Free The Woman From Paris by Santa Montefiore

by your son David, who will inherit it upon your death.” There was no surprise about that. Everyone nodded their agreement. “No. 5 Eaton Place shall remain yours, Lady Frampton, until Joshua inherits it upon your death. He leaves Chalet Marmot in Murenburg to Thomas.”
    Tom registered Roberta’s displeasure and smiled at her across the table. “Why would you want Chalet Marmot, Roberta, when you and Josh never go there?”
    Roberta blushed. “You’re quite wrong, Tom. It’s right that you should have it,” she said in a tight voice, disguising her jealousy. “Josh and I have so many friends in Gstaad, it would be wasted on us.”
    Julius cleared his throat and continued. “Now, he has left his share portfolio to you, Lady Frampton, with the wish that it should be distributed evenly among his three children in the event of your death.”
    “What about Phaedra?” Roberta gasped. “I thought she was his daughter? Doesn’t she get a share?”
    Julius ignored Roberta; only the subtle raising of one eyebrow betrayed his irritation. “Until that time, he leaves a considerable annuity to all three of his children.”
    “All three children!” Roberta echoed. “Surely he had four children?” She turned to Joshua. “Why, if he went to the trouble of changing his will, did he not give his daughter equal status to his sons?”
    Joshua lowered his voice. “I don’t know, darling. Let’s just listen to the rest of the will.”
    Julius pushed on. “A yearly income of the net sum of five hundred and fifty thousand pounds. To Miss Chancellor he leaves a yearly income of the same.”
    Roberta was too shocked that George had settled the same amount of money on his illegitimate daughter to absorb the fact that she hadjust inherited a fortune. “Has he provided for his granddaughter? What about the Frampton Sapphires? George made it very clear at Amber’s christening that he was going to leave them to us.”
    “No, darling, Dad said he looked forward to seeing Amber wear them on her twenty-first birthday.”
    “The same thing,” Roberta hissed.
    “I was just coming to that,” Julius replied testily. “Lord Frampton has left the Frampton Sapphires to Miss Chancellor.”
    A shocked silence fell upon the room. Roberta’s eyes filled with tears of indignation. Joshua looked uncomfortable. David and Tom raised eyebrows, while Antoinette seemed to crumple beneath the weight of her daughter-in-law’s disappointment. Rosamunde took a shortbread biscuit.
    Julius inhaled importantly. “We both felt that, as Lord Frampton had only one granddaughter at the time of making his will, he should provide for his wife and children only, leaving you to provide for your own children.”
    “I think he has been generous enough,” Antoinette muttered.
    “Extremely generous,” Rosamunde echoed.
    “I just can’t believe he has given Phaedra the Sapphires,” Roberta wailed. “They were meant to be ours.” She turned to her husband. “Joshua, your father specifically said he’d leave them to you.”
    Joshua looked uncomfortable. “Dad changed his mind, obviously. There is precious little we can do about it.”
    Roberta sat back in her chair with a huff and folded her arms.
    “Shall we continue?” said Julius, clearing his throat and turning the page with deliberation.
    “Yes, please, Mr. Beecher,” Antoinette replied, embarrassed.
    “Right, now where was I . . . ?”
    Half an hour later Julius sped off in his BMW, but not before Bertie had cocked his leg on one of the tires. Antoinette watched Julius go and hugged her body as a cold wind swept up the steps to chill her. She felt deeply disappointed that Phaedra hadn’t turned up. She wanted to telephone her personally to tell her that George had provided for her in the same way as he had provided for his sons. Shepaced the steps awhile, deliberating what to do. If Phaedra hadn’t appeared for the reading of the will, what were the chances of her coming to stay the