Part 13 (2/2)
Julia moved nearer. ”Who is it, Willie?”
The man looked past the servant. ”I'm Carl Drake - Angelique Rumsen's attorney.”
”Of course. Barnabas wrote to you last week.”
”I only received his letter two days ago. I've been out of the country. I was going to contact him when I returned anyway -”
”Oh?”
He looked uncertain. ”Are you - Mrs. Collins?”
Julia smiled. ”No. There is no Mrs. Collins. I'm Dr. Julia Hoffman. Barnabas is a friend.”
Since Willie had gone downstairs to warn Barnabas about their visitor, Barnabas entered the house through the front door. ”Good evening, Julia.”
”Barnabas. This is Carl Drake, from New York.”
He shook the lawyer's hand. ”Please, be seated, Mr. Drake. Would you care for a drink?”
”No, thank you.”
”Do you have news of Angelique Rumsen?”
Drake looked away from him. ”I'm -afraid so, Mr. Collins. I was just telling Dr. Hoffman that I had just returned from Europe two days ago.” He hesitated, then faced his host. ”There's no easy way to tell you this, I suppose. Angelique - Mrs. Rumsen died almost a week ago.”
Julia felt Barnabas' reaction from across the room. ”She's - dead?”
”I really am sorry, Mr. Collins. She was driving in the South of France when she apparently lost control of the car. It went into a lake. There's been no body recovered, but the authorities searched the area thoroughly. I went over to help, but nothing turned up. They've declared her dead.”32.
Barnabas was at the window, staring unseeingly out into the dark night. Julia spoke into the quiet. ”Is that all, Mr. Drake?”
”Not quite. There's her will. Once her husband's debts were paid, she had enough money left to live comfortably. She still owned the estate down the coast from here.”
”Little Windward.”
”Yes. The will names Barnabas Collins as her sole beneficiary. I have some papers that need to be witnessed,” he said, drawing them from his briefcase, then glancing at the man who stood silent and straight-backed at the window. ”I'll leave them here. Just send them back to me in a few days.”
”He will,” Julia a.s.sured him.
The lawyer stood. ”I am really sorry to bring you bad news, Mr. Collins, but I thought you should hear it in person and not in a letter.”
”Thank you,” was Barnabas' brief response.”
Julia walked Carl Drake to the door. ”Will he be alright, Doctor?”
With more a.s.surance than she felt, Julia answered. ”Yes. It was just such a shock. He was really expecting to find her.”
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