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Authors: Grace Thompson
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leave.
‘No, please stay, all of you,’ Cecily and Ada pleaded.
The two sisters-in-law, Dorothy and Rhonwen, sat together with their children huddled near them. In their different way they had prepared themselves for what was to come, Rhonwen with little interest, and Dorothy smiling in confidence. Cecily felt a shiver of apprehension.
‘Shall we begin, Mr Grainger?’ Ada asked the thin, elderly solicitor. Cecily looked at her sister then down at her hands. What would they say when they knew?
‘Would you prefer that I go?’ Waldo asked. As he was not a relative he had no right to be present at the reading of the will. But he and Melanie were their closest friends and they were asked again to stay.
Mr Grainger stood up, producing a fold of papers. He placed them onthe piano, straightened his wire-framed glasses and coughed to gain attention .
‘On this sad day,’ he began, ‘it is my duty to bring to your notice the will and last wishes of my dear friend, Owen Owen, who had lived in this house since his birth. As the vicar said in his sermon “he wearied of life and God took him for rest”.’
‘It was an accident not a disease,’ Johnny muttered.
‘But God’s will,’ the solicitor admonished gently. ‘God’s will.’
‘What happens now?’ Dorothy asked.
‘You have helped Cecily and Ada through the difficult weeks since Mrs Owen … er left us,’ he went on. ‘Family meetings to discuss every change in the running of the shop have been an enormous help to the sisters left holding the reins, as it were, of the family business. Now, with the death of their father, things must change.’
‘Right too,’ Uncle Ben’s booming voice agreed. ‘Can’t expect two young women to handle a shop like this on their own.’ His voice was deep and slow and with an air of importance that hinted at his solo work with the choir.
‘On the contrary,’ Mr Grainger replied. He swallowed nervously glancing around at the faces staring at him and felt a strong urge to throw the papers in the air and run for it. ‘On the contrary,’ he said, looking at Dorothy in terror. ‘The two sisters are to be in sole possession of the shop, house and the business.’
‘Sole possession? You mean a temporary responsibility, surely?’ She yanked her fat son to his feet. ‘I’m the widow of Victor, the eldest son. My son should be the one to inherit. Owen Owen he’s called, named for his grandfather. The shop is his by right!’
Voices murmured then rose as opinions varied. The room was soon humming with attacks, counter attacks and general disapproval. Only Cecily and Ada sat in silence, not even defending themselves against the abuse that came their way. It was Waldo who succeeded in silencing the irate family. He stood up and thumped a few chords on the piano.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, let’s have some hush, shall we?’ Uncle Ben helped by using the same words, only singing them in a voice so powerful it all but deafened those sitting close to him.
‘It was Owen Owen’s wish,’ the solicitor continued after rubbing his ear, ‘his wish, that his daughters, Cecily and Ada, should jointly own all he had to leave with the exception of a few personal items which I will now list.’ He read to a silent room a list of the man’s treasures: a stamp collection, a couple of watches, walking sticks, his bicycle. There was something for every member of the family but the gifts did not please.
In the discussion that followed, Cecily saw Dorothy’s shy daughter slip out and run down the stairs. Dorothy was too involved in protests on behalf of her son to notice her daughter’s disappearance.
Dorothy insisted, and threatened, and warned that she would go to the law if necessary to regain her son’s inheritance.
‘Mrs Owen, I represent the law,’ Mr Grainger said mildly. ‘I can tell you there is nothing wrong with the will, and no ambiguity about Mr Owen’s intentions. We discussed it just a few weeks ago to make
‘No, please stay, all of you,’ Cecily and Ada pleaded.
The two sisters-in-law, Dorothy and Rhonwen, sat together with their children huddled near them. In their different way they had prepared themselves for what was to come, Rhonwen with little interest, and Dorothy smiling in confidence. Cecily felt a shiver of apprehension.
‘Shall we begin, Mr Grainger?’ Ada asked the thin, elderly solicitor. Cecily looked at her sister then down at her hands. What would they say when they knew?
‘Would you prefer that I go?’ Waldo asked. As he was not a relative he had no right to be present at the reading of the will. But he and Melanie were their closest friends and they were asked again to stay.
Mr Grainger stood up, producing a fold of papers. He placed them onthe piano, straightened his wire-framed glasses and coughed to gain attention .
‘On this sad day,’ he began, ‘it is my duty to bring to your notice the will and last wishes of my dear friend, Owen Owen, who had lived in this house since his birth. As the vicar said in his sermon “he wearied of life and God took him for rest”.’
‘It was an accident not a disease,’ Johnny muttered.
‘But God’s will,’ the solicitor admonished gently. ‘God’s will.’
‘What happens now?’ Dorothy asked.
‘You have helped Cecily and Ada through the difficult weeks since Mrs Owen … er left us,’ he went on. ‘Family meetings to discuss every change in the running of the shop have been an enormous help to the sisters left holding the reins, as it were, of the family business. Now, with the death of their father, things must change.’
‘Right too,’ Uncle Ben’s booming voice agreed. ‘Can’t expect two young women to handle a shop like this on their own.’ His voice was deep and slow and with an air of importance that hinted at his solo work with the choir.
‘On the contrary,’ Mr Grainger replied. He swallowed nervously glancing around at the faces staring at him and felt a strong urge to throw the papers in the air and run for it. ‘On the contrary,’ he said, looking at Dorothy in terror. ‘The two sisters are to be in sole possession of the shop, house and the business.’
‘Sole possession? You mean a temporary responsibility, surely?’ She yanked her fat son to his feet. ‘I’m the widow of Victor, the eldest son. My son should be the one to inherit. Owen Owen he’s called, named for his grandfather. The shop is his by right!’
Voices murmured then rose as opinions varied. The room was soon humming with attacks, counter attacks and general disapproval. Only Cecily and Ada sat in silence, not even defending themselves against the abuse that came their way. It was Waldo who succeeded in silencing the irate family. He stood up and thumped a few chords on the piano.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, let’s have some hush, shall we?’ Uncle Ben helped by using the same words, only singing them in a voice so powerful it all but deafened those sitting close to him.
‘It was Owen Owen’s wish,’ the solicitor continued after rubbing his ear, ‘his wish, that his daughters, Cecily and Ada, should jointly own all he had to leave with the exception of a few personal items which I will now list.’ He read to a silent room a list of the man’s treasures: a stamp collection, a couple of watches, walking sticks, his bicycle. There was something for every member of the family but the gifts did not please.
In the discussion that followed, Cecily saw Dorothy’s shy daughter slip out and run down the stairs. Dorothy was too involved in protests on behalf of her son to notice her daughter’s disappearance.
Dorothy insisted, and threatened, and warned that she would go to the law if necessary to regain her son’s inheritance.
‘Mrs Owen, I represent the law,’ Mr Grainger said mildly. ‘I can tell you there is nothing wrong with the will, and no ambiguity about Mr Owen’s intentions. We discussed it just a few weeks ago to make
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