# Mr. Bent — The Borough Treasurer character guide

> Mr. Bent in The Borough Treasurer by J. S. Fletcher.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Bent, young Bent, Windle Bent

**First appearance:** 0000-i-blackmail

## Who they are

A young solicitor with family pride and political ambitions, drawn into a murder case that keeps threatening to touch his own respectable name.

## Relationships

### [Lettie Cotherstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/lettie_cotherstone)

_professional_

Lettie Cotherstone and Mr. Bent interact frequently, likely as colleagues or employer-employee in a municipal or business setting.

### [Mr. Brereton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/mr_brereton)

_professional_

Mr. Bent and Mr. Brereton interact frequently, suggesting they are colleagues or associates in a business or legal context.

### [Lettie Cotherstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/lettie_cotherstone)

_professional_

Lettie Cotherstone and Mr. Bent interact frequently, likely as colleagues or employer-employee in a municipal or business setting.

### [Mr. Brereton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/mr_brereton)

_professional_

Mr. Bent and Mr. Brereton interact frequently, suggesting they are colleagues or associates in a business or legal context.

### [Mr. Brereton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/mr_brereton)

_professional_

Mr. Bent and Mr. Brereton interact frequently, suggesting they are colleagues or associates in a business or legal context.

### [Lettie Cotherstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/lettie_cotherstone)

_professional_

Lettie Cotherstone and Mr. Bent interact frequently, likely as colleagues or employer-employee in a municipal or business setting.

## In the story

### [III: Murder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/iii-murder)

Lettie's fiancé, a business man who has been researching his family history with Kitely's help; he is present at the supper.

### [IV: The Pine Wood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/iv-the-pine-wood)

Accompanies the group to the crime scene and later informs Miss Pett of Kitely's death.

### [The Cord](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/v-the-cord)

Accompanies Brereton and the police; explains Harborough's background to Brereton.

### [VI: The Mayor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/vi-the-mayor)

Delivers the news of Kitely's murder to Mallalieu and later accompanies the police to Harborough's cottage.

### [VII: Night Work](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/vii-night-work)

Reported the crime to Mallalieu, mentioning Cotherstone's absence from his guests.

### [VIII: Retained for the Defence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/viii-retained-for-the-defence)

Delivers Harborough's message to Avice and discusses the case with Brereton.

### [X: The Hole in the Thatch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/x-the-hole-in-the-thatch)

Brereton's host; shows curiosity about the case and discusses the evidence.

### [XI: Christopher Pett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xi-christopher-pett)

Hosts Brereton and is surprised by the visit from Christopher Pett and the superintendent; learns of a bequest from Kitely.

### [XII: Parental Anxiety](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xii-parental-anxiety)

Supports Cotherstone's wish for an early marriage, dismissing Lettie's concerns about arrangements; later receives Kitely's scrap-book and discusses it with Brereton.

### [The Scrap Book](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xviii-the-scrap-book)

Brereton's friend and host; engaged to Lettie Cotherstone, which complicates Brereton's duty to expose her father.

### [At Bay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xx-at-bay)

Is informed of Cotherstone's past and present during the meeting with Tallington and Brereton.

### [No Further Evidence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xxv-no-further-evidence)

Engaged to Lettie, he helps inform her of the situation and visits Cotherstone in gaol.

### [XXX: Cotherstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xxx-cotherstone)

Mentioned as having been at Cotherstone's house on the night of the murder, along with Brereton.

### [The Barrister's Fee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/chapters/xxxi-the-barrister-s-fee)

Sold his business, married Lettie, and plans to enter politics after returning to England.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters/mr_bent
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_borough_treasurer_se/characters