Chapter 10

Weaving the threads

Janice Fraser had always known that her grandfather, Mr Fraser, had been factor to the Earl of Kentisbury. That long-lived Earl, Geoffrey Kane, had been the present Earl's father, but Janice and the Earl had never discussed her grandfather. The current Earl himself seemed unaware of Janice's connection to the former factor of Vairy Castle, and it was certainly not known to Rosamund, his Countess. The connection was by employment only, not family. It was quite possible that Earl had never met his father's Vairy factor. Neither Geoffrey nor Rosamund had ever suspected that there might be a family connection to link their Australian visitor, Jandy Mac, to the Kane family.

Jandy's sudden return to Samoa during her visit, six years ago, due to her husband's new appointment, meant that a planned visit to Scotland, where she might have met young Christina Rosalin Macdonald, her first cousin, was postponed, and thus that chance to understand the family connection with the Kane family was lost.

"Now, let's try to unravel this mystery," said Janice, after they had all enjoyed tea and cakes. "I wonder how it was that I didn't meet your father, Rosalin, when I came to Vairy back before I married, when I was still Janice Macdonald."

"Father and Mother lived away over on another loch," said Rosalin, "with Aunty Effie. Unless he knew you were coming, there would have been no reason for you to meet."

"The visit was really to my Fraser family," agreed Janice. "Do you think your father knew my grandparents? Grandfather Fraser was the factor to the old Earl."

"I am sure he would have known of him. And there were the Misses Fraser, who were nurses in the district. Everyone knew and admired them," said Rosalin cautiously. Factors were not always popular people in small Scottish villages, for their job was to protect the lands and buildings of the distant owners, sometimes to the detriment of small landholders in the vicinity.

"The Misses Fraser were my other aunts," said Janice. "I did meet them all when I visited with Aunt Mary. My Mother was their sister."

"They were lovely people, so generous and kind to everyone. I think by the time you visited, there may have been no-one living in Vairy Castle. The old Earl rarely visited the castle," explained Rosalin. "Until Great Aunt Rosabel came to live there, Vairy castle was mostly empty."

"Tell me about Great Aunt Rosabel, please?" said Janice. "I suppose we must be related to her as well as you? How strange that we are using the names of two of the Kentisbury twins to talk about our – my – relations!"

"Lady Rosabel Kane was the aunt of the present Earl, Uncle Geoffrey, until her recent death," explained Rosalin.

"Did she ever marry?" asked Janice.

"No," said Rosalin. "She was to be married, but her fiancé Victor was killed in a duel! He was French. She was invited to live in Vairy Castle for the last five years of her life by her brother, the old Earl. She was ninety when she died. Aunt Kirsty Macdonald cared for her and was her best friend."

"Do you know about Patricia Kane's emerald jewelled collar?" asked Roger, in an aside to Janice. "It was given to Lady Rosabel by her father, as a wedding present, but she never got to wear it as a bride."

"Oh yes," said Janice. "Rosamund told me how lovely Patricia looks when she wears it, with her bright red hair."

"Who was Aunt Kirsty Macdonald?" said Joan, much puzzled by all the various strands of the family. Roger and Len laughed, having both struggled to follow the genealogical puzzles. Roger knew rather more, though, than he was letting on.

"Aunt Kirsty – really Great-aunt Kirsty - was our Grandfather Macdonald's sister. Aunt Kirsty was aunt to our fathers and to Aunt Effie! And our great-aunt," said Christina Rosalin succinctly.

"I love the way you say 'our fathers'," said Janice. "It makes me understand that they really were brothers, and we really are cousins. But I still don't understand about Great Aunt Rosabel."

"I hope I can explain it," said Rosalin, "but you may also need to talk to Uncle Geoffrey."

"The Earl Jeffrey married twice," continued Rosalin. "His first wife was Phemie Macdonald, from Vairy. He told her that he was not the Earl, but rather the Earl's cousin, to convince her to marry him. You see, she never wanted to be a Countess. She died giving birth to our grandmother, Rosalin," said Phemie's great grand-daughter Rosalin.

"Poor Phemie," said Janice.

"That early Earl was named Jeffery, with a J. He was our great grandfather, and he married again quite quickly. He and his new rich wife Sarah had two sons and a daughter," continued Rosalin. "The two sons were the one we call the "old Earl", and Aunt Rosamund's grandfather, Hugh Kane. Their sister was Great Aunt Rosabel."

"For a while, there was a concern that the Lord Kentisbury's title might have to go to Bill Kane," said Roger. "Did you know that? The Earl Jeffery-with-a-J had a brother, Bill's great grandfather. When Roddy came along, that stopped the succession going to Bill. He was very relieved," laughed Roger reminiscently.

"Ah I understand," said Janice. "And Bill has married Patricia, and they have the twin boy and girl, Roger and Rosella."

Joan looked at Roger with interest. "Was the little Roger named for you?"

"Yes," said Roger. "I know Bill and Patricia very well. We were friends as children, and with young Geoff, the Earl who died so young. And Tansy at the Castle."

There was a pause while everyone enjoyed another round of tea and cakes. So much information to digest was hard work.

But Janice and Joan were determined to understand the full story, and while Roger and Len took a turn around the garden, Rosalin resumed her story.

"Phemie's daughter, Rosalin Kane – Lady Rosalin Kane - married another Macdonald from Vairy, and had three sons, and a daughter – the sons were our two fathers, and their brother Jeffery Macdonald in Canada. The daughter was Aunt Effie. I don't think any of them ever met the old Earl."

"The old Earl is the next part of the story. He had three sons as well!"

"Three sons in three families!" exclaimed Janice. "I am glad Geoffrey and Rosamund have kept up that tradition with Hugh, Geoffrey and Peter."

"I hadn't thought of that," said Rosalin, amused. "Of the old Earl's three sons, the oldest married, and had a son and daughter. He was an airman and died in the war. His son became the next Earl, 'the little earl' - but he was killed in a motorcycle crash when he was sixteen."

"That was young Geoff!" exclaimed Janice. This part of the history was well known to her, for by that death had Rosamund become Countess, on marrying her Geoffrey.

"The second son also died, a week after his nephew, young Geoff, so he was Earl for a week. He had four daughters – whom you know."

"The Ladies Rosalind, Virginia, Amanda and Araminta," added Janice, nodding.

"Yes," said Rosalin, "and the youngest son, Uncle Geoffrey, was an invalid, until his marriage to Aunt Rosamund, his distant cousin." She finished triumphantly, having, she hoped, successfully woven together the threads that made up this complex family tapestry.

"I think I understand it all now. Sisters, brothers, four generations. How fascinating, and how wonderful to be a small part of such a large family. But let me see if I can work out how are you related to Lord Kentisbury," said Janice slowly. "Phemie's daughter Rosalin, our grandmother, must have been Geoffrey's aunt, because his father, the old Earl, as you call him, was her half-brother. So Rosalin's children, our fathers and Effie, are Geoffrey's cousins. Does that sound right?"

"That's right," said Rosalin. "I call him Uncle, but he is really my father's cousin. And your father's cousin too," she added mischievously, wondering how Janice would react to this piece of the puzzle.

"I remember," said Joan, "that the Countess introduced you as Lord Kentisbury's cousin, and said that she was glad you didn't call her Aunt!"

"Rosamund is not my aunt," said Rosalin earnestly. "You, Mrs Janice Fraser, are my first cousin. Rosamund is our second cousin, and Lord Kentisbury is a first cousin, once removed. Their children are my – our - second cousins, once removed."

"Well that is a relief, and a delight," breathed Janice. "But Second Cousin Rosamund! Now that is a shock for us all."

"Especially the Countess Cousin Rosamund, I should think," laughed Len, returning with Roger pushing his invalid chair as this piece of news was announced. "How on earth will you break the news to her?"

"It was harder wondering how to break the news to all of you," confessed Rosalin. "I suppose I wasn't sure if you would be pleased."

"Rosalin, dear," said Janice, loving feeling in every word and look, "you have given me such a great gift today. I will remember this day at the Herb Garden forever."

"And I have found more family than I ever dreamed I had," said Rosalin. "Shall I tell Lady Quellyn our story yet?"

"May we keep it a secret just a little longer?" asked Janice. "I would like to write to Alec to know our story before we let all our friends know. I've been an adopted cousin for fifteen years… a few more days won't make any difference. Perhaps we can think of a way to announce this to everyone."

"I'm not sure if I can keep it from Cousin Rosamund and Cousin Geoffrey," said Rosalin slowly. "They will be sure to see that something has changed."

"Aren't they going away for a week to London?" said Roger. "That gives us a little time."

Rosalin looked at her husband gratefully. His use of the word 'us' showed her that he saw these revelations as something they would tackle together. Both of them were thinking that there was yet another thread to be woven into this story, a thread of the colour of garnets.

"What are you views on the situation in Germany?" said Len, effectively taking the afternoon's discussion on a new course.