The Butler Didn't Do It - Maria Lima [1]
“Now, Dina,” said Mrs. Cooper, frowning and shooting Dina a sharp glance, “don’t be telling tales out of school. You know Doctor Waldron said it were probably summat else what caused it.”
“What do you mean?” I was puzzled.
The cook and Dina looked at each other fixedly, as if each were daring the other to speak. Mrs. Cooper was the first to talk.
“He found her in her bed, Miss. She were right pale,” explained the cook. “But the doctor thought it were natural. Like a blood disease or summat. She were kind enough to come out directly, even though she were at church and all.”
“Doctor been out here lots these days, with your aunt feeling sickly,” said Dina, “but Mr. Gerald insisted on ringing up the Constable, Miss. He blamed Jamison. Constable Macdonald come and took Jamison with him. Said they’d keep ’im awhile, to help him in his inquiries.” She nodded her head, as if remembering something. “Mr. Gerald said that’d be just fine. That’d be long enough.”
I was getting a little confused. My aunt had been sick, had apparently died of a disease, but my cousin had blamed the butler? I knew Gerald had always disliked Jamison, but mostly because the butler had never allowed him to pull the whiny brat routine, not even when Gerald was a boy.
“Where is my cousin now?” I asked. I planned on having a long, if distasteful, talk with him.
“He left an hour ago,” said Dina. She looked at me with a smirk. “He took the Rolls.”
That figured. My aunt was dead less than forty-eight hours and Gerald had already appropriated her Rolls Royce. Well, he’d soon have another think coming. I knew what was in Clara’s will, since she’d e-mailed me a copy earlier in the year. I chuckled at the thought of what Gerald would say when he realized that Clara had left everything to the servants.
I sat bolt upright, spilling my tea. My aunt had left the bulk of the estate in a trust for Jamison and the rest of the staff. I wasn’t sure of the amount of money, but I knew it wasn’t small potatoes. A house the size of Chalfont required a fortune for upkeep and taxes, and Clara had never pinched pennies. The money had been well invested and had grown quite handsomely over the years. Could someone as loyal, kind and trustworthy as Jamison really have killed my aunt for her money?
“I think it’d be best if you went upstairs and took a rest, Miss,” said Mrs. Cooper, wiping up my mess. “Dina, let’s get Miss Lindsay settled.”
Dina jumped up from her chair, eager to help. “Yes, Ma’am,” she said, and grabbed the handle of my suitcase. “I’ve cleaned up one of the guest rooms for her.”
“I’ll tell Mr. Gerald you’re resting when he returns, Miss Lindsay,” said Mrs. Cooper. “That way you’ll not be disturbed.”
“Thank you, Dina,” I said. If I could get my computer hooked up, I could access a copy of the will on my laptop.
“Where is my cousin staying?” I asked Dina, as we entered the hallway next to the bedrooms.
“In the master suite,” she replied, snickering. “We told him it weren’t fit, but he made me.” I chuckled. That suite of rooms hadn’t been lived in since Great-Uncle Albert’s days. Clara had preferred a smaller suite on the other side of the house. I hoped Gerald liked sleeping with spiders.
My cousin’s actions were too transparent--commandeering the Rolls, setting himself up in the master suite--as if he thought that would establish him as the master of Chalfont. He was in for a surprise.
I quickly found the file I was looking for. I was right. All of Clara’s assets, less a few token personal bequests, were to be held in a trust administered by her solicitor and benefiting all the persons living in the house at the time that she was declared dead.
According to the specifics of the will, no one person would benefit from any of the money. The staff was to continue at Chalfont and care for the house and grounds, as if Clara were still there. Each would get a small bequest plus continue their current salary, with appropriate annual increases in pay. As trustee, Jamison would be in charge of household expenses, including pay raises and spending for the upkeep