Heir to a Title. Chapter 15.

After the will was sorted the situation in the Holst family more or less settled down to an uneasy truce. The monies owed to Beverly were duly devolved through Ellie to Callista and this action finally convinced the Holst family that Beverly was truly ‘not interested’ in any issues or affairs either material or emotional concerning her siblings and mother.

A filial link was however maintained between Ellie and her aunt’s daughters and grand-children.

Being much younger than the grand matriarch Charlotte and the aunts, Charlotte’s grand-daughters and great-grand-daughters were much more liberal and open about the transgender issues. More importantly, they were intrigued and excited to learn of their long-lost and heretofore unknown transgendered aunt. They were even more intrigued to learn that they had a new full blood cousin; the baby Patricia from Beverly’s union with Angela.

Consequently the younger relatives were often to be seen meeting Ellie and Callista in Poole during weekends and occasional visits to the dock to see one of the ships.

All the Holst family were forced to accept that their Aunt Beverly would never reconcile her hurts with Nana Charlotte and the situation was simply a fact of their family life that would simply have to be endured and accepted.

On the other side of Callista’s family, the Dentons were beginning to see more and more of Callista as the new North Sea trading route came to occupy more of Ellie’s time. She was spending two and often three weeks every month in the Humber office.

Most mid-week nights, Ellie stayed in her city-centre flat in Hull. It gave her the essential privacy she needed to address the complex issues of developing the service whilst pursuing new business wherever and whenever she should find it.

Callista’s family circumstance had been turned through one-eighty degrees as she now began living at Denton Hall full time. This meant she was never far from her mother Ellie in Hull and if either mother or daughter missed one another, it was an easy drive for Ellie to bridge the gap. Most weekends Ellie and Callie played catch-up. Callie only went home to Dorset for the odd single week each month and also during the school holidays.

Molly, the duchess of Denton, proved to be an excellent carer for her transgendered grand-daughter.

Consequently Callista’s life became almost idyllic especially after learning that her mother was happy for Callie to attend the local junior school in the village of Denton. Ellie’s main reason was to ensure she was always close to hand in case any gender issues arose.

This argument sufficed to subdue Molly’s objections because she was not exactly enamoured of the idea of her transgendered grandchild, the future Duke of Denton, attending ‘The local ragged school’. However, when Callista’s academic results appeared at the end of her first year, she gracefully capitulated.

When she saw the exam results she became a much calmer woman. That Friday afternoon, as she and Ellie drove ‘home’ to Denton Hall, she admitted her change of heart to Ellie

“I was just so worried about her being abused by the village children, firstly if somebody discovered she still had the wrong plumbing or alternatively because she is already an Earl or possibly even a countess. Fortunately she seems to have them eating out of her hand and as for her exam results, well the marks speak for themselves. I don’t know how Callista does it.”

Ellie smiled self-consciously then grinned widely.

“Well mummy, I think her genes might have something to do with it. Her father Henry; that is your son, was the only one of your brood to make it to Oxbridge and I was also the only one to do it from my side so I think that might have a lot of bearing.”

Molly returned Ellie’s grin as they turned into one of the back gates of the estate and picked their way along the little used driveway that took them through the woods. Suddenly a figure on horseback appeared galloping amongst the trees.

“Oh! There she is now coming between the trees. Shouldn’t she still be in school?” Molly cried.
Ellie nodded and explained.

“Yes but Harry arranged to collect her early now that school’s broken up. Look at how she rides. She loves that pony.”

Molly smiled as they pulled up and Callista trotted her mount alongside the car.

“Hello Mummy, hello Granny! Aunty Julie’s arrived with my cousins.”

“Why aren’t they out riding with you?” Ellie asked.

“I was out riding already when they arrived. Grandpa called me on this.”

Callista proudly pulled out a new mobile phone and Ellie frowned.

“When did you get that?”

“It’s from Grandpa Harry. He bought it today as a reward when he saw my exam results.”

Ellie was not entirely happy with Harry’s purchase but it would have been crass to deny the child now she had one. Instead she cautioned her daughter.

“Well you make sure you only speak to people you know!”

Callista frowned resignedly as she explained.

“Gramps had a lock put on it in the shop. It only takes calls from selected numbers and gramps’ got the code.”
Molly nodded approval.

“I’m glad to hear it young lady. You make sure you don’t end up speaking to people you don’t know and that includes friends at school.”

Callista’s face fell.

“But Grandma, what about my friends?”

“We’ll let Mummy be the decider darling. It’s only right.”

“What about Aunty Julie and my cousins?”

“Well of course you can put them on the list. We’ll do it as soon as we get to the house, now be off with you.”

Callista needed no further encouragement as she swung her pony around and galloped off between the trees while Ellie resumed picking her way along the pot-holed drive.

“You should have gone via the main gate.” Molly observed as the car lurched repeatedly over the bumps.

“I prefer this way it’s prettier.”

“But muddier,” Molly countered.

“Well – yes, I suppose so,” Ellie conceded as a startled smile broke across her face. “Oh! Look! Look at that; isn’t it beautiful?”

Molly smiled as two does with their fawns picked their way delicately across the drive then skipped into the woods. She explained knowledgeably.

“They will have been hiding the fawns up in the bracken. The whole herd will be down from the bracken soon; those two must be early birds.”

“Harry was talking of breeding them on more commercial lines, for the meat trade.” Ellie remarked.

“Sign of the times darling,” Molly replied, “Rearing deer is one of the few activities that can be exploited on the heath and moor. That’s the trouble now it’s become an SSI.”

“Poaching will become a problem won’t it?”

“We’re going to share the keeper costs with the Arnolds and the Lumiers who own the rest of the moor. Hopefully we’ll share the profits but the deer fence is a big expense. Fortunately ‘Natural England’ is prepared to contribute some of the cost because the whole moor is thought to be the last known habitat for Pine Martens in Northern England.”

“I thought they were extinct in England.” Ellie exclaimed.

“Everybody thinks so but we the Dentons know differently. We proved that they might be breeding to the authorities in Rural England and now they are offering us all sorts of money just to preserve their habitat. Preserving their habitat with Scots Pine and other native conifers perfectly complements deer breeding. The deciduous woodland is also important for providing small mammal food.”

“Callista’s going to have to learn all about this isn’t she?”

“Yes but I’m pleased about her progress in that area.” Molly nodded. “Fortunately she seems to be taking a keen interest in the estate.”

“We should try and encourage her to study one of the biological sciences if she makes it to Uni.”

Molly snorted at Ellie’s remark.

“Oh good gracious Ellie, the poor girl’s still in junior school, let’s get her through high school first.”

Ellie nodded thoughtfully before replying with a mischievous grin.

“And would that be Eton or Harrow or Rhodean or Cheltenham.”

Molly sighed empathetically.

“Exactly, let’s see what transpires with the gender issue first.”

“Oh by the way, I’ve got some news on that front as well. I’ve been in touch with the college of heralds. They seem to think she can be an Earl or a countess or even a duke or duchess when she reaches her majority.”

Molly frowned thoughtfully.

“Probably the latter. I don’t think Harry will live to see Callista’s eighteenth. You and I will probably have to run the estate until Callie’s ready. Is Callista’s inheritance of the title certain then?”

“They told me that because the royal succession law was changed after Callie was born, she should inherit the title. Laws can’t be enforced retroactively. However, if she wants to maintain the family line, she’ll have to freeze some sperm if she transitions later.”

“Well it would certainly reinforce her claim to the dukedom if she produces semen while she’s still technically a duke, even if she’s not yet married.”

Both women wagged their heads and smiled as they contemplated the Salic gymnastics that the college of heralds would face in determining who should succeed to the dukedom. Molly expressed her own thoughts.

“If she turns out to be a full time transvestite then all’s well if she marries a girl but if she turns out to be transsexual let’s hope she’s prepared to marry a girl and go down the artificial insemination route or the Denton line legally stops with her.

“Would that upset you?” Ellie pressed.

Molly paused again for thought.

“Yes; yes it would a bit. I’d feel we were letting the ancestors down. It’d be a pity to see it die out; it’s pretty long line, six hundred years and over twenty generations.”

“Yes, that’s some history for a family; I can see why the Chinese traditionally set great store by their ancestors. We would be letting them down wouldn’t we?” Ellie agreed as they pulled into the back yard of the house.

They were just about to enter when Callista emerged from the stables after attending to her pony.

“Hi mummy, grandma. Are my cousins staying for supper?”

“Yes darling, they’re staying the weekend.”

Callista’s smile broadened with anticipation as she paused to remove her riding boots in the boot room while Molly and Ellie went to welcome the others. They found them in the drawing room being entertained by the old duke. Embraces and hugs were exchanged all around and Callista joined in when she entered. The children immediately disappeared upstairs while the ‘olds’ fell to discussing other matters that mostly involved Callista’s future. Harry elaborated on the inheritance issues as they affected Callista’s ‘trans’ issues.

“I was speaking to the Herald of arms on the phone this morning and it seems that the present thinking is unchanged. The inheritance of the title is deemed to be unaffected by Callista’s gender change, if she decides to have one. Frankly I feel that we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, or more probably – when you come to it. It’s unlikely that I’ll still be around when Callista reaches eighteen.”

“Don’t say that Harry,” Molly begged, “don’t tempt fate. The last check of your prostate was satisfactory and Mr Earhart the urologist was very optimistic.”

Harry smiled sympathetically then wagged his head.

“I’m seventy five darling, Callie’s got a few years yet before she’s eighteen and I’ll very likely be dead by then. Furthermore, if she decides to take blockers before puberty, it’s very unlikely she’ll produce viable sperm to take things forward on the blood-line front. If Callie doesn’t somehow father a child, the title will probably pass to David’s oldest daughter but even that’s not yet been tested in the heraldic court.”

Harry then turned to Ellie.

“By the time Callie is eighteen it’s possible both Molly and I will have gone. You’ll have to look after this pile though Julie’s offered to help. Sorry to burden you with all this.”

Ellie shrugged. There was little she could add. With the inheritance issue more or less exhausted, the conversation turned to more immediate affairs affecting the estate like the future of the moor and surrounding deciduous woodlands now that it had been made an SSI because of the pine martens and the reptiles. The sandy heath-land habitat was vital to the snakes and lizards while the surrounding ancient pine forests and deciduous woodlands were vital habitat for the martens. They discussed deer herding and other environmentally acceptable agriculture over the dinner table.

“Which deer are you going to keep Grand-pa?” Callie asked.

“Which do you think best Darling?”

Harry replied, seizing an opportunity to engender his heir’s interest in the project.

“Fallow deer Gramps.”

“Oh. Why.”

“I heard Mr Wainright the ostler talking to the vet when he came to check one of the horses. They agreed that fallow deer grow faster than red deer and the stags are not so dangerous.”

“Huh you’re right there cuz’,” Lucy observed. “A red deer stag chased us off the moor only last year. Luckily we were on the ponies. Mr Wainright heard about it and warned us to stay away from them in September and October.” She turned to old duke. “Was he right Gramps?”

“Yes. You’ve seen how big they are and they could easily kill a child. Stay away from them during the rutting season. And you gave a good answer Callie. We are thinking fallow deer might be the better option. They’re easier to manage and grow to maturity earlier.”

Callie felt a flush of embarrassed pride at her grand-pa’s praise and avoided the other’s gazes as she concentrated on finishing her pudding. Ellie smiled as she noted her daughter’s reaction.

Once the supper was over the children went to bed while Ellie excused herself from the family to chat to Beverly about business. It was midnight before she came off the phone.

~~oo000oo~~