Hilda’s calm voice, slightly raised, said:
‘Couldn’t we just discuss this quietly?’
Lydia threw her a grateful glance.
David said with sudden violence:
‘Must we have all this disgraceful fuss over money!’
Magdalene said venomously to him:
‘It’s all very well to be so high-minded. You’re not going to refuse your legacy, are you? You want money just as much as the rest of us do! All this unworldliness is just a pose!’
David said in a strangled voice:
‘You think I ought to refuse it? I wonder—’
Hilda said sharply:
‘Of course you oughtn’t. Must we all behave like children? Alfred, you’re the head of the family—’
Alfred seemed to wake out of a dream. He said:
‘I beg your pardon. All of you shouting at once. It—it confuses me.’
Lydia said:
?
??As Hilda has just pointed out, why must we behave like greedy children? Let us discuss this thing quietly and sanely and’—she added this quickly—‘one thing at a time. Alfred shall speak first because he is the eldest. What do you think, Alfred, we should do about Pilar?’
He said slowly:
‘She must make her home here, certainly. And we should make her an allowance. I do not see she has any legal claim to the money which would have gone to her mother. She’s not a Lee, remember. She’s a Spanish subject.’
‘No legal claim, no,’ said Lydia. ‘But I think she has a moral claim. As I see it, your father, although his daughter had married a Spaniard against his wishes, recognized her to have an equal claim upon him. George, Harry, David, and Jennifer were to share equally. Jennifer only died last year. I am sure that when he sent for Mr Charlton, he meant to make ample provision for Pilar in a new will. He would have allotted her at least her mother’s share. It is possible that he might have done much more than that. She was the only grandchild, remember. I think the least we can do is to endeavour to remedy any injustice that your father himself was preparing to remedy.’
Alfred said warmly:
‘Well put, Lydia! I was wrong. I agree with you that Pilar must be given Jennifer’s share of my father’s fortune.’
Lydia said: ‘Your turn, Harry.’
Harry said:
‘As you know, I agree. I think Lydia has put the case very well, and I’d like to say I admire her for it.’
Lydia said:
‘George?’
George was red in the face. He spluttered:
‘Certainly not! Whole thing’s preposterous! Give her a home and a decent dress allowance. Quite enough for her!’
‘Then you refuse to co-operate?’ asked Alfred.
‘Yes, I do.’