Because of the Lockwoods IV

Oliver says that he would bet that Lockwood has done other dishonest things; he did not hestitate to steal a paddock from a recently widowed lady with children, whom he was supposed to be helping.. so he is sure that the man is dishonest through and through, and has committed other frauds. Thea is angry and excited. She has always disliked the family and felt the humiliations that they placed on the Hunters more than her mother, sister and brother - so she wants to make a public fuss about it. She remembers the difficult months she had spent working in France with the Lockwoods queening it over her, and then gossipping nastily about her. She realises that the receipt for the money given to her father, was in a small bag which had been in the attic for years, and that she had had it with her as she used it to carry some of her things when going to France.. Molly comes in, and when Thea explains, she says that she would just point out the fraud and ask for the money in compensation. Thea angrily accuses her of being dull and not able to stand up for herself. Mrs Hunter also is reluctant to make a fuss. She finds it hard to believe that her friend's husband, who had been asked to help her, should instead defraud her, and take the paddock, but she reluctnatly admits that he never did very much to help her, and was always rude and impatient with her. Thea is angry with her mother, as well for being so slow to become resentful and righteously angry and she tells Oliver she has to go for a walk to calm down. He can understand her feelings about the Lockwoods, how they hurt her when she was a child.. and even now, Martin has left the town because of his feelings for Clare, who has not got the strength of mind to fight her father. It turns out that while the Lockwoods have been away for several weeks some of his clients have been getting uneasy about him, and wondering if their money is safe with him. Oliver tells Thea that all he has to do is to make a remark or 2 in a first class train carriage and it will set off gossip and when the Lockwoods come back, they will have to face the Hunters. He and Thea by now have grown closer and he realises she is no longer in love with the French boy.. but has turned to him. They have grown to know each other well and to work together and are happy finally to have fallen in love. Thea says that she knows only too well how rumours can damage a person's reputation but that Lockwood deserves criticism.