Anything Goes

their summer home in Nantucket shortly before his death.
    Mr. Prinney studied all the documents slowly and thoroughly, even looking at the backs of the newspaper clippings. Robert caught Lily’s eye, grinned and winked at her.
    “This seems to be quite convincing.”
    “Convincing of what?“ Robert inquired.
    “That you are the children of Caroline and George Brewster.“
    “Of course we are. Why would anybody be benighted enough to pretend to be us? Look here, old chap, what’s this all about?”
    Mr. Prinney sighed, leaned back in his chair and tented his short fingers. “Were you aware that your father had an uncle named Horatio Brewster?”
    Robert looked at Lily. “Were we?“
    “Yes, he visited us one winter at the Gramercy Park apartment when we were about six and eight. You must remember. He gave us lemon drops and we ate so many we were both sick all night. He’s listed here on the family tree.“
    “And you had no further contact with him?“ Mr. Prinney asked.
    Lily shook her head. “My mother used to write everybody in the family a chatty Christmas letter and send pictures with it. And when she died, I used her address book to send cards. But I never received anything back from him so I stopped sending them.“
    “Do you remember what his address was?“
    “Somewhere in Connecticut. I didn’t think to bring Mother’s address book. Uncle Horatio’s address was in a town that started with an ‘S’ as I remember.”
    Mr. Prinney nodded approvingly. “Very well. I think this adds up to adequate proof of your identity. I’m sorry to have to inform you that Mr. Horatio Brewster died two months ago in a boating accident on the river. This had been his home for the last five years. He has left it to the two of you—in a manner of speaking.”
    Lily and Robert exchanged a quick glance.
    “In a manner of speaking, you say?“ Robert asked. “Would you mind explaining what you mean by that?“
    “It’s somewhat like a grace and favor benefice, with your Great-uncle Horatio’s own alterations.“
    “Grace and favor?“ Robert asked. “That sounds terribly upper-crusty. What does it mean?”
    Lily interrupted. “Robert, don’t you remember Great-aunt Winifred in Coventry? We visited her when we were teenagers. She lived in a grace and favor house. King Edward gave it to her and Uncle for use during their lifetimes, as an honor to Uncle’s outstanding civil service career.“
    “So, we inherit this... uh... house,“ Robert said, casting a wary glance back at the gloomy hallway, “but it doesn’t really belong to us? We can’t sell it, for instance?“
    “That is roughly correct,“ Mr. Prinney said. “The will stipulates that you must both live in the house for ten years without being away for more than two months apiece in any given calendar year. But unlike a true grace and favor, it would then be entirely yours, to do with as you wish. If you fulfill this requirement, the house becomes yours.”
    Robert laughed heartily. “Live here for ten years? Mr. Prune...“
    “Prinney!“
    “... Prinney, we couldn’t afford to buy the wood to heat one room in the winter.”
    Mr. Prinney actually said the words “Tut-tut,“ which delighted Robert. Then he went on, “You need not concern yourself with that. Mr. Horatio Brewster also left a substantial amount of cash and assets in trust, the management of which is in my hands as trustee and executor. It allows for the maintenance of the house, the furnishings and the grounds, which I must admit have been sadly neglected. At the end of the ten years, the balance of the trust will also revert to the two of you, if you have fulfilled the conditions therein.“
    “A substantial amount of cash?“ Lily murmured. “How substantial... exactly?”
    Mr. Prinney removed a folded sheet of ledger paper from his suit pocket and carefully opened it up. “As you know, the real estate holdings are worth only what someone is willing to pay for them, so they’re difficult to assess accurately. And I admit I failed to stop at the bank today and check on the current amount of interest and today’s gold prices, but as of last Monday the funds in the trust amounted to one million, eight hundred and twenty-three thousand, four hundred and nineteen dollars and seventeen cents.”
     

Chapter 2
     
    Lily was the first to get her breath back. She whispered, “How much?”
    Mr. Prinney repeated the figure.
    “And this amount and the house will be ours