Her husband said, in his weak and gentle voice, ‘It was the first thought which came into my head. Of course, it depends upon how the money has been left which will determine on which of us the most suspicion falls, for it would be useless for us to claim that we had no idea of what was in the Will, although that would be the truth.’
‘But the girl had a motive, too, remember, ’said Garnet.
‘Revenge for wrongful dismissal? Revenge is not usually sought except by the criminal classes, the gangsters and those terrible people in Ireland. Besides, however unjustly the girl herself feels she has been treated, it was not really wrongful dismissal. Ruby Pabbay has been given the status of a member of the family and that entitles her to at least a semblance of respect from the servants of that family. Suppose she had used the same opprobrious terms to insult our mother or Fiona?’ argued his sister.
‘Ah, but she wouldn’t, don’t you see,’ said Garnet eagerly. ‘Class distinctions may be undemocratic, but they still exist, particularly in remote districts such as this. Margaret Denham would no more have spoken to mother or Fiona in such terms than she would have used them to a duchess.’
‘Talking of means,’ said Dame Beatrice, who had been listening with interest to the debate, ‘I wonder how many people knew Mrs Plack’s recipe for making the mixture?’
‘Well, as Margaret had been kitchenmaid until she was dismissed for insolence, she certainly must have known it,’ said Bluebell. ‘But here we are at the hotel. I beg you to put us down here, Dame Beatrice. We have a very short walk home.’
Dame Beatrice perceived that the three wanted to carry on the conversation among themselves. ‘You will at least allow me to offer you a glass of sherry at the hotel bar,’ she said.
‘A pint would be preferable,’ said Garnet, ‘but the other two don’t drink, so I will wait until I get home where Gamaliel, good boy, will have anchored a can or a bottle in the stream to cool it the way I like.’
The funeral of Romula Leyden had been attended by few outside her family and almost the same collection of people was seated, once again in the dining-room, to hear the family solicitor read aloud her last Will and testament.
‘I ought to tell you,’ he said, as a preliminary, ‘that the Will differs in some respects from the one made a year ago, the contents of which may or may not be known to you.’ He looked around at the faces of the company. He was a student of human nature, had a large and lucrative practice, a slight streak of sadistic humour and, above all things, he enjoyed reading aloud the testamentary dispositions of the sometimes unpredictable and occasionally eccentric wealthy. ‘I will add, in fairness to you all before I begin to read, that, owing to the very difficult position in which we all find ourselves, my partners and I are not prepared to submit this Will to probate until Mrs Leyden’s murderer is apprehended and his or her guilt proved.’
‘But that is absolute nonsense!’ exclaimed Maria. ‘I know a guilty party is not permitted to benefit by the death of a testator, but you surely cannot imagine that one of
‘Although I was not present, owing to an attack of migraine, I thought it was clear enough at the inquest who the guilty party is,’ said Fiona quietly, ‘and that person can never have expected to benefit under
‘I shall now read the provisions,’ said the solicitor in the dry tones which are believed to be the histrionic hall- mark of his profession. He allowed himself another glance around the table before he began to read. His voice was professionally toneless. Garnet caught Fiona’s eye and grinned. Maria looked affronted, Parsifal, his wide mouth half-open, expectant. Ruby looked smug, Diana bored. The rest of the countenances, except for Garnet’s satirical grin, were impassive, polite, resigned. The solicitor cleared his throat and began upon the preliminaries.
‘Excuse me,’ said Bluebell, interrupting him, ‘but are the servants mentioned?’
‘Yes, Mrs Leek, later on, at the end.’
‘Then shouldn’t they be present?’
‘There is no need for them to be here,’ said Garnet. ‘Carry on, please, Mr Monaker.’
‘I think all beneficiaries are entitled to be present, Garnet,’ argued Maria, looking belligerently at her son.
‘It is not for servants to learn all their employer’s business, mother. We don’t want the entire contents of my grandmother’s Will tattled all around the neighbourhood.’
‘The contents will be open to public inspection when once the Will is proved,’ said Bluebell.
‘That is not the same thing at all.’
The solicitor said mildly: ‘Perhaps the simplest thing would be to admit the servants and then dismiss them when they have heard those passages which concern only themselves.’
‘Do they all benefit?’ asked Rupert. ‘It would be embarrassing if some were mentioned and others not.’
‘Good heavens!’ said Diana. ‘Don’t tell me that you have a kind heart after all. When did
‘I meant embarrassing for us, not for them,’ said Rupert, his large, sallow face flushing with anger and his mobile, rather thick lips closing grimly as soon as the words were out. Diana laughed spitefully and stated that she was relieved to hear that the Ethiopian had not changed his skin.
‘Dear and beautiful Diana,’ said Gamaliel, ‘you must not talk about Ethiopians in a light manner when a black boy is in the room.’
‘May we send for the servants?’ said the solicitor. Fiona went out and returned with the cook, the parlourmaid, the two housemaids, and the middle-aged woman named Maybury, Ruby’s mother, who had been Mrs Leyden’s personal maid.
‘Sonia and Mattie and Redruth Lunn will be here anon, madam,’ said Mrs Plack, addressing Maria. ‘Sonia having been sent by Miss Bute for to fetch ’em over.’
‘We will wait for them,’ said Maria. ‘The rest of you had better go back to the servants’ hall and bring chairs for yourselves and them.’
At last there was a full muster. The servants had placed the chairs with backs to the long wall opposite the
