Bellona Club II

George goes into a hysterical fit when his grandfather's death is discovered and Peter calms him down. He too has suffered shell shock and knows how the War affected many men who were not career soldiers. After the death, Peter is visited by his family's solicitor, Mr Murbles a rather Victorian old chap who also acts for the Fentiman family, and he hears something of the back story of the Fentimans. General Fentiman had had a sister, Felicity, who had been somewhat unhappy as a girl. The family were not well off and most of the money was spent on the boy, Arthur, to start him in his military career. Felicity received an offer of marriage from an elderly dissipated rich man and refused him.. Her parents were angry. So to avoid any more pressure to marry some old goat, she ran away with a middle class man, Henry Dormer, who had a successful business. Her family were horrified at the mesalliance, but Felicity's marriage was happy. She tried to make up with her relatives but the family snubbed her.. Many years later, she was an elderly and rich childless widow, who lived alone and had no contact with her brother. She did occasionally see her brother's grandsons, George and Robert. She acquired a young companion, a relative of her husband's, Ann Dorland. Ann came to live with her. Just before Armistice day she went for an outing on Bonfire night, caught a cold and became seriously ill. She sent for her brother to try and see him before she died. She had made a Will, and it stated that most of the money would go to General Fentiman if he survived her, but if he died before her, most of it would be left to Miss Dorland..and George and Robert would get a few thousand each. So it turns out that it is a matter of importance to find out exactly when Fentiman died. Murbles asks Peter to do a discreet investigation as to when the old man died. Peter is wary.; He likes the younger Fentimans and feels that digging into things sometimes makes matters worse. He asks if the 3 people involved, Miss Dorland and the Fentimans could not agree to divide up the money... but it seems that someone is refusing to agree to the compromise. Murbles persuades him to go ahead with the investigation. Peter starts asking questions around the Club. The general had visited his sister the previous day - had reconciled with her, and knew what she intended.. and he had left his own money to his grandson George, who was out of work and in poor health. But the addition of a large fortune to his own small property might make people greedy.