“You’re saying I can’t live here?”
“I’m saying your contractual occupancy right appears to have terminated when you attempted an unauthorized sale while simultaneously initiating divorce proceedings.”
Margaret’s lips parted.
“That can’t be enforceable.”
“It was enforceable enough for your son to enjoy the benefit of the arrangement for years.”
She turned to William.
“You never read any of this?”
He looked furious now.
“You told me those documents were just Victoria protecting Caroline from my business creditors.”
“They were!”
“They were also apparently protecting the house from me.”
Harrison answered quietly.
“From precisely this situation.”
William looked at me as though I had designed it.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
He searched my face.
I held up Grandma’s letter.
“She knew you might try.”
That hurt him more than anything else had.
He took a step backward.
Margaret scoffed.
“Victoria never liked me.”
“No,” I said.
“She watched you.”
Another memory rose suddenly.
Two Christmases earlier, Margaret had cornered Grandma in the kitchen and complained that William had no control over our finances because I insisted on keeping the small inheritance my father left me in a separate account.
Victoria had listened without interrupting.
Later she had asked me, “Does Margaret know whose name is on your house?”
I had laughed.
“I assume ours.”
Victoria had looked at me for a long moment.
Then she had said, “Assumptions are expensive.”
At the time, I thought she meant William.
Now I knew she meant all of us.
Daniel’s phone rang.
He listened for less than a minute.
“The buyers’ counsel wants written confirmation that William had authority to sell.”
“He did,” Margaret said.
Daniel looked at her.
“Do you have that authority in writing?”
She did not answer.
William turned on her.
“You said you checked.”
“I did.”
“With who?”
Margaret hesitated.
That hesitation changed his face.
“With who, Mom?”
“I saw old tax records.
Your name was connected to the address.
You handled the insurance.
You paid expenses.
Why would I assume—”
“You told me you spoke to somebody.”
“I said I looked into it.”
