Langcaster House - Chapter 10

Lots of Children in the Family

 

The estate was getting filled up with children and Charlie put in a larger play ground where they could be safe while playing. He also gave “The Man” a small apartment off the kitchen with orders to watch over the children as best he could for the children were always trying to hide from him.

At times he would go with them when their mothers took them shopping. More than once he had to deal with some pervert while the mothers were too occupied while trying on clothes. He loved his duty for while he tried not to show it he loved his charges.

Ashe and Baba saw the difficulty their names might give them so they selected some new first names. They were considering Melba and Wilma but I suggested letting me make up a list of name with some class. They agreed to look at it so Linda and I got to work on it.

The grandparents chimed in with some elite English names for they were English; Elizabeth, Maude, Victoria, Anne, and Margaret. They told them these were Queens and princesses names.  As it turned out the grandparents won over Susannah, Edith, Amelia, and Evangeline.

Ashe chose Elizabeth and Baba became Anne. I told them they made good choices and though they were in America they needed to remember they had roots in merry ole England.

They wanted to know what about their African heritage. This was a hard question but I said yes for sure but only remember the good parts not the bad. Afterward I thought that could apply both to England and America.

After the dust settled Linda and I decided to let Mason and Elsa tend to their business and we would get back to ours.

There was something new going on and that was I felt the need to spend more time with my three children. I was in charge of running all of the businesses Charlie had bought.

He would go out and buy a new company and turn it over to me expecting me to make it profitable. I didn’t mind doing this but I didn’t have enough hours in the day to handle any more new companies.

Charley had many more plans but I told him we both needed more time at home and after a moment he agreed but still wanted to expand.

I said we need to come with a solution to the whole scenario. Then something occurred that put a different light on the whole situation. Charlie wanted to move Ellen and Mary up the ladder but realized they weren’t ready for such a move just yet. They could handle a small company with my help but that wasn’t the solution he was looking for.

Two strangers

One day two men in their late thirties came to the office and introduced themselves.  One of them said, “I’m Morgan and this is Eldon Wynn.”

Charlie said, “Wynn… any relation to the Wynn family that I know.”

They said, ‘Yes we are related to your wife Barbra.  We have the same grandfather.  Barbra’s father and our father are half-brothers making us cousins. We come from the side of the family grandfather didn’t acknowledge yet nevertheless we are kin.”

Charlie said, “I don’t doubt your word at this point but what is on your mind?”

They said, “We just arrived in America and thought we would introduce ourselves and ask for your help in getting a green card.  We have sold our businesses in England and want to buy one or more businesses in this country.”

Charlie said, “Why don’t we have lunch and talk about what you have in mind.”

During lunch Charlie found out a great deal about their side of the family and their story rang true.

Charlie got his detectives on their trail and as near as everyone could find out they were what they said they were.

Charlie felt it was time for Morgan and Eldon to meet the family so he invited them over for dinner on Saturday. All the family was almost commanded to be there.

Family Tree

When the elder Wynn’s found out who was coming they didn’t want to be there but Charlie insisted they come. Everybody was assembled in the big room before dinner awaiting the arrival of the guests.

Charlie stood and said, “I know that the theme running through the Wynn family structure is, ‘Bastards don’t count.’

I say let’s let that mindset remain in England and start accepting people based on who they are, and not on someone else’s mistake.

Bastards do count when they are family so if you can’t accept them based upon their blood line do so upon their character.”

About that time the two guests arrived and all the introductions were made. After some light refreshment they adjourned to dinner. At first it was quiet at the table with Charlie carrying the conversation forth but little by little more joined until the usual back and forth took place.

After dinner it was back to the big room and the family began to see a lot of their grandfather’s traits in the two guests. They found so much in common and were comparing ages and telling stories. Both sides heard stories about their grandfather they didn’t know about.

Before the evening was over the family was pretty well blended together, bastards, and all.

Even the senior Wynn’s were cordial to their nephews and asking about their mother.

Charlie made arrangements to meet with the two men, next week to discuss business.

Of course that meant I would have my hands full laying out business plans at several levels. Charlie had several businesses in mind as a starting place for Morgan and Eldon and he also had something else in mind which was, he wanted Ellen and Mary to work with them at a high level.

After Morgan met Ellen and having a long conversation with her he decided she knew how a business should run and said he was satisfied with her expertise and desired her on his team.  The same happened with Eldon and Mary. They hit it right off and were excited to work with their new partner.

This climaxed something Charlie wanted for the two girls since they first began to work for him as scullery maids.

For me it was a “no credit” for working in the background and I was glad it went off so well.

I know there are several more illegitimate family members out there and wondered if they would be showing up as time went by. If they did I was willing to let Morgan and Eldon handle their getting settled.

It was about 18 months later that Morgan announced that he and Ellen were to be wed. I asked him how this came about and he said it was a thing that grew on them. Being together all the time showed them how compatible they were and love was the result.

 

Over these eighteen months the family had accepted Morgan and Eldon as part of the family for it was obvious they were fine men. Charlie was proud of the way things had worked out for both Morgan and his adopted niece.

Six months later Eldon announced that he and Mary were going to do the same thing and also marry. This really excited Charlie for he was wondering how their situation would work out.

Charlie felt that Morgan and Eldon the half-brothers had turned out better than the full brothers but never made an issue of it.

Mason’s African girls, Elizabeth and Anne couldn’t wait to get home on vacation to see Elsa’s new baby. They wanted to be the child’s aunties and Elsa said she thought that would be just fine.

She finally had to make them to put the baby down for a while. She said you are spoiling the child and it will want to be held all the time.

Elsa was surprised at how Mason had taken to his two black daughters. He didn’t see the color difference at all. He would talk to them for hours and take them out just for some fun. They were beginning to accept him but much slower than he has them.

He was disappointed when it was time for them to go back to school. He took them to the station and gave each of them a big hug and a kiss as he said goodbye.

As they left he had a big smile on his face while thinking his trips to Africa weren’t a loss after all, even with his sicknesses.

To be Continued