Chapter 21

"What what?" asked Abe.

"You're looking at me like something is all my fault." Ed said.

"Well ... it is and it isn't ... it's our own damn fool fault for not attending the auction ... but you didn't need to get rich off it."

"Half the shit we got out of this house, you two would have never found." Ed said just as a now dressed and hard blushing Persephone walked into the kitchen.

"Gentlemen ... I do hope you'll forgive me and forget what you saw." She asked. Then she explained, "That little wench pitched a whole glass of ice water down my spine ... well ... I forgot you were here."

"Seph? There's nothing to forgive, I, for one, am never going to forget two exceedingly attractive young ladies running full tit ... tilt ... through here. At my age ... it helped me remember my youth." John said.

"Yes," agreed Abe, "I didn't know my ... things ... still worked. My thanks for the reminder."

Ed just laughed. He rubbed his hand over his chin, "It reminded me ... I need a shave."

Missy showed up ... brilliant red ... but it didn't go away.

"That was mean!" she exclaimed, looking directly at Seph.

"Rit dye powder," explained Seph. "It has to wear off."

That set off the men again.

"What about school?" Missy pouted.

"What about it?"

"I can't go like this." More pout.

"You most certainly can't." Seph said.

That wasn't at all what Missy expected. She looked askance at Seph. "But I need to go ... you'll get arrested if I'm truant."

"Nope ... we," as her hand indicated the five of them, "Are going to fly to Europe ... You have to pack ... not a lot mind you ... the boys are going to England to play with dirty old money and you and I are going to Paris ... for a school approved trip in history..."

This caused both Ed and Missy to look worried.

"The history of women's fashion."

"YEA!!!"

"When we get back, you..." she looked down her nose at Missy, "Are going to test out of school and into college."

That got a look.

"What? You don't think you can?"

"I'm pretty sure I can, but Poppa..."

"But Poppa's ass ... you're ours now." Seph smirked, " ... I ... have a receipt."

"Gentlemen, please to greet the newest edition to the Huntly clan."

Seph was speaking royally now, "Our daughter, Princess Miss Fortune Huntly."

"Seph ... I'm not a Princess..."

"Are so..."

"But..."

"I have your birth certificate and your lineage..."

"But..."

"Certified by the Royal College in Edinburgh, Scotland." said Seph.

"But..."

Seph fumbled in 'The Bag' and presented Missy with a thick envelope.

"But..."

"DNA evidence and all."

"But..."

"Your parentage has been an embarrassment to your Gypsy ancestors for generations."

"But..."

"Your Seventeenth Century progenitor was the proverbial 'stolen by gypsies' baby."

"But..."

"Ed and I can't have children ... so we bought."

"But..."

"We got one hell-of-a bargain."

(Eyebrows proceeding past hairline ... Big Eyes, all around, please ... thank you.)

The three men were the gallery at a tennis match ... watching this serve and that return and so on during the entire conversation.

Finally, Ed said, "Shall we look at the notes?" They relieved the trunk of the chests.

As soon as Ed plied his knives and Seph performed a well placed kick to dislodge the inner lining, the fun began.

It wasn't the currency so much, that was expected ... it was the I.O.U.'s ... signatures of England's rich and famous ... and infamous ... George IV was represented ... and represented ... and so on and so forth. At even a minuscule rate of interest his I.O.U.'s were worth millions.

The currency ran the gamut from 1707 issued in Queen Anne's reign, through the all George's, William and Victoria.

Although Notaphily has been commonly referred to as a subset of Numismatics ... it is a relatively new collection hobby. There are few paper money collectors and they are far between. Saudi Arabia has a few in its princes.

The problem with paper banknotes is that they seldom exist three years after print date. Most are tattered remains of their once valuable glory. They are collected by banks at face value and sent to a government 'house of destruction.' Those that are still usable are recirculated ... those that are damaged beyond use are destroyed ... the face value of returned bills is sent to the original sending bank in new bills.

Old paper money is hard to find.

Regardless, the bills in the trunk are worth their face value if returned to the Bank of England. All Bank of England notes from which legal tender status has been withdrawn remain payable at face value forever at the Bank of England in London. Any such notes may be presented for payment in person during business hours.