It was Aunt Lutie’s chipper little voice, trivial even in a whisper:

“Aren’t you going to have trouble with that Jennifer? She’s rather headstrong, I think. Her parents allowed her too much leeway. If she doesn’t want to go your way she’ll take a stand.”

“Nonsense!” hissed Aunt Majesta. “She’ll find that we aren’t treating her that way. When we say a thing, we mean it! Besides, she’s only a frivolous little thing. Give her a new dress and a trip to Europe and get her mind off her own way. As for the rest, our word will be law. I’m not so sure myself but Agatha’s idea about Abigail Storm might be a good thing after all.”

“What do you mean? Keep up this great house just for those children? That would be ridiculous!” said Lutie. “I thought perhaps one of us would take it over, pay rent to the estate, of course—not much, for it ought to be worth something to have it lived in and looked after. But those children, just children, living all alone in this great house with Abigail would be absurd! A great waste, I should say. I wouldn’t mind living here myself.”

“After all, it’s their house, of course,” said Majesta loftily. “I don’t see myself why you should live here anymore than the rest of us. However, I presume it will likely be the consensus of opinion that the house should be sold and the money invested. The furnishings sold, too, I suppose. We could each bid in some of the best things, at a nominal price. I’ve always liked this rug, but I’d have to see if it fits my room. I have considered taking out that back partition between the library and the living room. I’m sure it would fit then. You don’t get antique rugs of this type often nowadays.”

“Oh, I guess you can get plenty if you know where to look!” said Lutie indifferently. “But if the house were sold, where would Cousin Abbey and the children live?”

“Why couldn’t they go up to the old farm? Most of them would be off at school a good deal of the time, anyway.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Well, perhaps I could get Adrian to bid on this house for us. It really isn’t bad, though I’d hate to leave our own house, small as it is compared with this one. But one could really entertain here, it is so spacious!”

Jennifer, in the back room, stealthily slipped out of her chair and rose, her eyes snapping fire. What she wanted to do was to rush right in through that curtain and tell those two old hawks to get out. It was not their house and none of their business what became of the rugs and pictures and things. Surely nobody could sell their home and its furnishings right out of hand that way without their consent! Oh, if they would only go away, out of the house, she would lock all the doors and never let them in again!

She stood there trembling with young fury. How angry her mother and father would have been to know that these cormorants were daring to talk this way about the precious home things! Actually planning which things they wanted themselves! Oh, how much power did they have? Surely, surely Dad would have fixed things so they couldn’t do this!

It was with difficulty that she restrained herself to listen as she heard the lawyer clear his throat and begin to talk. She must be quiet and careful. She must not let them know that she had heard their conniving. She must listen and know just what they were going to try to do so that she would know how to work against them.

Quietly she subsided into her chair again, but she did not relax.