But how was she to increase it? The reversion of the great Wilders
estates still eluded her grasp; they might never come her way,
whatever lengths she might go to secure them.
"Lord Essendine ought to do something for me," she told herself, as
soon as she was settled in town. "It was not fair to keep the
existence of this hateful young man secret; my boy suffers by it, poor
little orphan! Surely I can make a good case of this to his lordship;
and, after all, the child comes next."
She wrote accordingly to the family lawyers, Messrs. Burt and Benham,
asking for an interview, and within a day or two saw the senior
partner, Mr. Burt.
He was blandly sympathetic, but distant.
"Allow me to offer my deep condolence, madam; but as this is, I
presume, a business visit, may I ask--"
"I am left in great distress. I wish to appeal to Lord Essendine."
"On what grounds?"
"My infant son is the next heir."
"Nay; surely you know--there is another before him?"
"Before my boy! Who? What can you mean? Impossible! I have never heard
a syllable of this. I shall contest it."
It suited her to deny all knowledge, thinking it strengthened her
position.
"That would be quite useless. The claims of the next heir are
perfectly sound."
"It is sheer robbery! It is scandalous, outrageous! I will go and see
Lord Essendine myself.
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