An Inheritance Chapter Sixty
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
He lays asleep against her chest and she prays he stays that way. Jamie holds tight to her hand as they enter the courtroom. Ian will be joining them after he gets robed. The Duscany’s attorney must be doing the same as they wait on the other side. Mrs. Duscany’s face raises in a sneer when she sees Brian. “Couldn’t you have left your latest bastard with a nanny?”
Claire tightens her hand on Jamie’s. They have agreed that he wouldn’t say a word to them allowing Ian to speak for him. She isn’t subject to the same restrictions.
“Our son is no bastard. I am Mrs. Fraser. Our son is here because I have to feed him. Besides none of Jamie and I’s children are being raised by nannies.”
“You and Jamie’s! Our Geneva’s children aren’t yours.”
She just smiles and turns back to the front of the courthouse. Fortunately, the attorneys enter then. Ian looks at his clients, with a frown. He feels the tension. Claire just continues to smile. Their attorney also frowns at Mrs. Duscany, who stands fuming. Before he can ask, the Crown Judge enters. Everyone raises.
“Mi’ Lord, they hired someone to stalk the Fraser’s.” Ian is saying. “Then they came upon the children at the playground.”
“Don’t we have a right to see our grandchildren?” Mr. Duscany calls out.
“Please Mr. Duscany. You will get your turn.” The judge replies. Then to Ian, “But he has a point. Don’t they have a right to see their grandchildren?”
“Mi’ Lord, if it will only that simple. They removed the children from Mr. Fraser when they were a day old and he didn’t get them back until they were six months. At the previous hearings the Duscany’s proved themselves to be less then attentive grandparents, allowing the children to be raised by nannies.”
“Mr. Murray, a lot of people use nannies.”
“Mi,' Lord, the Duscany’s don’t work and should have been able to spent more then a few minutes a day with the children.”
He turns to their lawyer. He stands. “Mi’ Lord, my clients acknowledge their previous faults and promise to spend the majority of the time the children are with them, with them.”
“With all due respect, their promises aren’t good enough. My clients just don’t trust them with their children.”
“They aren’t theirs. They are just Mr. Fraser’s. Mi’ Lord.”
“Mrs. Fraser has been with the children since they were six months old and is in the process of adopting them.”
The Duscany’s have a hurried conversation with their attorney. “My clients oppose such a move, Mi’ Lord.”
“On what grounds? They have no parental standing in this court?”
“He has a point. It may be distasteful to your clients but, the adoption by Mrs. Fraser of the minor children can’t be stopped by them.”
“Grand, now that is settled, may we return to the matter at hand?”
“Yes Mr. Murray. We can. What would make your clients comfortable with the Duscany’s spending time with and getting to know their grandchildren?”
He turns to Jamie and Claire. “He is going to rule against us. I am sorry. What do you need me to fight for?”
They have discussed this. “Supervision. I don’t want them unsupervised around them.” Jamie says grudgingly. He doesn’t want them with them at all but.
“I will do my best.” He turns back. “My clients request that the visits be supervised. “
“Mi’ Lord, my clients are upstanding members of the community. To have their visits with their own grandchildren supervised..”
“Mr. Fraser is also an upstanding community member and had his own visits with his children supervised. He wasn’t even allowed to take them to his home and introduce them to his family until he was granted custody.”
“Supervision seems prudent. At this time. As the children are fully adjusted to being on Lallybroch and Leoch, I order that the weekly visits be held there. Mrs Fraser?”
“I see that you have transformed Leoch into a B&B. As the children are used to being there, may we use it as a place for visitation?”
She is reluctant to have those people there but, for Willie and Faith.. “Yes Mi’ Lord.”
Their attorney speaks out. “As they are meeting their grandchildren on the Fraser’s property, may we suggest that the children’s aunt and the Duscany’s daughter, Isobel be the person who supervises?”
The judge turns towards Ian. He is in conference with his clients. “I thought Isobel was in university.”
“If she isn’t, I trust her better then them. And they will be at home.” Ian nods and turns back.
“We have information that the lady in question is at university?”
“She has returned home and is eager to get to know her niece and nephew.”
“The Fraser’s agree, with reluctance.”
“Their reluctance is noted. I rule that the Duscany’s may spend each Saturday from ten to two with the minor children under the supervision of their daughter, Isobel, at the Lambert Leoch B&B.” As he brings his gavel down making the order official, Brian, asleep until then, wakes with a cry. His parents and uncle feel the same.
