“Oh, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Arrington said. “We have a family plot in the local churchyard. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Is that where you wish to rest for eternity?”
“It’s quite pretty, really.”
“I always thought I’d like to be scattered somewhere.”
“After cremation, I suppose.”
“Yes, cremation obviates dismemberment.”
“Scattered where?”
“Someplace beautiful. Off the dock at the Maine house would be nice.”
“I liked that house,” she said. “The cousin who bequeathed it to you had very good taste in houses.”
“Yes, he did.”
“You get bequeathed a lot of things, don’t you? Houses, paintings, airplanes.”
“I do. I’m fortunate in my family and friends.”
“Do you want me to tell you about my will?”
“No, I’d rather know nothing, thank you.”
“Not everything is in it. I’d better tell you a few other things. I’d been meaning to write a letter, and I may yet, but mostly it’s about how you would deal with Peter in my absence, should that ever occur.”
“I am statistically likely to precede you into the Promised Land, but go ahead.”
“I’m concerned that Peter might have too much, too soon, and I like your idea of keeping things in trust until he’s thirty-five, so I put that in there. You have the authority, however, to deal with that as you wish, up until he’s thirty-five.”
“Thank you. I’ll try to keep a tight rein on things.”
“I don’t think that will be hard, since he never seems to think about money, unless it’s in connection with his filming budget. I just don’t want a truckload of cash dumped on him before he knows something about handling it.”
“I understand, and I entirely agree.”
They were quiet for a moment.
“Is that it?” Stone asked.
“I’m thinking,” she said. “Give me a minute.”
“All right.”
“Give my jewelry, in reasonable amounts, to Peter’s wife, when he marries. Funny, but I’ve been thinking about Hattie as Peter’s future wife, which is silly, I suppose.”
“We can wish for that,” Stone said. “They seem very well suited to each other.”
“But they’re so young!”
“And getting older every day,” Stone said. “He says she’s smarter than he is.”
“No!” Arrington said. “I’ve never heard him say that about anybody !”
“He’s probably never met anybody who’s that smart,” Stone pointed out.