PART SIX

DECEMBER 27TH

Alfred Lee said with a sigh:

“That was better than I feared!”

They had just returned from the inquest.

Mr. Charlton, an old-fashioned type of solicitor¹ with a cautious blue eye, had been presentand had returned with them. He said:

“Ah—I told you the proceedings² would be purely³ formal—purely formal—there was boundto be an adjournment—to enable the police to gather up additional evidence.”

George Lee said vexedly:

“It is all most unpleasant—really most unpleasant—a terrible position in which to be placed!

I myself am quite convinced that this crime was done by a maniac⁴ who somehow or other gainedadmittance to the house. That man Sugden is as obstinate⁵ as a mule⁶. Colonel Johnson should enlistthe aid of Scotland Yard. These local police are no good. Thickheaded. What about this manHorbury, for instance? I hear his past is definitely unsatisfactory but the police do nothingwhatever about it.”

Mr. Charlton said:

“Ah—I believe the man Horbury has a satisfactory alibi⁷ covering the period of time inquestion. The police have accepted it.”

“Why should they?” George fumed⁸. “If I were they, I should accept such an alibi with reserve—with great reserve. Naturally, a criminal always provides himself with an alibi! It is the duty ofthe police to break down the alibi—that is, if they know their job.”

“Well, well,” said Mr. Charlton. “I don’t think it’s quite our business to teach the police theirjobs, eh? Pretty competent body of men on the whole.”

George shook his head darkly.

“Scotland Yard should be called in. I’m not at all satisfied with Superintendent⁹ Sugden—hemay be painstaking—but he is certainly far from brilliant.”

Mr. Charlton said:

“I don’t agree with you, you know. Sugden’s a good man. Doesn’t throw his weight about,but he gets there.”

Lydia said:

“I’m sure the police are doing their best. Mr. Charlton, will you have a glass of sherry?”

Mr. Charlton thanked her politely, but declined. Then, clearing his throat, he proceeded to thereading of the will, all members of the family being assembled.

He read it with a certain relish¹⁰, lingering over its more obscure phraseology, and savouring itslegal technicalities.

He came to the end, took off his glasses, wiped them, and looked round on the assembledcompany inquiringly.

Harry¹¹ Lee said:

“All this legal stuff's a bit hard to follow. Give us the bare bones of it, will you?”

“Really,” said Mr. Charlton. “It’s a perfectly¹² simple will.”

Harry said:

“My God, what’s a difficult will like then?”

Mr. Charlton rebuked¹³ him with a cold glance. He said:

“The main provisions of the will are quite simple. Half Mr. Lee’s property goes to his son,Mr. Alfred Lee, the remainder is divided between his other children.”

Harry laughed unpleasantly. He said:

“As usual, Alfred’s struck lucky! Half my father’s fortune! Lucky dog, aren’t you, Alfred?”

Alfred flushed. Lydia said sharply:

“Alfred was a loyal and devoted¹⁴ son to his father. He’s managed the works for years and hashad all the responsibility.”

Harry said: “Oh, yes, Alfred was always the good boy.”

Alfred said sharply:

“You may consider yourself lucky, I think, Harry, that my father left you anything at all!”

Harry laughed, throwing his head back. He said:

“You’d have liked it better if he’d cut me right out, wouldn’t you? You’ve always dislikedme.”

Mr. Charlton coughed. He was used — only too well used — to the painful scenes thatsucceeded the reading of a will. He was anxious to get away before the usual family quarrel gottoo well under way.

He murmured:

“I think—er—that that is all that I need—er—”

Harry said sharply: “What about Pilar?”

Mr. Charlton coughed again, this time apologetically.

“Er—Miss Estravados is not mentioned in the will.”

Harry said: Doesn’t she get her mother’s share?”

Mr. Charlton explained.

“Se?ora Estravados, if she had lived, would of course have received an equal share with therest of you, but as she is dead, the portion that would have been hers goes back into the estate to beshared out between you.”

Pilar said slowly in her rich Southern voice:

“Then—I have—nothing?”

Lydia said quickly:

“My dear, the family will see to that, of course.”

George Lee said:

“You will be able to make your home here with Alfred—eh, Alfred? We—er—you are ourniece—it is our duty to look after you.”

Hilda said: “We shall always be glad to have Pilar with us.”

Harry said:

“She ought to have her proper share. She ought to have Jennifer’s whack¹⁵.”

Mr. Charlton murmured:

“Must really—er—be going. Goodbye, Mrs. Lee—anything I can do—er—consult me at anytime. .?.?.”

He escaped quickly. His experience enabled him to predict that all the ingredients for afamily row were present.

As the door shut behind him Lydia said in her clear voice:

“I agree with Harry. I think Pilar is entitled to a definite share. This will was made manyyears before Jennifer’s death.”

“Nonsense,” said George. “Very slipshod and illegal way of thinking, Lydia. The law’s thelaw. We must abide¹⁶ by it.”

Magdalene said:

“It’s hard luck, of course, and we’re all very sorry for Pilar, but George is right. As he says,the law is the law.”

Lydia got up. She took Pilar by the hand.

“My dear,” she said. “This must be very unpleasant for you. Will you please leave us whilewe discuss the question?”

She led the girl to the door.

“Don’t worry, Pilar, dear,” she said. “Leave it to me.”

Pilar went slowly out of the room. Lydia shut the door behind her and turned back.

There was a moment’s pause while everyone drew breath and in another moment the battlewas in full swing.

Harry said:

“You’ve always been a damned skinflint, George.”

George retorted:

“At any rate, I’ve not been a sponge and a rotter!”

“You’ve been just as much of a sponge as I have! You’ve battened on Father all these years.”

“You seem to forget that I hold a responsible and arduous¹⁷ position which—”

Harry said:

“Responsible and arduous my foot! You’re only an inflated¹⁸ gasbag!”

Magdalene screamed: “How dare you?”

Hilda’s calm voice, slightly raised, said:

“Couldn’t we just discuss this quietly?”

Lydia threw her a grateful glance.

David said with sudden violence:

“Must we have all this disgraceful fuss over money!”

Magdalene said venomously to him:

“It’s all very well to be so high-minded. You’re not going to refuse your legacy²⁰, are you? Youwant money just as much as the rest of us do! All this unworldliness is just a pose!”

David said in a strangled voice:

“You think I ought to refuse it? I wonder—”

Hilda said sharply:

“Of course you oughtn’t. Must we all behave like children? Alfred, you’re the head of thefamily—”

Alfred seemed to wake out of a dream. He said:

“I beg your pardon. All of you shouting at once. It—it confuses me.”

Lydia said:

“As Hilda has just pointed²¹ out, why must we behave like greedy children? Let us discuss thisthing quietly and sanely²² and”—she added this quickly—“one thing at a time. Alfred shall speakfirst because he is the eldest²³. What do you think, Alfred, we should do about Pilar?”

He said slowly:

“She must make her home here, certainly. And we should make her an allowance. I do notsee she has any legal claim to the money which would have gone to her mother. She’s not a Lee,remember. She’s a Spanish subject.”

“No legal claim, no,” said Lydia. “But I think she has a moral claim. As I see it, your father,although his daughter had married a Spaniard against his wishes, recognized her to have an equalclaim upon him. George, Harry, David, and Jennifer were to share equally. Jennifer only died lastyear. I am sure that when he sent for Mr. Charlton, he meant to make ample provision for Pilar ina new will. He would have allotted²⁴ her at least her mother’s share. It is possible that he might havedone much more than that. She was the only grandchild, remember. I think the least we can do isto endeavour to remedy any injustice²⁵ that your father himself was preparing to remedy.”

Alfred said warmly:

“Well put, Lydia! I was wrong. I agree with you that Pilar must be given Jennifer’s share ofmy father’s fortune.”

Lydia said: “Your turn, Harry.”

Harry said:

“As you know, I agree. I think Lydia has put the case very well, and I’d like to say I admireher for it.”

Lydia said:

“George?”

George was red in the face. He spluttered:

“Certainly not! Whole thing’s preposterous²⁶! Give her a home and a decent dress allowance.

Quite enough for her!”

“Then you refuse to cooperate?” asked Alfred.

“Yes, I do.”

“And he’s quite right,” said Magdalene. “It’s disgraceful to suggest he should do anything ofthe kind! Considering that George is the only member of the family who has done anything in theworld, I think it’s a shame his father left him so little!”

Lydia said: “David?”

David said vaguely²⁷:

“Oh, I think you’re right. It’s a pity there’s got to be so much ugliness and disputing about itall.”

Hilda said:

“You’re quite right, Lydia. It’s only justice!”

Harry looked round. He said:

“Well, that’s clear. Of the family, Alfred, myself and David are in favour of the motion.

George is against it. The ayes have it.”

George said sharply:

“There is no question of ayes and noes. My share of my father’s estate is mine absolutely. Ishall not part with a penny of it.”

“No, indeed,” said Magdalene.

Lydia said sharply:

“If you like to stand out, that is your business. The rest of us will make up your share of thetotal.”

She looked round for assent²⁸ and the others nodded.

Harry said: “Alfred’s got the lion’s share. He ought to stand most of the racket.”

Alfred said: “I see that your original disinterested²⁹ suggestion will soon break down.”

Hilda said firmly:

“Don’t let’s start again! Lydia shall tell Pilar what we’ve decided³⁰. We can settle details later.”

She added in the hope of making a diversion, “I wonder where Mr. Farr is, and M. Poirot?”

Alfred said:

“We dropped Poirot in the village on our way to the inquest. He said he had an importantpurchase to make.”

Harry said: “Why didn’t he go to the inquest? Surely he ought to have done!”

Lydia said:

“Perhaps he knew it was not going to be important. Who’s that out there in the garden?

Superintendent Sugden, or Mr. Farr?”

The efforts of the two women were successful. The family conclave³¹ broke up.

Lydia said to Hilda privately³²:

“Thank you, Hilda. It was nice of you to back me up. You know, you really have been acomfort in all this.”

Hilda said thoughtfully: “Queer how money upsets people.”

The others had all left the room. The two women were alone.

Lydia said:

“Yes—even Harry—although it was his suggestion! And my poor Alfred—he is so British—he doesn’t really like Lee money going to a Spanish subject.”

Hilda said, smiling:

“Do you think we women are more unworldly?”

Lydia said with a shrug³³ of her graceful¹⁹ shoulders:

“Well, you know, it isn’t really our money—not our own! That may make a difference.”

Hilda said thoughtfully:

“She is a strange child—Pilar, I mean. I wonder what will become of her?”

Lydia sighed.

“I’m glad that she will be independent. To live here, to be given a home and a dressallowance, would not, I think, be very satisfactory to her. She’s too proud and, I think, too—tooalien.”

She added musingly³⁴:

“I once brought some beautiful blue lapis home from Egypt. Out there, against the sun andthe sand, it was a glorious colour—a brilliant warm blue. But when I got it home, the blue of ithardly showed any more. It was just a dull, darkish string of beads³⁵.”

Hilda said:

“Yes, I see. .?.?.”

Lydia said gently:

“I am so glad to come to know you and David at last. I’m glad you both came here.”

Hilda sighed:

“How often I’ve wished in the last few days that we hadn’t!”

“I know. You must have done .?.?. But you know, Hilda, the shock hasn’t affected³⁶ Davidnearly as badly as it might have done. I mean, he is so sensitive that it might have upset himcompletely. Actually, since the murder, he’s seemed ever so much better—”

Hilda looked slightly disturbed. She said:

“So you’ve noticed that? It’s rather dreadful in a way .?.?. But oh! Lydia, it’s undoubtedlyso!”

She was silent a minute recollecting³⁷ words that her husband had spoken only the nightbefore. He had said to her, eagerly, his fair hair tossed back from his forehead:

“Hilda, you remember in Tosca—when Scarpia is dead and Tosca lights the candles at hishead and feet? Do you remember what she says: “Now I can forgive him .?.?.” That is what I feel—about Father. I see now that all these years I couldn’t forgive him, and yet I really wanted to .?.?.

But no—now there’s no rancour any more. It’s all wiped away. And I feel—oh, I feel as though agreat load had been lifted from my back.”

She had said, striving to fight back a sudden fear:

“Because he’s dead?”

He had answered quickly, stammering³⁸ in his eagerness:

“No, no, you don’t understand. Not because he is dead, but because my childish stupid hateof him is dead. .?.?.”

Hilda thought of those words now.

She would have liked to repeat them to the woman at her side, but she felt instinctively³⁹ that itwas wiser not.

She followed Lydia out of the drawing room into the hall.

Magdalene was there, standing⁴⁰ by the hall table with a little parcel in her hand. She jumpedwhen she saw them. She said:

“Oh, this must be M Poirot’s important purchase. I saw him put it down here just now. Iwonder what it is.”

She looked from one to the other of them, giggling⁴¹ a little, but her eyes were sharp andanxious, belying⁴² the affected gaiety of her words.

Lydia’s eyebrows⁴³ rose. She said:

“I must go and wash before lunch.”

Magdalene said, still with that affectation of childishness, but unable to keep the desperatenote out of her voice:

“I must just peep!”

She unrolled the piece of paper and gave a sharp exclamation⁴⁴. She stared at the thing in herhand.

Lydia stopped and Hilda too. Both women stared.

Magdalene said in a puzzled voice:

“It’s a false moustache. But—but—why?”

Hilda said doubtfully:

“Disguise? But—”

Lydia finished the sentence for her.

“But M. Poirot has a very fine moustache of his own!”

Magdalene was wrapping the parcel up again. She said:

“I don’t understand. It’s—it’s mad. Why does M. Poirot buy a false moustache?”

 

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