Page 100

Niven nodded and began typing:

* * *

Black Lion Hotel

Mold, North Wales

Tele. No. 98

10th April, 1943

Dear Mr. Gwatkin,

I have considered your recent letter concerning the Settlement which I intend to make on the occasion of William’s marriage. The provisions which you outline appear to me reasonable except in one particular. Since in this case the wife’s family will not be contributing to the settlement, I do not think it proper that they should necessarily preserve, after William’s death, a life interest in the funds which I am approving. I should agree to this course only were there children in the marriage. Will you therefore so re-draft the Settlement as to provide that if there are children the income is paid to the wife only until such time as she remarries or the children come of age. After that date the children alone should benefit.

I intend to be in London for the two nights of the 20th & 21st of April. I should be glad if you could make it convenient to take luncheon with me at the Carlton Grill at a quarter to one on Wednesday 21st. If you will bring the new draft with you, we shall have leisure to examine it afterwards. I have written to William & hope that he will be able to join us.

Yrs. Sincerely,

F.A.S. Gwatkin, Esq.

McKenna & Co.

14 Waterloo Place,

London, S.W.1.

* * *

He pulled the sheets from the typewriter, put them flat on the table, then handed Fleming a new pen from the box.

“Sign the top copy ‘J.G. Martin,’ so that it copies to the other page,” Niven said.

When he had done that, Niven peeled off the top sheet from the copy sheet.

“Now write ‘copy,’ all caps, at the top of this one.”

“Very well done,” Fleming said after he had added the word. “That bit about the kids. Where did you get that?”

“From my uncle,” Niven said, looking at Fleming as he handed the letter to Montagu. “He used very much the same language in his papers when my cousin—his son—prepared for marriage. Uncle Alex was frightfully worried that the woman was—as that delightful American phrase puts it—a gold digger. There was quite a large sum of money at risk, and his legal paper was far more complicated than this bit I just used.”

“Interesting that you mention money,” Montagu said. “We will need to address the personal spending habits of Major Martin. First, however, let’s get finished with the legal part.”

Montagu had folded in thirds the copy of the letter Niven had just given him and now was repeatedly unfolding and refolding it.

“With a reply from McKenna?” Niven said.

Montagu nodded.

“One to the father?” Fleming said dubiously.

“I agree, Ian. That would not be logical,” Stevens said. “Martin would not have his father’s letter in his possession.”

“Then let’s have it concern Major Martin’s own legal papers,” Montagu said. “He knows that he’s off on a highly dangerous mission and, accordingly, wants his affairs in order for Pam should something happen.”

“Like his aircraft crashes?” Charity said.

“And he drowns at sea?” the Duchess added.