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Daphne sighed. “I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
“You are, but it is all right. You have never been one to embrace change with an eager heart.”
“That is true,” she replied.
Shifting in her chair, her grandmother said, “I have been meaning to speak to you about something.”
“Can it wait until after the wedding?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Daphne walked over to the settee at the foot of the bed and sat down. “What do you wish to discuss?”
Her grandmother grew solemn, which was a stark contrast to her usual demeanor. “I am most concerned about your future, especially once I pass.”
Daphne stiffened. “I do not wish to think about that.” She didn’t know what she would do without her grandmother in her life.
“I know, but it is inevitable,” her grandmother pressed. “I have immensely enjoyed having you reside with me these past ten years.”
“As have I.”
Her grandmother’s eyes crinkled around the edges as she spoke. “Which is why I have asked my solicitor to modify my will.”
“For what purpose?”
“Your cousin, Phineas, is not making good choices, and I fear that once I am gone, he will not care for you as he should,” her grandmother explained. “That is why I have decided to make you my heir, and only leave him a small portion.”
Daphne let out a puff of air. “You have?”
“Yes,” her grandmother replied. “When I pass away, you will inherit a tidy sum of one hundred thousand pounds and this estate.”
Daphne’s eyes grew wide. “I will be an heiress.”
“You will be, and I am confident that you will use the money for good,” her grandmother said. “If Phineas inherited my estate, I worry that he would waste it on gambling or other despicable practices.”
“Have you informed Phineas of what you intend to do?”
“I sent him a letter last week regarding my intentions, but it is already done,” her grandmother replied. “The solicitor has updated my will, and it has been filed with the church probate court.”
Daphne stared at her grandmother. “I do not know what to say.”
Her grandmother smiled tenderly at her. “I could not be more proud of you,” she said. “I want to ensure you have the future that you deserve to have, and I do not want you to lack for anything.”
“Thank you, Grandmother,” Daphne replied, hoping her words conveyed the gratitude that she felt.
“You are most kindly welcome, but I should warn you that with this money comes a great responsibility.”
“How so?”
“You are responsible for many people and their livelihoods,” her grandmother said. “I am hoping you can start working with Mr. Bradshaw. He is a good man, and an even better steward. I have asked him to start easing you into your new role as my heir.”
“Is that truly necessary? I’m sure you will live for many more years.”
“That is my hope, but I am in fact getting older and slower,” her grandmother said. “I am unable to travel around the estate as I once did.”
“You are still young.”
“Only in your eyes, I’m afraid,” her grandmother joked. “To the world, I am just an old woman.”
