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XI. The Case of the Missing Will
IfIpersistedinthese‘new-fanglednotions’ofmine,however,Ineedlookfornothingfromhim.Iremainedpolite,butfirm.Ishouldalwaysbedeeplyattachedtohim,Itoldhim,butImustleadmyownlife.Wepartedonthatnote.‘Youfancyyourbrains,mygirl,’werehislastwords.‘I’venobooklearning,but,forallthat,I’llpitmineagainstyoursanyday.We’llseewhatweshallsee.’
“Thatwasnineyearsago.Ihavestayedwithhimforaweek-endoccasionally,andourrelationswereperfectlyamicable,thoughhisviewsremainedunaltered.Heneverreferredtomyhavingmatriculated,nortomyB.Sc.Forthelastthreeyearshishealthhadbeenfailing,andamonthagohedied.
“Iamnowcomingtothepointofmyvisit.Myuncleleftamostextraordinarywill.Byitsterms,CrabtreeManoranditscontentsaretobeatmydisposalforayearfromhisdeath—‘duringwhichtimemycleverniecemayproveherwits,’theactualwordsrun.Attheendofthatperiod,‘mywitshavingprovedbetterthanhers,’thehouseandallmyuncle’slargefortunepasstovariouscharitableinstitutions.”
“Thatisalittlehardonyou,mademoiselle,seeingthatyouwereMr.Marsh’sonlybloodrelation.”
“Idonotlookonitinthatway.UncleAndrewwarnedmefairly,andIchosemyownpath.SinceIwouldnotfallinwithhiswishes,hewasatperfectlibertytoleavehismoneytowhomhepleased.”
“Wasthewilldrawnupbyalawyer?”
“No;itwaswrittenonaprintedwill-formandwitnessedbythemanandhiswifewholiveinthehouseanddoformyuncle.
