“I remember you, Rogers. I am Lady Georgiana and at one time I knew this house very well.”

His face lit up. “Little Lady Georgiana. Well, I never. What a young lady you’ve grown into. Of course we’ve followed your progress in the newspapers. Cook cut out the pictures when you were presented at court. How kind of you to come and visit at such a sad time.”

“I’m so sorry to hear about Sir Hubert,” I said. “But I’m actually here on a very delicate matter and I hope you’ll be able to help me.”

“Please, come into the drawing room. Can I bring you a cup of coffee or a sherry, perhaps?”

“Nothing, thank you. It’s about Sir Hubert’s will. Something my mother said gave me to understand that I am mentioned in it. Now, I’m not after his money, I can assure you I’d much rather he lived, but strange things have been happening to my family, and it just occurred to me they may have something to do with this will. So I wondered if it was possible he kept a copy of his will on the premises?”

“I believe there is a copy in the safe,” he said.

“Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t dream of asking to see it, but I have reason to believe my life is in danger. Do you happen to know the combination?”

“I’m afraid I don’t, my lady. That was the sort of thing that only the master knew.”

“Oh, well, never mind.” I sighed. “It was worth a try. Can you tell me who are Sir Hubert’s solicitors?”

“Henty and Fyfe, in Tunbridge Wells,” he said.

“Thank you, but they won’t be available until Monday, will they?” I felt remarkably near to tears. “I hope that’s not too late.”

He cleared his throat. “As it happens, my lady, I know the contents of the will,” he said, “because I was asked to witness it.”

I looked up at him.

“There were small bequests to the staff, and a generous bequest to the Royal Geographical Society. The rest of the estate was divided into three parts: Master Tristram was to receive one-third, yourself one-third, and the final third was to go to Master Tristram’s cousin, one of Sir Hubert’s French relatives, called Gaston de Mauxville.”

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Eynsleigh and Farlows
Near Mayfield, Sussex
Saturday, May 7, 1932

I stared at him, trying to digest this. “I’m to be left a third of the estate? There must be some mistake,” I stammered. “Sir Hubert hardly knew me. He hadn’t seen me for years. . . .”

“Ah, but he remained very fond you, my lady.” The butler smiled at me benevolently. “He wanted to adopt you once, you know.”

“When I was an adorable child of five and liked to climb trees.”