Brat Farrar

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Brat Farrar is a novel by Josephine Tey, set in the English countryside.

[edit] Plot summary

As the story opens, the Ashby family is looking forward to eldest son Simon's coming of age, 21, so that the trust funds of the estate, left by Mr. and Mrs. Ashby before their untimely deaths, will be released and assist in the upkeep of the estate. Simon has been the heir to the estate since the disappearance, apparently suicide, of his elder twin brother Patrick

Meanwhile, a con man who knows the Ashbys has a chance encounter with a young man who has spent time in America working at ranches and such, and has returned to England. The man thinks he's talking to Simon Ashby, but the young man denies it. The con man realizes the boy might be a dead ringer for the Ashby boys, and befriends the boy. Soon, he talks the young man, who goes by Brat Farrar, into pulling a con by pretending to be Patrick Ashby, never died but simply ran away.

Brat got his first name by chance at an orphanage by arriving on St. Bartholomew's Day, but the name got mixed from Bart to Brat. The con man proceeds to teach Brat everything about the Ashby home, the family and such, and on the day Brat is ready, he shows up at the barrister's office, is thought to be Simon, and on denying it, states he is Patrick Ashby. Brat gives an accurate account of his sojourns in America, which can be verified by the barristers. The Ashby family's aunt comes to see "Patrick" and she is fairly convinced as well. Finally, the barristers are satisfied that this is Patrick, and he is welcomed home by aunt, but not by the younger sister or by Simon, who denies it can be Patrick.

A rivalry develops between Brat and Simon, as well as Simon's jealousy that Brat will be the eldest who inherits the estate. In time, Brat becomes suspicious as to how Simon can be so sure, and Simon's jealousy is another clue. Eventually, Brat traces things to the "suicide note" found on a cliff, and he descends the cliff to discover Patrick's remains from nearly a decade earlier. Simon has expected this detective work, and the two boys engage in a struggle and both go down the cliff. Simon is killed, but Brat survives, and confesses his true identity. The estate reverts to the lawyer until another of the Ashby children reaches majority age.

An uncle had been coming to visit, however, as part of the coming of age, and he recognizes Brat's features. An examination shows that Brat is in fact an Ashby, from an illegitimately-parented line, so he can be a part of the family, though not an heir. And the eldest sister, who he had become smitten with, can now possibly be his wife one day, something he could have never reached if he had continued the pretense of being Patrick.