7

Ianto had considered for some time before relenting and letting her in, now his mother sat uncomfortably as Alice examined her.

"I know you" the little girl said slowly, "I have seen you before. You were with the rude man."

"Alice. This is your…" Ianto stumbled, frowned and then recovered, "My mother."

Alice caught the change of pace and canted her head, frowning deeper, "Why is she here?"

"Darling, it is rude to speak of someone like they are not in the room" Ianto reminded and she nodded.

"Sorry Taddy" she responded then turned to the woman who she was not to call Grandmother then, "Why are you here?"

Ianto held back the scolding that was bubbling in his throat, then realised it was a giggle.

"Yes mother, why are you here?" he asked, motioning for Alice to give her some room and the child sat primly at Ianto's feet, one hand on his shoe to show ownership, just in case she needed to know such things.

Caden wandered into the room, "Hi Tadda, Hi Sissy, Hi lady."

"Hello Caden, Hello Willy, Hello toy Willy" Ianto responded calmly without blinking as Caden shoved the toy into his father's face to make sure he knew he had both real and fake ones. Willy clicked happily on his friend's shoulder as Ianto's mother's eyes widened with horror.

"Who da lady?"

"Taddy's mother and apparently it is rude to speak of someone like they are not in front of you." Alice replied.

"Huh." He turned to face her, "Then wot you want lady?"

"My children have freedom of speech on my house" Ianto said calmly, "I try not to muzzle them too much, as you can see they are clever."

Willy waved an antenna, so Ianto spoke for him "And Willy is cool."

Willy nodded happily.

Caden looked back over his shoulder lovingly at his Taddy for remembering his friend who was touchy about being overlooked due to his wee size. He sort of reminded Ianto of Owen in a weird kind of way.

"I did not come to argue with you, I wanted to see you" she said softly.

"So he doesn't know you are here" Ianto surmised.

"Who he?"

"Caden, please form better sentences" Ianto scolded, unable to hold back any more, "You say 'Who is he', not 'who he' please."

"OK" Caden shrugged as he looked at his sister.

I think 'He' is the shouty man" she stage whispered and Caden rolled his eyes, sitting to play bug fights with the Willys.

Ianto sighed.

"Ianto, I don't like going behind your father's back, you know that. I have suffered for that and I know I can never make amends for the things he has done" she began "I am afraid of him, always was."

Ianto waited.

"When my mother died, she left some things to you." She wrung her hands "You were so young, your father was the executor and he said he would take care of everything for you until you were of age. But as soon as you came of age…he…"

"Threw me out" Ianto said angrily, "All this time. Are you telling me all this time he has held something G'ma gave me?"

"Oh dear" she said as she looked ready to run from the room.

"Mother just tell me" Ianto sighed.

"The house, land and printing business were all left to you" she blurted, "Jewellery and other things too. All this time he's been terrified you would find out and ask where all the profits from the printing firm are, you would find out he has been keeping his mistress in the Penthouse in New New York that is yours as well, oh dear, I shouldn't be telling you…he will be so angry. But I see you and I know…I know my mother would be so disappointed in me for not standing up for you, you were her favourite of all the children. Oh Ianto love, I have been so afraid of that man my entire life. I am so sorry."

Ianto rapped his fingers on the arm of the chair as he considered what she had been saying, "Two homes? The estate as well as a penthouse?"

"Well" she looked furtive again and he frowned.

"How many properties did she leave me?" he demanded, his hackles rising now.

"She also left you the ancestral home, the one out on the country that is unkept and overgrown. Oh dear, it has been I our family for centuries, I don't think it is worth anything now" she sighed sadly, "Once upon a time it was quite the status symbol."

Ianto canted his head as his mind flicked through possibilities and he frowned, "Balmoral?"

"Yes dear" she nodded, "The country estate is yours as well."

"Balmoral?" Jack said softly from the doorway, "What about that place?"

"Apparently it's mine" Ianto glared at his mother, "I need a copy of my Grandmother's will, I need to see what else my father had been keeping of mine. Thank you mother."

Ianto rose to storm from the room and hesitated, looking back at her with indecision that surprised Jack. He had not seen Ianto torn like this as he stared at her, then he sighed and turned again saying over his shoulder, "You can stay here."

Jack was looking at Ianto's mother and saw the raw relief.

What had he missed?