Hopvine Cottage

Augustus Henshawe read the sealed provisions. "Mphm. I, Jeremy Netherwood, do recognize and affirm Lucy Longbottom, daughter of Margaret Longbottom, as my natural child, first begetting upon woman of my manhood's potency."

To Lucy, Edmund looked wearied at the tone of his father's provision, but not shocked by its content. Clarissa, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed at Lucy as if an inconsequential garden toad had been magnified into a green, warty princess who demanded her homage.

Augustus Henshawe cleared his throat and continued Lord Jeremy's testament. "If my heirs here present contemplate any challenge to her paternity, let it be known to Edmund that documents concerning the Barkentine Road affair are in the hands of my solicitor's office, and I have directed them to be used as he sees fit to discourage a move against Lucy's position, her person, or her womanhood."

Edmund paled, and he looked sharply at Augustus Henshawe, but did not speak.

"To Clarissa, similarly, the sworn statements of the witnesses to the incident at the Highcastle Club are in my solicitor's hands."

Clarissa shrank into her seat and clutched her necklace. Edmund looked over at his wife, blinking in confusion.

Lucy was cheered at Clarissa and Edmund's dismay, but it seemed to her that Jeremy was painting himself as quite the blackmailer, and of his own family at that. She wondered if his bequest to her might simply be the bait on some sort of hook.

Augustus Henshawe spoke for himself. "There are similar directives to others not here present. Ahem." He continued with Lord Jeremy's words. "Therefore do I bequeath to my daughter Lucy Longbottom the tenure of Hopvine Cottage, the beloved retreat of my wife Catherine, and also the locus of my carnal knowledge of Miss Margaret Longbottom in repeated acts of coitus which engendered upon her my daughter Lucy."

Lucy's ears felt hot at Lord Jeremy's crude directness.

Edmund started to laugh, but caught himself short when all eyes turned to him. He nodded, and the solicitor continued.

"...And do I grant its legacy to her estate. Furthermore, I bequeath her the sum of..."