For, in addition to
everything else, she turned out to be a trained accountant!--and
money matters connected with the estate were being probed to the
bottom that had never been probed before. Mrs. Gaddesden's own
allowance--for the Squire had always obstinately declined to settle
any capital on his married daughters--had been, for the first time,
paid at the proper date--by Elizabeth Bremerton! At least, if the
Squire had signed it, she had written the cheque. And she might
perfectly well have signed it. For, as Pamela had long since
reported to her sisters, Elizabeth paid all the house and estate
accounts over her own signature, and seemed to have much more
accurate knowledge than the Squire himself of the state of his bank
balance, and his money affairs generally.
Not that she ever paraded these things in the least. But neither did
she make any unnecessary mystery about it with the Squire's family.
And indeed they were quite evident to any one living in the house.
At times she would make little, laughing, apologetic remarks to one
of the daughters--'I hope you don't mind!--the Squire wants me to
get things straight.
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