Free The Man of Gold by Evelyn Hervey Page A

Partington’s attacks of violent pain had not been the symptoms of an illness he was suffering from. They had been signs that someone had been slowly and with evil intent trying to end his life.
    Yet Miss Unwin could hardly credit it.
    Why should anyone behave in a manner so fiendishly cruel? And, worse, could that person be, as would seem most likely, someone inside the house or a frequent visitor to it?
    She decided there and then that she would pursue such thoughts no further. If Doctor Sumsion was correct in his diagnosis and this terrible thing had indeed taken place, it was at least no immediate concern of hers. She herself had been an ignorant witness of events in the house. None of them had meant anything to her. If the doctor’s accusation, for that undoubtedly was what it was, was to be pursued it was a task for the proper authorities. No doubt Richard Partington would call them in, or the doctor would do so himself.
    No doubt, too, in the coming days there would be a great deal of unpleasantness while the investigations were carried out, and she herself would come in for some share of it. But the investigations and anything they might bring to light were truly no real concern of hers.
    What was her concern was the two children who had at this moment been deprived of their grandfather. There was no use in pretending that they had loved the old man. He was not lovable. But he was part of their lives and the suddenness of his death would come as a shock. For that she must prepare them, and in the coming weeks she must do all she could to help them over its effects and to protect them from those inquiries that were bound to be made.
    That and no more.
    But Miss Unwin was to find almost at once that her rolein the house could not be confined simply to looking after the two little girls who were her responsibility.
    As she left the room where old Mr Partington lay dead and went to find Louisa and Maria to break the sad news to them, both Richard Partington and Doctor Sumsion came downstairs. So she was in the bare hall when the doctor, with a little ‘Hem’ of embarrassment, put a request to the new master of the establishment.
    ‘There is one small matter, my dear sir. I hesitate to mention it at such a time, but the affairs of this world must proceed.’
    Richard blinked at him, absolutely without understanding.
    But Miss Unwin had grasped the meaning of the doctor’s roundabout words at once. He wanted to make sure of his fee.
    First she remembered her hasty promise that from her small savings she would find, if necessary, the seven shillings and sixpence which a doctor would require sooner or later as the case might be. She could run up to her room at this moment, take the coins from the box in which she kept her savings and – And then what? It would greatly embarrass Richard if she were to give him the sum in front of the doctor, thus betraying the fact that his father had kept him deprived of even the smallest coin.
    But with that reflection came, pouring in, another. Richard’s father was no longer holding the purse strings. Richard himself was now the heir to all the old man’s wealth.
    Then yet another thought crowded in. All the old miser’s wealth was in the form of gold, of gold concealed here and there in this very house. And of that Richard, she was almost certain, knew nothing.
    But this was no moment to ponder the implications of all the secret knowledge she herself had. There was an immediate dilemma facing the new master of the house.
    And she saw at once how she could help him.
    ‘I think, sir,’ she said, going over to him, ‘that Doctor Sumsion would like to receive his fee. May I go and fetch the necessary sum for you? I know where you keep money for immediate use.’
    It took Richard, visibly, some moments to understand what she had said. But at last he answered.
    ‘Why, yes. Yes. Yes, Miss Unwin, that would be very kind. I –1 am afraid I am somewhat discomposed. Thank you. Thank