Aunt Bessie Invites (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Diana Xarissa Page B

well, distant.   The phones
won’t stop ringing and I don’t think Joan likes me.”
    “Oh, I’m sure that’s not the case,” Bessie
said in a reassuring voice.   “How
could anyone not like you?   Just give
her some time to warm up, that’s all.”
    “I’m hoping she won’t be here much longer,”
Doona said.   “I miss having my desk
all to myself.”
    Bessie nodded sympathetically.   “I’m sure things will quiet down soon.”
    “They were quieter by this afternoon,” Doona
admitted.   “I think John will
probably send Joan back to Castletown tomorrow, unless something else comes
up.”
    “Are you all ready to see your solicitor on
Friday?” Bessie changed the subject.
    “I suppose so.   We’re meeting in Doncan’s office so that
he can make sure everything is being done right,” Doona told her.   “The police investigation into Charles’s
company is still ongoing, but Doncan seems to think that some money should be
coming my way very soon.”
    Doona’s second husband, Charles Adams had
recently been murdered.   Bessie had
been surprised to learn, during the course of the investigation into his death,
that he and Doona were still married.   The only good thing to come out of the whole incident was the news that
Charles had named Doona as his heir.   Now Bessie was hoping that her closest friend was in line for a small
fortune.
    “That is good news,” Bessie exclaimed.
    “I’m waiting to see how much I get before I
get too excited,” Doona commented.   “I suppose even a few hundred pounds will help pay for Christmas, and if
it’s much more, maybe I can pay down my mortgage with some of it.”
    “I’m glad you changed your mind about
keeping the money,” Bessie said.   When Charles had first been killed, Doona had insisted that she didn’t
want anything from him.
    “After everything he put me through, I
suppose I should get something,” Doona said.   “I still feel uncomfortable about
accepting it, but if I don’t, all of the money goes to his cousin in New
Zealand.   Charles never even met the
man, so I suppose I deserve it more than he does.”
    “Of course you do,” Bessie said firmly.   “We just have to hope that it turns out
to be a huge fortune.”
    Doona shook her head.   “I wouldn’t know what to do with a huge
fortune,” she said.   “I’d be over
the moon if I got enough to pay off my mortgage and have a holiday somewhere.”
    “And maybe a new car?” Bessie suggested.
    “Oh, that would be nice,” Doona agreed.   “Something little and cute
and sporty would be great, rather than the sensible sedan I have now.”
    “And some new clothes?”
    Doona laughed.   “I think you’re having fun spending my
imaginary funds.”
    Bessie laughed with her.   “You’re right,” she said.   “Spending your money is great fun.   I think you should buy Thie yn Traie and
then we could be neighbours.”
    “I can’t imagine Charles was worth as much
as that,” Doona told her.   “Thie yn
Traie must be on the market for many hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
    “I just wish someone would buy it,” Bessie
said.   “It’s so sad seeing it
sitting empty.”
    “It was empty most of the time anyway,
wasn’t it?”
    “Yes, I know it was, but it didn’t feel
empty when I knew the Pierce family would be back soon.   Mr. and Mrs. Pierce loved the island.”
    “Maybe they’ll change their minds about
selling if it doesn’t sell soon,” Doona suggested.
    “After everything that happened here, I
doubt it very much,” Bessie told her.   “If they ever do decide to come back to the island, I would think they’d
want to stay somewhere other than Laxey, anyway.”
    Doona nodded.   “How are the plans for Thanksgiving
going?” she asked.
    “I’m still waiting to hear from a number of
people,” Bessie said with a frown.   “I’m going to have start chasing some of them, I think.”
    “Well, I’m coming for sure,” Doona said