Joan's step-brother, idiot."
"I had gathered that. Is he the present owner of the manor?"
"Yes, of course. He inherited everything when old Mr. Fountain popped off."
Sir Humphrey again looked up, mildly pained. "Died, my dear."
"All right, Daddy. Died. He was Mr. Fountain's nephew, and as Mr. Fountain hadn't got any children of his own, he was the heir. Quite simple."
"Oh yes, jasper Fountain had children of his own," interposed her mother. "That is to say, one. He died about three years ago. I remember seeing the notice in The Times."
Felicity was faintly surprised. "I never heard of any son. Are you sure, Mummy?"
"Perfectly, darling. He was an extremely unsatisfactory young man and went to South America."
"Africa, my dear," corrected Sir Humphrey from behind the paper.
"Was it, Humphrey? Very much the same thing, I feel. There was a very unpleasant scandal. Something to do with cards. But the young man drank, which probably accounted for his erratic habits. His father would never have anything more to do with him. I don't know what became of him, except that he died."