Free Moorcroft - the Possession: Book One of the Moorcroft Trilogy by Sandra Callister Page B

estate to run, but will he listen? I’m going for a ride to clear my head before I do something I will later regret. I’m sorry Mother.”
    With that he was out of the door heading for the stables. Emily sighed and hung up her coat. She was getting too old to referee these arguments. As she entered the hall she saw Charles leaving the study. He looked at her, shrugged his shoulders and shook his head and made his way to the dining room.
    Emily stood holding the door knob of the study and took a deep breath before she entered. John was slumped in his chair, his head held in his hands, with a glass of whisky on the table by his side. He didn’t look up when she entered. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder. His gaunt look as he looked up shocked her.
    He held her hand to his face. “I can’t carry on fighting with our son. He wants to modernise, update things. What’s wrong with the way we do thing’s, it’s been the same for years and we’ve always managed. Now he wants to sell one of the farms to pay for some fandangle equipment for the horses. For me that’s the beginning of the end.”
    Emily sat opposite John and looked into his eyes. “John, my darling, don’t you think it’s time you let go of the reigns and let Richard and Charles run the estate? You said yourself what a good job they were doing. Leave them to it and retire, spend more time with me.”
    John looked surprised. “But, Emily, this is my life. I enjoy meeting the other farmers and talking to them and their families, watching their children grow up. Without that what do I have left?”
    “John, you can still visit the tenants, but leave the running to Richard. You know what a temper he has. One of these days one of you will have a heart attack and I’m afraid it might be you and what would I do then?”
    John looked up to his wife and could see the worried look on her face. “Perhaps you’re right. You are a wise old dear. What would I do without you?”
    “Hey, less of the old.” Together they laughed.
     
    The atmosphere in the house became unbearable. John would walk out of a room when Richard entered and Richard would throw his arms in the air. Charles and the girls just looked embarrassed. Emily knew something had to be done and she decided to talk to Charles. Walking into the dining room with a tray of coffee she found Charles with his head down over a pile of papers.
    “You look like you could do with a break.” He sat back with a sigh and greeted her.
    “I’m trying to sort out these books, but I’m sorry to say your husband does not keep very good accounts.”
    “Charles take a minute, I need to talk to you.”
    They both sat at the table with a cup of coffee in their hands and looked at each other. Charles knew what was on her mind, but decided to let her start the conversation.
    “Charles I need your advice. What am I going to do about this silly feud between John and Richard?”
    “I thought that was what you wanted to talk about. Can I speak plainly?”
    Emily nodded.
    “Richard is hot headed, always has been as long as I’ve known him, but he has a good business head on him. He wants to bring things up to date on the estate and he’s asked me to look at the books and see how things stand. John, on the other hand, is living in the good old days. Things are plodding on nicely and probably would for another few years but things get worn out and need replacing, more efficient and new methods of farming are taking over.” Charles gave a big sigh.
    Emily looked at him. “I feel a but coming on.”
    He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’ve gone over these figures three times and things are not looking good. John is too nice for his own good. He lets the tenants off with all kinds of things and its only just coming to light.”
    “What kind of things are we talking about?”
    “Well, for instance, Tom Clague from Upper Farm hasn’t paid his rent for four months. When I asked John about it