Paula’s eyes were surreptitiously wandering around the conference room. She had been aware of the mounting tension for the last fifteen minutes, had noticed the anxiety written on the faces of Robin, Kit and Elizabeth. Edwina, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the proceedings, sat twisting her hands in her lap. She appeared more dolorous than ever.
As John began, ‘I now come to the trust funds Emma Harte created for her children,’ Paula could almost feel the anxiousness and nervousness emanating from her two uncles and her aunt. She quickly averted her eyes, trained them on John once again.
Leaning back in his chair, the solicitor said, ‘The trusts, which became effective some years ago, have not been rescinded or changed in any way, shape or form by Mrs Harte. They remain intact, and the beneficiaries, Edwina, Kit, Robin and Elizabeth, will continue to receive the income from their trusts.’
John’s voice droned on as he elucidated further details of the trusts, and just as she had sensed the apprehension in three of those four earlier, Paula was conscious of their profound relief. Robin and his twin, Elizabeth, were unable to conceal their jubilance. Kit’s face was sober, but his eyes betrayed him as they flickered with triumph. Only Edwina was unaccountably distressed, weeping copiously into her handkerchief. Paula realized that her aunt was undoubtedly thinking of Emma, understanding yet again how eminently fair her mother had been.
‘I will move on to the trusts which Emma Harte created for her grandchildren,’ John announced, and Paula’s grave face became very alert. She could not help wondering if Grandy had changed these. It soon became clear that Emma had not. Emily, Sarah, Alexander, Jonathan, Anthony, Francesca and Amanda would continue to benefit from the trust funds which Emma had provided for them in April of 1968. After spelling out the terms of the trust, the solicitor paused, shifted his position in his chair.
His glance rested on Paula, then moved on to regard Anthony. He remarked, ‘At this point in the proceedings I must tell you that Emma Harte created three additional trust funds. These are for her great-grandchildren, Lorne and Tessa Fairley, son and daughter of Jim and Paula Fairley, and Jeremy, the Viscount Standish, son of Anthony and Sally Standish, the Earl and Countess of Dunvale. Each trust for these three great-grandchildren is in the amount of one million pounds.’
Picking up the will, John once more launched into a relatively long recitation of Emma’s wishes which were couched in her own language. When this section was dispensed with, he moved on briskly, introduced the portion of the will that dealt with the dispersal of Emma’s vast business enterprises and the enormous McGill fortune. She had again left the 1968 bequests intact. Alexander received fifty-two per cent of Harte Enterprises and was formally appointed head of this company for life. His sister Emily, as well as Sarah and Jonathan, each received sixteen per cent of the shares respectively. In the event of Alexander’s death or disability, Emily would automatically assume control of the company, holding this position for her lifetime.
Paula eyed Jonathan and Sarah, and asked herself if they knew how lucky they had been. Jonathan could hardly conceal his glee, Sarah was smiling smugly, Paula noticed, and her face became closed and cold.
At the mention of her own name Paula gave John her full attention, even though she expected no surprises. She listened as he repeated Emma’s words, written by her in 1968. Paula received all of Emma’s shares in the Harte Stores which gave her total control of the company.
The entire McGill fortune went to Daisy McGill Amory, with the stipulation that her son, Philip, was to continue as Chief Executive Officer of the McGill Corporation of Australia, a conglomerate that owned the diverse McGill companies. Paula was to remain as her mother’s representative in all matters pertaining to Sitex Oil. Upon Daisy’s death, the McGill holdings were to be equally divided between Paula and Philip. Daisy inherited Pennistone Royal, all land and property attached to the house, all of its furniture, furnishings and works of art, as well as the McGill emeralds. The house, its contents, the land, and the jewels, were to pass to Paula on her mother’s death. Paula received the remainder of her grandmother’s considerable emerald collection.
‘Mrs Harte’s other jewellery is, for the most part, to be divided among her granddaughters. However there are other bequests – to Marguerite Barkstone, Alexander’s wife, Sally Harte Standish and Vivienne Harte, her greatnieces, and Rosamund Harte Ellsworthy, her niece,’ John told them. ‘Emma made the selections for each individual, and these are as follows. “To my dearest granddaughter, Emily Barkstone Harte, I do give and bequeath my sapphire collection, comprising of…”’ John intoned as he commenced to read from the long list.
It took the solicitor almost an hour to complete the reading of this part of the will, since Emma had owned a huge collection of jewellery, and those who were not beneficiaries became restless. There were rustlings and small muffled sounds as people moved around in their chairs. Cigarettes were lit. Someone poured a glass of water. Edwina blew her nose several times. Robin coughed behind his hand.
John Crawford was perfectly calm, as he always was, and oblivious to the scattered shufflings and odd noises. He read slowly, precisely, and it was obvious to everyone that he had no intention of being hurried. At last he finished, ‘That completes the details of the disposal of Mrs Harte’s collection of jewellery. I shall now proceed with the portion of the will that covers some of her real estate, mainly the house in Jamaica, British West Indies; the Avenue Foch apartment in Paris; the villa at Cap Martin in the South of France.’
The solicitor explained that the bequests Emma Harte had made in April of 1968 were unchanged. Emily Barkstone Harte was to inherit the Paris apartment, her brother Alexander Barkstone the villa on the Riviera, and Anthony was to get the house in the Caribbean.
At this juncture, John suddenly put the will down. His eyes roved from face to face and then his own face changed perceptibly as he brought himself up in his chair.
He enunciated in a most careful tone, ‘It is now my duty to inform you that Emma Harte changed the remainder of her will.’
There were several audible gasps and the majority of those present stiffened in their seats. A number of worried glances were exchanged. Paula felt Philip’s hand on her knee and she looked at him swiftly, her dark brows lifting before she brought her eyes back to Crawford. He was turning the page he had just read and perusing the one following.
Paula felt the tension flowing around her as it had earlier and there was a sense of great anticipation mingled with apprehension in the air. Her chest tightened as she clasped her hands together, wondering what bombshells were about to burst. I always knew it deep down, Paula thought. Unconsciously I knew that Gran would have a few surprises up her sleeve. She could hardly wait for John to continue.
The silence in the room was deathly.
Twenty-eight pairs of eyes were fixed unwaveringly on the solicitor.
Finally John looked up. He scanned their faces a second time, noting the expressions on each. Some were fearful or anxious, others avidly curious, a few merely interested. He smiled and read out in a strong voice:
‘“I, Emma Harte Lowther Ainsley, hereafter known as Emma Harte, do hereby declare that the codicils attached to my Last Will and Testament on this Twenty-Fifth Day of April in the Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Sixty-Nine are made whilst I am sound of body and mind. I do further declare and attest that no undue pressure or influence was brought to bear on me by any person or individual to make said changes in my Last Will and Testament and are solely of my own volition and doing.”’
There was a brief pause on John’s part as he turned the page, then gave his entire attention to the legal document in his hands.
‘ “Codicil One. I do give and bequeath to Shane Desmond Ingham O’Neill, grandson of my dearest lifelong friend, Blackie O’Neill, the diamond ring given to me by his late and aforementioned grandfather. I also bequeath to Shane O’Neill the painting known as The Top of the World, which I also received from his
grandfather. Further, I do give to Shane O’Neill the sum of one million pounds in the form of a trust which I have had created for him. I make these gifts to Shane out of love for him, and in appreciation of his constant love and devotion to me.
‘ “Codicil Two. I give to Miranda O’Neill, granddaughter of my friend, Blackie O’Neill, the emerald bow brooch, presented to me by her grandfather. I do also make a gift to Miranda O’Neill of all other pieces of jewellery which were given to me by her grandfather during his lifetime. List of said pieces is attached to the end of these codicils. Further, I do give and bequeath to Miranda the sum of five hundred thousand pounds in the form of a trust. I do so in recognition of her affection and love for me and in memory of my dearest friend, Laura Spencer O’Neill, her grandmother.
‘ “Codicil Three. I do bequeath to my great-nephew, Winston John Harte, grandson of my beloved brother Winston, the property known as Heron’s Nest in Scarborough, Yorkshire, and the sum of one million pounds, held in a trust similar to the aforementioned trusts. Also, I bequeath to Winston Harte fifteen per cent of my shares in my new company Consolidated Newspapers International, which he and I formed in March of 1969. I make these bequests to Winston Harte as a gesture of my love, and because of his love, devotion and uncommon loyalty to me over the years and because of his marriage to my granddaughter Emily, for the benefit of them both and any offspring of their marriage.”’
At this point John stopped, took a quick sip of water and, aware of the taut atmosphere which now prevailed, he hurried on:
‘ “Codicil Four. I give to James Arthur Fairley, husband of my granddaughter Paula Fairley, ten per cent of my shares in Consolidated Newspapers International. This is a personal bequest to Jim Fairley and is in no way related to the trusts established for my great-grandchildren, Lorne and Tessa. This bequest is to show my appreciation of his dedication to me and my interests at the Yorkshire Consolidated Newspaper Company, and is also given as an expression of my affection for him.
‘ “Codicil Five. To my great-niece Vivienne Harte, granddaughter of my dear brother Winston, and to my niece Rosamund Harte Ellsworthy, daughter of my dear brother Frank, I do give and bequeath five hundred thousand pounds each in the form of trust funds which I have had drawn up for them. I do this out of my considerable affection for them both and in memory of my brothers.
‘ “Codicil Six. I do give and bequeath to my granddaughter Paula McGill Amory Fairley, and my grandson, Philip McGill Amory, my Fifth Avenue apartment in New York and my Belgrave Square house, both properties to be owned jointly by them. I make these gifts to Paula and Philip because the aforementioned residences were bought for me by their grandfather, Paul McGill. After long and careful consideration, I have decided that Paul McGill’s grandchildren should rightfully inherit these homes. For this reason I have rescinded the original bequest made in my will drawn in April of 1968.
‘ “Codicil Seven. I give to my granddaughter Paula McGill Amory Fairley the remainder of my estate, including all motor cars, clothing, furs, and cash in my current cheque accounts. Further, I do give and bequeath to Paula Fairley all assets held in my private company, E.H. Incorporated. Said assets include my personally owned real estate, my personal stocks and shares, and cash balances. Total value of these assets is estimated at six million, eight hundred and ninety-five thousand pounds, six shillings and sixpence.”’
The solicitor lifted his head, said to the gathering, ‘That concludes the reading of the Last Will and Testament Of Emma Harte Lowther Ainsley, except for – ’
‘Just a minute!’ Jonathan exploded. Seething, he jumped up. His eyes were wild, his face as white as bleached bone. ‘I’m going to contest this will! I was left the Fifth Avenue apartment in her original will and it’s mine by rights. I’m going to – ’
‘Please be so kind as to sit down, Jonathan,’ the solicitor exclaimed coldly, glaring at him. ‘I have not finished.’
Bristling, his rage apparent, Jonathan did as he was asked but not without crying, ‘Dad! Don’t you have anything to say about this?’
Robin, also infuriated, nevertheless shook his head, motioned for his son to be silent.
Crawford continued: ‘I was about to read the final statement made by Mrs Harte at the end of her will. I will now proceed to do so, and I must ask that there be no further unruly outbursts of this nature. This is Mrs Harte’s last statement: ‘ “I truly believe that I have been right, proper and fair in the disposal of all my worldly goods and possessions. I sincerely hope that my heirs understand why some of them are receiving greater inheritances than others.
‘ “However, should any of my heirs feel that they have been cheated or passed over for other members of my family, I must state again that this is not the case. Furthermore, should any member of my family contemplate contesting this will, I must caution them most strongly not to do so. Once again I attest that no undue influence, or influence of any kind, was brought to bear on me at any time. No one, other than my solicitor, John Crawford, knew of these changes and codicils which are entirely of my own creation. I must also state that I am not senile, nor is the balance of my mind disturbed. Attached to this document, which is my Last Will and Testament, are four affidavits signed by four doctors. These doctors were hitherto unknown to me before the date of this will, and are therefore uninterested parties. Two general practitioners and two psychiatrists examined me on the morning and afternoon of April Twenty-Fifth of Nineteen Sixty-Nine, prior to this will being drawn on the evening of that same date. The results of their examinations are contained in the affidavits and confirm that I am in excellent physical condition and perfect health, that I am mentally stable, and that none of my faculties are impaired.
‘ “Therefore, I must now point out that this will is irreversible, irrevocable and absolutely water tight. It cannot be contested in a court of law. I appoint my beloved and devoted daughter, Daisy McGill Amory, as executrix of my estate, and Henry Rossiter of the Rossiter Merchant Bank and John Crawford, of Crawford, Creighton, Phipps and Crawford as the co-executors of my estate.”’
John sat back, waiting for the storm to erupt.
It did so instantly.
Everyone began to talk at once. Jonathan was on his feet and almost running down the long stretch of the conference room, looking as if he was about to physically accost John Crawford. Robin had also risen, and so had Kit Lowther and Sarah. These three also bore down on John, their expressions furious, their rage unconcealed as they began to rail at him shrilly.
Jonathan was apoplectic, shouted that the O’Neills had been favoured in his place and that Paula and Philip had stolen his inheritance. Sarah began to weep. Her mother, June, hurried to her, endeavouring to console her, and trying to hide her own considerable embarrassment without success.
Bryan O’Neill leaped to his feet. He went over to Daisy, and as the sole member of his family present, he protested that the O’Neills did not wish to accept Emma’s legacies to them, in view of Jonathan’s comments.
The brouhaha swirled around Paula. Jim, who had been sitting next to her, turned and said, ‘Wasn’t that lovely of Grandy to leave me the shares in the newspaper company?’
‘Yes, it was,’ Paula said, noting his shining eyes, his gratified smile.
Philip, who sat on her left, tapped her on the shoulder and leaned closer. Paula swung her eyes and stared at her brother. They gazed at each other knowingly for a protracted moment. Paula tried to keep her face straight but had difficulty doing so. She compressed her lips to prevent herself from laughing out loud. She murmured, ‘Good old Grandy, as usual she thought of everything. What a brilliant stroke of genius that was, attaching those medical affidavits. The malcontents can do nothing – their hands have been firmly tied by Emma Harte.’
Philip nodded. ‘Yes, but there will be trouble with them, you mark my words. On the other hand, knowing Jonathan’s temperament, this sudden turn of events could easily make him behave in the most irrational way. He might act rash
ly. And we will probably uncover his treachery to Gran sooner than we think.’
‘Let’s hope so. Perhaps Grandy realized that too, Philip. I don’t doubt her sincerity about leaving the McGill residence to us because we’re McGills, but let’s not forget how shrewd and wily she was.’ Paula could not help smiling. ‘You have to agree that Emma Harte has had the last laugh.’
‘I would call it a loud guffaw,’ Philip replied, chuckling.
Daisy pushed back her chair and came around the table rapidly. She bent over Paula and said, ‘Poor John…he’s being verbally castigated and most unfairly. Mummy’s will was her own doing not his. He’s only the family solicitor. Can’t you put a stop to their disgusting behaviour. The Lowthers and the Ainsleys are getting out of hand.’
‘Perhaps Daddy can say something,’ Paula muttered.
‘No,’ Daisy answered firmly. ‘Emma Harte made you the head of the family. It’s your responsibility, darling. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.’
Paula nodded and stood up. ‘Please, everybody, do be quiet for a moment.’
Her natural reserve made it difficult for Paula to assert herself in a large group such as this, but when none of the rowdy troublemakers paid any attention to her, she leaned forward and banged her clenched fist on the table. She exclaimed fiercely, ‘Shut up! All of you! And sit down!’
The Ainsleys and the Lowthers looked at her with antipathy, and although they did not budge from their positions around John Crawford’s chair, they did stop quarrelling amongst themselves.
‘Thank you,’ Paula said, more evenly, but her voice reflected her icy eyes. She drew herself up to her full height and her inbred hauteur and imperiousness reached out to momentarily stun them all.