"All right, then. The reason I called both of you today is that Mrs. Steel told me about Angus and Frances's plans concerning the terms of the will. Now, first of all, neither Mrs. Steel nor I are nosy parkers. Mary Anne attached a private letter for me to her testament, where she asked me to intervene were something like this to happen. And she likewise gave her lawyer specific instructions to contact me if such was the case. Which, as you know, is.
Now, Mrs. Steel dutifully informed you of the family's actions, but she asked me to give you the most uncomfortable details, as a friend of Mary Anne's and yours."
"Well, they can't have been too uncomfortable for Jesse. He has got a rather annoying smile on his face right at this moment."
"He said there was a funny side to it. That's all I know. Maybe you'll be able to clarify it for me."
"Not before someone tells me what this is all about."
"Yes, of course. Sorry, Katherine." Pause. "It seems the Martins are putting all their eggs in one basket over the inheritance. I said the Martins because Mrs. Steel tells me they are the instigators, or at least the ones contacting her."
"Jesse told me it was Geneva mostly."
"Yes, I believe so."
Silence.
"Anyway," he continued. "The point is that they told Mrs. Steel they intended to claim that you two conspired to take Mary Anne in and more or less forced her to include you as heirs."
"Wh… What?! How could we conspire if we hadn't even met?"
Geneva says that according to reliable sources, you were a couple long before you met Mrs. Sloan."
"I see."
"Now, Kathy, Mrs. Steel has assured me that the contesting will not prosper, and you have both our testimonies if needed. There's nothing to worry about. We neither of us wants you to be anxious, all right? We just thought you should know at least as much as we do."
"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you very much."
"I know what you're going to say, but things are not that bad."
"You don't understand, Jesse. I can't possibly cope with this! I spent half my savings coming to this island because I couldn't deal with the fact that I'd left my job and my boyfriend. And I'd left them because I couldn't deal with them! I'm a failure. I've more than proved it."