“Mr. Lawson and who else?”
“Adela, I think.”
She couldn’t miss the chilly tenor of his voice. She said, “No one’s in sight. Adela may have a key.”
Luke frowned. “We’d better go up.”
Luke had planned to drop her off and continue on his way. She tried to decipher what this change in plans signaled. He knew Adela better than she. Perhaps he’d play the intermediary. Did they think she had designs on Ben’s furniture and linens? Maybe they wanted to protect Ben’s pots and pans.
Mr. Lawson was seated in the living room. He looked stiff and uncomfortable. He rose as Juli and Luke entered. Adela was not in sight.
“Juli, I apologize for dropping in like this.”
She felt warmed by his tone, but any comfort vanished when Adela emerged from Ben’s study. Juli bristled, an unexpected territorial instinct rising, but she kept her mouth shut.
“Luke. Juli.” Adela nodded in their direction. “Mr. Lawson told me I couldn’t put the house on the market yet, but refused to tell me more without you being here. Don’t think I’m cold.”
Far from cold. If she touched Adela, they’d both combust.
“I have to return home. I need to get on with wrapping up Ben’s affairs.” Adela walked over to Luke and wrapped her fingers around his arm. “I can’t leave all of the tasks to you. It wouldn’t be fair.”
She turned to Juli. “I don’t want to be unfair to you either. The way the real estate market is these days, you should have plenty of time to make other living arrangements.”
Luke spoke, “Adela. She’s just come from Ben’s funeral. Can’t we take a moment to breathe?”
Fred Lawson moved into the middle of the room, breaking up the conversation. “Adela. Luke. I’m sorry, I must ask you to leave, or, at least, to step outside, while I speak to Juli.”
Adela replied, “Is this about the contract? It’s not a secret. Ben shared the terms with us. Luke is his executor and I’m his sister.”
“I insist,” Mr. Lawson said.
“Let’s get it over with, shall we?” Juli was tired of it all. “Then everyone can leave and I can have some peace.” She winced at the hard sound of her voice. “I’m sorry. It’s been a difficult few days.”
“I understand completely,” Mr. Lawson said.
“Let them stay and be done with it. As Adela says, Ben shared the details of our arrangement with them.”
Mr. Lawson nodded. “If that’s what you’d like.”
He drew Juli over to the table, gently, as if she was fragile. His solicitude almost did weaken her, but she steeled herself to get this done. This last task.
The pieces of that blasted jigsaw puzzle still littered the surface, about halfway done. Mr. Lawson sat at the end and she took a nearby seat. Luke stood near the door and Adela simmered a few feet away.
“Ben asked me to speak to you privately about this after his death. Given the family tension, it may be as well to go over this with Adela and Luke present. Ben came to me a month ago and amended his will. He left all of his estate to you. His sole heir. Luke continues as the executor.”
An explosive non-verbal sound came from Adela. Mr. Lawson turned to her and said, “Ben intended to inform you and Luke of the change in terms. His time came sooner than he expected.”
Adela’s face suffused into a deep red. Luke’s face was carefully controlled. He said not a word, but walked up behind Adela and placed his hands on her shoulders. She erupted.
“We’ll contest this. This woman took advantage of him. She’s a cheat, a thief.”
Juli remembered the Hammonds’ party and Luke’s suspicions. It hurt that he’d spoken of them to Adela, but why not? There was no reason for him not to have spoken to Adela about anything concerning Ben.
“Adela, please. Come with me.”
Luke tried to lead her away, but she wasn’t having it. She shook his hands off of her arms.
“This was a business arrangement. This marriage was for convenience. Platonic. Luke, you told me yourself they were no more than roommates.”
“Adela, that’s enough.” Luke’s voice sounded weary.
She persisted, “This wasn’t part of the contract.”
Mr. Lawson had drawn back from her as if not wanting to be swept up into her tirade. Now, he said, “No. This is apart from the contract, but tied to the fulfillment of the contract.”
“The contract was contingent upon her not breaking the marriage vows, being unfaithful. Adulterous.” He frowned. “Do you have reason to believe that the terms of the contract were violated?”