“Nelson, please make an appointment with me if you wish to contest the Will. I’ll have a crisp one-dollar bill ready for you. By the way, you’ll need to sign a contract that you accept the terms of the Will before you receive your first payment. If you decide to sue after that, the funds dispensed to you will have to be repaid with interest.”
Nelson stood and stomped to the doorway. He spun on his heel and spat, “I will consult myownlawyer before signing anything.” With that, he disappeared from view.
When Sara moved to open the door, Essie tightened her hold on Sara’s hand still resting on Essie’s shoulder. “He can see himself out, Sara.”
A moment later, a human shriek sounded from the circular drive, in front of the mansion. “I’m going to kill that cat. No one shits on my Ferrari!”
Zander coughed, sounding remarkably like he’d covered up a laugh. His dancing gaze met Essie’s as she struggled not to celebrate openly. Dragging her attention away from Zander, she sternly reminded herself that the amusement they’d often shared years ago couldn’t happen anymore.
She did send mental kudos.You go, Marmalade.Essie made a note to dole out kitty treats to the tomcat when everyone left.
Totally stone-faced, Mr. Woods continued. Other than a few random smaller amounts of funds, Esther had willed the remainder of the estate, including the house, land, and investments, to Essie.
Essie wasn’t surprised that her aunt had left her beloved Ferguson’s Folly to Essie. Thrilled that she could continue to live in the home she’d loved since childhood, Essie leaned back against the upholstery. She nodded when Mr. Woods asked her to visit his office at ten o’clock the next morning for all the details and accepted the sealed letter her aunt had left in his care for Essie. Esther had emblazoned Essie in her familiar script with a heart on the crisp envelope like one final hug. Tears prickled Essie’s eyelids.
Everyone stood and chatted for several minutes on their way out. Zander paused to talk to the attorney. Zander’s face looked tense. Well, tenser than normal. Frankly, he always seemed stressed these days. She moved toward the desk, but a relative stopped her to express her sympathy, preventing Essie from overhearing what Zander and Mr. Woods discussed. Zander headed for the door immediately afterward without talking to anyone else. Essie watched his broad shoulders disappear with both regret and relief.
As soon as the last person left, the last of Essie’s energy evaporated. She melted down to sit on the bottom step of the curved stairway to the upper floor as Sara finally closed the door behind the lawyer. She met the housekeeper’s gaze.
“That didn’t go as I planned,” Essie whispered.
“I expected every bit of that. Funerals bring out the worst in people,” Sara declared.
“Everyone thought Aunt Esther would will the estate to them.” Essie shook her head in disbelief.
“No, Essie. Everyone fantasized that Mrs. Ferguson would leave them this legacy. She was honest with everyone, especially Nelson.” Sara’s expression told Essie exactly what she thought of that young man. No one fooled the astute housekeeper for long.
“Nothing surprised you?”
“She shouldn’t have left anything to me.”
“Of course she should have. You’ve been her housekeeper and companion for years. Of course, she took care of you.”
“Mrs. Ferguson was a lovely soul. I miss her,” Sara said, her hands twisting in her apron.”
“That makes two of us,” Essie told her. Silence fell over them as they thought of the kind woman who died.
“I definitely didn’t expect Mr. Templeton’s assertion that Mrs. Ferguson would have agreed to sell him the estate before she died. Him, I trust. They must have discussed the land where he’s expanded. Perhaps that letter explains that conversation,” Sara said, nodding at the letter Essie held onto with a death grip.
Essie looked down at the now less-than-crisp envelope. “I hate to open the note. It’s my aunt’s last message to me.”
Sara smiled at her approvingly. “She cherished your relationship. She’d felt alone for the first time in her life when she fell and hurt herself. You didn’t think twice before leaving that fancy city job.”
“Of course not. She needed me. I always relied on her.”
“She loved you like our own child.” That deep voice sounded stronger now.
Essie shot to her feet, staring at the figure standing in the library doorway. Her pulse raced as she recognized the translucent man. In the prime of life, he looked like the portrait hanging on the wall with his dark hair and all-seeing eyes. Marmalade appeared by his side, rubbing his long whiskers against the old-fashioned trousers Edmund wore.
“You can see him, hmmm?” Sara asked, following Essie’s gaze.
“You can’t?” Essie’s heart rate slowed at Sara’s easy-going acceptance that a ghost had appeared.
“No. I never could. Mrs. Ferguson, yes. I wondered if he would disappear when she passed away.”
“I’m not done here yet,” Edmund told Essie. “Thank goodness Esther didn’t allow herself to be hoodwinked by that sniveling cousin of yours. Neville, Nasher, Norbert….”
“Nelson,” Essie supplied, smiling faintly.
