Best Kept Secret

Mr Siddons readjusted his spectacles once again.

'I shall now move on to those individuals who have served the Barrington household over the years. Every member of staff who was employed by Lady Barrington for more than five years will receive an additional year's salary, while the resident housekeeper and butler will also be granted a further five hundred pounds each.'

Marsden bowed his head and mouthed the words, thank you, m'lady.

'I now turn to Mrs Holcombe, formerly Mrs Arthur Clifton. To her is bequeathed the Victorian brooch that Lady Barrington wore on the day of her daughter's wedding, and that she hopes, and I quote her testament, will help Mrs Holcombe recall the many happy times they shared together.'

Maisie smiled, but could only wonder when she could possibly wear such a magnificent piece of jewellery.

Mr Siddons turned another page, and pushed his half-moon spectacles back up his nose before he continued.

'I leave to Jessica Clifton, nee Piotrovska, my grandfather's favourite watercolour of the Lock at Cleveland by Turner. I hope it will inspire her, for I believe she possesses a remarkable gift that should be given every opportunity to blossom.'

Giles nodded, well remembering those words when his mother had explained why she had wanted Jessica to inherit the coveted Turner.

'And to my grandson, Sebastian Arthur Clifton,' Mr Siddons continued, 'I bequeath the sum of five thousand pounds, which he will receive when he comes of age, on March the ninth 1961.'

Giles nodded again. No surprise there, he thought.

'The remainder of my estate, including twenty-two per cent of Barrington Shipping, as well as the Manor House  - ' Mr Siddons couldn't resist a glance in the direction of Lady Virginia Fenwick, who was sitting on the edge of her seat  -  'is to be left to my beloved . . . daughters Emma and Grace, to dispose of as they see fit, with the exception of my Siamese cat, Cleopatra, who I leave to Lady Virginia Fenwick, because they have so much in common. They are both beautiful, well-groomed, vain, cunning, manipulative predators, who assume that everyone else was put on earth to serve them, including my besotted son, who I can only pray will break from the spell she has cast on him before it is too late.'

It was clear to Mr Siddons from the looks of shock and the whispered chattering that broke out from all quarters of the room that no one had expected this, although he did observe that Mr Clifton remained remarkably calm. Calm was not a word that would have described Lady Virginia, who was whispering something in Giles's ear.

'That completes the reading of the will,' said Mr Siddons. 'If there are any questions, I will be happy to answer them.'

'Just one,' said Giles, before anyone else had a chance to speak. 'How long do I have to contest the will?'

'You can lodge an appeal against judgment in the High Court at any time during the next twenty-eight days, Sir Giles,' said Mr Siddons, having anticipated the question, and the questioner.

If there were any other questions, Sir Giles and Lady Virginia did not hear them, as they stormed out of the room without another word.

12

'I'LL DO ANYTHING, my darling,' he said, 'but please don't break off our engagement.'

'How can I be expected to face the world after your mother humiliated me in front of your family, your friends and even the servants?'

'I understand,' said Giles, 'of course I do, but Mother was clearly not in her right mind. She can't have realized what she was doing.'

'You said you'll do anything?' said Virginia, toying with her engagement ring.

'Anything, my darling.'

'The first thing you must do is sack your secretary. And her replacement must meet with my approval.'

'Consider it done,' said Giles meekly.

'And tomorrow, you will appoint a leading firm of lawyers to contest the will and, whatever the consequences, you'll fight tooth and nail to make sure we win.'

'I've already consulted Sir Cuthbert Makins KC.'

'Tooth and nail,' repeated Virginia.

'Tooth and nail,' said Giles. 'Anything else?'

'Yes. When the wedding invitations are sent out next week, I, and I alone, will approve the guest list.'

'But that could mean - '

'It will. Because I want everyone who was in that room to know what it feels like to be rejected.' Giles bowed his head. 'Ah, I see,' said Virginia, removing her engagement ring. 'So you didn't really mean you'd do anything.'

'Yes I did, my darling. I agree, you alone can decide who's invited to the wedding.'

'And finally,' said Virginia, 'you will instruct Mr Siddons to issue a court order removing every member of the Clifton family from Barrington Hall.'

'But where will they live?'

'I don't give a damn where they live,' said Virginia. 'The time has come for you to decide whether you want to spend the rest of your life with me, or with them.'

'I want to spend the rest of my life with you,' said Giles.

'Then that's settled, Bunny,' said Virginia, as she put the engagement ring back on, and began to undo the buttons on the front of her dress.

Harry was reading The Times, and Emma the Telegraph, when the phone rang. The door opened and Denby entered the breakfast room.

'It's your publisher, Mr Collins, on the line, sir. He wondered if he might have a word with you.'

'I doubt if that's how he put it,' said Harry as he folded his newspaper.

Emma was so engrossed in the article she was reading that she didn't even look up when her husband left the room. She had come to the end of it by the time he returned.

'Let me guess,' she said.

'Billy's had calls from most of the national papers, as well as the BBC, asking if I want to make a statement.'

'What did you say?'

'No comment. I told him there was no need to add fuel to this particular fire.'

'I can't imagine that will satisfy Billy Collins,' said Emma. 'All he's interested in is selling books.'

'He didn't expect anything else, and he's not complaining. He told me he'll be shipping a third reprint of the paperback into the bookshops early next week.'

'Would you like to hear how the Telegraph is reporting it?'

'Do I have to?' said Harry as he sat back down at the breakfast table.

Emma ignored the comment and began reading out loud.

' "The wedding took place yesterday of Sir Giles Barrington MC MP and The Lady Virginia Fenwick, the only daughter of the Ninth Earl of Fenwick. The bride wore a gown designed by Mr Norman - "'

'At least spare me that,' said Harry.

Emma skipped a couple of paragraphs. '"Four hundred guests attended the ceremony, which was held at the Church of St Margaret's, Westminster. The service was conducted by the Right Reverend George Hastings, Bishop of Ripon. Afterwards, a reception was held on the terrace of the House of Commons. Among the guests were Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, The Right Hon. Clement Attlee, Leader of the Opposition, and The Right Hon. Mr William Morrison, speaker of the House of Commons. The list of guests who attended the wedding makes interesting reading, but far more fascinating are the names of those who were absent, either because they did not receive an invitation, or because they did not wish to attend. Not one member of the Barrington family other than Sir Giles himself was on the guest list. The absence of his two sisters, Mrs Emma Clifton and Miss Grace Barrington, as well as his brother-in-law, Harry Clifton, the popular author, remains something of a mystery, especially as it was announced some weeks ago that he would be Sir Giles's best man." '