War Zone

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"An excellent party it was while it lasted; but unfor tunately, when the merry-making was at its height and your brother in a somewhat compromising position with the lady of his choice, the doors were flung open and the Burgomaster returned.

"He had with him a friend and a couple of burly serving men who were only too ready to do his bidding. There was a fight in which unfortunately the majority of the guests were too incapacitated by the food and wine to take a very active part.

"Your brother fought gallantly, but he was caught at a disadvantage. The Burgomaster, who had apparent ly armed himself with a sword-stick on his travels, ran him through before he could adequately defend him self.

"We were all flung into the street and it was on the dirty cobblestones wet with recent rain that I found your brother was dead."

"Dead in somewhat unfortunate circumstances, to say the least of it," Reve said, her voice hard. Paul de Frémond shrugged his shoulders.

"Your brother was a man who enjoyed life, my and why not? He was rich, unmarried, and not without a certain charm of his own. If women surren dered easily to him, it is surely not for us to blame him or them."

"He knew that I was waiting here, anxiously await ing his arrival to make arrangements for my mar riage."

"He spoke of that; in fact we discussed it often," Paul de Frémond replied. "Everything is decided."

"As my brother is dead the question does not arise."

"On the contrary you will want to obey his last

wishes in the matter."

"How can he have known they were his last if he died as you say without repentance or priest?" "I was in your brother's confidence," Paul de Frémond replied. "He trusted me, confided in me. When

your Great-Aunt's letter came asking him to journey

here to arrange your marriage, we discussed the whole

matter. Finally your brother decided that the person

you should marry would be me."

Rêve started to her feet.

"You!" she ejaculated. "Are you mad?" Paul de Frémond looked up at her, but made no attempt to rise.

"On the contrary, I am very sane," he said. "You are attractive, as I anticipated you would be, but even I was not prepared for anyone quite so pretty. I can assure you that even on such short acquaintance I am utterly content with the arrangement."

"I think, Monsieur, that you are being insulting," Rêve said coldly. She was frightened, but there was no sign of it in

the proud carriage of her head. "You will not speak of such intimate matters which do not concern you." She continued. "With regard to the news you bring of

my brother's death I must ask you, what I should have asked you sooner, to produce your credentials that I may have something by which I can judge whether or not what you tell me is the truth."

Paul de Frémond smiled.

"I like your spirit," he said, "but there is no reason for me to give you chapter and verse for what I say. You know as well as I do that it is the truth. Armand is dead, but he wished me to marry you and marry you I shall. Incidentally, my dear, he made you his heir the papers are lodged with a notary on his estate. We can send for them at our leisure."

"His heir!"

Rêve hardly breathed the words, then her eyes were dark with anger as she said:

"So that is why you wish to marry me. My brother was wealthy, I know that, and if I am his heiress you

wish to get your hands on his money." Paul de Frémond continued to smile.

"Pray do not be hasty, do not say things which later we shall both regret. But let us by all means be frank with each other. I, my dear Rêve, am penniless. I always have been. I was an émigré to England-an orphan of the Revolution they called me!

"My pathetic state brought tears to the eyes of a Nobleman who had known my father in our more affluent days. He had me educated and brought me up with his own family in considerable comfort.

"Then unfortunately he took a dislike to me-or shall I say to certain actions of mine?-and cast me out into the world without a penny to my name. I was forced to leave England for reasons I need not enumerate. Your brother took me in. But if he was my benefactor, I equally was his.

"I amused him, I made life appreciably more enjoy able for him. I have a way of getting what I want in this world. Your brother was an ineffective person in many ways and he found me useful.

"It was I who persuaded him to make a will in your favour before he left home. I am nothing if not prac tical, and with the world so full of perils and dangers as it is today one can never be too careful.

"I wonder you did not decide to murder him your self," Rêve said bitterly. "It is obvious that if you planned to marry me, then his death must be to your e." advantage."

"That is being unnecessarily suspicious," Paul de Frémond said suavely. "Your brother was just as useful to me alive as dead. I had the handling of his money, I had authority to order what I wished. I was major domo, aide-de-camp, companion, wife and nurse to him all at the same time. But I am not saying that I didn't make it worth my while. A workman, my dear, is worthy of his hire."

His mocking voice ceased for a moment and as Rêve did not speak he continued after a few seconds.

"Actually it was Armand who thought we should be man and wife. He was telling me how indispensable I was to him and bewailing the fact that he had to look after a young half-sister.

"You will have to take her on as well as me, Paul," he said; and then as if a sudden thought struck him, he added:

"You had best marry her. It would simplify every

thing."

"I promise you that until that moment the idea had not entered my head, but afterwards I saw how sen sible it was; and now that Armand is dead, it is im perative that his wishes be carried out."

"So that you may be rich!" Rêve finished sarcas tically. "I will arrange that you are paid for your ser vices."