The American flag, its pole secured in the flagpole holder on the front porch, waved proudly by the front entrance of Marlow House, as it did on most days. But today was Thursday, July Fourth, and typically the residents of Marlow House adorned the exterior of the property with additional patriotic decorations, especially on those years when they held events not just celebrating Independence Day, but the anniversary of Marlow House Bed and Breakfast’s grand opening.
Unfortunately, this year’s decorations were overlooked since the residents were preoccupied with the growing population on Beach Drive, namely the Marlow twins, and the Bartleys’ new daughter. Yet this didn’t mean some of them wouldn’t be doing something special for the holiday.
“I feel guilty going without you,” Danielle told Lily. “I understand why you don’t want to come. But are you sure you’re okay with us leaving the twins?”
Lily, who lounged on the sofa in the living room, glanced over at the three portable cribs lined up by the wall. Two of the cribs held sleeping babies, while a third, Jack, floated lazily around the room. Lily smiled at the orbiting baby and looked back at Danielle. “We’ll be fine.”
“Yes, we will,” Marie, who paced the room with a fussy Jack, called out.
“Marie agrees.” Danielle chuckled.
“I also have Ian and Connor, yet not sure how Connor will help.” Lily giggled. “But when I have more energy, I’ll go to the museum with Ian and check out the new exhibit. But I’m too tired now, anyway. I just want to sleep.”
Walt and Danielle arrived at the museum a little after ten in the morning. The front parking lot had more cars than normal at this time of day. The moment they entered the building, Millie Samson, dressed in a long blue skirt and a red and white blouse, greeted them by asking, “You didn’t bring the twins?”
Danielle stood in the front entrance of the museum with Walt by her side. She smiled at the elderly woman. “No, they’re home in expert hands. How’s the exhibit going?”
“I was expecting more people, but it’s early still.” She motioned toward the main exhibit area. “But go on in. There are a few of your friends already here.”
They chatted a few more minutes before Walt and Danielle moved on to the exhibit area. Once inside the large room, they noticed a table set up with refreshments and two young boys standing behind the table, handing out napkins and paper cups.
“Are those the Bowman twins?” Walt whispered to Danielle as they walked all the way into the room.
“Yes. Remember, the chief told me he’s having them volunteer as their community service.”
“Edward has something against Millie?” Walt teased.
Danielle playfully elbowed her husband. “Walt!” She giggled.
The next familiar faces they noticed were Adam and Melony standing next to the new tunnel exhibit, speaking to someone they didn’t recognize. They walked toward the new exhibit.
“Oh, Walt, Danielle, I wondered if we’d see you,” Adam greeted, while Melony gave Danielle and Walt each a quick hello hug. Adam then introduced the couple he and Melony stood with. They were Adrian Sadler and Bonnie Sadler. Bonnie was the owner of the property Adam had taken her to see, and Adrian was Wesley’s brother, but since Adam didn’t mention showing Bonnie’s house to her, Danielle said nothing and smiled politely while extending a generic greeting.
As Adam explained to Bonnie and Adrian, Walt and Danielle’s connection with the tunnel—aka the new exhibit everyone had come to see today—Danielle quietly assessed the pair. She wasn’t surprised Adrian and Wesley weren’t blood brothers, considering they looked nothing alike. Adrian, far better looking than Wesley, looked a bit like a poor man’s, Ryan Gosling, while Bonnie, at least four inches shorter than Adrian, was a rather plain, not unattractive, but forgettable-looking brunette with short curly hair and hazel eyes.
Bonnie clung to Adrian’s side, holding onto his right arm as if it were a lifeline, while she kept smiling up to him, her grin widening every time he said something to Adam or Walt, as if Adrian were indeed the cleverest man she had ever met.
“Adrian and Bonnie were sharing their good news with me before you walked up,” Adam told Walt and Danielle. Before Adam had a chance to announce the good news, Bonnie abruptly stuck out her left hand to Danielle and Walt, showing off an engagement ring.
“Oh, when’s the big day?” Danielle asked.
Bonnie took back her left hand, looking at it one last time before letting it drop back to her side. She looked at Danielle and grinned excitedly. “We haven’t set a date yet. But we’ll probably elope.”
“No big wedding?” Melony asked. She had been in the bathroom when Bonnie and Adrian had first broken the engagement news to Adam. She had returned moments earlier, so she, like Walt and Danielle, was hearing the news for the first time.
“We don’t really have any family,” Adrian said. “So no reason to go to all that fuss.”
Bonnie hugged Adrian’s arm and looked up at him lovingly. “The important thing is that we’ll be together.”
Adrian smiled down at his fiancée and, with his free hand, gave her hand holding his other arm a little pat.
They chatted a few minutes longer before Bonnie and Adrian wandered off to look at the other exhibits.
Danielle and Melony stood alone in one corner of the exhibit area, each sipping a glass of punch and people-watching while Walt and Adam mingled throughout the small crowd.
“If I know Adam, he’s going to leave today with at least two listing leads.” Melony chuckled and took a drink of her punch.
Danielle noticed Adrian and Bonnie leaving the exhibit area, presumably leaving the museum. She looked back at Melony. “Did Adam tell you about me looking at Bonnie’s house?”
“He did. So your former mother-in-law might really be interested in buying property in Frederickport?”
Danielle shrugged. “We’ve discussed the possibility. I was going to ask Adam if I could go over there and take pictures so I can send them to her.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine with that. But the house isn’t officially listed yet. She needs to fix some things first before they put it on the market.”
“Like the front yard?”
“Adam mentioned the yard looked like it hadn’t been touched since Cordelia died. Which is a shame. I remember Cordelia used to take good care of her house. Oh, she didn’t do the yard work herself, but she didn’t have a problem paying someone to do it.”
“You knew her?” Danielle asked.
“Yes. Mom and she were both members of the local Women’s Club, back in the day.” Melony finished the last of her punch and held the empty cup in her hand.
“What was she like?”
“Mom used to say she came from one of the poorest families in town. But Cordelia married money. Didn’t have any kids. She had a brother and sister, who never seemed to do much better than their parents had. From what Mom said, her sister, Bonnie’s mother, resented the fact her sister had it so easy because she married money. But to Cordelia’s credit, she seemed to be generous with her two nieces. That’s what my mom always said, anyway.”
“I understand Bonnie’s cousin, Rylee, took care of her aunt for the last couple of years of her life. But when she died, she left everything to Bonnie.”
Melony nodded. “Yeah. I was surprised. As for Bonnie not helping care for her aunt, while Bonnie has always been sweet, she doesn’t do well around sick people.” Melony chuckled and added, “Those are her words, not mine. Phobia, perhaps. I’m not sure. But because of that, she never really helped Rylee take care of Cordelia, and from what I understand, she rarely visited her.”
“Do you have any theories on why she left her estate to Bonnie?”
Melony absently looked down at the empty cup in her hands as she considered the question. “From what I understand, Cordelia rewrote the will not long before she died, leaving everything to Bonnie. There were rumors it had something to do with Rylee’s treatment of her aunt when she was taking care of her. But I don’t believe that. One theory: she left it to Bonnie because she needed it more, and Rylee would be okay without her money.”
Danielle frowned. “Why would she need it more?”
“I doubt you ever met Bonnie’s first husband. Who, by the way, was Adrian’s brother. Keep it all in the family.” Melony chuckled before continuing, “They look nothing alike because they were both adopted. I have to say, Bonnie did better in the looks department this time around, but I’m not sure Adrian is any more of a prize than Wesley.”
“You didn’t care for her first husband?”
Melony shrugged and looked up from her hands at Danielle. “It wasn’t like he abused Bonnie or anything. I guess the best way to describe him, mediocre. While he had a job, he wasn’t that good at it. Bonnie never worked. She always needed to be taken care of. Rylee, on the other hand, was always independent. Put herself through nursing school. Her parents weren’t able to help her, and supposedly her aunt offered to pay for her school. But Rylee wouldn’t accept the money. It’s possible she left Bonnie her estate because she was annoyed Rylee refused her generous offer. One thing I’ve noticed over the years, wealthy people often use their money more to control rather than help family members.”
“So Cordelia thought, well, you were too proud to accept my offer, so I guess you don’t want to inherit anything?” Danielle suggested.
Melony shrugged. “That’s possible. And it was no secret Rylee was paid to care for her. It was her job. So I guess Cordelia didn’t feel obligated to leave her estate to Rylee.”
“I wonder why she didn’t leave her estate to both nieces,” Danielle said.
“I don’t think she ever planned to do that. Not long after Cordelia died, before anyone knew about the will, I ran into a friend of my mother’s, another Women’s Club member. She asked me if I heard about Cordelia, and then said something about Rylee now being set up for life. Apparently, Cordelia had told her she was leaving everything to Rylee.”
“But she didn’t.”
Melony shook her head. “No. We learned later she changed her will the month before she died. It’s possible something else happened that month.”
“If she had to change her will, wouldn’t her attorney know why she made the change?”
Melony smiled. “My father was her attorney, and when he died, Clarence took over his account. But when all the crap hit the fan regarding Dad’s law firm, instead of finding a new attorney, she started using a paralegal in Astoria, who, I understand, was recommended by Wesley. Anyway, rumor has it she changed the will when Rylee took a few days off. It was one of the few times Bonnie agreed to stay with her aunt.”
“Wait a minute, you’re saying she changed the will when Bonnie was there? Didn’t anyone find that suspicious?”
“Sure. It’s why Rylee contested the will. But according to the paralegal, Cordelia called her to the house and asked her to come over the weekend Rylee would be gone. The paralegal claimed that was the first time she had met Bonnie, and Bonnie didn’t know the paralegal was coming over. Supposedly, Bonnie was as surprised as anyone when she discovered her aunt had left her everything.”
“Wow.”
“According to Bonnie, her aunt told her the paralegal was there because she had some papers to sign and said nothing about revising her will. Both the paralegal and Bonnie said Bonnie wasn’t in the room when her aunt met with the paralegal that day, and she wasn’t told about any changes to the will until after the aunt died.”