Bay City Belle by Kennedy Shirley

Author:Kennedy, Shirley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-07-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The funeral was over. Yancy had honored his brother as best he could. He’d given one of the eulogies at the service. He’d accompanied Bernice and Richard to the Yerba Buena cemetery in a fancy carriage with a black-suited driver, first in the long procession following the elaborate, glassed-in hearse. He’d stood by the grave. Watched his brother’s remains lowered into the ground. Listened as the minister said the final prayer. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…

The crowd began to disperse. Leighton Canfield came up and placed a hand on his shoulder. “My deepest condolences. I understand your mother passed away last night.”

“Yes, she did.” It was hard to talk. “She wanted a simple, gravesite service. Nothing like this.”

“Of course.” The banker nodded with understanding. “Ronald had a lot of friends, Yancy. Did you notice how many are here? Not only employees from the bank but people from his church and his club. Waiters from his favorite restaurants are here, and horse car drivers...everyone who knew him loved him.”

Not quite. Yancy looked to where Bernice stood chatting with the indolent-looking young man she called Reggie. At the funeral, she’d done a fine job of acting the grieving widow, but it must have been too much of a strain because she was laughing again, fluttering those eyelids. He thought of Ronald and had to look away.

Canfield must have noticed Bernice and her lover, too. “She’s only getting half, you know.”

“Half of what?” Yancy had no idea what he was talking about.

“Ronald’s estate.” Canfield bent close. “This is no time to discuss it, but his attorney will be contacting you soon. You get the other half, and that includes the house.”

He hadn’t given it a thought. “You mean Ronald mentioned me in his will?”

“Indeed, he did. Ronald talked to me about it many a time. He set up trust funds for the children and provided for your mother. Half of the rest he left to you. Quite frankly, you’d have gotten it all, but according to California law, it’s community property. Bernice gets the other half and there was nothing he could do.”

Yancy didn’t want to hear anymore. “I hope you understand, but right now—”

“I’ve picked a poor time to bring it up. I shouldn’t have bothered you with all this, what with you standing by Ronald’s newly dug grave. Just keep in mind he wanted you to stay in San Francisco. You could, you know. There’s a job waiting for you at the bank any time you want it. Of course, with the money you’ll inherit, you can do pretty much anything you please.”

“What I please is to get back to Maine, Mr. Canfield.”

“I understand that, but would you do me this one favor? Allow me to give you a tour of our beautiful city tomorrow afternoon. No pressure involved, I assure you, but before you go, I would like you to understand why Ronald so loved San Francisco. You may not have another chance to see it.”

How could he refuse such a well-meant offer? “Of course I’d like to go.

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