SEVEN
On his arrival from South Africa, Mr. Raymond Dalrymple went to stay at the Savoy. Rather than writing to request an appointment with Tommy, he sent for him to come to the hotel.
Somewhat miffed because, after all, his client was the estate, not Mr. Raymond Dalrymple, Tommy had nonetheless heeded the call. Because he was miffed, he afterwards told Daisy all about the interview. He took her to lunch at the Old Cheshire Cheese.
“Raymond’s a businessman,” he told her. “A partner in Pritchard and Dalrymple, a member of the De Beers cartel.”
“Diamonds!”
“Buying and selling diamonds,” Tommy confirmed. “He was coming to Europe on business anyway, leaving his cousin and his son to run things in South Africa.”
“How old is he? I don’t know why I assumed he was a young man.”
“He’s in his early sixties and the son, Stanley, is in his late thirties. He presented me with their birth and marriage certificates right away, very businesslike. His credentials, he called them.”
“Early sixties…” Daisy attempted the mental maths while she started scribbling down a family branch. “His father must have been Julian’s son, then?”
“Yes, Henry by name.”
“Surely Raymond must know whether Henry was Julian’s eldest.”
“He didn’t even know his grandfather’s name, just that he was the son of an English lord. His father, Henry, was born in Jamaica, quarrelled with his father, possibly Julian, and emigrated to Cape Colony, as it was then. Henry married the daughter of a settler, Alice Pritchard. He and his brother-in-law went prospecting together, and he was killed in a brawl—”
“He told you that? I’m surprised that he’d reveal such a discreditable blot on the would-be escutcheon.”
“‘Brawl’ is my interpretation. He sounds like a thoroughly quarrelsome chap. To be precise, Raymond said the two were attacked by rival prospectors.”
“Claim jumpers. It sounds like the Wild West.”
“They were out in the wilds somewhere. No death certificate.”
“How old was Raymond when Henry died?”
“Just five. He was brought up by his mother’s family.”
“So he hardly knew his father, and if he was told anything about his grandfather he could well have forgotten.”
“His mother used to say his great-grandfather was an English lord. That’s really all he knows. Raymond’s baptismal certificate names his father as Henry Herbert Dalrymple of Jamaica, giving no age, no profession.”
“It sounds as if he was in search of a profession when he died.”
“You could put it that way. Once again, the earlier certificates aren’t what they might be. The church where Henry married Alice and Raymond was baptised, by an itinerant preacher, burned down in one of their wars or uprisings, and bureaucracy didn’t hold much sway in the wilds in those days.”
“So once again there’s no proof. Most unsatisfactory.” Daisy frowned at the family branch:
?Julian
Henry Herbert Dalrymple m. Alice Pritchard
Raymond m.?
Stanley
“Raymond’s beginning to sound a lot like Vincent,” she said.
“Oh, far superior. In his own estimation, at least. The brother-in-law struck a vein of diamonds, or a pipe, or whatever they call it. The family went into the diamond business and prospered mightily, including Raymond, whom his mother’s family more or less adopted. He’s not here in hope of becoming viscount, he’s here to find out whether the estate is worth his while bothering to enter the lists. He wanted me to describe Fairacres and provide information about income and expenses.”
“What cheek! Did you tell him about the other claimants?”
“Only that there are others. When I refused to give him the financial details he asked for, he said he would motor down to Worcestershire and call on Lord Dalrymple, so as to see Fairacres for himself. I’ve written to warn them.”
* * *
Somewhat to Daisy’s surprise, she received a letter from Lady Dalrymple begging her to go and stay at Fairacres for the weekend.
Raymond Dalrymple had written to announce that he would call on Saturday afternoon. Cousin Geraldine wanted Daisy’s advice and support in meeting him.
If Geraldine had simply summoned Daisy, she might have refused in spite of her curiosity about Raymond. She couldn’t resist a plea for help, however, especially as she was dying to meet Raymond. He had already managed to annoy her by not giving permission for her to attend his meeting with Tommy.
Besides, June was her favourite month in the country, when trees and fields still wore their fresh spring green.