Chapter 1

Caroline Bingham’s mother and father had died when she was still very young and she had been brought up, thereafter, by her grandfather, a man she had seen only during school holidays, for the old gentleman had sent his granddaughter away to boarding school soon after her bereavement.

He had always been a kindly, if somewhat distant old gentleman, scrupulously careful to see to it that all her material needs were met. Her times during the holidays in his big London town house had always been happy ones. The old man had possessed a large and interesting collection of friends, all of whom had been kind to the girl, never failing to make a fuss of her when she was in residence.

She had greatly enjoyed her time at school, after a difficult first few months. When she was having a particularly bad time at the hands of a bullying pair of classmates, a more senior girl had seen her distress and taken her under her wing, leaving the two bullies somewhat the worse for wear and much too scared to bother Caroline again. The same older girl had also encouraged the shy young Caroline to come out of her shell and attend an optional class in self-defense as part of a drive to boost her self-esteem.

By the time this protectress had left, Caroline had become a strong and self-confident girl, well able to hold her own against anybody.

One day in July, when she was nearing eighteen and on the point of taking her leave of the school for good, she was called into the principal’s office.

“Sit down, Caroline,” said this worthy lady. “I’m afraid I have some terrible news for you. Your Grandfather died suddenly at home last night. A Mr. Ferguson, his solicitor, is on his way here to talk to you about the future. I’m so terribly sorry for you, my dear. I understand this leaves you alone in the world”

Caroline was too numbed with the shock of this unexpected news - her grandfather had been an apparently healthy seventy-four-year-old - to cry at first. It was several minutes before her sense of loss hit home and then the tears started to flow. The principal came from behind her desk and put her arm around the weeping girl’s shoulders. By the time she had at least partly composed herself, Mr. Ferguson, the family lawyer, arrived.

He expressed his sympathy, in a kindly voice, as of a man well used to situations like this, and explained to her, firstly, that she was the old man’s sole relative and also that he had made a Will several years ago, naming her his sole legatee. She was now an extremely wealthy young woman. He further said that he wished Caroline to come straight up to London with him, as there were arrangements to make which would her sole responsibility - starting with her late grandfather’s funeral.