He Made Me Sign, Not Knowing I Was Another's Wife novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: Beacon Hill

Ruth arrived at the brownstone at eleven with four suitcases and a cat carrier.

"The cat's named Judge," she announced. "He's never been wrong about a person."

"Is he fond of Hugh?"

"He's never met him. I'll let you know."

She set the carrier down in the front room, under my mother's portrait, and looked at the walls with her hands on her hips.

"It needs paint," she said. "I'll take the back bedroom, if you'll have me."

"Aunt Ruth. It's yours as much as mine."

"It's yours, dear," she said, more gently. "I'd like to live in it."

At noon exactly the bell rang.

I hadn't known I would be so frightened.

Ansel was on the stairs behind me.

He didn't speak, and he didn't come closer, but I knew he was there.

I opened the door myself.

Hugh stood on the step in a gray overcoat, without a tie.

He looked as though he hadn't slept in three nights, which I knew was true because Ruth had a cousin on his street.

He held my mother's jewelry box in both hands.

On top of it sat her pearls, her watch, a ring of keys, and a thick manila folder.

"May I come in?"

"You may come in the hall," I said. "That's where we'll stay."

He stepped over the threshold.

His eyes went up the stairs and found Ansel, and slid away.

"I brought everything," he said. "The box, the watch, the pearls. Her earrings. The keys to the house, and the safe deposit box, and the lawyer's number. I closed the account at the brokerage on Friday."

"That's the account you opened after Mom died."

"Yes."

"I know," I said.

He put the box on the hall table.

He did it carefully.

"Thorpe's counsel has the money wiring back," he said. "All of it, tomorrow. I'll be named in whatever they file. There's a man at the state board who's already called about the doctor."

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