I had even imagined giving Marcus a key at Christmas dinner.
Not a symbolic key.
The actual brass key with the blue plastic tag used by the property manager.
I thought I was preparing a romantic surprise.
After Beatrice’s visit, I began wondering whether I had actually been protecting myself.
The change in Marcus was small at first.
The next morning, he took a phone call in the garage.
He had never done that before.
When he came back inside, I asked who it was.
“Mom.”
“What did she want?”
“Nothing.”
The following evening, Beatrice called during dinner.
Marcus stood up and carried his phone into the den.
Ten minutes later, I walked past.
He ended the conversation.
“What are you two discussing?” I asked.
“Family matters.”
I looked at him.
“Am I family?”
He frowned.
“What kind of question is that?”
“A current one.”
He shook his head and walked away.
Three days later, I entered the den while Marcus was using his laptop.
He closed it immediately.
Not partially.
Closed.
I stopped in the doorway.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“No.”
“You closed your computer.”
“I was done.”
“You were typing.”
He looked at me with an irritation I had not seen before.
“Elaine, I don’t interrogate you every time you use your phone.”
I said nothing.
He reopened the laptop after I left.
That evening I called Laura Chen.
She had handled my grandfather’s estate work for years and knew the ownership structure of the cottages.
“Can you see me tomorrow?”
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m not sure.”
“That usually means yes.”
I almost laughed.
“I’ll bring paperwork.”
The next afternoon, Laura read every page Beatrice had left.
She did not dramatize anything.
That was one reason I trusted her.
When she finished, she placed the stack on her desk.
“Do not sign these.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Good.”
“How bad are they?”
“That depends on what you think they’re supposed to accomplish.”
“Beatrice said estate planning.”
Laura nodded.
“Some of these concepts can be part of legitimate estate planning. Powers of attorney, trusts, beneficiary planning. None of those things is inherently suspicious.”
“But?”
“But these documents are not balanced around your interests.”
She lifted one page.
“This power of attorney gives broad authority.”
Another.
“This proposed trust would change how certain assets are controlled if you transferred them into it.”
“Would Marcus own the cottages?”
“Not simply because this document exists. You would still have to take additional steps to transfer property into a trust.”
That relieved me.
Laura continued.
“But if you signed this and then followed through with funding the trust, Marcus would become co-trustee and would have significant involvement.”
“And beneficiary?”
“Yes, under the draft.”
“Can my mother-in-law just prepare something like this?”
“She can ask someone to prepare anything she wants. That does not make it appropriate for you to sign.”
“Would you ever advise me to sign it?”
“Not as written.”
I stared at the papers.
“Why?”
“Because it gives away control without giving you much corresponding protection.”
She folded her hands.
“More importantly, Elaine, nobody should be asking you to execute estate documents in your kitchen with no independent advice, especially when another person at the table benefits from them.”
I thought about Marcus.
“He says he didn’t prepare them.”
“He may not have.”
“He says his mother was just trying to help.”
“That is possible.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
Laura chose her words carefully.
“I’m not evaluating their motives. I’m evaluating your paperwork.”
“What should I do?”
“Nothing today.”
That answer surprised me.
“Nothing?”
“Do not transfer property. Do not change beneficiaries. Do not add anyone to accounts. Do not sign new powers of attorney. Give yourself time.”
She leaned forward.
“And if you want to update your estate plan because you married, we can do it based on what you want.”
I nodded.
Then she asked, “Does Marcus know the extent of the inheritance?”
“No.”
“How much does he know?”
“That my grandfather left me some investments and that I have comfortable income.”
“Does he know about Tybee?”
“No.”
“Does Beatrice?”
“Not from me.”
Laura tapped the documents.
“The language here is broad. It may simply be designed to capture whatever inherited property exists.”
That was not comforting.
“What would you do if you were me?”
She smiled slightly.
“I would stop asking legal questions and start asking marriage questions.”
I left her office with the papers in a sealed envelope.
Four days later, Marcus was in the shower when his phone lit up on the nightstand.
I did not pick it up.
I didn’t have to.
The lock screen showed the message.
It was from Beatrice.
Did you find out whether the island property is titled only in her name? We need to know before she changes anything.
I stared at the screen.
The shower continued running behind the bathroom door.
Island property.
My heart started pounding.
Marcus did not know about Tybee.
At least I had never told him.
I read the message again.