Free The Five-Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken Page B

was an accident, Accidental Death was the verdict brought in at the Crowner ’ s Quest—otherwise brother Mark would ha ’ been charged with manslaughter and couldn ’ t ha ’ come in to the title. But he did both—he took the title (for his brother ’ s son had died at sea) and he married the girl, Prissy Privett, that all the ruckus had been about! She ’ d had two children already, bastards both, by his brother—only think! And then married t ’ other one, but had no more. There ’ s a portrait of her in the dining room, Meg says. I ’ d be curious to see her—the bold-faced thing! ”
    “ How did the death take place—my grandfather ’ s death? ”
    “ They was both of them drunk, a-dueling on the roof about Priss Privett: Lord Bollington, your gran dp a—Lancelot, his name was—and this one that ’ s dying now, his brother Mark. Lancelot missed his footing and fell off into the moat. Just like me, only fancy! Only he fell from higher, and was killed. ”
    “ Good God! ” said Delphie. “ My mother ’ s father died in such a way? What a thing! I wonder Mamma never mentioned it. ”
    “ Like as not, ” pointed out Jenny, “ it happened after she ’ d left home? Or maybe ‘ twas all hushed up—as much as they could, that is. The gals said this one got the place, but little good it did him, for the ill talk and slights from neighbors soured his nature. And though he married the gal, Priss Privett, he used her so badly that she died not long after, and he never wed again. Put off the whole female sect by what had gone before, seemingly. Maybe she played him false too. ”
    Unraveling and assimilating this tangled and gloomy tale, Delphie began to feel less surprise at the callous abandonment of her mother. After the rather scandalous death of the father, it was no wonder that the runaway daughter should be neglected and out of mind. Mrs. Carteret ’ s father, presumably, had made no provision for her in his will, and the guilty (by intent if not by deed) brother who succeeded him would have even less reason to do so. “ And where does Mr. Penistone come in? ” Delphie inquired.
    “ Aha! He ’ s the one for you to fix on, dearie! (Though for my own part, I prefer t ’ other fellow; he has a better pair of shoulders on him, to my mind, and is more like my Mr. S. what ’ s gone; besides which, I never could abide those brusque, bony, bracketfaced fellows.) But Mr. Gareth is the Heir, now—since your great-uncle Mark has none of his own, and Mr. Fitz is the son of a bastard and can ’ t succeed. Mr. P. don ’ t live here—has a manor of his own at Horsmonden—he just rid over for the death. ”
    “ Whose son is he, then? ” inquired Delphie, draping a plain scarf of white crape over her shoulders.
    “ It seems there was yet another brother to your grandpa, a good bit younger than the other pair—Gareth, his name was, the Honorable Gareth Penistone (he ’ s dead now) and he had a son who was this Mr. Gareth ’ s father. ”
    “ I see. Perhaps he is my cousin once removed. ”
    “ Too bad he ain ’ t removed altogether, ” said Miss Baggott roundly. “ For I don ’ t fancy his haughty airs above half—and besides—think of it—if it weren ’ t for him you ’ d be the Heir, you ’ d be Lady Bollington, lovie—for poor Mr. Fitz don ’ t count. ”
    Philadelphia felt some pity for poor Mr. Fitzjohn, unreasonably debarred from the succession by the accident of his father ’ s base birth, but said, laughing,
    “ Girls cannot inherit, in any case, Jenny! If there were no other heir, I believe the title would die out. ”
    “ What a hem shame! Well, in that case, love, you ’ d best marry him, ” Jenny said matter-of-factly.
    “ Even that is out of my power, I fear! He is already betrothed. ”
    And betrothed to whom? Delphie wondered. She did not immediately disclose to Jenny that there was another claimant for her place. The intelligence was too new, and too upsetting.