To Catch A Thief (Saved By Desire 3)

“Well, there will be some old codger in the family pass away, won’t there? I will undoubtedly inherit more funds from someone,” Delilah declared spitefully.

Sophia shook her head in dismay at her aunt’s arrogant display of unmitigated greed.

“I am afraid Uncle George has his nephew to inherit his estates, and your cousin, Beatrice, has already spent everything she has. Cousin Beatrice is in the process of selling her house and is going to move in with us, however, will have her own expenses. By the time Beatrice passes, she could very well have used all of her funds, and as the man in the family, Hooky will inherit the rest. I shall inherit everything from him. He has already said so. There are no other relatives to pass on and leave you anything. So, unless you plan to live with us too you must start to cut back.”

“Well, this is ridiculous,” Delilah protested, finally picking up the parchment and glaring at it accusingly for a moment.

She immediately froze. Her eyes widened at the amount stated. Although she didn’t speak, she couldn’t hide the fear and worry in her eyes as continued to sip her tea. After several moments of glaring at the note, she threw it down onto the table and stared absently out of the window.

It is hard to tell from the blank look on her aunt’s face if she was angry, tearful, or upset. Either way, Sophia couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She had the benefit of financial security but was able to recognise that for someone like Delilah, who had spent virtually all of her life doing what she wanted when she wanted it was going to be tough to live with the new, rather restrained circumstance. She now had to live with financial insecurity in her long term future. Unfortunately, there was nothing Sophia could do, or say, to ease her aunt’s fears.

“I am sorry to bring you worry, but it is better to deal with this now rather than later when the account is completely empty. At least this way there is sufficient funds to provide your everyday needs.” She glanced hesitantly around the house then looked compassionately at her aunt. “Maybe you should downsize? If you had somewhere small -”

“This is preposterous,” Delilah spat and suddenly pushed away from the table. She glared at Sophia as though it was all her fault. “I am not going to be reprimanded like a young child who is still wet behind the ears by someone half my age. I don’t care what Hooky told you to say me, I am not going to be scared into leaving this house. This is my home, and I am going to stay here whether he likes it or not, so you can take that back to him. Meantime, if he wants me to start to curb my spending, which is, I suspect, the reason he sent you here in the first place, then he shouldn’t burden me with another mouth to feed.”

Rather than answer, Sophia removed a wad of bank notes from her pocket and put them on the table.

“This is to cover my food and keep while here. There is more than enough,” she said calmly. “However, spend it wisely because Hooky refuses to send you more. He has sent you this.” She placed Hooky’s letter on the table for her read later, but rather suspected it would end up in the fire rather than on Delilah’s desk where she usually kept her personal papers, and a large pile of unpaid bills. “At some point, it will all catch up with you, Delilah. It is time you were honest with yourself if you don’t intend to be so with me.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Delilah protested. “I have a backup plan, so you can reassure Hooky that he won’t be burdened with me in my aged years.”

“It isn’t that,” Sophia objected, horrified that she had given Delilah such an impression. The fact that it was, privately, what Hooky had said was something she intended to keep to herself.

“Then don’t pry into my personal business.”

“I am not prying,” Sophia snapped back, for once in her life uncharacteristically peeved with her aunt. “Hooky is the man in the family and has to deal with the banks for you because he was appointed an executor of the inheritance that has provided for you.”

Sophia had always thought it was strange that Hooky had been nominated with such a task, but now she was old enough to witness her aunt’s rather lavish lifestyle, she could understand why it had been deemed necessary.

“It isn’t fair to keep having the monthly stipend, but then send Hooky all of the extra bills to pay. The allowance is given to you to pay for anything you might need and should be sufficient.”

Delilah rounded on her. She placed her palms down on the table and leaned toward her menacingly.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with you,” her aunt spat.

“I am afraid it does, especially when you expect me to take your bills back to Hooky to pay. If you want them paid then use the money you are given each month. If that isn’t enough, then do the sums yourself. Work out how much you owe already and see what is left in the account.” Sophia poked at the parchment. “See for yourself. If you can find some way of providing for your recklessness then please do so, but until you do get another way to pay all of the additional bills then you need to start to cut back. Why, you have another dressmaker fitting later tomorrow, Delilah, and already have a wardrobe stuffed full of clothing. In fact, the entire back bedroom is full of clothes. Then there are all of the fripperies that go with each outfit, and then there is your penchant for champagne for breakfast.”

She could see the anger growing on her aunt’s face and suspected that if she didn’t stop soon she was going to get thrown out on her ear. However, she had to take the opportunity to make her aunt see sense while she could.

“I have plans,” Delilah declared obliquely.

“To do what?” Sophia challenged. She suspected her aunt had secrets, and wondered what they were. “Is that what the items upstairs are? Security for your future?”

“They are nothing to do with you,” Delilah snapped. “I have a plan to sort out my future, don’t you worry about that. Now, I suggest you get some rest because we are off to the Lord’s dinner tonight. So I am not going to have to feed myself, my dear. You can tell Hooky that it is another meal he won’t be expected to pay for, and I will wear the dress I wore last week if I have to, so he won’t have to buy another dress.”

“You don’t need to buy another dress,” Sophia replied darkly.

Delilah glared at her. “While you are under my roof, I would ask you to mind your manners and stop prying into my private affairs. In fact, now you have handed over Hooky’s orders there really is no reason for you to stay. You can go home and tell Hooky to mind his own business. You have done what you were told, but I won’t budge.”

“I am sorry it has come to this,” Sophia replied carefully.

She hated being at odds with anyone, but her aunt’s behaviour today left her with grave concerns that Delilah was hiding something. Strangely, Sophia suspected that it wasn’t a lover she was hiding because she suspected Delilah didn’t have one. It was something else.

“I am sure you are, dear.”

The atmosphere between them became awkward.

Sophia sighed. “I shall endeavour to write to Hooky and ask him to send the carriage for me then.”