Scold's Bridle

There is no truer saying than "Revenge is a dish best eaten cold." It is so much sweeter for the waiting, and my only regret is that I cannot broadcast my triumph to the world. Sadty, not even to James, who is duped but does not know it.

This morning I heard from my bank that he has cashed my cheque for Ł12,000 and has therefore by default agreed to the insurance settlement. I knew he would. Where money is concerned James has the intemperate greed of a child. He spends it like water because cash in hand is the only thing he understands. Oh, to be a fly on the wall and see how he's living, but I can guess, anyway. Drink and sodomy. There was never anything else in James's life.

I am Ł36,500 richer today than I was yesterday, and I glory in it. The cheque from the insurance company for the various items stolen from the safe over Christmas while Joanna and I were in Cheshire came to an astonishing Ł23,500, the bulk of which was for the set of diamond jewellery belonging to my grandmother. The tiara alone was insured for Ł5,500, although I imagine it was worth more than that as I have not had it valued since Father's death. Extraordinary to have such a windfall for items I, personally, would not be seen dead in. There is nothing so ugly or heavy as ornate Victorian jewellery.

By contrast, James's clocks are anything but vulgar, probably because it was his father who bought them and not James. I took them to Sotheby's to be valued and discovered they are worth more than double the Ł12,000 they were insured for. Thus, after paying James Ł12,000,1 retain Ł11,500 from the insurance cheque and have effectively purchased from my contemptible husband a fine investment, valued at Ł25,000.

As I said, revenge is a dish best eaten cold...