"I had not had much fun for a long time" Amos sighed. "When you are enduring tragedy,, a physical transformation that you cannot fully grasp, and are trying to make something of a new life for yourself, well, you do not find much to laugh about… In fact I had already forgotten how to laugh. But when Dinah and Albert asked my help to convince Leonore to try to force Dinah back to the cage Leonore had built for her, I had fun. "

-0-

"I hate Beverly!" Charlie complained to Aunt Leonore. "Father does not care, he thinks that I should do as she says!"

"Well, she might not be here long."

"Are you going to fire her?"

A loud crack interrupted them. They looked back at the fire where a flame was rising into something of a column.

"A crackling log" Leonore sighed. "Do not worry, Charlie, we will find you a better teacher."

Charlie left and Leonore got back to the papers. She would find cause in them to fire Beverly, and give her a bad reference. And then she would deal with Dinah and that ambulance chaser of her.

"Leonore Benchley, you must not allow any scandal to touch this family!"

She looked up surprised to the figure standing there in the shadows. "Who are you?"

"Jacob Benchley. I founded this family and will not allow your foolishness to destroy it!"

Amos smiled to himself. Impersonating Uncle Jacob, and imitating his overbearing mannerisms was more fun than he expected.

"How?"

"You are allowing scandal to touch the family. You are trying to drag your daughter back to the fold. But you cannot do it because it would cause an outcry in the town, and that will bring in scandal, as old sins will be aired…. The story of your husband must not be bruited about. And that lawyer can make it happen."

"Maybe if something were to happen to him."

Amos laughed. "Good Lord, what a ninny you are! Murder never stops talk of a scandal, it only magnifies it! Has no one taught you this? Are my descendants such fools?"

"So what do I do?'

"Give way graciously, seek to have a cordial relationship with your daughter and the lawyer. Become boring and commonplace."

"Let her have her way"

"If she gives rise to scandal I will set her straight. Not until then."

Leonore sighed. The power emanating from "Jacob Benchley" was overwhelming. "No scandal…no scandal" she repeated to herself.

"And do not fire that young woman who irritates you. Disgruntled servants carry tales. As long as she is in your employ you can command her discretion. Once released she will tell all she knows, and then it will be out."

"All right. I will not fire her. What about the man she hired?'

"Take a look at him. How well does he do his job? How was he hired? Has he any ties to anyone here?"

"I do not know."

"Talk to him and decide. But whatever is done, there shall be no scandal. I will hold you to that, Leonore Benchley!"

Amos vanished, leaving Leonore all alone.

"No scandal.." she repeated.