Agatha Christie - Sad Cypress

Nurse O'Brien was surprised and mystified, but true to the spirit of hospital training, hers not to reason why. If a doctor had told her to go and get the skin of an alligator she would have murmured automatically, "Yes, Doctor," and glided obediently from the room to tackle the problem.

Roderick Welman said, "Do you mean to say that my aunt died intestate – that she never made a will at all?"

Mr. Seddon polished his eyeglasses. He said, "That seems to be the case."

Roddy said, "But how extraordinary!"

Mr. Seddon gave a deprecating cough. "Not so extraordinary as you might imagine. It happens oftener than you would think. There's a kind of superstition about it. People will think they've got plenty of time. The mere fact of making a will seems to bring the possibility of death nearer to them. Very odd – but there it is!"

Roddy said, "Didn't you ever – er – expostulate with her on the subject?"

Mr. Seddon replied dryly, "Frequently."

"And what did she say?"

Mr. Seddon sighed. "The usual things. That there was plenty of time! That she didn't intend to die just yet! That she hadn't made up her mind definitely, exactly how she wished to dispose of her money!"

Elinor said, "But surely, after her first stroke -?"

Mr. Seddon shook his head. "Oh, no, it was worse then. She wouldn't hear the subject mentioned!"

Roddy said, "Surely that's very odd?"

Mr. Seddon said again, "Oh, no. Naturally, her illness made her much more nervous."

Elinor said in a puzzled voice, "But she wanted to die."

Polishing his eyeglasses, Mr. Seddon said, "Ah, my dear Miss Elinor, the human mind is a very curious piece of mechanism. Mrs. Welman may have thought she wanted to die, but side by side with that feeling there ran the hope that she would recover absolutely. And because of that hope, I think she felt that to make a will would be unlucky. It isn't so much that she didn't mean to make one, as that she was eternally putting it off.

"You know," went on Mr. Seddon, suddenly addressing Roddy in an almost personal manner, "how one puts off and avoids a thing that is distasteful – that you don't want to face?"

Roddy flushed. He muttered, "Yes, I – I – yes, of course. I know what you mean."

"Exactly," said Mr. Seddon. "Mrs. Welman always meant to make a will, but tomorrow was always a better day to make it than today! She kept telling herself that there was plenty of time."

Elinor said slowly, "So that's why she was so upset last night – and in such a panic that you should be sent for."

Mr. Seddon replied, "Undoubtedly!"

Roddy said in a bewildered voice, "But what happens now?"

"To Mrs. Welman's estate?" The lawyer coughed. "Since Mrs. Welman died intestate, all her property goes to her next of kin – that is, to Miss Elinor Carlisle."

Elinor said slowly, "All to me?"

"The Crown takes a certain percentage," Mr. Seddon explained. He went into details.

He ended, "There are no settlements or trusts. Mrs. Welman's money was hers absolutely to do with as she chose. It passes, therefore, straight to Miss Carlisle. Er – the death duties, I am afraid, will be somewhat heavy, but even after their payment, the fortune will still be a considerable one, and it is very well invested in sound, gilt-edged securities."

Elinor said, "But Roderick -"

Mr. Seddon said with a little apologetic cough, "Mr. Welman is only Mrs. Welman's husband's nephew. There is no blood relationship."

"Quite," said Roddy.

Elinor said slowly, "Of course, it doesn't much matter which of us gets it, as we're going to be married." But she did not look at Roddy.

It was Mr. Seddon's turn to say, "Quite!"

He said it rather quickly.

"But it doesn't matter, does it?" Elinor said. She spoke almost pleadingly.

Mr. Seddon had departed.

Roddy's face twitched nervously. He said, "You ought to have it. It's quite right you should. For heaven's sake, Elinor, don't get it into your head that I grudge it to you. I don't want the damned money!"

Elinor said, her voice slightly unsteady, "We did agree, Roddy, in London that it wouldn't matter which of us it was, as – as we were going to be married?"

He didn't answer.

She persisted, "Don't you remember saying that, Roddy?"

He said, "Yes."

He looked down at his feet. His face was white and sullen; there was pain in the taut lines of his sensitive mouth.

Elinor said with a sudden gallant lift of the head, "It doesn't matter – if we're going to be married… But are we, Roddy?"

He said, "Are we what?"

"Are we going to marry each other?"

"I understood that was the idea." His tone was indifferent, with a slight edge to it. He went on: "Of course, Elinor, if you've other ideas now -"

Elinor cried out, "Oh, Roddy, can't you be honest?"

He winced. Then he said in a low, bewildered voice, "I don't know what's happened to me."

Elinor said in a stifled voice, "I do."

He said quickly, "Perhaps it's true that I don't, after all, quite like the idea of living on my wife's money."

Elinor, her face white, said, "It's not that. It's something else." She paused, then she said, "It's – Mary, isn't it?"

Roddy muttered unhappily, "I suppose so. How did you know?"

Elinor said, her mouth twisting sideways in a crooked smile, "It wasn't difficult. Every time you look at her – it's there in your face for anyone to read."

Suddenly his composure broke. "Oh, Elinor – I don't know what's the matter! I think I'm going mad! It happened when I saw her – that first day – in the wood… just her face – it – it's turned everything upside down. You can't understand that."

Elinor said, "Yes, I can. Go on."

Roddy said helplessly, "I didn't want to fall in love with her – I was quite happy with you. Oh, Elinor, what a cad I am, talking like this to you -"

Elinor said, "Nonsense. Go on. Tell me."

He said brokenly, "You're wonderful. Talking to you helps frightfully. I'm so terribly fond of you, Elinor! You must believe that. This other thing is like an enchantment! It's upset everything: my conception of life – and my enjoyment of things – and – all the decent, ordered, reasonable things."

Elinor said gently, "Love – isn't very reasonable."

Roddy said miserably, "No."

Elinor said, and her voice trembled a little, "Have you said anything to her?"

Roddy said, "This morning – like a fool – I lost my head -"

Elinor said, "Yes?"

Roddy said, "Of course she – shut me up at once! She was shocked. Because of Aunt Laura and – of you – "

Elinor drew the diamond ring off her finger. She said, "You'd better take it back, Roddy."

Taking it, he murmured without looking at her, "Elinor, you've no idea what a beast I feel."

Elinor said in her calm voice, "Do you think she'll marry you?"

He shook his head. "I've no idea. Not – not for a long time. I don't think she cares for me now; but she might come to care."

Elinor said, "I think you're right. You must give her time. Not see her for a bit, and then – start afresh."

"Darling Elinor! You're the best friend anyone ever had."

He took her hand suddenly and kissed it. "You know, Elinor, I do love you – just as much as ever! Sometimes Mary seems just like a dream. I might wake up from it – and find she wasn't there."

Elinor said, "If Mary wasn't there -"

Roddy said with sudden feeling, "Sometimes I wish she wasn't… You and I, Elinor, belong. We do belong, don't we?"

Slowly she bent her head. She said, "Oh, yes – we belong." She thought, If Mary wasn't there…

Nurse Hopkins said with emotion, "It was a beautiful funeral!"