Marcus's will

Marcus's will turns Juffrouw Engel's dispossession into a matter that can be reversed: its sudden recovery confirms that she has been the legal owner of Het Rode Huis and her father's savings since his death. The document sets in motion her return to the home from which Agatha Bulstronk had kept her away.

Discovery and Contents

Two days after the school head disappeared, Juffrouw Engel received a registered letter from a local notary. The letter reported that her deceased father's will had unexpectedly, and mysteriously, come to light. It established that she had legally owned a property on the outskirts of the village since her father's death. Known as Het Rode Huis, the house had until recently been occupied by Agatha Bulstronk.

The will also left Juffrouw Engel her father's savings, which had fortunately remained safe in the bank. Its importance is therefore both domestic and financial: it identifies her claim to the house and confirms that the money intended for her was still there.

Legal Effect and Recovery

The notary asked Juffrouw Engel to visit the office as soon as possible so that the house and money could be put in her name. She did so, and within three weeks she moved into Het Rode Huis, the house where she had grown up. Its furniture and paintings from her childhood had been left behind, so her return restored not only a legal possession but a familiar home.

From then on, Matilda visited her there every day after school, and the two developed a close friendship. The will thus has consequences beyond the transfer of property: by making Juffrouw Engel's return possible, it creates the setting for her continuing relationship with Matilda.