The Benevent Treasure

The door opened. Joseph stood on the threshold. He said with his usual politeness,

‘You are being asked for on the telephone, sir.’

Chapter Thirteen

It was after di

After a short silence Miss Olivia said,

‘Cara is not as strong as I am. She has always required a good deal of care. Certain subjects agitate her and are best avoided. I should really have cautioned you on this matter before, but I thought I would wait until we knew you better. One ca

This was rather daunting. Candida wondered what was coming next. Miss Olivia continued.

‘You will remember that I mentioned the Benevent Treasure on your first evening here. It would not have been possible to give you even the slightest sketch of the family history without touching on it, however lightly.’

Derek was playing the refrain of ‘Love’s Old Sweet Song’. There was a pile of these sugary old-fashioned ballads on the music-stand. He made fun of them to Candida, and played them as to the ma

Miss Olivia said in her clear, precise voice,

‘I should have spoken to you before, but no opportunity presented itself. My sister and I are so seldom apart, and the matter did not appear to be pressing. But when Joseph mentioned that he had found you and Derek at work on the family papers I thought it might be as well to touch on the subject. I do not know whether Derek has said anything or not, but we find it better not to discuss the Benevent Treasure in front of Cara. There are some superstitious tales about it, and it is apt to make her nervous.’

Miss Olivia was sitting stiffly upright in a Sheraton chair whose brocaded seat was quite hidden by the spread of her black taffeta skirt. She wore a handsome spray of diamond flowers to fasten the fine lace ruffle at her neck. Half a dozen pearl and diamond rings were crowded on to the thin bent fingers which held a tambour frame and an embroidery-needle. The embroidery on the frame was jewel-bright. Candida suspected it of being too fine for comfort. Sometimes half an hour would go by without a stitch being taken. One was taken now as Candida said,

‘What tales, Aunt Olivia?’

A second stitch was set beside the first.

‘There are stories of the kind in most old families. It was said that the Treasure brought bad luck with it, but that of course was foolish. Ugo did not have bad luck at all. On the contrary. He used part of the Treasure to establish himself in this country. There were some exceedingly valuable jewels. Some of them were sold to build on to this house and to buy the land that went with it. We have no means of knowing how much was disposed of, but it was necessary for your ancestor to make a good appearance and to keep up his rank. He married an heiress, as I think I told you. Her name was A

‘How did they know that it was a footpad?’

‘There may have been a servant with him – I ca

‘If it was a footpad, I don’t see how it could have anything to do with the Treasure.’

‘You do not believe in things being lucky or unlucky? You modern young people attach no importance to things of that sort?’

‘I don’t know – I shouldn’t like to have anything that had been stolen.’

Miss Olivia began to fold up her work.

‘I do not care to hear reflections upon our ancestor,’ she said coldly. ‘I believe I informed you that he left Italy for political reasons. I imagine that he had every right to take with him his share of the patrimony which would have been his had he remained. I think I will now say good night.’

Derek left the piano to open the door for her. When she had gone out he shut it again and came back to the fire with a mischievous expression on his face.

‘Feeling snubbed, darling?’

‘You were listening?’

‘Oh, passionately! She prides herself on her articulation, and you may have noticed that I was playing in a whisper. I’m just wondering why you were treated to those old wives’ tales.’

‘So am I.’

He laughed.

‘Well, I got the impression that she was a bit disappointed, but I don’t know why. She may have wanted to scare you off the horrid unlucky stuff, or she may have wanted to get you all worked up and interested in it.’

‘Why should she want to scare me off?’

‘She might want to protect you, or she might want to stop you laying sacrilegious hands on the Treasure.’

‘Then why should she want to get me interested?’

‘More bits and pieces from A

Candida had a horrid cold feeling.

‘What did he mean?’

‘I don’t know. She got rather carried away talking, and when I began to ask questions she was scared and dried up. I had to promise I wouldn’t let anyone know that she had talked.’

‘Derek – you’ve just told me!’

He waved that away.

‘Darling, what she meant was the Aunts! She wouldn’t give a damn whether you knew or not as long as you didn’t tell them. Anyhow it’s all rubbish, only – Look here, Candida, you keep out of it! Don’t get interested in it, don’t get scared about it! If she offers to show it to you, say you’d rather not!’

‘Why?’

‘I can’t tell you, because I don’t know. I’ve just got a very strong feeling that it’s better left alone. Part of the feeling is that perhaps Alan Thompson didn’t leave it alone, and that it would have been better for him if he had. Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t go within a mile of the stuff for a million – and I can’t put it stronger than that!’