“Well, that brings me to the topic I really came here to discuss.” Viola set down her juice glass.
“Good heavens—what more could there be?”
“Joe made provisions for Becky or her heirs in his will. He didn’t want to cause problems or scandal for you, Adelaide, so it specifies that the funds could only be dispersed after your death—or in the event that Becky learned of her true parentage. Since Becky is gone and Hope knows the truth, well, the criteria is met. So I’ve brought her a copy of the part of the will that pertains to her.”
She reached into her bag—I think it was Prada, although I’m not as knowledgeable of expensive bags as my ex was; he said you could identify clients with the means to purchase serious art by the handbags they carried, although I’ve had friends who’ve gone into hock to buy a bag, so to me, an expensive one just means a person’s shelled out a lot for one item—or maybe even bought a fake. I had a friend who used to buy fakes.
But that had nothing to do with what was going on here. My ADHD flibbertigibbet mind was off on a tangent, because I was having a hard time processing what Viola was saying. I forced myself to focus as she pulled out a manila envelope and held it out to me.
“My attorney wants you to call him after you’ve had a chance to read through this.”
I gingerly took the envelope. I almost didn’t expect it to feel solid, the moment seemed so surreal. “I—uh—this isn’t necessary,” I stuttered.
“Nonsense. Joe wanted you to have it. For what it’s worth, Hope, Joe kept tabs on you, too. We have one of your sketches hanging in our living room.”
Now I really felt as if I were having an out-of-body experience.“But... how? My art was never really for sale.” My ex-husband had refused to carry any of it in the gallery. He said it cheapened our collection.
“From a college exhibition your senior year.”
He’d bought my college art? “He—he knew where I went to college?”
“Oh, yes, honey. He flew in to see that exhibit.”
My heart felt strangely warm. A grandfather I’d never known had been watching out for me?
“It’s the pen-and-ink of a little wren in an azalea bush. I think it’s marvelous.”
I’d always loved drawing birds. I felt my face heat. “Thanks,” I mumbled.
Gran and Viola talked some more, but I had trouble following the conversation. Hannah’s evening replacement arrived and she resisted leaving, but I wasn’t really jarred out of my dazed state until Viola stood, took both of Gran’s hands, and promised to stay in touch. She kissed me on the cheek and told me the same. I walked with her to the foyer.
“Just one thing before you go.” Gran had risen and was scooting her walker forward. “However did you handle it? Weren’t you jealous?”
Viola paused. “Oh, I admit, it bothered me sometimes—especially when we learned Joe couldn’t father any more children. But I knew what I was getting into when I married him. I made a conscious decision that I’d rather have as much of Joe as I could than have none of him at all.” She smiled. “You were the one woman he couldn’t have, so of course you were the one he always wanted.” She walked out the door, toward a large town car waiting at the curb.
Matt went with her. A uniformed driver got out and opened the door, and Matt helped her in. I waved as the car pulled away from the curb.
Matt returned to the house, and we both went back in the parlor.
“Open the envelope, Hope!” Gran urged.
I realized I still held it in my hand. I walked over and passed it to her. “It belongs to you.”
“Oh heavens, no, dear! I promised Charlie I wouldn’t take a dime from Joe, and I’m not going to start now. Besides, what does an old woman like me have to spend it on?” She thrust the envelope at me. “That’s yours. Joe intended it for Becky and her heirs—and that’s you, dear. I won’t hear another word about it.”
Matt sat beside me on the sofa. My hands shook. I pulled at the flap, then extracted a document. I scanned it. When I got to the part about what he bequeathed to Rebecca Elizabeth McCauley, the figure mentioned had more zeroes than I’d ever seen in one place. I showed it to Matt. “Is this for real?”
Matt look it over. “Looks about as real as it gets.”
“What did he leave you?” Gran asked eagerly. I passed the document to her. Gran’s eyes widened. “Oh, my gracious!”
“I could buy a home!” I said, stunned.
“You could buy two houses and still have money left over to invest!” Gran clapped her hands together. “Oh, honey—I’m so happy for you!”
“Thanks.” I grinned, but the expression felt forced. Truth was, I didn’t feel happy so much as numb. I could buy a condo in Chicago. I could buy a gallery of my own. I could...
The evening aide came into the room. “Time for your evening medicines, Miss Adelaide.”
