Mike had been willing to sacrifice his own well-earned retirement for her, but the Barrett Inn was lost.
Liz paced. Her arms tight around her chest were the only things keeping Elisabeth inside. Every muscle ached. “This house was paid for using the entire lump sum from Gerry’s life insurance payments. Any savings I had was exhausted by the restoration. That partnership money would have been about $100,000.00 a year. I didn’t do anything irresponsible, did I?
“Mike has been working his hands off, and look at the condition he’s in. He wants to sell this house and go live in his. But you and Kevin . . . Eddie . . .
“My own son did this to me. If he hadn’t had the assets frozen when I first bought the house, I would have salvaged at least some of it.” Liz could hear herself talking while Elisabeth agitated like a washer filled to capacity on the heavy-duty cycle.
Mae nodded like a shrink, her brow furrowed with worry. She tried to distract Eddie by tapping a rubber pretzel on his tray. “Just calm down, please. When Mike and Kevin get home we’ll all sit down and figure this out. First off, stop payin’ us right off. We live in the cottage for free and eat plenty of food. We don’t need money for nothin’ else. And the health insurance, well let it go. We’re both healthy.”
Her insides felt bruised. It hurt to talk. “Mae, that might help temporarily, but . . .”
“Hush. It will work out. It will. Nothing to go off the pier over, ya understand?” Mae’s grip hand tightened, her eyes filled with tears.
“I would never do anything to hurt myself.” The way Elisabeth flailed, Liz wasn’t sure about that. But Edward wouldn’t want his son left motherless, and Elisabeth would surely settle when he made that clear. If he could. If he would.
“Good. Now I promised to call that poor lawyer back. What’s the number?” Mae picked up the phone. “Never mind, it’s on the call log.”
I’ll call her back later, Mae.” I have to get out of here.
Go to Edward, now! I need to speak with Edward.
“Ms. Hartley, Mae Fitzgerald. She’s okay, wants to talk to ya.” Mae thrust the receiver at Liz, took Eddie out of chair, and to the door. “I’ll give ya some privacy.”
“Marianne, I’m sorry . . .” Liz was still tingling all over. Breathing too fast made it worse. Elisabeth sat on her chest, pounded on her head. “God, Liz. Me, too. Listen, you know I’m working as hard as I can on your behalf.”
“I know you are. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for me financially.” She needed to get off the damn phone and up to the widow’s walk or Elisabeth was going to knock her out.
“Liz I can prepare a letter for your creditors, letting them know about the situation. They will often restructure things so you can make payments. And, of course, don’t even think twice about my fee.”
Her heart threatened to fly out of her throat. “Marianne, listen. I need to take a walk, to think, to talk to my husband. Can I call you back tomorrow?”
“Of course. Are you sure you’re okay? Is Mae still there?”
“Yes, she’s helping with the baby. Mike will be home soon.” Yeah, make it sound like she could really talk to any of them about this.
“All right, I speak to you at ten tomorrow.”
“Bye.” Liz punched the off button and ran down the hall.
Mae was playing with Eddie on the parlor floor.
“I’m going upstairs to take something for this headache and have a nap.” The lies just rolled off her tongue now.
Mae looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Ya sure yer okay? Promise that ya goin’ to tell me if yer feeling real bad?”
“Yes, Mae, I promise.”
I have to get up there. I have to get up there.
All right Elisabeth, please. What can Edward do? It’s only money. It’s only a house. Liz took the stairs two at a time and slammed her bedroom door shut.
She slipped the dress over her head. Silk tumbled around her feet. It was always a challenge to do up
Liz paced. Her arms tight around her chest were the only things keeping Elisabeth inside. Every muscle ached. “This house was paid for using the entire lump sum from Gerry’s life insurance payments. Any savings I had was exhausted by the restoration. That partnership money would have been about $100,000.00 a year. I didn’t do anything irresponsible, did I?
“Mike has been working his hands off, and look at the condition he’s in. He wants to sell this house and go live in his. But you and Kevin . . . Eddie . . .
“My own son did this to me. If he hadn’t had the assets frozen when I first bought the house, I would have salvaged at least some of it.” Liz could hear herself talking while Elisabeth agitated like a washer filled to capacity on the heavy-duty cycle.
Mae nodded like a shrink, her brow furrowed with worry. She tried to distract Eddie by tapping a rubber pretzel on his tray. “Just calm down, please. When Mike and Kevin get home we’ll all sit down and figure this out. First off, stop payin’ us right off. We live in the cottage for free and eat plenty of food. We don’t need money for nothin’ else. And the health insurance, well let it go. We’re both healthy.”
Her insides felt bruised. It hurt to talk. “Mae, that might help temporarily, but . . .”
“Hush. It will work out. It will. Nothing to go off the pier over, ya understand?” Mae’s grip hand tightened, her eyes filled with tears.
“I would never do anything to hurt myself.” The way Elisabeth flailed, Liz wasn’t sure about that. But Edward wouldn’t want his son left motherless, and Elisabeth would surely settle when he made that clear. If he could. If he would.
“Good. Now I promised to call that poor lawyer back. What’s the number?” Mae picked up the phone. “Never mind, it’s on the call log.”
I’ll call her back later, Mae.” I have to get out of here.
Go to Edward, now! I need to speak with Edward.
“Ms. Hartley, Mae Fitzgerald. She’s okay, wants to talk to ya.” Mae thrust the receiver at Liz, took Eddie out of chair, and to the door. “I’ll give ya some privacy.”
“Marianne, I’m sorry . . .” Liz was still tingling all over. Breathing too fast made it worse. Elisabeth sat on her chest, pounded on her head. “God, Liz. Me, too. Listen, you know I’m working as hard as I can on your behalf.”
“I know you are. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for me financially.” She needed to get off the damn phone and up to the widow’s walk or Elisabeth was going to knock her out.
“Liz I can prepare a letter for your creditors, letting them know about the situation. They will often restructure things so you can make payments. And, of course, don’t even think twice about my fee.”
Her heart threatened to fly out of her throat. “Marianne, listen. I need to take a walk, to think, to talk to my husband. Can I call you back tomorrow?”
“Of course. Are you sure you’re okay? Is Mae still there?”
“Yes, she’s helping with the baby. Mike will be home soon.” Yeah, make it sound like she could really talk to any of them about this.
“All right, I speak to you at ten tomorrow.”
“Bye.” Liz punched the off button and ran down the hall.
Mae was playing with Eddie on the parlor floor.
“I’m going upstairs to take something for this headache and have a nap.” The lies just rolled off her tongue now.
Mae looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Ya sure yer okay? Promise that ya goin’ to tell me if yer feeling real bad?”
“Yes, Mae, I promise.”
I have to get up there. I have to get up there.
All right Elisabeth, please. What can Edward do? It’s only money. It’s only a house. Liz took the stairs two at a time and slammed her bedroom door shut.
She slipped the dress over her head. Silk tumbled around her feet. It was always a challenge to do up
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