Free Hide and Seek for Love by Barbara Cartland Page B

when she had told him that every cottage needed to be re-thatched.
    As he passed the Church, he saw there were bricks missing from the top of the tower and the gutters round the main building had fallen down.
    He was thankful, when they were finally out of the village and into the countryside, so that he could not see any more.
    He had no idea how far the land belonging to Ingle Hall went, but the hedges had not been cut for years and the field were unploughed or fallow.
    By the time he reached Canterbury, he was feeling exceedingly apprehensive.
    What would he learn from the Bank Manager?
    *
    As soon as he entered the Bank and explained who he was, he was taken immediately into the Bank Manager’s office and an elderly man received him respectfully.
    Â â€œMy name is Morley, my Lord,” he began, “and I have been expecting you.”
    â€œI arrived last night and having seen the condition of Ingle Hall, I am waiting for you to tell me exactly what the current situation is.”
    He sat down in a comfortable armchair, which Mr. Morley held ready for him.
    â€œI find it difficult, my Lord, to tell you how strange matters have been these last years.”
    â€œIn what way, Mr. Morley?”
    â€œHis late Lordship was always exceedingly careful with money, but when he reached old age, I think, to be honest, it became an obsession with him.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œI believe he thought that he would lose all his money and that he could trust no one.”
    â€œSo what did he do?”
    â€œHe started nearly four years ago to draw out from the Bank everything he possessed.”
    â€œ Everything !” exclaimed David.
    â€œHe insisted on selling all his shares,” Mr. Morley continued.  “They were all in Companies paying out good dividends and were promising investments for the future.”
    â€œBut surely his firm of Solicitors would have had said something about this to my family?”
    â€œI don’t think, my Lord, there were many of your family left with the exception, of course, of his Lordship’s elder son, Viscount Stone, and his second son, Lord Cecil.”
    â€œDid they not say anything about it?”
    â€œLord Cecil was away from home for some years before he was killed in battle, and I think to be honest, the Viscount was far too intimidated by his father to question anything he did.”
    â€œDid no one else make any enquiries?  There must have been some cousins or other relatives of the Ingles?”
    â€œIf there were or there are, they did not contact me and I think the Marquis would not entertain any of them at Ingle Hall.  I was convinced that if they communicated with him, he would not answer.”
    David drew in a deep breath.
    â€œNow please tell me exactly what has happened?”
    â€œThe late Marquis took out of the Bank practically everything he owned.  I tried to expostulate with him, but he would not listen.  He merely demanded that I sold share after share and he came and collected the proceeds himself every month – mostly in coinage.”
    David stared at the Bank Manager.
    â€œAre you saying that my grandfather, old though he was, came here himself and carried every penny away.”
    â€œThat is exactly what happened, my Lord, and, of course, we did not talk about him in the town or anywhere else in case he should be set on by highwaymen or robbers when he was driving back home.
    â€œIt always astonished me that, as his Lordship had very few servants to guard him, the robbers did not break into Ingle Hall and steal what he had secreted there.”
    David stared at him,
    â€œAre you saying that my grandfather collected his money in cash that must have come to a considerable sum and then carted it all back to Ingle Hall?”
    â€œThat is exactly what occurred, my Lord, but what happened to it afterwards I have no idea.”
    For a moment David was speechless.
    Then Mr. Morley continued his