“This arrangement, was it not possibly a little unfair to Mr. Hugo Trent, Sir Gervase’s nephew? He is, after all, Sir Gervase’s nearest blood relation.”
Mr. Forbes shrugged his shoulders.
“One has to take a certain amount of family history into account.”
“Such as—?”
Mr. Forbes seemed slightly unwilling to proceed.
Major Riddle said:
“You mustn’t think we’re unduly concerned with raking up old scandals or anything of that sort. But this letter of Sir Gervase’s to M. Poirot has got to be explained.”
“There is certainly nothing scandalous in the explanation of Sir Gervase’s attitude to his nephew,” said Mr. Forbes quickly. “It was simply that Sir Gervase always took his position as head of the family very seriously. He had a younger brother and si
ster. The brother, Anthony Chevenix-Gore, was killed in the war. The sister, Pamela, married, and Sir Gervase disapproved of the marriage. That is to say, he considered that she ought to obtain his consent and approval before marrying. He thought that Captain Trent’s family was not of sufficient prominence to be allied with a Chevenix-Gore. His sister was merely amused by his attitude. As a result, Sir Gervase has always been inclined to dislike his nephew. I think that dislike may have influenced him in deciding to adopt a
child.”
“There was no hope of his having children of his own?”
“No. There was a stillborn child about a year after his marriage. The doctors told Lady Chevenix-Gore that she would never be able to have another child. About two years later he adopted Ruth.”
“And who was Mademoiselle Ruth? How did they come to settle upon her?”
“She was, I believe, the child of a distant connection.”
“That I had guessed,” said Poirot. He looked up at the wall which was hung with family portraits. “One can see that she was of the same blood—the nose, the line of the chin. It repeats itself on these walls many times.”
“She inherits the temper too,” said Mr. Forbes dryly.
“So I should imagine. How did she and her adopted father get on?”
“Much as you might imagine. There was a fierce clash of wills more than once. But in spite of these quarrels I believe there was also an underlying harmony.”
“Nevertheless, she caused him a good deal of anxiety?”
“Incessant anxiety. But I can assure you not to the point of causing him to take his own life.”
“Ah, that, no,” agreed Poirot. “One does not blow one’s brains out because one has a headstrong daughter! And so mademoiselle inherits! Sir Gervase, he never thought of altering his will?”
“Ahem!” Mr. Forbes coughed to hide a little discomposure. “As a matter of fact, I took instructions from Sir Gervase on my arrival here (two days ago, that is to say) as to the drafting of a new will.”
“What’s this?” Major Riddle hitched his chair a little closer. “You didn’t tell us this.”
Mr. Forbes said quickly:
“You merely asked me what the terms of Sir Gervase’s will were. I gave you the information for which you asked. The new will was not even properly drawn up—much less signed.”
“What were its provisions? They may be some guide to Sir Gervase’s state of mind.”
“In the main, they were the same as before, but Miss Chevenix-Gore was only to inherit on condition that she married Mr. Hugo Trent.”
“Aha,” said Poirot. “But there is a very decided difference there.”
“I did not approve of the clause,” said Mr. Forbes. “And I felt bound to point out that it was quite possible it might be contested successfully. The Court does not look upon such conditional bequests with approval. Sir Gervase, however, was quite decided.”
“And if Miss Chevenix-Gore (or, incidentally, Mr. Trent) refused to comply?”