door open. Despite the benefit of the stone porch, Callista was straining to hold it open as the wind swirled and eddied around her. She then had to struggle to close the door as Ellie squeezed past her.

“You’re getting slow mummy,” she grinned as she wrestled with the door behind her mother.

Ellie was still struggling to put down her handbag, and the other bag of groceries made heavy by a four litre plastic bottle of milk.

The wind shook the front door and tried to swing it violently shut but Callista finally closed it and calm returned to the hallway..

“You try running in heels young lady.” Ellie smiled back as she recovered her composure while Callista stood dripping water.

Peace and calm returned to the interior of the house as mother and daughter grinned at each other

“Thanks for that darling. Phew! That’s some storm.”

They stood briefly recovering their composure until a disembodied voice called from the living room.

“Is that you darling? We’re out of milk.”

Ellie wagged her head incredulously then frowned wryly as she took the milk out of the grocery bag and handed it to Callista.

“Take that to him first and ask why he couldn’t have gone to the shops.”

Callista understood exactly what her mother was driving at as she finally shed her anorak and shoes before taking the milk.

“Grandpa’s hopeless at shopping isn’t he?”

“Amen to that darling,” Ellie agreed, “tell him to make a pot of tea while I sort my mail.”

A few minutes later, grandfather, daughter and grandchild where sharing a hot drink around the kitchen island.

“Where’s Nana?” Ellie wondered.

“Taking a nap, I’ve got something to tell you.” William replied.

Ellie put her mug down expectantly.

“Good news I hope.”

“Sort of;”

He glanced at his grandchild Callista and suggested she get on with her homework. Once the girl had left he continued.

“We’ve learned who the donor was. The blood match was what gave it away”

Ellie stiffened slightly.

“Oh, and?”

“Well I’m a little hurt you deemed it best kept a secret. I mean he’s my brother for heaven’s sake!”

“I didn’t decide to keep the truth a secret daddy. Beverly did and I don’t think she’d take kindly to you calling her your brother.”

William was so pre-occupied with his own concerns he failed to take Ellie’s point.

“D’ you think he was right not wanting to meet us?”

“It was her choice. Who am I to judge? She’s got reason enough to hate us all.”

“Your aunties and I confronted him.”

Ellie glared as concern furrowed her brow.

“I hope you haven’t queered my pitch for me job-wise! If you’ve upset her I won’t forgive you!”

“Not at all, he is very fond of you isn’t he?”

“Yes, and I’m very fond of her.”

“Fond enough to betray your aunties and let them continue thinking they would never find him?”

“Yes!” Ellie replied defiantly.

Her father bristled slightly then pressed on.

“Fond enough to let your Auntie Sandie continue searching like a fool when you knew exactly where to find him?”

“Her!” Ellie corrected her father. “You’ve used the wrong pronouns every time up until now! Please get it right!”

“Oh all right then. Sorry; her. I confess I’m still coming to terms with her gender change. But that’s not the issue here; the fact is you still favoured a complete stranger over your aunties.”

“She’s hardly a complete stranger is she? She’s just as close to me by blood as Auntie Rosie and Auntie Sandie.

In fact, if you want to split hairs she’s actually closer by blood to me. She’s the only perfect blood match to you and you’re my father!”

“She was still a stranger to the family. Your aunts firmly believed she was dead, just as I did.”

“Well she’s not a stranger to me. I’ve known her as my boss for nearly two years now and over a year as my auntie Beverly. Listen daddy! You’ve got no right to criticise me.

Firstly, consider how many times I’ve seen my aunts before this business blew up. I’ve only ever seen them about ten times in my whole life! I see Beverly every day I’m working, so who are the strangers to ME?

Secondly; try criticising that evil mother of yours. It was her that threw Beverly out like some piece of rubbish; it was her that made Beverly into a ‘stranger’ as you put it! Of course she was a stranger, she had no bloody choice and yet she’s actually closer to me by blood than either Auntie Rosie or Sandie!!! Your treatment proved that, so how can you call her a stranger?! Beverly went through hell as a kid, and you know it!”

Her father pursed his lips with frustration. In his heart he knew his daughter was right. Considering his sister Beverly’s life story, it was hardly likely she would ever have come looking for a family that had, in her eyes at least, rejected her out of hand. Ellie continued on a slightly more conciliatory note.

“Listen daddy, I’d love to confront my grandmother with it but I respect Beverly’s wishes. She is adamant she never wants to meet her.”

William frowned.

“If Mum found out about Beverly, God knows what it would do to her.”

“Whatever it did to her, she’d deserve it and much more!” Ellie glared.

William decided not to take the argument further for he was old enough and wise enough to realise there was nothing to be gained and a lot to lose.

“Well that’s water under the bridge now. The upshot is your aunts and I have decided not to tell mummy about her, there’s no knowing what it might do to her. Are you agreeable to keeping it a secret from your Nan?”

“Do I have to be? The truth is I’d love to tell Nana. Just think how much she has frightened Callista with her narrow-minded censures! In truth, I’d love to hit Nana right between the eyes with Auntie Beverly’s story; then refuse to tell her that Beverly is my boss at work, refuse to say who or where the tissue donor is – just tell Nana Charlotte that the child she tried to destroy, the child she disposed of like some piece of rubbish, the kid she threw under the bus, the child she utterly rejected is very much alive and kicking – and kicking hard I might add! Oh – and the child she threw out like some piece of kitchen garbage is now a very wealthy lady!”

“It could still kill your Nan!”

“Not that monster. She’s never once expressed remorse or regret.”

William sighed wearily.

“Look darling, you’ve every right to be disgusted by what was done all those years ago but for our sakes and Callista’s can you please let it go? Callista’s going to be hurt enough when her Nana goes.”

Ellie frowned. Nana Charlotte was in her nineties. Her death was an issue they would all have to face and it would devastate Callista. Reluctantly she agreed. After finishing her tea she bathed Callista then bathed herself before settling down with her daughter for a girly night of pampering. William found them painting their toe-nails.

“Nana’s awake. Are you coming in to see her?”

Callista needed no second asking but Ellie paused until Callista had left the room and was out of ear-shot.

“Can you promise me Nana knows nothing about ‘you know who’?”

“Absolutely nothing,” William affirmed.

“Good, we’ll chat about Callista’s day at school and the dance class afterwards.”

“And what about your day?”

“That’ll be boring. I was processing cargo numbers most of the morning then sorting out bunkering and victualing figures in the early afternoon before going shopping. Not much to interest anybody there.”

“You could talk about the ships.”

Ellie shrugged. “Okay, an hour no more, I’m tired and so is Callista.”

They trooped into Nana Charlotte’s apartment and chatted for the requisite hour. Callista thoroughly enjoyed the time but Ellie found it hard to accept her grandmother since learning of her Auntie Beverly and the lost childhood. She was polite and informative but left much of the conversation duty to her father and her daughter. She was glad when the hour was up and used the excuse of Callista’s bedtime to escape further drudgery. When she left Nana Charlotte turned to her son William.

“Ellie seems pre-occupied somehow. Not talking much and a bit distracted.”

“I’m surprised you noticed mother. Yes she was, I think she’s very busy at work and there’s this new North Sea trade.” William lied but it worked.

He remained watching the television with his mother for a further hour then made his own way to bed.

The following Monday, Beverly had returned from a trip to Hull concerning the North Sea trade. Ellie met her at the station and they returned to the office in Ellie’s car to analyse some figures. As they swept through the dock gates Ellie recognised her father’s car parked at the dockers’ cafe opposite the docks. Inside it she saw several people but she was concentrating on driving. She turned to her Auntie Bev.

“That’s dad’s car and those are my aunts with him. I suspect he and my aunties want to talk to you.”

“What about”? Beverly replied. We’ve little to talk about.”

“I suspect they might want to talk about your dad’s will. You should have plenty to talk about, you chatted well enough to William the last time he was here and I know the will has to be resolved. You were happy then.”

“That was different; it was all about a day out for Callie. I suppose this time they’ll want to talk more about family and reconciliation.”

“And you’re still not interested I suppose.”

“I’ve told you before darling, they’re dead to me. We have nothing in common save a few drops of blood.”

“And that’s your final word is it?”

Beverly shrugged as they pulled up outside the office.

“It has to be darling. You know as well as I, that they’ll try somehow to reconcile me to the bitch that spawned me.”

“And?”

“Never! Never, never, never.” Beverly’s jaw clenched tight and Ellie noted the tensioning muscles that caused two white spots on her auntie’s cheeks.

There seemed no way past the impasse and Ellie was content to accept the situation but almost by divine intervention, her phone bleated away right on cue. She pressed the ‘blue-tooth’ button and turned ruefully to her auntie.

“This’ll be them.”

“I know,” Beverly nodded. “If they want to come over tell them only them; no mother! I won’t countenance the b-“

“Bitch that spawned you.” Ellie finished.

Beverly frowned and fell silent as Ellie checked on her mobile. It was set to ‘public’ so Beverly could hear the conversation. Nana Charlotte was not with her father and aunts so Ellie offered the invite. It was accepted immediately and moments later her father’s car pulled up outside the office alongside Ellie’s car. Ellie met them at the door.

“You’d best come into the inner sanctum,” Ellie offered then added softly, “we don’t want family laundry washed in public.”

Other staff’s eyes followed them as they followed Ellie through the administration offices into Beverly’s private office. Beverly was starting the tea.

“No biscuits I’m sorry unless Ellie’s got a secret stash.”

“I’ll borrow some from the girls in the freight office and I’ll replace them tomorrow,” Ellie said as she disappeared.

“You’d best sit down.” Beverly said as she nodded towards the comfortable settees. “So to what do I owe this visit?”

“We’ve come to discuss our father’s will.” Sandie opened the conversation.

Beverly squinted suspiciously.

“Ellie tells me he died years ago, how come there’s stuff to discuss? I thought I told you I wasn’t interested.”

“The will has to be dealt with and he mentioned you in it. If it’s to be processed properly, his wishes have to be fulfilled.” Rosie added. “Now that you’ve been found we can move forward and seek closure.”

“Me? Found!” Beverly sniffed contemptuously. “Uuuhm, might I point out I was never lost.” She continued in a voice tinged with mild sarcasm.

“You were to us and dad’s lawyers.” Sandie countered.

Beverly shrugged.

“Well now that you’ve ‘found’ me just go ahead and sort the will. I don’t need or want his money or whatever. Why does it have to involve me?”

Rosie produced the will and explained.

“You would have to sign your part to finally complete the probate.”

Beverly gave a loud snort and grabbed a black pen from her desk as she held it up and asked.

“I suppose you’ll want it in black ink – legalese and all that?”

Rosie nodded and stood waiting while Beverly remained standing as she scanned the pages. The silence became oppressive and Rosie felt forced to speak just to reduce the tensions.

“Dad wasn’t happy with what was done to you.”

Beverly glanced up and her expression soured as unwanted memories resurfaced.

“He had a funny way of showing it. No objections to my being taken, no visits, no letters – six bloody years – no nearly nine years of waiting and waiting and waiting; but nothing, nada, zero! So why involve me now? If there’s anything coming to me I don’t want it. It’s blood money! What was he doing? Trying to ease his conscience; he was a bit late for that! He was no better than the bitch he married!! Tell his lawyers to give it to Ellie or something. Just progress the will and be done with it.”

“It’s not that easy,” William replied.

“Why not?” Beverly argued. “I can easily send his lawyers a letter, proof of identity, and proof of existence then surely the blood tests will confirm our relationship. Job done, you get to close the will. Everybody moves on.”

“That’s the easy part,” Rosie explained. “The problem is if the will is fulfilled then mummy will learn of your existence. She’ll want to see you.”

Beverly released another harsh laugh.

“Ha. I’ve told you, never, never, never!”

William tried more reconciliation.

“I’m sure if we intercede on your behalf, she’ll come to see sense.”

“Ooooh, I doubt it,” Beverly sniffed, “and anyway! Even if she did; I’d never want to see her. Just try and understand; I don’t bloody care! I never want to see her!”

“That news might hurt her, shock her even.” Sandie observed.

Beverly let out another loud contemptuous expostulation.

“Ha!! So? What d’you expect me to do? Are you seriously expecting me to care?”

“Don’t you care about her at all?” Sandie pressed.

Beverly gave her an old-fashioned look.

“Get real big sister. How many times do I have to repeat myself? The ‘bitch-that-spawned-me’ can rot in hell for all I care! You’re only here on my sufferance because Ellie wants this business resolved. I’m only doing it for Ellie. I don’t want to hurt her, she’s too good to lose and besides; I’ve grown very fond of her. She is my niece after all.”

“You’ve got other nieces,” Rosie replied somewhat ill-advisedly.

Beverly just glared at her then wagged her head in disbelief. However she managed to repress her anger and returned to reading the will. A strained silence settled on the room as Beverly scanned the several pages. Finally she signed it and handed it back to Rosie then she explained..

“I might as well sort out the lawyers now.”

Over the phone, arrangements were made to finalise the will and Ellie helped to compose the letter to the lawyers. The lawyers called back to confirm that they wished to meet Beverly and that irritated her. They seemed to think that because Beverly wanted no part of the inheritance, there might be some question about her sanity. When she realised what they seemed to be insinuating she told them bluntly that she would meet them in her office down at the dockside. This was mainly to show them that she was a woman of substance and repute with no psychiatric disfunctionality stemming from her gender change.

By confronting them on her own turf she would leave them in no doubt as to her existence, her sanity and her circumstance. Furthermore it was where Beverly kept her personal documentation in a secure safe, in a secure office in a secure port area. She was a busy woman and she had no intentions of traipsing around half of Southern England and yet again proving to various bumptious little officials that she actually existed. Those days were over.

Two weeks later the formalities were completed but the ramifications continued.

As Rosie had predicted, their mother, on learning that her ‘son’ was still alive, expressed a wish to see him.
These wishes arrived in a shaky, hand-written letter that Ellie handed to Beverly after sorting the regular mail. Beverly glanced at the handwriting and failed to recognise it.

“What’s this?”

“That’s grandma’s writing. I guess it’s a letter from her.”

Beverly’s jaw sagged slightly before tensing.

“What! The bitch?”

“The same.” Ellie felt forced to agree with her auntie Beverly but she continued in a calmer mode by asking. “Are you going to read it?”

Beverly held the letter up between forefinger and thumb obviously in two minds while Ellie waited hopefully.

Eventually she handed the unopened letter to Ellie.

“You read it. Tell me what you think, I can’t trust myself.”

Ellie took it and briefly scanned the address. The shaky hand told its own story. Ellie explained.

“I think she wrote this herself, dad would have told me if she had asked for his help and she didn’t ask for mine. She’s very frail you know. You can tell by the wri-”

“Just read it please, then you decide if it’s worth my while.”

Feeling mildly scolded Ellie opened the letter and was surprised at its brevity.

“Dear Bernard,

Firstly I must admit I was upset but not surprised to learn of your sex change. However, I was very much surprised -and shocked, to learn that you survived to adulthood despite all the forecasts and predictions that were given to me so many years ago. Your new name Beverly is a good name.

I realise there is nothing I can say or do to repair the damage I caused you. All I can do is offer an apology for what was done to you and also for whatever happened to you in the subsequent years. Your brother William has made it abundantly clear that you can never be reconciled and truthfully I cannot blame you for your intransigence. Since learning of your life story and survival I have been at a loss as to what I should do.
I will not insult you by asking for forgiveness nor will I beg you to meet with me. William has also convinced me that would be the unkindest slight of all.

All that remains to be said is that I am truly sorry for everything that was done and I am relieved to learn that you have survived. I am also glad to learn that you have prospered.

The only request I have is that you help to mentor and guide your great-niece Callista by passing down whatever survival skills you accrued during your life’s journey, she will need them despite the modern-day social circumstances surrounding transgenderism having changed so much.

I am also truly glad that you love your niece Ellie.

Yours regretfully,

Charlotte Holst.

Ellie handed the letter to her aunt who read it then returned it to the envelope without a word. Ellie felt forced to say something.

“Well she could at least have signed it as Mother or Mummy.” Ellie remarked.

“Oh I don’t think so,” Beverly wagged her head, “she at least had the wit to realise she had no right to call herself my mother, that would have been the biggest insult of all. She knows enough to realise I will never meet with her and that’s how it shall remain.”

That was the moment when Ellie realised that Beverly would never be reconciled. The realisation brought a chill to Ellie’s soul as it drove home the brutal message that childhood rejection left the deepest and enduring wounds of all. Ellie sighed as she stood with resignation.

“So Grand-dad’s will can be sorted then – and Grand-ma’s got no objections to my receiving your share.”

Beverly grinned.

“She has no say in the matter, and I’ve no idea what your father and aunts might feel but technically my share is mine to do with as I want. I’m bequeathing it to you so nobody can accuse you of gold-digging. Nobody can accuse you of taking advantage of some dotty old lady because I can prove beyond all doubt that I’m compos mentis. I’ll have my lawyer sort out my part of the family’s inheritance and the best tax avoidance arrangements for you or Callie, whichever you prefer.”

“Why would anybody accuse me of gold digging?” Ellie fumed. “I certainly am not! We neither of us had any idea we were related when I took the job. I used my husband’s name only for Callie’s sake that’s why we never realised the connection. Now I keep it for convenience especially where it concerns Callie’s inheritance of the title. It’s to do with the dukedom and all that stuff.”

“That’s nothing to do with me darling,” Beverly smiled benignly, “but I think young Callie is going to be a very rich young lady one day. By the way, what will happen to her title if she decides to transition? Can a girl inherit a dukedom?”

“What? Sallic law and all that stuff; that’s a totally different question,” Ellie grinned. “Let the lawyers and politicians sort that out. I think the new act of royal succession for George and his sister will have thrown Ancient Sallic law into turmoil.”

“Yeah, oh how the world turns.” Beverly grinned.

And turns and turns and turns,” Ellie finished.

Foam party. Not just a writer.

~~oo000oo~~