Caveat Lector

Presenting another AU Matthew. Instead of a sensitive new age guy the Matthew in this story is self confident, some might say cocky, although your author prefers brash.

Due to severe budgetary constraints a large number of the canon characters have had their contracts terminated. This has been handled tastefully and entirely off page. There will be no camera shots of characters in extremis.

Depending upon how you view the universe you may detect certain elements of the supernatural. There may be perfectly logical explanations for what happens. There may not be. An open mind is advised.

As always obeisance is rendered to Lord Fellowes.

Thanks to downtonlove for the nudge. And now...

Curse of the Broken Entail

Friday, August 16, 1912

Manchester

The law offices of Morecombe, Slant and Honeyplace

"Tell me Mr. Murray, what brings a senior London solicitor on a visit to Manchester on a hot summer Friday to see a junior solicitor?" Matthew smiled at his visitor.

"I act as solicitor to the fifth Earl of Grantham. Perhaps you are familiar with him?"

"I'm afraid not."

"My client's estate is entailed to the next closest direct lineal male descendent of the second Earl. Unfortunately my client only has daughters, three in all, and it is unlikely that he will produce a son as his wife is getting on in age. The next males in line were my client's cousin and the cousin's son; unfortunately they both perished on the Titanic. Consequently the estate is slated to devolve upon a distant relative of the Earl's, his second cousin once removed. To forestall this the Earl will be pursuing a private Act of Parliament to break the entail"

"That is all very interesting but how is it of concern to me? Is one of my clients the presumptive heir?"

"Perhaps I should have mentioned that my client's family name is Crawley"

Matthew blinked. He stared at Murray. "I am the second cousin once removed?"

"Yes"

Matthew blinked again. After a long minute he asked "So why exactly are you here today?"

"My client is an honourable man. He is not prepared to take away your inheritance without giving you a fair chance to contest it. He has authorized me to answer any questions you might have concerning the estate" Here Murray took out a rather thick envelope out of his briefcase and slid it towards to Matthew. "This is a summary of the assets of the estate."

Matthew stared at the envelope. He slid it back to Murray. "Let us stipulate the estate is wealthy enough to send you here today." He got up and walked to the window and stared out at the street below. He turned back to Murray.

"How old is the Earl?"

"Fifty three"

"Is he in good health?"

"Yes, I would say so. I am not aware that he has any health problems."

"How did his father die?"

"He was thrown from his horse during a hunt. He was in his early seventies, seventy one or two I believe."

"And his mother?"

"She is still alive and in good health given her age which would be somewhere in the mid seventies. She is quite sharp mentally, you do not want to ever cross swords with her."

"So the Earl can look forward to a long life"

"All things being even I would think so"

Matthew looked out the window again. Twenty or thirty years he thought, he'd be an old man himself. He turned back to Murray. "You have read Bleak House?"

Murray smiled "What solicitor does not dream of taking on a file like that of the Jarndyce Estate? Your fortune would be made."

"I was thinking of Richard Carstone who frittered away his life waiting for an inheritance which never did materialize." Matthew sat down at his desk. "I have one last question" he said and paused.

"Yes?"

"When did the Earl decide to break the entail, before or after he knew I was the presumptive heir?"

Murray was taken aback. He had anticipated all sorts of questions and had prepared answers to all. But not this one. He looked at the young Crawley. He would prefer to sugarcoat his answer, but the Earl had instructed him to be candid. "After"

"Tried and found wanting eh?" Matthew took a legal pad out of a desk drawer and uncapped his fountain pen. "I consent to the breaking of the entail on one condition..."

"Which is?"

"That neither the Earl nor any of his family or associates shall ever communicate with me or my family or associates in any way."

"But if need be..."

"I see no reason that there would be but if it should become necessary to communicate with me then it shall only be done through you or your successor solicitor."

"Fair enough but once the entail has been broken what is to stop any of them from ..."

Matthew smiled at Murray. "My mother is a well known witch in Weatherfield. I will have her put a curse on the House of Grantham such that if any of its members attempt to communicate with me the estate will revert to me."

"That might work better than proceeding through the Chancery Division" Murray laughed at Matthew's joke. He considered the young man, he was joking wasn't he?

"Now let us draft the Consent" and Matthew started to write.