Staggered by the news imparted by her lawyer, Lynn could only stare at him speechlessly from the other side of the desk where she was sitting upright in her chair, her cheeks pale with fury.
'I'm sorry, Lynn,' the lawyer added sympathetically. 'It would seem that your Uncle Joseph had decided that he must adhere to your father's wishes to the letter, and so he appointed another trustee to take his place. This man, a Mr Jake Grayson, assumes full responsibility for your fortune until you reach the age of twenty-five—'
'Another year!' broke in Lynn wrathfully. 'It isn't fair!'
'It's really no different from what it's been up till now,' he pointed out. 'And in any case, a year isn't long, my dear, and then you'll have full control of your money.'
'And my life! Uncle Joseph's done this because I wouldn't marry Victor.'
'He certainly did have hopes of your marrying his son, but as I repeatedly told him, he had no right to think he could control your life as well as your fortune. Besides, it isn't always good for first cousins to marry.'
'I want to marry someone else, but I expect I shall meet with the same opposition from this other man.'
'You were thinking of getting married?'
Lynn nodded.
'To Russell Martin. I believe you know him.'
'To Russell?' with a slight lift of his sparse grey eyebrows. 'I know the father rather than the son. It comes as a surprise to learn that you're engaged to Russell.'
Lynn glanced swiftly at him, aware of the inflection in his voice that seemed to match the sudden frown that had crossed his brow. But she had no time for asking questions that were irrelevant to the present situation. Nor had she the patience to explain that she and Russell were not actually engaged, but rather there was the tacit understanding that their affair was serious.
'This man whom my uncle made my trustee—I've never even heard of him. Mr Jake Grayson—' She shook her head. 'No, Uncle never mentioned him to me.'
'He was a friend of your uncle when they were young, apparently. When your uncle realised he had not long to live, he got in touch with this old friend and asked if he would accept the responsibility of looking after your fortune—'
'Mr Blane, I am twenty-four years old! I don't need anyone to take on the responsibility of the fortune left me by my father! Uncle Joseph and I were never close—on the contrary, we actually came to dislike one another during the past few years. He wanted me to marry Victor and when I persistently refused, he turned against me altogether. He became mean, cutting down my allowance. When he died, it would have been hypocritical of me to grieve for him. In fact, I was looking forward to being in charge of my own money—' She broke off, a hollow sensation in the pit of her stomach. To have been deprived all these years and now, when her uncle's death should have released her fortune into her own hands, he had appointed another trustee to take over the management of her affairs.
'I'm sure my father would never have made Uncle Joseph my trustee if he had known how he was going to treat me.'
Richard Blane paused a moment, as if undecided about commenting on what she had said. However, he did eventually say, looking straight at her, 'Your father had a reason for safeguarding your inheritance, Lynn. There were several fortune hunters on the scene at the time he decided to do something about protecting you in case of his death. And as things turned out it was as well that he did, because only a few weeks after altering his will he had the heart attack and died.'
Lynn swallowed, saying nothing as she fell into a mood of reflection. Her mother had died at her birth; then for several years Lynn had had a nanny. After that she and her father had been very close but, unfortunately, at just seventeen, Lynn had fallen madly in love with a man who was obviously more interested in her money than in her because, after a talk with her father—during which the old man had threatened to cut his daughter off—the man had disappeared. And Lynn supposed it was on the rebound that she turned to another man, whose aspirations proved to be the same.
And then came Paul Loukas, eight years older than herself, whose father was Greek. Lynn's father, swift to suspect that this man was also interested in his daughter's wealth, had taken the same measures, condemning the man out of hand and again threatening to cut his daughter off without a penny. But Paul asked Lynn to marry him, to go to Greece with him, where he lived on the mainland in Delphi. Lynn was unable to make up her mind; she was also by this time beginning to doubt her own judgement where men were concerned. In addition to this, Paul's personality often awed her; he seemed like some magnificent, all-powerful Greek god who would dominate her, submerging her will beneath his own and finally crushing her spirit altogether. She had heard lurid tales about the traditional superiority of Greek men over their wives and daughters, and even over their sisters.
Lynn at seventeen was very young; she had been carefully nurtured by a father who adored her and she felt she would never be a match for the lordly, superior half-Greek who had come into her life when, her car having broken down, he had stopped and given her a lift home. He was on holiday, visiting friends of his English mother, and the following day he had telephoned Lynn, inviting her out to dinner. Her father was away from home on business and Lynn had welcomed the diversion of being taken out to dinner. Another invitation followed and then another, and Lynn could not help but enjoy the attentions of a man so handsome that every female seemed to be regarding her with envy. Tall and dark, with a long muscled frame and stern classical features obviously inherited from his father, Paul Loukas was all that any woman could wish for—and more! Lynn had learned little about his family other than that his father was in shipping and that Paul was one of a family of three, one of his sisters being married, while the other was only ten years old. Paul had told Lynn a great deal about Delphi which in ancient times was famous all over the known world for its Oracle. She would love it, he had assured her eagerly on the day he had asked her to marry him.
Lynn had never cared to recall his reaction on learning that she did not want to marry him. In any case, she pointed out, she was underage and must have her father's consent.
'We will elope,' he had declared. 'Your father will come round once the deed is done.'
'I can't marry against his wishes, Paul. I love him too much.' She had shied away at the glowering look Paul had given her, but had not wavered from her decision. 'He is all I have,' she had said simply, and in the end, after much fruitless persuasion, Paul had been forced to accept her refusal, although not without a show of fury that terrified her and convinced her that she was doing the right thing in refusing him.
A slight cough from the lawyer brought Lynn back with a start to the present, and to the sombre reality of her situation.
'I suppose there's nothing for it than to abide by my uncle's decision,' she quivered. 'At least it's only for another year. After that no one can tell me what I must or must not do with my money—or my life,' she added bitterly, thinking of Russell with whom she had been keeping company for the past four months.
'I expect Russell will wait,' commented the lawyer, and again a frown appeared between his eyes. Lynn was convinced that Mr Blane strongly disapproved of her choice, but his opinion meant nothing to her for all that.
'I still think it's unfair that I have to have some stranger's permission before I can marry.' Lynn's mouth was tight, her blue-green eyes sparkling with anger. In her father's will it was stated that until she was twenty-five years of age she could not marry without the consent of the trustee. After that she was free to do as she liked, both with her money and her life. Obviously her father had assumed that twenty-five was a mature age when Lynn would be past the hazard of foolish infatuation, which was all she had felt for the first three men in her life. She had had other minor affairs since but had never thought of marriage until she met Russell. He was different from the others. Amicable towards everyone, he was popular wherever he went. Lynn was under no illusions regarding his strength of character; he was weak in many ways—easy going, a man who, as a husband, would undoubtedly let her have her own way, and that was what she wanted. Any form of restriction was frustrating to her. With the passing of the years she had gained tremendous strength of character, and so it was not for her the kind of husband who would want to be master. Russell would always be tractable and pliant—putty in her hands. With the increase of her self-confidence the restrictions imposed by her uncle had become almost unbearable, and when he had told her and Victor that he had only a few months to live, it was natural that while she felt shocked by the news, and filled with pity in spite of her intense dislike of him, Lynn should nevertheless have reviewed her own situation and become aware that, on her uncle's death, she would be free to control her own wealth and her destiny.
But instead, here was her lawyer informing her that the control was now in the hands of another man, one whom she had never even met.
She questioned her cousin about him when she arrived back at the stately home which Victor had now inherited. A fine Tudor mansion set in vast acres of parkland with a farm attached, it was indeed an enviable home and one in which many women would like to live. But for Lynn it had been an unhappy experience, living with her uncle and his son, and she would not be sorry when it became possible for her to leave it for a place of her very own.
'Jake Grayson?' Victor shrugged his narrow shoulders. 'I've heard of him; father mentioned the name now and then but that's all. I've never met him, if that's what you're asking.'
'Did you know that your father was transferring his authority to this man?'
'Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Father felt that you ought to have a trustee until you're twenty-five.'
Lynn gritted her teeth. 'Perhaps,' she suggested in a brittle tone, 'you helped him in his decision?'
'Not exactly.'
'What does that mean?'
'I didn't do anything to dissuade him. I felt it was not my affair.'
Lynn drew a deep breath for control, watching him as he went over to a cabinet and opened the lid to reveal an array of bottles.
'Want a drink?' he threw over his shoulder.
'No thank you, not at this time of the day.'
'What difference does the time make?' he laughed. 'Let your miserable self be happy, Lynn. You've had bad news but, after all, it doesn't make that much difference. In any case, you'll be your own boss in a year's time.'
'Another year of my life gone!'
'You sound like an old woman. What's a year when you're only twenty-four?'
'Your father wanted us to marry. That's the reason he did this to me, because I wouldn't be bullied into doing as he wished.'
'He ought to have known that neither he nor anyone else could bully you,' he returned, laughing, and then, turning to face her, a glass in his hand, 'Am I so distasteful to you, Lynn?'
'I don't happen to be in love with you,' she said unnecessarily. 'Nor are you in love with me.'
'Nevertheless, it would have been a good match, with your money added to mine.'
'I rather think you haven't much.' She was by the window, watching him, and as always having to remember not to reveal the contempt she felt for him. He had no personality, no refinement or awareness of the ordinary laws of etiquette. His father, brother to Lynn's mother, had been very different, a typical example of the English country squire. His son would never command the same respect from the villagers that his father had done.
'Money, you mean?' Victor gave a small sigh before taking a drink of his whiskey. 'I might have to sell this place—if you still refuse to marry me.'
'I'm not fond enough of this house to want to live in it permanently.'
'With the right bloke you would be. It has a special charm that's not easy to find.'
'I agree, and so you should get a good price for it.' She paused and when he did not speak, she reintroduced the subject of her new trustee. 'He's meeting me at Mr Blane's office tomorrow at noon.'
'He's an old man, from what I gathered. Where does he live?'
Lynn shot him a glance. 'Didn't your father ever tell you where he lived?'
'No, never. I wasn't interested in the man.'
'Not until now?'
'Not even now. I couldn't care less who your trustee is.' He took another drink then put down the glass. 'Are you thinking of leaving here?'
'It just depends on whether this Jake will let me have enough money to buy a place of my own.' Fury began to edge her voice as she went on, 'It's so frustrating, my having to ask if I can use my own money!'
'And more frustrating your not being able to marry whom you want.' Although he would have been exceedingly relieved and happy if Lynn would agree to marry him, Victor felt no resentment towards her for her refusal. 'Who knows, though, he might not refuse his consent to your marrying Russell.'
'I seem to have got it into my head that he'll adopt the same attitude as Uncle Joseph.'
'Oh, I don't know. Father had another object in view, remember. This Jake fellow has no ulterior motive for refusing his consent. And after all, Russell's not a bad sort of bloke, a bit smarmy, but there's nothing basically wrong with him.'
'What do you mean by smarmy?' demanded Lynn, bristling.
'He always has a smile; seems far too complacent about life, as if it's immaterial to him whether it treats him well or not.'
'What you're trying to say is that he'd shirk responsibility?'
'Yes, I suppose so. But with you as his wife it won't matter, because you'll be manager anyway. It'll be your money that'll keep the house going. He can't have much at all, being one of five brothers all of whom were left a share in their father's business.'
'Russell isn't marrying me for my money,' she shot at him resentfully.
'I'm not implying that he is. All the same, he's onto a good thing, isn't he?'
Lynn had no patience to continue and for the next few minutes the conversation moved to inconsequential matters before Lynn left the room to make her way up to the luxurious bedroom that had been hers for the past seven years.
Large and richly beamed, with soft blue and pink decor and Queen Anne furniture, it had enchanted every friend whom Lynn had brought into it, but for her—well, at best it had served as a haven to which she could escape whenever her will had clashed with that of her uncle, as it had so many times during the past two or three years of his life. He had resented the self-confidence which had come to his niece; he had wanted to guide her in the way he wanted her to go, which in reality meant that she should marry his son and bring her money into the coffers of the Stafford family. Nothing had vexed him more than what he repeatedly termed her obstinate attitude toward what was only his deep and sincere concern that she should not be exploited by some fortune hunter.
She closed the door of her bedroom and leant against it, staring into space. Life was dull at any time, and now there was this bitter disappointment at not being allowed to manage her own affairs. It was not as if she were in any way unable to do so; her mind was astute, her intentions firm and definite. Oh, well, as Victor had just said, this man Jake might just be reasonable and raise no objection to the marriage. And once she was married her fortune would immediately come under her own control. She dwelt on this possibility for some moments then sighed with despair. She would be very fortunate indeed if Jake Grayson were to adopt a reasonable attitude; he was her uncle's friend and that in itself was more than enough to convince Lynn that her chances were almost nil.