Patricia Wentworth - The Benevent Treasure

‘Yes – that’s why I’m here. I’m doing a job on an old house that got shaken up by the bombing in the war. It belongs to two Miss Benevents.’

Candida said, ‘Yes.’

‘Why – do you know them?’

‘I’m staying with them.’

‘They’re not your aunts?’

‘My great-aunts. My grandmother was their sister. Her name was Candida Benevent, and their father cut her off and cast her out because she married my grandfather who was the son of a yeoman farmer – “although he had taken orders”.’ She spoke in a quoting voice, and he laughed.

‘You mean he was a parson?’

She nodded mournfully.

‘But it didn’t make up for his being a farmer’s son.’

‘Is that what the old ladies say?’

He remembered liking the way she smiled. Her lip curled up a little more on one side than on the other, and there was just a glimpse of those very white teeth. She said,

‘Oh, yes. So there wasn’t any communication, but he took means to inform himself when anyone was born or died. And the aunts went on doing it, so they knew when my grandmother died, and my father and mother, and Barbara. And when there was only me, they asked me to come and stay, and I did.’

Stephen was frowning.

‘I was at Underhill two days ago. How long have you been there?’

‘I came yesterday.’

‘And how long are you going to stay?’

‘I don’t know – it was a bit vague. They’re giving me driving lessons. It’s very kind of them.’

He said abruptly, ‘Who is teaching you? Not Derek Burdon?’

‘No, it’s Mr. Fox from the garage over the way. He’s very good.’

‘Like it?’

Her smile flashed out.

‘Oh, yes!’

It was at this moment that Derek made his belated appearance. He said he had had a puncture, hoped she had not been waiting long, and, rather as an afterthought, became aware of Stephen Eversley.

‘Oh, hullo! Do you know each other?’

Stephen said, ‘Oh, yes,’ and Candida put in, ‘Of course we do. I said so at breakfast.’

‘You said you’d seen him once at school.’

‘Not at school. I said I was still at school when I met him. I was fifteen and a half.’

Derek laughed.

‘And now we’ve got that settled, what will you have – tea or coffee? I’ll go and have a wash while they’re bringing it. I got filthy changing a wheel.’

When he had gone, Stephen said,

‘Did he drive you in?’

‘Yes.’

‘But he didn’t go out with you and Fox?’

‘No.’

‘Why?’

She laughed.

‘He said it would make me nervous. But I think – ’

‘Well?’

‘I don’t think I’ll say it.’

‘You mean you don’t get on?’

‘Oh, no, we get on very well.’

‘Then what?’

‘Oh, just that I think he likes to get off on his own, and he’s quite good at doing it.’

Stephen said, ‘Oh, well – ’ And then, ‘What does he actually do?’

‘Family history, I think. We are supposed to be going to work on it together.’

The quick frown came again.

‘How long did you say you were going to stay?’

‘I didn’t say. I don’t know.’

‘How do you mean you don’t know?’

‘Well, I shall have to get a job. The bother is I’m not trained for anything.’

He said abruptly, ‘No money?’

‘Not very much.’

He looked as if he was going to speak, but checked himself.

Derek appeared in the offing.

Stephen said quickly, ‘Lunch with me tomorrow.’

‘I don’t know – ’

He said with energy, ‘You mean you’ve got to ask leave?’

‘Well, yes – in a way.’

‘Then begin the way you’re going to go on. If you start by knuckling down you won’t be able to call your soul your own – nobody who works for them can. Lunch tomorrow – twelve-thirty here. The food isn’t at all bad. Make your driving lesson a bit later, so that it fits in.’

The last words were spoken as Derek came up. He caught them, because when Candida hesitated he laughed and said,

‘Why not if you want to? We can fix it up with Fox all right. Join us and have some coffee, won’t you, Eversley?’

But Stephen got up.

‘No thanks – I- was just putting in time – I’ve got an appointment. Twelve-thirty tomorrow, Candida.’

She watched him go. His head just cleared the central beam. Derek had stooped though he had a few inches to spare. Stephen’s careless stride took him under it without any regard. Derek said, ‘That’s a near shave,’ and dropped into a chair as the waitress came in with the coffee.

It was when they were driving home that he asked,

‘He wants you to lunch with him tomorrow?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, I don’t know that I’d mention it at Underhill.’

She turned in surprise.

‘But I must.’

She got a charming smile and a shake of the head.

‘Much better not. They don’t like it. Architects don’t cut any ice socially.’

‘What nonsense!’

He shrugged.

‘Victorian outlook – influence of poor Papa – it’s never worn off. And what’s the use of upsetting them? I told Fox you’d be out for your lesson at a quarter past eleven, and all we need say is that we’re lunching in town. They’ll be quite pleased about that.’

Candida had a feeling of distaste.

‘No, I couldn’t do that.’

He laughed.

‘Just as you like! But you know one can’t really carry on according to Papa, and what the eye doesn’t see the heart doesn’t grieve over.’

Her colour rose. She shook her head vehemently.

‘I’m not going to tell lies about anything at all! Why shouldn’t I have lunch with Stephen?’

He shrugged again.

‘Oh, have it your own way. But don’t blame me if there’s a blight.’

She wondered what his own plans would be, and she thought he was running a risk. If the Miss Benevents were to find out. The thought broke off. They wouldn’t like to feel that he had kept them in the dark. It looked as if there might be a girl whom they wouldn’t approve of. His affair, but he needn’t feel that he was going to drag her into it.

She went into the house as he was putting the car away, and found Miss Olivia at her writing-table in a dark little den lined with bookshelves. As she opened the door she heard Miss Cara say in a plaintive voice, ‘She is really quite pretty, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t take to her. It would be much better that way.’

Whatever Miss Olivia’s reply would have been, it was arrested by Candida’s entrance. Instead, she enquired about the driving lesson, and was pleased to hear that it had gone well.

It was Miss Cara, in a chair by the window with a newspaper in her lap, who appeared to be embarrassed. She produced an embroidered handkerchief, rubbed her nose with it, and sniffed. Candida had not allowed herself time to wonder about what she had overheard. She went directly from the driving lesson to the programme for next day.

‘It was lovely. I enjoyed every minute of it. It is so kind of you. And bye the bye, I ran into Stephen Eversley. He asked me to lunch with him tomorrow. I hope you won’t mind.’

There was the sort of silence which means that you have put your foot in it. Miss Cara sniffed and chafed her nose. Miss Olivia laid down her pen. When the pause had had time to sink in she said in a restrained manner,

‘It is not exactly a question of minding.’

‘Oh -’

‘You are naturally inexperienced. It is, of course, hardly to be expected that you should be otherwise, but Mr Eversley should have known better than to presume on his professional position.’

Candida’s colour rose brightly.

‘Aunt Olivia – ’