Read Online And Thereby Hangs a Tale by Jeffrey Archer - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
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Sommerfield,' said the lawyer
as he walked towards the bed. He had intended to shake hands with the old man, but
when he saw the look of disdain on his face, he decided against it. 'My name is
Kullick, sir,' he said, remaining at the foot of the bed.
'I know,' said Arthur. 'And you've come about
my will.'
'Yes, sir, I have, and...'
'And have you remembered to include the bequests
for my nurse this time?'
'Yes, he has, Arthur,' interrupted Lynn. 'I told
you all about it after I'd returned from visiting Mr Kullick last week.'
'Ah, yes, I remember,' said Arthur, draining
his glass.
'You've given me everything -- ' she paused '...
that I asked for.'
'Everything?' said Arthur.
'Yes,' she said, 'which is so much more than
I deserve. But if you want to change your mind . . .' she added as she refilled
his glass.
'No, no, you've more than earned it.'
'Thank you, Arthur,' she said, taking him by
the hand.
'Let's get on with it,' said thavesqu; she;s
he old man wearily, turning his attention back to Kullick.
'Would you like me to take you through the will
clause by clause, sir?'
'Certainly not. Haskins took long enough
doing that last time.'
'As you wish, sir. Then all that remains to
be done is for you to sign the document. But, as I explained to Ms Beattie,
that will require a witness.'
'I'm sure Mr Sommerfield's personal maid will
be happy to act as witness,' said Lynn as the front doorbell rang again.
'I'm afraid that won't be possible,' said Kullick.
'But why not?' demanded Lynn, who had already
given Paula twenty dollars to carry out the task.
'Because she's a beneficiary of the will,'
said Kullick, 'and therefore ineligible to be a witness.'
'She is indeed,' said Arthur. Turning to
Lynn he explained, 'I've left her the silver-plated dinner service.' He leaned
across and whispered, 'But I can assure you, my dear, that the silver cane is,
like you, sterling.'
Lynn smiled as she desperately tried to
think who could take Paula's place. Her first thought was the chauffeur, but
then she remembered that he was also a beneficiary...
Arthur's ancient car. She didn't want to
risk going through the whole process again, but she couldn't think of anyone
suitable to take the maid's place at such short notice.
'Could you come back this time tomorrow?' she
asked, trying to remain calm. 'By then I'm sure-' She was interrupted by a
knock on the door and Dr Grove strode into the room.
'How are you, Arthur?' he asked.
'Not too bad,' said Arthur. 'I'd be even
better if you felt able to witness my signature. Or is Grove also a beneficiary
of my will?' he asked Kullick.
'Certainly not,' said Dr Grove before the
lawyer could speak. 'It's against company policy for any employee of Jackson
Memorial to benefit from a bequest left by a patient.'
'Good, then you can earn your fee for a change,
Grove. That is, assuming Kullick agrees you're acceptable.'
'Eminently so, Mr Sommerfield,' said Kullick
as he opened his briefcase and extracted three thick documents. He slowly
turned the pages, pointing to the small pencil crosses at the bottom of each
page indicating where both signatures should be placed.
Although Lynn had taken a step back so as not
to appear too involved in the process, her heartbeat didn't return to normal
until the last page of all three copies had been signed
and witnessed.
Once the ceremony had been completed, Kullick
gathered up the documents, placed one copy in his briefcase and handed the other
two to Mr Sommerfield, who waved them away, so Lynn placed them in the drawer
by his bed.
'I'll take my leave, sir,' said Kullick,
still not confident enough to shake hands with his latest client.
'Give Haskins my best wishes,' said Arthur
as he screwed the top back on his fountain pen.
'But I no longer work for...'
'Just be sure to tell Mr Haskins when you next
see him,' Lynn said quickly, 'that he obviously didn't fully appreciate Mr Sommerfield's
wishes when it came to the very generous bequest he had in mind for
as he walked towards the bed. He had intended to shake hands with the old man, but
when he saw the look of disdain on his face, he decided against it. 'My name is
Kullick, sir,' he said, remaining at the foot of the bed.
'I know,' said Arthur. 'And you've come about
my will.'
'Yes, sir, I have, and...'
'And have you remembered to include the bequests
for my nurse this time?'
'Yes, he has, Arthur,' interrupted Lynn. 'I told
you all about it after I'd returned from visiting Mr Kullick last week.'
'Ah, yes, I remember,' said Arthur, draining
his glass.
'You've given me everything -- ' she paused '...
that I asked for.'
'Everything?' said Arthur.
'Yes,' she said, 'which is so much more than
I deserve. But if you want to change your mind . . .' she added as she refilled
his glass.
'No, no, you've more than earned it.'
'Thank you, Arthur,' she said, taking him by
the hand.
'Let's get on with it,' said thavesqu; she;s
he old man wearily, turning his attention back to Kullick.
'Would you like me to take you through the will
clause by clause, sir?'
'Certainly not. Haskins took long enough
doing that last time.'
'As you wish, sir. Then all that remains to
be done is for you to sign the document. But, as I explained to Ms Beattie,
that will require a witness.'
'I'm sure Mr Sommerfield's personal maid will
be happy to act as witness,' said Lynn as the front doorbell rang again.
'I'm afraid that won't be possible,' said Kullick.
'But why not?' demanded Lynn, who had already
given Paula twenty dollars to carry out the task.
'Because she's a beneficiary of the will,'
said Kullick, 'and therefore ineligible to be a witness.'
'She is indeed,' said Arthur. Turning to
Lynn he explained, 'I've left her the silver-plated dinner service.' He leaned
across and whispered, 'But I can assure you, my dear, that the silver cane is,
like you, sterling.'
Lynn smiled as she desperately tried to
think who could take Paula's place. Her first thought was the chauffeur, but
then she remembered that he was also a beneficiary...
Arthur's ancient car. She didn't want to
risk going through the whole process again, but she couldn't think of anyone
suitable to take the maid's place at such short notice.
'Could you come back this time tomorrow?' she
asked, trying to remain calm. 'By then I'm sure-' She was interrupted by a
knock on the door and Dr Grove strode into the room.
'How are you, Arthur?' he asked.
'Not too bad,' said Arthur. 'I'd be even
better if you felt able to witness my signature. Or is Grove also a beneficiary
of my will?' he asked Kullick.
'Certainly not,' said Dr Grove before the
lawyer could speak. 'It's against company policy for any employee of Jackson
Memorial to benefit from a bequest left by a patient.'
'Good, then you can earn your fee for a change,
Grove. That is, assuming Kullick agrees you're acceptable.'
'Eminently so, Mr Sommerfield,' said Kullick
as he opened his briefcase and extracted three thick documents. He slowly
turned the pages, pointing to the small pencil crosses at the bottom of each
page indicating where both signatures should be placed.
Although Lynn had taken a step back so as not
to appear too involved in the process, her heartbeat didn't return to normal
until the last page of all three copies had been signed
and witnessed.
Once the ceremony had been completed, Kullick
gathered up the documents, placed one copy in his briefcase and handed the other
two to Mr Sommerfield, who waved them away, so Lynn placed them in the drawer
by his bed.
'I'll take my leave, sir,' said Kullick,
still not confident enough to shake hands with his latest client.
'Give Haskins my best wishes,' said Arthur
as he screwed the top back on his fountain pen.
'But I no longer work for...'
'Just be sure to tell Mr Haskins when you next
see him,' Lynn said quickly, 'that he obviously didn't fully appreciate Mr Sommerfield's
wishes when it came to the very generous bequest he had in mind for
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