Chapter 11 - The Debt Bernice Never MentionedMallory drove home with one thought repeating.
Cecilia had a daughter.
If true, it meant almost everything she had been told about her father’s family was incomplete.
Edward rarely spoke about Cecilia.
Mallory remembered a single photograph of two children at a lake.
Edward at twelve.
Cecilia at nine.
Bernice always said Cecilia died young after “years of instability.”
No husband.
No children.
Now there was a woman named Celeste Barrett claiming Cecilia was her mother.
And demanding money from Edward’s house.
Mallory found Bernice in the garden.
“Who is Celeste?”
Her mother dropped the pruning shears.
That reaction answered the first question.
“She contacted Richard.”
Bernice turned away.
“Mom.”
“I don’t want to discuss her.”
“That stopped being your decision.”
Bernice walked toward the patio.
Mallory followed.
“Is she Cecilia’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
The admission came so quietly Mallory nearly missed it.
“You told me Cecilia had no children.”
“I told you what Edward wanted you to know.”
Mallory stared.
“Why?”
Bernice stopped.
“Because Cecilia was trouble.”
“She was Dad’s sister.”
“She was an addict.”
Mallory blinked.
Bernice continued.
“She disappeared for years. Came back when she needed money. Stole from your grandparents. Lied constantly.”
“And Celeste?”
“Was born during one of those disappearances.”
“Who raised her?”
“Cecilia, mostly.”
“Did Dad know?”
“Not until Celeste was nine.”
Mallory felt anger rising.
“Why did everyone pretend she didn’t exist?”
“Because Edward tried to help.”
“How?”
“He paid for schools. Housing. Therapy. Everything.”
“That sounds like Dad.”
“Nothing was enough.”
“What happened?”
Bernice sat heavily in a patio chair.
For the first time since Mallory returned, she looked tired rather than controlling.
“Cecilia died when Celeste was seventeen.”
“How?”
“Overdose.”
Mallory’s anger softened slightly.
“And Celeste blamed Dad?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Because Cecilia told her Edward had stolen their inheritance.”
Mallory frowned.
“What inheritance?”
“Their parents owned land in Wisconsin.”
“Dad sold it?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“To pay your grandparents’ medical debt.”
“Did Cecilia agree?”
“No.”
“Was it legally Dad’s decision?”
“Mostly.”
That was not a comforting answer.
“What does ‘mostly’ mean?”
Bernice looked away.
“Edward held power of attorney.”
“So Celeste believes Dad took something from Cecilia.”
“Yes.”
“Did he?”
Bernice didn’t answer quickly enough.
Mallory sat across from her.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Your father made mistakes.”
“What mistakes?”
“He promised Cecilia part of the remaining proceeds.”
“And?”
“He used them.”
“For what?”
Bernice’s eyes met hers.
“This house.”
Mallory froze.
“No.”
“He needed additional cash at closing.”
“How much?”
“About ninety thousand dollars.”
Mallory stared at the brick patio.
A piece of Cecilia’s inheritance helped buy Fox Hollow.
“How much would that be now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Celeste apparently does.”
Bernice’s lips tightened.
“She believes the entire house is contaminated by that money.”
“Legally?”
“No.”
“Morally?”
Bernice looked at her.
“That depends on who tells the story.”
Mallory hated the answer because it was reasonable.
She had spent two days simplifying Bernice into the villain.
Bernice was still wrong.
But Edward may not have been spotless.
“When did Celeste contact you?”
“Four months ago.”
“Before Todd’s crisis?”
“Around the same time.”
“What did she want?”
“Money.”
“How much?”
“Five hundred thousand.”
Mallory’s breath caught.
“For ninety thousand from nearly thirty years ago?”
“With appreciation, lost opportunity, emotional claims—she invented every calculation possible.”
“Did she threaten you?”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
“To sue the estate. To contact the press. To accuse Edward publicly of exploiting his addicted sister.”
Mallory stared.
“Dad is dead.”
“Reputation still matters.”
“To you.”
“To all of us.”
Mallory shook her head.
“So you decided to sell my house and pay her too?”
Bernice’s face hardened again.
“I decided to solve several problems at once.”
“How much was Celeste promised?”
“Three hundred thousand.”
“How much for Todd?”
“Eight hundred.”
“Paula?”
“One twenty.”
“Franklin?”
“Two hundred.”
Mallory calculated.
That was already $1.42 million.
“What about selling costs and taxes?”
“Richard had projections.”
“And what would you get?”
Bernice didn’t answer.
Mallory stared.
“What would you get?”
“Enough.”
“How much?”
“Seventy-five thousand.”
Mallory laughed in disbelief.
“You were going to strip nearly $1.8 million from my children’s future so everyone else could walk away from their bad decisions.”
Bernice stood.
“Do not make me sound greedy.”
“I don’t think greed is your problem.”
Bernice froze.
Mallory’s voice softened.
“You need to be needed.”
Her mother stared.
“You always have.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“You rescue Todd. Diane. Franklin. Cecilia. Daniel. Me. Everyone.”
“I held this family together.”
“No.”
Mallory stood.
“You made sure everyone believed they would fall apart without you.”
Bernice’s face changed.
For a moment, Mallory saw something wounded and frightened beneath the entitlement.
Then it vanished.
“You think therapy language makes you wise.”
“No.”
Mallory looked toward the house.
“I think Dad saw this coming.”
Bernice laughed bitterly.
“Edward created half of it.”
“Maybe.”
That answer stunned her mother.
Mallory continued.
“Maybe Dad did wrong Cecilia.”
Bernice said nothing.
“If he did, I’ll deal with that honestly.”
“You’ll pay Celeste?”
“If there is a legitimate debt, I’ll consider it.”
Bernice stared.
“But I won’t steal from my daughters to cover Todd.”
Bernice’s jaw tightened.
“You think you can separate these things cleanly.”
“I can try.”
Mallory walked toward the door.
Bernice called after her.
“Celeste won’t settle for fair.”
Mallory turned.
“How do you know?”
Bernice’s face went pale.
“Because she isn’t only after the money.”
“What else?”
Bernice hesitated.
“Something Edward kept.”
“What?”
“I don’t know where it is.”
Mallory stopped.
“What did he keep?”
Bernice’s voice dropped.
“A letter Cecilia wrote before she died.”
“What did it say?”
“I never saw it.”
“But Celeste wants it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
May you like
Bernice looked toward Edward’s study window.
“Because Cecilia told her it would prove Edward destroyed her life.”
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