Chapter 5 - The Dinner Test
Arthur waited three days before making his announcement. During those three days, he said little about the phone, the messages, or Vanessa’s sudden interest in being helpful. He went to his appointments, visited the doctor, and kept Sophie close without making her feel watched.
On Friday evening, Vanessa served roast chicken in the dining room. She had polished the silver and lit candles, turning the familiar table into a stage. Grant Mercer was not present, but Vanessa had placed a second wineglass near her own chair. She removed it when Arthur glanced at it.
“You look tired,” she said.
“Do I?”
“Your hands are shaking.”
Arthur deliberately lifted his water glass too quickly. It rattled against his teeth. “I have been having trouble catching my breath.”
Sophie looked at him. “Are you sick, Grandpa?”
Arthur coughed. He made the sound deep and rough, then pressed a napkin to his mouth. “I may need to call Dr. Patel tomorrow. And Miriam Cole.”
Vanessa leaned forward. “Miriam?”
“My lawyer. If my health is failing, I should prepare a new will.”
The room seemed to warm around them. Vanessa’s eyes flicked toward the dark window, but Arthur caught the brief flash of triumph before she lowered her lashes.
“That sounds wise,” she said. “You should not leave important decisions until it is too late.”
Sophie pushed peas around her plate. “Are you going to be all right?”
Arthur reached for her hand. “I plan to be.”
Vanessa rose at once. “I’ll get you some tea. You should not eat too much salt.”
“How considerate,” Arthur said.
She paused. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
Vanessa returned with tea, a blanket, and a plate of sliced fruit. She fussed over Arthur so intensely that Sophie moved her chair closer to him. Vanessa noticed and smiled at the child.
“Sophie, sweetheart, would you like to sit beside me?”
Sophie shook her head.
“There’s no reason to be shy.” Vanessa reached across the table, then stopped when Arthur’s gaze hardened. “I only want to help.”
Arthur coughed again. “Perhaps you could help by telling me whether Grant Mercer has been in contact with the property office.”
Vanessa’s hand froze over the fruit bowl. “Why would you ask that?”
“He handled the Lakeview sale. I thought he might know a good attorney.”
“Grant is not an attorney.”
“No, but he is resourceful.”
“He is untrustworthy.”
Arthur watched her face. “You sound certain.”
Vanessa picked up a strawberry and cut it into tiny pieces. “Everyone knows he takes advantage of older clients.”
“Then I certainly should be careful.”
She looked at him. “You are not planning to give everything to Sophie, are you?”
Sophie’s fork slipped from her fingers.
Arthur kept his expression weary. “Sophie will be provided for.”
“She is a child.”
“That is why she needs protection.”
Vanessa’s smile tightened. “Protection can become indulgence. A child needs structure.”
Arthur reached for the tea. “And an adult needs honesty.”
The words were quiet, but Vanessa heard the warning beneath them. She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap.
“I have always been honest with you,” she said.
Arthur let the silence stretch. He wanted to see whether she would fill it with a lie. She did.
“I have cared for Sophie as though she were my own. I have sacrificed my time, my comfort, everything.”
Sophie’s face had gone pale. Arthur noticed her breathing quicken.
“You may leave the table,” he told her.
Vanessa objected immediately. “She should hear that family decisions affect everyone.”
“She should not have to listen to adults discuss money while she is eating dinner.”
Sophie slipped from her chair and went to the library. Arthur waited until the door closed before he leaned toward Vanessa.
“I will call Miriam tomorrow,” he said. “I want the new will prepared within the week.”
Vanessa’s eyes shone with false concern. “You must be careful who you trust.”
“That is exactly what I am being.”
After dinner, Vanessa followed him through the house, offering an arm, a pillow, and a reminder to take his vitamins. Arthur accepted none of them. He saw her watching the cabinet where his supplements were kept.
Later, he found Sophie sitting beneath the library window with her knees drawn to her chest.
“She was nice,” Sophie said sadly. “But it felt like when the sky turns green before a storm.”
Arthur sat beside her. “That is a very good way to describe it.”
“Are you pretending to be sick?”
Arthur studied her face. “I am pretending to be more tired than I am so that the wrong people show us what they want.”
“Is that dangerous?”
“It can be. That is why adults who know how to protect people are helping me.”
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He did not tell her that Miriam had already contacted the authorities. He did not tell her that a controlled plan was forming around the house. He only drew her close and said, “Whatever happens next, you will not face it alone.”
In the kitchen, Vanessa opened the supplement cabinet. Arthur saw her reflection in the dark window, and he saw the decision settle across her face.
