avoiding the subject we both understood.
His time was running out.
When Richard died, I cried beside his bed.
I had lost the kindest man I had ever known.
But after the funeral, one practical thought entered my mind.
I was his wife.
Surely I would inherit the estate.
The next day, Richard’s lawyer came to see me.
He carried a leather briefcase and an envelope with my name written in Richard’s handwriting.
Then he said:
“He knew you’d fall for all of this and agree to marry him. But
