“Who do you think you are?”
“I’m Marcus Winslow the Third.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Zoey scoffed, more to herself than to her niece. Mr. Witherell was undoubtedly aware of the rumor that he’d fathered Marcus Jr. and he would have known Mark had heard the same gossip. He was just capitalizing on it to provoke the younger man’s ire because Mark had insultedhim. Mr. Witherell wasn’tseriouslyindicating he was his father. What purpose would that have served? “It’s completely illogical.”
“No, it isn’t. Even Aunt Ivy said he carried a torch for Aunt Sylvia, remember? And Mr. Witherellstillwalks by her house every day.”
“Mr. Witherell walks by alotof peoples’ houses every day. It doesn’t mean anything,” Zoey reasoned. “Besides, why would he still try to catch a glimpse of Aunt Sylvia? He knows she’s not here any longer—he came to her funeral.”
“See? That’s even more evidence of his devotion.” Gabi’s eyes were shining. “Plus, he fits the profile—he hardly ever speaks. That’s because when he lost the love of his life, he also lost his voice.”
The notion was so ludicrous Zoey would have laughed but she was too disturbed by her niece’s naivete. “You’ve got it backwards, Gab. He doesn’t fit the profile—the profile fits him. Don’t you see? That’s why gossip like this can be so convincing.”
“But the boy at school swore that if his grandfather was alive, he could prove it because he was friends with Mr. Witherell. And he saw a photo of Aunt Sylvia that Mr. Witherell still keeps in his house beside his bed,” Gabi insisted. “We could ask him if it’s true and—”
“Ask Mr. Witherell? No way. We arenotdoing that.”
“But you said he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?” Gabi challenged. Kathleen had warned Zoey how flippant she could be, but until this instant, Zoey hadn’t seen any real evidence of it.
“The point is we don’t know him and that’s an intrusive, offensive question.”And he’ll think you’re even more audaciousthan your cousin Mark is.
“Fine.” Gabi harrumphed. “I’ll ask Aunt Ivy about it, then.”
Zoey leaped to her feet. Clapping sand off the seat of her pants, she said, “You promised you wouldn’t mention this subject to Aunt Ivy and I expect you to keep your word.”
Gabi didn’t budge. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she peered at Zoey and argued, “But this is adifferentsubject. It’s—”
“Don’t split hairs. I know you can’t remember Aunt Sylvia well, but she wasn’t anything like what your classmates described and it’s unfair to say things like that about someone who isn’t alive to defend herself.” Zoey picked up her shoes and started walking. Then she twirled around and admonished, “You can’t be vulnerable to every suggestion someone makes, Gabi. You have to start learning to think things through for yourself. Like have you considered how Aunt Ivy would feel if you suggested her sister-in-law was only using her brother for his money? Or that Aunt Sylvia had been deceiving her all these years about Marcus Jr.? Even though it’s utterly preposterous, I can’t fathom why you’d want to hurt your aunt by planting ideas like that in her head!”
Gabi’s face went red and a frown gnarled her mouth. She faltered at first, but then her words came out in a rush. “Be-because if… if Mark isn’t really a blood relative and Aunt Ivy dies, you’ll inherit the house and then you won’t have to worry about subletting your townhome and earning back all the savings you lost.” Tears bounded down her cheeks and she brought her legs to her chest and tucked her head behind her knees.
I amsuchan idiot.Zoey plopped back down in the sand and wrapped her arm around Gabi as she wept. “Sh-shh-shh.”
It was the same sound Zoey used to make when her niece had colic as a baby. When Jessica, desperate for sleep, would drive to the library and take a nap in the car as Zoey spent her lunch hour pacing the parking lot and jiggling the stroller in an attempt to soothe Gabi.
As it did then, it took a while today for her niece to grow quiet. When she did, Zoey said, “I appreciate it that you’re concerned about me, Gabi. But my financial situation is too much of a burden for you to think about—not because it’s so bad, but because it’s my problem, not yours. Besides, I promise you, I’m fine. I’ve got lots of resources and if I felt desperate, I’d take any job I could get. But right now, my priority is staying with Aunt Ivy and making sure she’s all right. I consider myself very fortunate to be in a position that allows me to do that.”
Gabi’s voice was muffled, her face still buried in her knees. “Then why are you so upset that Mark’s going to inherit the house?”
Is that what he’s been saying? Or is that how I’ve been behaving?Fingering a strand of her niece’s silken hair, Zoey replied, “I love Aunt Ivy’s home and I’ve often daydreamed about what it would be like to live on Dune Island permanently. And for some reason—maybe because Aunt Ivy and Aunt Sylvia lived alone in the house for so many years—I think of it as awoman’s house. Or as a place for family, not a place for strangers to lease. But since there’s no getting around the will, I decided a long time ago I’d better come to terms with it.
“Besides, how could I begrudge Mark his inheritance when Aunt Ivy has been so generous to me? She’s shared her home with me every summer—and whenever else I’ve wanted to visit. She’s welcomed my friends and my boyfriends to Dune Island, too. Not to mention, my entire family, including you. Being able to come here has been one the best gifts I’ve ever received.” Zoey’s eyes smarted. “So I promise you, I’m not upset Mark willeventuallyinherit the house. However, I’d hate to see him push Aunt Ivy out before she’s ready to leave.”
Gabi sniffed. “You don’t want him to remodel her kitchen, either, do you?”
“Not unless that’s what Aunt Ivy wants.”
“I hope she doesn’t.” Gabi lifted her head. “I like it.”
“Seriously? I actually agree with Mark on this one—I think it’s awful.”
“It may be ugly but it’s retro, so that makes it kind of cool.”
