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“Well, I have offered to pay you.” A startled sound from the lawyer brought Maidie’s gaze towards him. “I was perfectly ready to pay him, for I don’t see why he should be expected to do this for nothing. But he will have none of it, which is quite his own fault. I don’t know why you should look like that, Mr Bagpurze. I can well afford to pay him, can’t I?”
“Your ladyship is pretty well able to afford to do anything you choose,” agreed the lawyer primly. “But that does not excuse the outrageous nature of your suggestion.”
Delagarde began to be amused. He strolled forward to the desk. “Let us forget that matter, if you please, sir. What I wish to know is whether there have been any controls laid into the terms of this will.” He raised his brows as the lawyer drew in his cheeks. “You need not look as if you suspect me of harbouring designs upon Lady Mary’s fortune. If I am to consider myself responsible for her welfare, I had as well know what I am up against.”
The lawyer relaxed again, but Maidie became intent as she eyed Delagarde. Was that what Firmin had supposed? Humdudgeon! He had obviously no idea of the light in which Lord Delagarde thought of her. The last thing on his mind would be to enrich himself by marrying her. The last thing on her mind, come to that. If one thing was more certain than another, it was that neither Delagarde nor herself could ever contemplate matrimony with one another.
“Lady Mary’s fortune is left to her absolutely,” Bagpurze said. “There is nothing to stop her spending it in any way she chooses. The only restriction placed upon it is a proviso that only part of her fortune is to be passed over in settlements, when Lady Mary should come to marry. The remainder is secured at her own disposal, and will pass, at her death, to those of her issue who may not already be heir to some other property.”
“In other words, it is a safeguard to provide against an improvident match, and to ensure the future of any children she may have.”
“Precisely, my lord.”
“It appears the late Lord Shurland was not as eccentric as has been supposed.”
“Oh, it was not Great-uncle Reginald who drew up the will.”
“Correct, my lady. The papers were drawn up by Lady Mary’s father, John Hope, on his wife’s becoming terminally ill. As well, for he did not long outlive her. Had it been left to his uncle and heir, the fifth Lord Shurland, I am bound to state no such sensible arrangement is likely to have been made.”
“Oh, no. Great-uncle had far more important matters to attend to.”
“Evidently,” said Delagarde, wondering what in the world these matters might be. More than one mention had been made of this gentleman’s preoccupation.
“I am glad my father had arranged everything for me, but I cannot blame Great-uncle Reginald. I am equally forgetful when I am engrossed. Indeed, I miss him dreadfully, for there is a great deal I do not yet know, and how I shall manage without him to advise me, I cannot think.”
Delagarde agreed to this, but absently. He shifted away again, and stood looking out of the window, for it had occurred to him that if Maidie’s fortune was not going to prove the attraction she had expected, then she was indeed obliged to fall back upon her personal attributes. These, it had to be admitted, were slight, and were so far outweighed by the disadvantages of her peculiar manners he began to entertain serious doubts of getting her married off at all. Indeed, if Eustace Silsoe was informed of the restrictions—as how could he not be, situated as he was?—it was a wonder he continued to press his suit. Just what were the sums involved?
He turned from the window to find Maidie was arranging with Bagpurze the manner in which she proposed to draw upon her own funds. The lawyer was advising her to have all her bills sent to him for settlement, and was considering how best to provide her with pin money for her day-to-day needs. Delagarde stepped forward to intervene.
“It will be simplest for you to give me a draft on the Hope bankers, and let me draw the money for her.”
Maidie regarded him with suspicion. “Why should you wish to do any such thing?”
“For pity’s sake, do you suppose I am going to make off with your money? I am trying to help!”
“Well, I could not be expected to guess that, could I?”
Delagarde eyed her bodingly. “We will continue this discussion at some more convenient moment. Meanwhile, I have a question to put to Mr Bagpurze.”
The lawyer had looked with scant approval on their interchange, but he raised his brows at this. “My lord?”
“I have no doubt Lady Mary will attribute some ulterior motive to my asking this—”
“I like that! You are the one who distrusts me.”
“—but it is of some slight interest to me to know what sort of figures we are dealing with. You may suppose, if you choose, as Lady Mary does, that I am motivated by pure self-interest. For you must know, Mr Bagpurze, my pockets are to let and I am therefore solely interested in heiresses—”
“I never said that!”
“—and just in case there is enough set aside for settlements to tempt me—”
“Lord Delagarde, I wish you will be quiet!” Maidie cut in, leaping up from her chair in a state of some indignation. “The idea never so much as crossed my mind—not even when Firmin hinted at it. I only realised this moment past just what he had meant. It is quite unnecessary for you to taunt me in that horrid way.”
“Then let it be a lesson to you not to be so suspicious.” Maidie opened her mouth to retort, and he held up a warning finger. “Don’t!”
She compressed her lips, but subsided, reseating herself. Turning to the lawyer, Delagarde discovered him with popping eyes and dropped jaw, and his temper gave way to amusement again. Really, the chit was impossible. She had the worst possible effect upon him.
“You must excuse us, Mr Bagpurze. Lady Mary and I have an unfortunate knack of rubbing each other up the wrong way.” He looked down at Maidie with a rueful air. “Come, cry friends. I will apologise for the whole.”
