No Wind of Blame Read online

  ‘I know, and I feel futile. I did suggest divorce to her, but it didn’t go down very well.’

  ‘No, she wouldn’t like that.’

  ‘Well, what have you advised her to do? You may just as well tell me, for she will.’

  ‘Pay, and look pleasant.’

  ‘Maurice, you haven’t? But why should she? Really, that sticks in my throat!’

  ‘My dear girl, either she must pay, or face the very scandal she dreads. There’s nothing more to be said about that.’

  ‘What’s Baker demanding? Does anyone know?’

  ‘Five hundred.’

  ‘Maurice, it’s blackmail!’

  He shrugged.

  ‘But, Maurice, it may not even be true!’

  ‘Apparently, Carter knows that equally it may be true.’

  ‘You can’t seriously approve of Aunt Ermy’s being made to pay a sum like that!’

  ‘I think it’s very hard luck on Ermyntrude, but I also think Gladys Baker has been grossly imposed upon.’

  ‘Yes, if she’d been a sheltered plant, but as far as I can make out she’s nothing of the sort, but perfectly able to take care of herself.’

  ‘You’re not in a position to be judge of that,’ he replied.

  She said rather crossly: ‘I never thought you’d give advice like that to Aunt Ermy. As a matter of fact, I was afraid you’d wish her to get rid of Wally, and do nothing about this mess of his.’

  He looked at her in faint surprise. ‘Why should I?’

  ‘Well, I know you’re fond of her, and you can’t pretend that you think Wally’s likely to improve with keeping.’

  ‘You’re quite right: I am fond of her, but I know very well that a divorce would only make her unhappy. As for your Cousin Wally, this episode may have taught him a lesson.’

  ‘You know perfectly well that nothing will ever teach him anything,’ sighed Mary.

  He rose. ‘Well, whatever I may think, there’s nothing to be gained by discussing it,’ he said. ‘I’ve given Ermyntrude some cachets to take, but there’s nothing much wrong with her. Keep her fairly quiet today: she’ll be all right by tomorrow.’

  ‘It would be a lot easier to keep her quiet if this wretched Russian weren’t here,’ said Mary. ‘Vicky said an hour ago that the stage was all set for him to walk on and do his big act, and she’s about right. I don’t want Aunt Ermy to divorce Wally, though I think she has every right to, and I shall be very thankful if they agree to bury the hatchet. But he’s in one of his impossible moods, and what chance can there be of Aunt Ermy’s making it up with him while her precious Prince is beguiling her with his title and his flashing smile? What did he want with you just now?’

  ‘I really don’t know. Something that Bawtry said yesterday seems to have put him on the scent of my pet hobby-horse. I don’t think he’s really interested, though. He angled a little for an invitation to come over to my place and see my finds, but I’m afraid I wasn’t very responsive. Do you want a respite from him? Shall I ask him to come over this afternoon?’

  ‘Maurice, it would be an awfully Christian deed!’ said Mary gratefully. ‘But I don’t quite see why he should want to.’ Light dawned on her; the troubled crease vanished from between her brows; she gave a sudden ripple of laughter. ‘Oh, what a fool I am! Of course I see! He’s hoping to pump you about Aunt Ermy’s money! He wants to know whether it’s hers, or goes to Vicky when she comes of age! He tried me, but I snubbed him.’

  ‘Let him hope!’ said Chester, with rather a grim little smile.

  Mary went with him downstairs, and out into the sunlit gardens. The tennis-court was within sight of the house, and they walked there together. Vicky was playing a single with Alan, while the Prince looked on from the side-line, but she left the court when she saw the doctor approaching, and ran to meet him, to know how her mother was. He returned a reassuring answer, and repeated it to the Prince, who came up a moment later to inquire solicitously after Ermyntrude. After that, he said easily that it had occurred to him that the Prince might be interested to see his small collection of prehistoric specimens, and invited him to call and take tea with him that afternoon.

  The Prince was all smiles, but did not know whether perhaps his kind host and hostess had made other plans for him. However, Vicky promptly set that doubt to rest, by saying: ‘Oh no, because poor darling Ermyntrude will be feeling frightfully moth-eaten, and I happen to know that Wally’s going over to see Harold White at five. So do go! I’ll lend you my car.’

  ‘Then at about five, shall we say?’ suggested the Prince.

  Chester, trying to infuse some enthusiasm into his voice, replied that he would be delighted. He then glanced at his watch, and announced that as he had several patients to visit before lunch he must be going.

  Mary walked across the lawn with him to the front drive. She said in an exasperated tone: ‘How like Wally to trail his coat in front of Aunt Ermy like that! Why on earth he must choose this of all days to go and hob-nob with White, God alone knows!’

  Chester did not make any reply to this outburst, and she said no more. As they reached the drive, Wally came out of the house. He stopped dead at sight of the doctor, and said with strong indignation: ‘Yes, I might have known you’d turn up. You needn’t tell me you were sent for, because I’d have bet any money you would be. And don’t start looking accusingly at me, as though it was my fault, because it wasn’t! Anyone would think I was Bluebeard from the way Ermy’s been behaving. And if you want my advice, don’t you ever marry an actress, unless you’re the kind of man that likes having a wife who carries on like Lady Macbeth and the second Mrs Tanqueray, and Mata Hari, all rolled into one! Before breakfast, too!’ he added bitterly. ‘If anyone’s got the right to call you in, it’s me! But if I took to my bed, and pulled down the blinds, and refused to eat any food, would I get any sympathy? Oh no! Oh dear me, no!’

  ‘Certainly not from me,’ said Chester, getting into his car, and switching on the engine. ‘I’ve given your wife some cachets to take, and provided she’s not agitated again, she should be all right in an hour or two. Good-bye!’

  Wally watched the car move forward, and presently vanish from sight round a bend in the drive. ‘Given her some cachets to take! Yes, I’ve no doubt! The wonder is he didn’t give her a bottle of water with a bit of peppermint in it, and charge her three-and-sixpence for it! Cachets! Full of bread pellets, if we only knew!’

  ‘Uncle Wally, is it true that Baker’s trying to get five hundred out of you?’ Mary demanded.

  He looked rather suspiciously at her. ‘What do you mean, is it true? You don’t suppose I’d give him five hundred because I’ve got a kind heart, do you?’

  ‘No, I don’t. But it seems a sum out of all reason! In fact, it looks to me like blackmail.’

  ‘You don’t know anything about it. These things cost a lot of money. Besides, five hundred doesn’t mean anything to Ermy.’

  Mary struggled with herself. ‘Uncle, can’t you see how iniquitous it is that she should have to buy you out of this at all?’

  ‘It’s her own fault,’ replied Wally. ‘If she’d made a decent settlement on me at the outset, she wouldn’t have had to stump up now, because naturally I’d have seen to it myself. You’re very full of sympathy for her, but what do you suppose it’s like for me to have to borrow money from my wife to provide for poor little Gladys? Humiliating, that’s what it is, but I’m not lying in bed complaining of the way I’ve been treated.’

  It was obviously hopeless to argue with him. Mary said coldly: ‘You haven’t a leg to stand on, and you know it. Is it true that you’ve arranged to go over to the Dower House this afternoon?’

  ‘That’s right! Now start to nag about that! Run up and tell Ermy! Then we can have another nice scene.’

  ‘Look here, Uncle, if you want Ermy