Magnificence: A Novel by Millet Lydia

Author:Millet, Lydia [Millet, Lydia]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Norton
Published: 2012-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

“They’re going to claim he had delusions,” said Casey in the morning.

She was in the bathroom with Susan, who stood up from the sink, her face dripping, and reached for the hand towel, her eyes squeezed shut.

“What?”

“Yeah. They’ve got a lawyer. They’re going to say the will isn’t valid.”

“You’re kidding.”

“But Jim says that they’re full of it.”

“Jim knows?”

“Yeah, he was standing there when they told me.”

Susan dried her face and walked out, looking for him. He was in bed still. She pulled the curtains open and flooded them both with whiteness, bleaching the flamingo.

“You didn’t think I’d want to know?”

He groaned and rolled onto his back, feet splayed under the sheet, arms wide.

“Listen. I don’t think you really need to worry.”

“Don’t need to worry? They’re trying to take this all away from me!”

“The standard for legal capacity is low,” he said, and raised himself onto his elbows, rubbing his eyes wearily.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, Jim. What are you telling me?”

“They’d have to prove that he was delusional under 6100, and there’s no evidence of that. Or under Section 811, they’d have to have evidence he couldn’t reason logically. Or recognize familiar objects or people. Or have any memory. They’re not objecting to the trust. The trust is irrelevant to them. And that’s a benefit to you, because with trusts the legal capacity standard is higher. There’s no presumption of undue influence here, either. So chances are slim they’ll prevail.”

“Slim?”

“Very slim, Susan.”

She was silent for a second, biding her time. Then she realized the legalese was oddly erotic. His competence. His knowledge of the probate code. She wanted to get back into bed.

The door was open, though, and outside in the corridor was Casey, sitting impatiently in her chair beneath a woody canopy of fallow-deer antlers.

“You’re not just saying that?” she asked him finally.

“I’m telling you. It’s a long shot at best. It’s frivolous, in my view.”

“Do I have to—then should I do anything?”

“Try to relax.”

Now that the cousins’ decision was made, she saw, it was possible. The lawsuit was actually a relief; she could behave exactly as she wished. No more need to try to impress them, no need to fail so miserably.

She was smiling at the lawyer from the white-lit dust. Motes were adrift in the beam, and floated horizontally.

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