"Now my lad", said Chandler, "I want to ask you a simple question and I want you to reply honestly. What is your FULL proper name?"

"Name? Oh! Is James Everett, suh", said the boy, "'Ceptin' most peoples they's call me Jimmy".

"I see", said Chandler. "Now, I want you to tell me about your history".

"Me wot?"

"Your history, boy! What your life was before you came to live here in the royal mews".

"The royal...Oh! The stables!"

"Yes".

"Oh well...I was in an orphanage! Terrible place!"

"You weren't always in an orphanage".

"Naw! 'Ad me mum!...She ain' 'ere no more. Gawn up the skies she 'as...'long wiv me pops..."

"Do you remember your father?"

"Naw, not really. Mum said 'e was from his father, wot was disgraced or summet...Me ol' gramps or summet like that...dunno wot 'appened..."

"I see", said Chandler. "Now James, I want to tell you something very important. Your grandfather was the brother of a very wealthy and powerful man".

"'e's not your brother then, is 'e?"

Chandler burst out laughing!

"No! No, no, no!" he said, chuckling, "No! Your grandfather was the older brother of the Duke of Souton. Now, that makes the duke your great-uncle. He died a few days ago and he didn't have any direct family, so that means that the dukedom passes down to you..."

"Is that like a duck?"

"No, a Dukedom, my boy. The title and estate and your great-uncle's rather substantial fortune goes to you. You are the new Duke of Souton. Hereafter you'll be styled as His Grace, the Duke of Souton, or Lord Everett".

The boy frowned.

"Wot's sustantial?" he asked.

"SuBstantial", Chandler corrected. "It means something BIG. Your great-uncle left you an enormous fortune and a great manor house and several acres!"

"...acorns? Wot'm I gonna do with them?"

"Acres! Land, boy!"

"Oh...Cor!"

"Now, when you're ready, I'm ready to pass on all your uncle's money and titles and land to you. You'll leave for your uncle's estate and settle in and...Something wrong?"

"Youse sayin' I'ms gonna be an arisercrat?"

"Um...an aristocrat, yes. A member of the nobility!"

"Cooooor...naw that's summet...wait 'til the ol' boys at the stables 'ear about this!"

"I'm glad you're enthusiastic!" said Chandler.

"Aw yeah!...Wossat mean?"

"Enthusiastic! Excited! Happy! Thrilled!"

"Oh yeah! Me own 'ouse an' everythin'...cor...if only me mum was 'ere now..."

"Yes. Well, you'll have to hand in your notice. Then you'll leave for your estate once the announcement's been made".

"Wot no'ice?"

"Uh, you'll have to tell Reginald the head groom, that you won't be working at the stables anymore!"

"Aw! Yeah I can do that..."

"Good lad! You can find your way back to the stables can't you?"

"Aye!"

The boy bowed and left the room.

"Alright Harris", said Chandler, rubbing his belly and stretching. "What's on your mind?"

"You can't be serious about this, sir!" said Harris.

"About what?"

"About giving the land and title and money to that...BOY!"

"That 'boy' is now the Duke of Souton, Harris, and his form of address is His Grace!"

"Well that's just it! He HAS no grace! You can't present him to the court tomorrow! He'll be laughed out of the palace!"

"He is the rightful heir to the estate, title and fortune! And a boy like him would be much more appreciative of them than some spoilt brat who's been pampered and waited on all his life!"

"OY!"

"Oh shut up, Darius! I saw you and your brothers up in the public gallery all along!" Chandler yelled up to his son.

Tristan giggled. "He got you, Darius!" he teased. Darius grumbled.

"But Harris is right, papa!" Tristan called down from the public balcony, "Jimmy might be made fun of!"

"Well then", said Richard brightly, "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see!"