Part 7 (1/2)
”I did, Uncle Nick.”
He dropped back with a faint sigh.
”Then it will be all right--Steve. I was afraid--that I might have--but I meant it for the best--it will come right Doc Rand says--things will come right--marvelously--unbelievably--right!”
His voice trailed off into silence. The lines of pain and weakness in his face disappeared as though a soothing hand had been laid upon them.
The curtains at the open window stirred for a moment and then were still.
CHAPTER VI
Caleb Lawson paused in the reading of the will of Nicholas Fairfax to peer over his half-moon spectacles. His pursed lips made a red, bulbous blot on his pale face as he regarded the three persons in the library at the Manor. Outside an ice-tipped vine struck with a ghostly tap! tap!
tap! against the diamond-paned window. Geraldine sat beside Peter Courtlandt. Stephen stood with his back to the fireplace. The sunlight which streamed in at the window touched the girl's hair and transformed it into a crown of bronze with curious red and gold lights. The lawyer's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he cleared his throat with a force which sent a premonitory thrill down the spines of his hearers and resumed the reading of the bulky doc.u.ment he held.
”'Lastly, all the rest, residue and remainder of the property both real and personal of which I may be possessed or to which I may be ent.i.tled at my decease, I give and devise to my nephew Stephen Courtlandt, to him and his heirs forever, on condition, however, that he take possession and management of my ranch in the State of Wyoming not later than three months after my decease and live there one year with his wife Geraldine Glamorgan Courtlandt. And on the further condition that his said wife, during said year, shall refuse to receive income from the fund her father has provided for her, and shall dispose of all securities and money she may have. If my nephew Stephen Courtlandt or his wife, Geraldine Glamorgan Courtlandt, fail to fulfil any one of these conditions said property shall be divided as follows:'”
The lawyer laid down his papers and looked over the edge of his spectacles at Stephen Courtlandt.
”There is no need of my reading that long list of beneficiaries until I know your decision, Stephen. If your father will take me to his study we'll leave you and Mrs. Courtlandt to talk it over.”
”You may proceed with the reading. I refuse to accede to the conditions,” Steve announced with grim lips.
”Steve,” his father protested, ”think it over before you say that.” He looked imploringly at the girl beside him but her eyes were fixed on the interlacing fingers which lay pa.s.sively on the lap of her black gown.
”Talk with him, Jerry. Don't let him fling this away recklessly,” he pleaded. ”Come, Lawson, we'll leave the young people to thresh this thing out.”
He followed the lawyer from the room and closed the door. Stephen poked viciously at the coals in the fireplace till a fountain of sparks sputtered up the chimney. Then he backed up against the mantel and with a face from which every drop of color had drained, looked down at the bent head of the girl he had married. He laughed shortly.
”Old Nick had a genius for messing things up, hadn't he? When I heard the first clause of that will, which related to me, even when the condition followed that I was to live on the ranch for a year--nothing but a mad sense of freedom thrilled me. I would be my own man once more, rich enough to pay back to your father every cursed cent he had loaned on the Courtlandt property and then have a living income. I could----”
His eyes burned, the veins stood out on his forehead. Jerry realized for the first time the sacrifice of pride and happiness he had made for his family name. She finished the sentence for him:
”You could have your marriage annulled.”
He looked at her steadily.
”That did not enter into my plan. Why, oh why, did Uncle Nick have to wreck the whole thing by involving you? I wouldn't take you if you would go. You married me for what I could give you socially. A lot I could give you out there in the wilderness.”
”Nevertheless, I shall go with you.”
”What! Why, by your own confession you would starve for people in a wilderness.”
”Do you want this fortune?”
”More than I ever wanted anything--except one--in my life.”
Jerry whitened at his amendment.
”I suppose that one thing was Felice. In spite of that I shall go with you. I shall fulfil my part of the conditions and after you have fulfilled yours then--then we'll consider.”