The House of Seven Fountains Read Online Free PDF Page A

thoughtfully.
    “Yes, in many ways it is an unusual bequest,” he agreed after a pause. “But then John Cunningham was an unusual man. He made his will only a few months before his death—I think he had a premonition that something was going to happen—and at the time I suggested to him that it might prove impracticable. The normal procedure would have been to arrange for the sale of the estate and leave you the proceeds. But he was most insistent that you should inherit the property as it stands.”
    “Then he did intend for me to come out here?” she put in quickly.
    “Oh, yes, he hoped you would. There’s no doubt of that. The reason he did not state his wishes in the will was that he did not want you to feel under an obligation to do so. He thought it possible that you were engaged to be married or that you might have a career, which you could not interrupt.”
    “So I was right!” she murmured under her breath. Then aloud, “You see, that was what I thought when I received your letter, yet in some ways, it seemed so farfetched. For a while I thought I was mistaken. It’s rather a relief to know that I was right after all.”
    “May I ask you a personal question, Miss Connell?”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “These relatives with whom you have been living, were you happy with them?”
    Vivien traced a pattern on the arm of her chair, her delicately marked eyebrows drawn together in a troubled frown. Then she gave him a frank look and said, “No, I wasn’t happy. They were good to me and in many ways I’m grateful to them for taking me in, but I was never happy.”
    “ Hmm. That’s what your godfather suspected,” he said shortly.
    “But why? He didn’t know them.”
    Mr. Adams knocked out his pipe and refilled it from an ancient pouch. It was some minutes before he had completed the operation to his satisfaction, and then he had to hunt through his pockets for matches. When at last the pipe was drawing well, he settled himself more comfortably on the cane sofa and said slowly, “Maybe I ought not to tell you this, but I think it might help you to see your way more clearly. When your parents died, John Cunningham was traveling in China. As soon as he heard what had happened he went to England to see your aunt. He wanted to adopt you. She refused to part with you but accepted his offer to pay for your education and other expenses.”
    “ What ?” Vivien sat forward, staring at him aghast. “But ... I had no idea! My aunt never mentioned such a thing!”
    “No ... somehow I imagined she hadn’t,” he said dryly. “So you see the bond between you and your godfather was stronger than you thought.”
    It took her a few minutes to recover from the impact of this startling news.
    “So all the time I thought I should be grateful to her, it was really my godfather who was supporting me,” she said flatly.
    “That is so.”
    “But if he wanted to adopt me, why did she refuse? She was never fond of me.”
    “The workings of human nature are often obscure. People ’ s motives are seldom clear-cut. I hope I haven’t upset you by telling you the facts, my dear, but I had a great affection and respect for John Cunningham, and I think you should know the truth. It may influence your decision on the future of the prop erty.”
    “I’m very glad that you have told me, Mr. Adams,” she answered quietly. “I wish I had known long ago. It clears up many things that I never understood.”
    Mr. Adams was not a demonstrative man. He was a bachelor and rather nervous of the usual run of modern women with their makeup and cigarettes and casual manners. But now, for the first time in many years, he felt an odd tenderness for this wee slip of a lassie with her clear eyes and air of uncertainty. To his surprise he found himself patting her hand.
    “ I think you should rest now,” he said with a kindliness that was usually hidden under a mask of disciplinarian severity. “You’ve come a long way, and there’s a