reading of the will and the great share-out. I take it you're hoping for a
suitable windfall, Richard?'
'Arthur!' said Holly, shocked, but David just chuckled.
'Since Arthur and I won't be getting anything out of the will, it allows us to
be a little more direct,' he said impishly. 'Even in the face of sudden death
and supernatural freaks, the MacNeils can still find time to argue over money.'
'Oh quite,' said Arthur. 'Still, some of us don't have to worry about inheriting
money; not when they can marry it instead.'
David looked at Arthur sharply, as though unsure whether to react to the barb or
not, and then smiled and laughed and hugged Holly to him. 'That's right, Holly.
I'm just an unscrupulous fortune hunter after your inheritance! Probably
strangle you on our wedding night and flee the country on a coal-black horse!
Isn't that what the villains always do in those romances you read?'
'It seems Arthur isn't the only one who's had too much punch,' said Holly
sternly, though a smile tugged at her lips. 'Don't worry, Richard, they're
always like this. And I'm sure you'll find Father has left you a generous reward
for making such a long journey here.'
'Oh, I expect there'll be a little something,' said Hawk. 'But that really isn't
why we came. Isobel and I are both comfortably well off. Mostly because there's
not a lot to spend money on in the wilds of Lower Markham.'
'I sometimes wish that was the case in Haven,' said David wryly. 'There are all
kinds of expensive temptations here. Right, Arthur?'
'You should know, Davey. I think between us we've managed to lose money in every
card game, gambling den, and race course in Haven. I tell you, Richard, not only
is Davey the world's worst card player, but some days he just can't wait to find
a horse that's going to lose so that he can put some money on it.'
David glared at him. 'This from a man who once bet the deed to his house that he
could drink one glass of every potable an inn had to offer!'
Arthur raised a sardonic eyebrow. 'I won the bet, didn't I?'
'That's not the point!'
'Boys! That's enough!' Holly looked apologetically at Hawk. 'Maybe the punch was
a bad idea after all. They're not normally this rowdy.'
'You're right,' said David. 'It's only money, after all. Take our minds off it,
Holly, with some juicy titbit of gossip.' He grinned at Hawk. 'Holly's always up
on the latest gossip.'
Holly scowled. 'I used to be, until all the servants left. You'd be surprised
what servants hear. For instance, have you heard about Jacqueline Fraser? Her
husband came home unexpectedly and found her in bed with the head groom!
Apparently it wasn't just the horses he'd been giving a good rubdown. Anyway, he
threw her out without a penny! She had to go begging to her own Family for
support. What made me think of that was… well, I can't help worrying if
something similar might happen to Katrina. I mean, I haven't heard anything
definite yet, and Graham's always been very good about paying her bills so far,
but he could change his mind tomorrow, and then where would she be?'
'Still here, sponging off Jamie, I should think,' said David briskly. 'At least
she and Jacqueline both have a Family to back them up. I sometimes think my
Family would stand by and watch me go under without a single qualm. Tightfisted
bunch, the lot of them. Still, bad luck about poor Jackie. I hadn't heard about
that. Her husband never did have a sense of humor. You know, it never ceases to
amaze me how much there is going on in High Society these days. There ought to
be a news-sheet that concerns itself with nothing but gossip and rumor; just so
that we could keep up with everything. Maybe I'll start one myself. There might
be money in it.'
'Really, Davey,' said Arthur, feigning shock. 'You'll be talking about going
into trade next. I had no idea your debts were so worrying. I'm afraid you'll
have to give up your disgraceful gambling habits if you're going to support
Holly in the manner to which she's accustomed.'
'I think we'll manage, thank you,' said David frostily.
'Of course we will,' said Holly. 'Stop teasing him, Arthur.'
'Sorry,' said Arthur immediately.
On the other side of the room, Katrina chattered blithely on, unaware of how
glazed her audience's eyes were getting. Fisher smiled determinedly, Alistair
nodded politely while staring into his cup of punch, and Marc's thoughts were
obviously elsewhere. Fisher didn't blame him. She'd never known anyone who could
talk so much and say so little. Even Katrina's gossip was boring. And then
Fisher's ears pricked up as she finally caught something interesting.
'Wait a minute,' she broke in, not even trying to be polite about it. 'Are you
saying Duncan may not have any money to leave? At all?'
'Of course I'm not saying that,' said Katrina, her eyes flashing angrily, as
much at being interrupted as anything else. 'My brother was a very wealthy man.
It's been generations since our Family had to concern itself with money. It's
just that Duncan was always very careful with money while he was alive, and I
don't see why that should have changed just because he's dead. So anyone who
came here expecting to get rich off Duncan's death is probably in for a very
nasty shock.'
She managed to look disparagingly at all three of them while not looking at any
of them in particular. Alistair smiled coldly.
'The fact that you too are hoping for a decent-sized legacy has nothing to do
with your opinion, of course.'
Katrina stared calmly back at him. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
'Don't you? From what I've gathered of the way you treated your husband, it's a
wonder he's supported you as long as he has. Your only hope for independence is
whatever your dear departed brother may have bequeathed you. Seems to me we may
not be the only ones in for a shock.'
For a moment Katrina glared at him openly, her face hardening into ugly lines,
and then she recovered herself and smiled sweetly at Alistair. 'I think I know
my own brother better than some reprobate banished by the Family so long ago
that most of us can't even remember it.'
Fisher's ears pricked up again. She'd assumed Alistair and Katrina had at least
known each other in the days before Alistair was exiled, but now apparently
Katrina was saying she'd never heard of him before he turned up at the Tower.
Which was another small piece of evidence that Alistair might not be who he was
supposed to be…
'The money doesn't matter,' said Marc suddenly. 'What matters is finding the
killer among us, before his hunger gets the better of him again. Or has everyone
forgotten about that?'
'No,' said Alistair patiently. 'Not all of us. But it has to be said there's
nothing like the imminent distribution of large amounts of money to distract the
attention. Let them get it out of their systems, and they'll be ready to
