Free The Benevent Treasure by Patricia Wentworth Page A

was forthcoming.
    ‘Now who was it was telling me? Someone at the Ladies’ Guild — not Miss Smithers or Mrs. Brand — I think it must have been Miss Delaney, because it is connected in my mind with a knitting-pattern for a cardigan, and it was Miss Delaney who gave me that. She said the quarrel must be made up, and about time too, because the girl was staying at Underhill and she had her grandmother’s name. Now of course she would be able to tell us what Maud is anxious to find out on behalf of Mr. Puncheon, whether anything has been heard about Alan Thompson. Living in the house, she would know whether they speak of him at all.’
    ‘I gather they don’t.’
    Louisa Arnold opened her blue eyes very wide indeed.
    ‘How very extraordinary! But Olivia had a most determined nature. He must have offended them very much, for they really were quite foolishly devoted to him. In fact people did say — well, I hardly like to repeat it, Papa was so very strict about gossip and there is always a good deal in a cathedral town — but they did say that no one would be surprised if Cara were foolish enough to marry him.’
    Miss Silver said, ‘Dear me!’
    Louisa Arnold nodded.
    ‘There was quite a lot of talk — I heard it myself. Of course there was the difference in age, but you do hear of such things, do you not? There was the Baroness Burdett-Coutts — I remember Papa telling us how displeased Queen Victoria was. And to come down to quite a different walk of life, old Mrs. Crosby who had the sweet shop in Falcon Street was married again within the year to quite a young man who came round as a traveller. They ran the business together and made a very paying thing of it. People said it wouldn’t come to any good, but they seemed to get on quite well. But Olivia would never have let Cara do anything foolish. And now of course there is this other young man, Derek Burdon, but I believe he calls them Aunt, which is a great deal more suitable. Only of course it wouldn’t be easy for them to provide for him unless they can do it out of their savings, because if anything happened to Cara, this grand-daughter of Candida’s would come in for everything.’
    Miss Silver stopped knitting for a moment. Her hands rested on the four steel needles and the half-finished stocking.
    Stephen said sharply,
    ‘Not Miss Olivia?’
    Miss Arnold shook her head.
    ‘Oh, no, I believe not. It has always been a sore point. Everything was quite strictly tied up by their grandfather. I remember Papa saying that it was all very well for Mr. Benevent to talk of cutting Candida off, but nothing he could do would prevent her or her children inheriting if Cara died without marrying and having children. So he said the quarrel was not only unchristian but foolish.’
    Miss Silver said quietly,
    ‘It is not an easy position for Miss Olivia.’
    ‘Oh, well, it is quite all right for her as long as things go on as they are. Underhill and most of the money may belong to Cara, but it is Olivia who manages everything. I don’t suppose poor Cara would have the least idea about what to do. As a matter of fact, I happen to know that Olivia makes out all the cheques and Cara just signs them.’
    Miss Silver gave the slight cough with which it was her custom to indicate disapproval.
    ‘Not at all a satisfactory practice, Louisa.’
    ‘Oh, no. Papa did not approve of it at all. He always said Olivia had too much influence. And now, you know, they do say that she has got this young Candida Sayle here to try and marry her to Derek Burdon. You see, it would provide for him if anything happened to Cara, and Olivia would naturally expect to go on having a say in everything.’
    Stephen said in a voice of cold fury,
    ‘What a perfectly monstrous idea!’
    Miss Louisa looked surprised.
    ‘Oh, I don’t know, my dear. He is a very good-looking young man, and not as spoiled as Alan Thompson. They might take a fancy to each other. But of course it might not turn out at