Dangerous Inheritance (29 page)

‘You could kidnap me,' she suggested, welcoming the lighter lead. ‘We'd have a terrific scene with me kneeling on the ground clinging to your knees begging you to spare my honour. But you'd refuse just the same. Then Douglas would appear at the critical moment and shoot us both.'

‘Censor wouldn't pass it, even in these days. At least, he'd insist on our being shot before we got any fun out of the rape. But, talking of kidnapping, I wish to God we did know what was happening to Greyeyes.'

For some minutes they indulged in further futile speculations, then Fleur mixed them fresh drinks and, when they had settled down again, Truss asked, ‘Tell me, just what sort of a life do you lead here in Ceylon?'

Fleur drew on her cigarette. ‘It's not very exciting but it is pleasant. Running the house is not much trouble. Even the best
of native servants are not very dependable, and however well trained are apt to forget a well-established drill at times; so I have to check up on them quite a bit, especially before parties, but there's no question of my ever having to do anything for myself. Even in the garden, where I spend quite a lot of time, I'm never allowed to soil my hands; only to say what is to go in here or there. Then I'm on several charity committees and I spend four mornings a week at the Birth Control Clinic.'

Truss nodded. ‘I recall that you were always set on going in for Family Planning.'

‘Yes; and I'm sure we do a lot of good. Douglas is terrifically anti the present Government, but at least they are behind us in that; and the women are unbelievably grateful at being saved from having eight or ten pregnancies before they are thirty. Then during the great heats we go up to the hills. At least I do, and Douglas comes up for long week-ends. We have a very nice bungalow at Nuwara Eliya. We must motor up there one day so that you can see it.'

‘I'd love that.'

‘Then there is the social round. We have many friends, both Sinhalese and Europeans. Having lots of servants makes throwing parties easy, both for them and us. And between times Colombo has a lot to offer for anyone with leisure. There are dances at the Galle Face every Saturday, the bathing at Mount Lavinia is as good as you would get in the South of France, I play quite a lot of tennis and recently I've taken up golf. So you see I've hardly a free moment.'

As she rattled it all off Truss listened attentively. He had not Simon's subtle perception to suggest to him that Fleur was drawing too bright a picture for it to be quite true, and when she had done he said:

‘Well, Fleur, seems to me you're to be envied out here in your lovely tropical backwater. At twenty-six, or -seven—which you must be now—half the young women in the States are worrying themselves silly about how long their marriage is going to last or, if they get their divorce, how much alimony they'll be able to get their claws on; or are taking to drink or drugs because the
feller they have a yen for has left them flat and is sleeping with their best friend. I tell you, it's a jungle; and some of the animals in it are more vicious by a long sight than those in the forests of Ceylon.'

‘Yes, I'm lucky,' Fleur agreed, ‘very lucky. After all, contentment is what really matters in life, and I have it here. Enough to do to keep me occupied but never so much that it becomes a wearisome chore. I've friends, my gardens here and up at Nuwara Eliya, a heavenly climate, ample money to buy anything in reason that I want, and a devoted, intelligent husband. I've not the least desire ever to see Europe again.'

For half an hour longer she talked on in the same strain, in all else giving Truss to understand that she had not a worry in the world. Then the telephone rang.

It was Douglas, speaking from the Galle Face, reporting that the Duke was safe, that all was well and that he would be home within a quarter of an hour.

When Truss had heard the good news, he said, ‘Thank God for that. Now you'll forgive me if I don't stay on to say how-do to Douglas. I've had one hell of a long day. We made an early start from Trinco', but owing to a temporary breakdown we were held up for some hours; so it was after eleven before we got in, and now it's well into the small hours of the morning.'

‘Of course,' Fleur agreed. ‘It was sweet of you to come and keep me company during this anxious time. You get off now. I'll ring you tomorrow about a date for lunch, and I do want to see as much as possible of you while you're here.'

He gave her a cheerful wave, cried, ‘Thanks a lot. I'll be seeing you,' and went through the wire gauze doors. The car that had brought him was parked a little way off with its coloured driver asleep at the wheel. Truss walked down the steps from the verandah. He had only just set foot on the drive when there came a flurry of skirts and a cry behind him. As he turned Fleur flung herself into his arms.

‘Oh, Truss! Truss,' she sobbed. ‘What I told you is all lies. Lies, lies, lies! I'm not happy here. I might as well be in prison. I hate every moment of it. If I don't get away from here I shall
go mad. I was crazy to marry Douglas! Crazy! For God's sake help me to get free or I'll have ruined my whole life.'

Truss was nearly a foot taller than Fleur. As he held her trembling body to him he looked up at the stars, made a slightly comical grimace and, patting her back, murmured, ‘Don't take on so, honey. It may not be too late to pick up the pieces.'

At lunchtime on the Monday Simon telephoned the others to say that de Richleau had woken in fair shape but would benefit from another sleep during the afternoon; so he proposed that they should not meet until six o'clock. At that hour they assembled in his private sitting room and he joined them wearing a dressing gown. While they were helping themselves to drinks their conversation was naturally of the previous night's events and the extremely narrow escape from death that the Duke had had. After some minutes he called for their attention, and said:

‘I owe you all my warmest thanks. Had you not come to my rescue it is pretty certain that on his return Lalita would have done me in, and quite certain that I would not have at last secured the whole of the property left me by my late cousin.'

Simon tittered. ‘I was scared stiff for you; but I take my hat off at the way you dug in your toes about the jewels, and fooled those crooks by not putting your usual signature to the contract.'

‘That would not have invalidated it if the witnesses had actually seen you write your name,' Douglas commented, ‘and Lalita may still get them to swear that they did.'

‘Exactly,' smiled the Duke. ‘Hence my request that you should draw up an ante-dated Deed of Gift by which I make over Olenevka to Fleur.'

‘I have the deed here.' Douglas took a paper from his briefcase, then with a worried look continued, ‘I must tell you
frankly, though, that I am most opposed to all this; and if it were not for my personal attachment to you, sir, I'd have no hand in it. I realise, of course, that we are combating a crook and endeavouring to protect property which is yours by right, but that does not justify putting a false date to a legal document; and if it ever comes out, you, myself and whoever witnesses it will all be in serious trouble.'

‘Unless what we propose to do is given away by one of us—which is unthinkable—it cannot possibly come out. But I appreciate your professional scruples as a lawyer, Douglas, and if you wish to withdraw …'

‘No, sir. You are in no position to get this done by any other solicitor. And, in view of your generous intention towards Fleur, I could not possibly refuse to carry out your wishes. Even so, I beg you most earnestly to reconsider the situation. If Lalita does bring false witnesses to swear that you signed the contract, and that you did so after making the Deed of Gift, you will be liable to prosecution on the grounds that you endeavoured to obtain the jewels under false pretences.'

‘I agree your premises. But last night Lalita admitted that if he brought any charges against me he could not avoid facing one himself of conspiracy with intent to murder. That still holds good. He dare not make any move which will bring this affair into the open.'

‘Yet the fact remains that by invalidating the contract and retaining possession of the jewels you are guilty of a felony. It is that which worries me so greatly. If by some unhappy chance it emerged that you had them you would certainly receive a prison sentence.'

‘I have taken precautions that it will not emerge.'

‘Even so, I beg you to allow Lalita's contract to stand. Letting him have Olenevka will give you a legal title to them.'

‘No. My mind is made up,' the Duke replied stubbornly. ‘I've got the best of that murderous rogue and I'll not let him have any part of my inheritance. Come, give me the Deed of Gift.'

With an unhappy smile Douglas gave him the document. He signed it, Simon and Rex witnessed it, then it was handed back.

Fleur, who had accompanied her husband to the conference, kissed the Duke lovingly and said, ‘Dearest Greyeyes, I can never thank you enough for this magnificent present. But what Douglas has said worries me a lot; and if there is any trouble, at least you know that you have only to say that Olenevka must after all go to Lalita and I'll make it over to him at once.'

He patted her cheek. ‘Thank you, my child. I had always intended that Olenevka, or the money from its sale, should go to you. And there will be no trouble. Lalita is far too scared for himself to make any.'

‘In that I'm afraid you are wrong,' Douglas remarked despondently. ‘I'm not thinking now of the contract or the jewels. But when Lalita discovers that he has been deprived of both he is going to be wild with rage. You may be sure that he will do his damnedest to get his own back on us in some way or other.'

‘How?' asked Rex. ‘What do you figure he could do?'

‘It's difficult to say, but as a senior officer in the Security Service he has plenty of thugs who will take their orders from him and ask no questions. It's quite possible that he might arrange for an attack to be made on the Duke, and afterwards say he had been mistaken for some dangerous criminal.'

‘Don't like the sound of that,' Simon said in a worried voice. ‘Especially as Rex and I will be away from Colombo for quite a while on our trip to the Far East.'

‘When do you go, and for how long will you be away?' asked de Richleau.

It was Rex who answered. ‘Another two days here will complete my business, and Simon has already got through his; so I'd have liked to fly out on Friday. But I put through a call to Trinco' this morning and my pilot's still not happy about that faulty engine. He wants to be dead sure it's one hundred per cent O.K. before we make the long hop to Singapore, so I've agreed to postpone our take-off until Monday. As that gives us three extra days in Ceylon, Simon and I thought we might use them to visit the ancient capitals in the north on our way up to Trinco'. But now I'm not sure that we ought to leave you.'

‘Nonsense, my dear fellow. Of course you must. I visited them years ago. Both Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura are fascinating. But you'll need a good guide if you are to get the best out of your trip.'

‘Yes; a good guide is essential,' Douglas agreed. ‘I only wish I could take you but, unfortunately, I have too many business commitments.'

‘Why shouldn't I be your guide?' Fleur suggested. ‘I've been up there twice with Douglas and I've read lots of books on the history of Ceylon.'

Douglas nodded. ‘That's an excellent idea. And Fleur could drive you up, which would be much more comfortable for you. Most of the hire cars are on their last legs these days, with their springs sticking through the seats.'

‘Thanks a lot,' Rex accepted. ‘We'd love to have Fleur take us on this trip. That is, if we make it; and I must say I'm now concerned at the thought of leaving Greyeyes.' Turning to the Duke he added:

‘Simon tells me you came here only for the change and to explore the possibility of selling the mine. There's nothing to keep you here now. How about heading for home sometime this week?'

De Richleau shook his head. ‘No, Rex. I hate to admit it but old age dictates my movements now. I wouldn't care to risk so long a flight with only Max as a companion. He's a good chap, but if I did have a collapse it would probably prove the end of me, unless there were someone like Simon or yourself at hand to ensure the aircraft landing at the nearest base available so that I could be rushed to hospital. I must remain here till Simon gets back. How long do you expect that to be?'

Truss, who had so far been a silent spectator of the scene, pulled out his wallet, took a slip of paper from it and read out their itinerary:

‘7th/11th Singapore, 12th/16th Bangkok, 17th/21st Manila, 22nd/29th Hong Kong. From there Dad and I fly home via Honolulu and Uncle Simon should be back here on the 30th or 31st.'

‘Then, as I supposed, he will be away three weeks. That being
so, three more days visiting the ancient capitals can make little difference.'

‘It's not the three days we're worrying about,' Simon said. ‘It's leaving you here on your own at all.'

‘My dear fellow, you really have no cause for anxiety. Were I forty years younger and likely to go out at night with the object of discovering what diversions the city has to offer, Lalita might find a good chance to have me slogged on the head. As it is I am quite content to read and doze either here or in the sun lounge; so I doubt if I will leave the hotel even in daytime, except to visit Fleur and Douglas or to go for a drive now and then.'

‘You should be safe enough while in the hotel,' Rex agreed, ‘although about even that one can't be certain; and I don't at all like the idea of your going for drives on your own. If only we were in the States we could hire some reliable strong-arm man to go about with you. But I doubt if we could find anyone here we'd care to trust.'