him.
'I'm not excited,' Jan cried petulantly. 'But I'm not going to be - what's it called? - I'm not going to be victimized.' He came back into the centre of the room, and faced Laura squarely. I'm master here now. I'm the master of this house. Everybody's got to do as I say.' He paused, then turned and addressed Julian Farrar. 'I could be a JP if I wanted to, couldn't I, Julian?'
'I think you're a little young for that yet,' Farrar told him.
Jan shrugged, and turned back to Laura. 'You all treat me like a child,' he complained again. 'But you can't do it any longer - not now that Richard's dead.' He flung himself onto the sofa, legs sprawling. 'I expect I'm rich, too, aren't I?' he added. 'This house belongs to me. Nobody can push me around any longer. I can push them around. I'm not going to be dictated to by silly old Benny. If Benny tries ordering me about, I shall -' He paused, then added childishly, 'I know what I shall do!'
Laura approached him. 'Listen, Jan darling,' she murmured gently. 'It's a very worrying time for all of us, and Richard's things don't belong to anybody until the lawyers have come and read his will and granted what they call probate. That's what happens when anyone dies. Until then, we all have to wait and see. Do you understand?'
Laura's tone had a calming and quietening effect on Jan. He looked up at her, then put his arms around her waists nestling close to her. 'I understand what you tell me, Laura,' he said. 'I love you, Laura. I love you very much.'
'Yes, darling,' Laura murmured soothingly. 'I love you, too.'
'You're glad Richard's dead, aren't you?' Jan asked her suddenly.
Slightly startled, Laura replied hurriedly, 'No, of course I'm not glad.'
'Oh yes, you are,' said Jan, slyly. 'Now you can marry Julian.'
Laura looked quickly at Julian Farrar, who rose to his feet as Jan continued, 'You've wanted to marry Julian for a long time, haven't you? I know. They think I don't notice or know things. But I do. And so it's all right for both of you now. It's been made all right for you, and you're both pleased. You're pleased, because -'
He broke off, hearing Miss Bennett out in the corridor calling, 'Jan!', and laughed. 'Silly old Benny!' he shouted, bouncing up and down on the sofa.
'Now, do be nice to Benny,' Laura cautioned Jan, as she pulled him to his feet. 'She's having such a lot of trouble and worry over all this.' Guiding Jan to the door, Laura continued gently, 'You must help Benny, Jan, because you're the man of the family now.'
Jan opened the door, then looked from Laura to Julian. 'AH right, all right,' he promised, with a smile. 'I will.' He left the room, shutting the door behind him and calling 'Benny!' as he went.
Laura turned to Julian Farrar who had risen from his armchair and walked over to her. Td no idea he knew about us,' she exclaimed.
'That's the trouble with people like Jan,' Farrar retorted. 'You never know how much or how little they do know. He's very - well, he gets rather easily out of hand, doesn't he?'
'Yes, he does get easily excited,' Laura admitted. 'But now that Richard isn't here to tease him, he'll calm down. He'll get to be more normal. I'm sure he will.'
Julian Farrar looked doubtful. 'Well, I don't know about that,' he began, but broke off as Starkwedder suddenly appeared at the french windows.
'Hello - good evening,' Starkwedder called, sounding quite happy.
'Oh - er - good evening,' Farrar replied, hesitantly.
'How's everything? Bright and cheerful?' Starkwedder enquired, looking from one to the other. He suddenly grinned. 'I see,' he observed. 'Two's company and three's none.' He stepped into the room. 'Shouldn't have come in by the window this way. A gentleman would have gone to the front door and rung the bell. Is that it? But then, you see, I'm no gentleman.'
'Oh, please -' Laura began, but Starkwedder interrupted her. 'As a matter of fact,' he explained, 'I've come for two reasons. First, to say goodbye. My character's been
'I'm not excited,' Jan cried petulantly. 'But I'm not going to be - what's it called? - I'm not going to be victimized.' He came back into the centre of the room, and faced Laura squarely. I'm master here now. I'm the master of this house. Everybody's got to do as I say.' He paused, then turned and addressed Julian Farrar. 'I could be a JP if I wanted to, couldn't I, Julian?'
'I think you're a little young for that yet,' Farrar told him.
Jan shrugged, and turned back to Laura. 'You all treat me like a child,' he complained again. 'But you can't do it any longer - not now that Richard's dead.' He flung himself onto the sofa, legs sprawling. 'I expect I'm rich, too, aren't I?' he added. 'This house belongs to me. Nobody can push me around any longer. I can push them around. I'm not going to be dictated to by silly old Benny. If Benny tries ordering me about, I shall -' He paused, then added childishly, 'I know what I shall do!'
Laura approached him. 'Listen, Jan darling,' she murmured gently. 'It's a very worrying time for all of us, and Richard's things don't belong to anybody until the lawyers have come and read his will and granted what they call probate. That's what happens when anyone dies. Until then, we all have to wait and see. Do you understand?'
Laura's tone had a calming and quietening effect on Jan. He looked up at her, then put his arms around her waists nestling close to her. 'I understand what you tell me, Laura,' he said. 'I love you, Laura. I love you very much.'
'Yes, darling,' Laura murmured soothingly. 'I love you, too.'
'You're glad Richard's dead, aren't you?' Jan asked her suddenly.
Slightly startled, Laura replied hurriedly, 'No, of course I'm not glad.'
'Oh yes, you are,' said Jan, slyly. 'Now you can marry Julian.'
Laura looked quickly at Julian Farrar, who rose to his feet as Jan continued, 'You've wanted to marry Julian for a long time, haven't you? I know. They think I don't notice or know things. But I do. And so it's all right for both of you now. It's been made all right for you, and you're both pleased. You're pleased, because -'
He broke off, hearing Miss Bennett out in the corridor calling, 'Jan!', and laughed. 'Silly old Benny!' he shouted, bouncing up and down on the sofa.
'Now, do be nice to Benny,' Laura cautioned Jan, as she pulled him to his feet. 'She's having such a lot of trouble and worry over all this.' Guiding Jan to the door, Laura continued gently, 'You must help Benny, Jan, because you're the man of the family now.'
Jan opened the door, then looked from Laura to Julian. 'AH right, all right,' he promised, with a smile. 'I will.' He left the room, shutting the door behind him and calling 'Benny!' as he went.
Laura turned to Julian Farrar who had risen from his armchair and walked over to her. Td no idea he knew about us,' she exclaimed.
'That's the trouble with people like Jan,' Farrar retorted. 'You never know how much or how little they do know. He's very - well, he gets rather easily out of hand, doesn't he?'
'Yes, he does get easily excited,' Laura admitted. 'But now that Richard isn't here to tease him, he'll calm down. He'll get to be more normal. I'm sure he will.'
Julian Farrar looked doubtful. 'Well, I don't know about that,' he began, but broke off as Starkwedder suddenly appeared at the french windows.
'Hello - good evening,' Starkwedder called, sounding quite happy.
'Oh - er - good evening,' Farrar replied, hesitantly.
'How's everything? Bright and cheerful?' Starkwedder enquired, looking from one to the other. He suddenly grinned. 'I see,' he observed. 'Two's company and three's none.' He stepped into the room. 'Shouldn't have come in by the window this way. A gentleman would have gone to the front door and rung the bell. Is that it? But then, you see, I'm no gentleman.'
'Oh, please -' Laura began, but Starkwedder interrupted her. 'As a matter of fact,' he explained, 'I've come for two reasons. First, to say goodbye. My character's been
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