Silence in Court by Patricia Wentworth

do to Mr. Aylwin. Carey saw a stout man with a rugged face and sandy hair mixed with grey. He looked at her with interest as he shook hands.
    â€œJulia’s granddaughter,” said the deep voice, introducing her.
    â€œJust so. I am afraid I don’t remember her.”
    â€œNo—you would only be ten years old when she died.” She turned to Carey. “Mr. Aylwin is a connection of yours as well as of mine. My great-aunt, Harriet Harland, became his grandfather’s second wife.” Her bright, penetrating glance moved on, resting in turn upon Robert, Dennis, Nora, Honor, and Magda Brayle, who had come in from the other side. “I wish to tell you all in front of Mr. Aylwin that I have added Carey’s name to the beneficiaries under my will. I don’t wish anyone to say that it was done in a hole-and-corner way, or as a result of undue influence, or in weakness of intellect. If anyone has any doubt about my being of sound mind, I’ll trouble them to say so now, and not go raising hares and blackening my reputation and their own after I’m gone. There are plenty of you here, so there are plenty of witnesses. If any of you have got anything to say, you can say it.”
    It was the most uncomfortable moment of Carey’s life. Her colour burned and died, leaving her distressed and pale. She murmured something which sounded like “Please, Cousin Honoria—” but the words were drowned by Dennis’s laughter. He blew his aunt a kiss and said,
    â€œDarling, how too dramatic! You do brighten things up, don’t you? Not a dull moment!”
    Mr. Aylwin gave him a look between tolerance and reproof, and turned to say something in a low voice. Beyond the fact that it began with “My dear Honoria,” no one but her was any the wiser.
    She made very much the same face as Nora had made at Dennis and sketched a gesture which set all her rings making rainbows. Her voice mimicked his.
    â€œMy dear Mark! Sit down and have your tea. Magda, bring a cup of tea for Mr. Aylwin. Nora, it’s your turn to pour out. It’s just as well—at least you won’t drop the teapot if I shock you, and Honor probably would. Well now, isn’t anyone going to speak? Remember, here’s your opportunity. If you don’t take it, there won’t be anything doing afterwards—Mark will see to that.”
    Mr. Aylwin’s sandy eyebrows rose, but he made no further protest. Having known Honoria Maquisten intimately for forty years, he was only too well aware of the fact that opposition merely spurred her. If she meant to have a scene, a scene she would have. He took his cup of tea from Magda, sat down, and surveyed the baited family. Of them all Robert showed the most temper, and the most control. He glowered, but he had himself in hand. He was older than the others—mature—a man with a business of his own. Honoria shouldn’t—no, she really shouldn’t.
    It was quite plain that Honoria was enjoying herself. The red curls quivered and the diamonds flashed.
    â€œNobody got anything to say? What unanimity! Well then, if you’re all quite satisfied you can say so. You’ve all got tongues.… Robert?”
    He certainly had himself very well in hand. His voice couldn’t have been bettered as he said,
    â€œIsn’t this all a little unnecessary, Aunt Honoria? What you do with your property is entirely your own affair. I hope you don’t think that any of us would question that.”
    Mrs. Maquisten bent a look of smiling malice upon him. If she had looked like Nora a moment before, she now bore a startling resemblance to Dennis.
    â€œMy dear Bob, that is a pious platitude. Did you really expect to get by with it? What I am asking all of you, and at the moment you in particular, is whether you are satisfied? Or not?”
    â€œI couldn’t possibly answer a question like that.”
    â€œAnd why not?”
    He managed to