Chapter 4 - The Woman Eleanor Trusted
Celeste Cole had not attended Eleanor's funeral.
That was the first thing Audrey learned about her.
The second was that Celeste was Eleanor's younger sister.
The third was that Marianne hated her.
Within ten minutes, those three facts seemed connected.
Ethan brought Celeste into the library.
Audrey came with him.
Marianne tried.
Celeste shut the door in her face.
"Family only," Marianne snapped through the narrowing gap.
Celeste looked at Audrey.
"She is family."
Then she closed the door.
Audrey almost smiled.
Ethan didn't.
He remained tense.
"Where have you been?"
Celeste placed the envelope on a table.
"Living my life."
"For eleven years?"
"Your mother and I disagreed."
"That's putting it mildly."
Celeste looked around the library.
"You kept Eleanor's books."
"I kept almost everything."
"Good."
Audrey sat beside Ethan.
Celeste remained standing.
"Eleanor contacted me three months before she died."
Ethan's expression shifted.
"You saw Grandma before she died?"
"Twice."
"Why didn't I know?"
"She didn't want Marianne to know."
Audrey glanced toward the door.
"What was she afraid of?"
Celeste looked at her for a long moment.
"That depends on how much Ethan has told you."
"Apparently less than everybody else."
Ethan sighed.
Celeste almost smiled.
"You'll survive in this family."
She opened her handbag and withdrew a small brass key.
Ethan leaned forward.
"What's that?"
"Part of Eleanor's insurance."
"Against what?"
"Your mother."
The room went quiet.
Celeste placed the key beside the envelope.
"Eleanor became suspicious during the final year of her life. Bank records changed. Documents disappeared from the study. People she trusted were suddenly replaced."
"By Mom?"
"By Robert."
Ethan's face hardened.
Celeste continued.
"Eleanor believed they were preparing to contest the trust after her death."
Audrey looked at the envelope.
"Is that the missing memorandum?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"Something Eleanor wrote to me."
"Can we read it?"
"Not yet."
Ethan stood.
"Why come here waving evidence around if you're not going to show it?"
"Because first I need to know whether you made the mistake Eleanor feared."
"What mistake?"
Celeste looked at Audrey.
"Did you sign a prenuptial agreement?"
Audrey stiffened.
"No."
Ethan answered immediately.
"We didn't."
Celeste's expression changed.
Relief.
"Good."
Ethan frowned.
"Why?"
Celeste opened the envelope but did not remove the contents.
"Eleanor's true amendment had nothing to do with employees."
Audrey looked at Ethan.
Celeste continued.
"It had to do with coercion."
"What does that mean?"
"Eleanor believed Marianne would eventually pressure you into a marriage that protected family assets."
"Rebecca?"
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Celeste's voice softened.
"Eleanor adored Rebecca."
Ethan looked down.
"This was written after Rebecca's death."
Audrey felt her chest tighten.
Celeste continued.
"Eleanor worried that once you were vulnerable, Marianne would choose another wife for you."
Ethan gave a humorless laugh.
"She tried."
"Who?"
"Caroline Mercer."
Audrey knew the name.
Caroline was the daughter of one of Marianne's closest friends.
Beautiful, wealthy, polished.
Marianne had invited her to every holiday dinner for two years.
Even after Ethan began dating Audrey.
Celeste nodded.
"Eleanor knew."
Audrey felt the pieces beginning to move.
"So the real amendment protects Ethan if his mother tries to control who he marries?"
"More than that."
Celeste finally removed a folded sheet.
"Eleanor transferred authority over the property to an independent trustee if evidence emerged of coercion, forgery, or manipulation."
"Who is the trustee?" Ethan asked.
Celeste looked directly at him.
"Me."
A knock sounded.
Then Robert's voice.
"Ethan, guests are arriving."
Celeste folded the paper again.
Ethan ignored the door.
"If you're trustee, can you stop Robert's claim?"
"If the document I have is authenticated."
"Will it be?"
"It should."
"Then this is over."
Celeste's expression told Audrey it wasn't.
"What?" Audrey asked.
Celeste turned toward her.
"The copy Robert filed is not entirely forged."
Ethan stared at her.
"Explain."
"The first page is genuine."
Celeste tapped the envelope.
"It references a second beneficiary."
"Mom."
"No."
The room seemed to shrink.
"Then who?" Ethan asked.
Celeste looked at Audrey.
"That's the problem."
Audrey's pulse quickened.
"Why are you looking at me?"
Celeste's eyes held hers.
"Because Eleanor wrote a name."
She paused.
"Audrey Bennett."
Nobody moved.
Audrey heard only the muffled voices of arriving guests in the hallway.
Ethan finally said, "That's impossible."
Audrey agreed.
"My last name was Hayes before we married."
Celeste nodded.
"I know."
"Then who is Audrey Bennett?"
Celeste turned the letter around.
There, in Eleanor's handwriting, was the name.
Audrey Bennett.
May you like
Below it were four words.
Find her before Marianne does.
