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“Now, wait a minute,” Scott objected.
“That car’s worth a lot!” Cait chimed in. “We should sell it and split the money.”
“Oh, stop it,” Charlie groaned. “John always loved that car. He should be able to keep it. He’s probably not going to sell it.”
“Well, I don’t think that’s fair,” Scott grumbled.
Cait waved a hand in his direction. “Never mind the car,” she said. “What does it say about the estate? I assume we’ll be able to sell that, at least.”
Charlie frowned. “You really want to sell the estate?” he said. “We practically grew up there.”
“We’ll never have time to get out to Old Prescott now that we all have lives and families,” Cait said. “It’s totally impractical.”
“Cait’s right,” John said. “Driving the car is one thing, but I’d much rather have the money than that old house, even if Scott’s the one who manages the actual sale.”
“Well, no, Scott can’t manage the sale of the house,” Cait said firmly. “We’re going to have to have some sort of mutual agreement when it comes tothat.But it’s all right. Aunt Marge wouldn’t have forgotten to mention the estate in her will. I’m sure it will say something about the estate — doesn’t it, Mr. Rogan?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, it does.” Rogan cleared his throat. “The Old Prescott estate has been left to Charlie.”
The room was silent for a moment as the words sank in.
Charlie’s head spun. She had left the estate tohim?
He had never expected this. He knew his relationship with Aunt Marge had been a good one, of course — he would probably miss her more than any of his siblings would. But even so, he was the youngest. He wasn’t used to this sort of thing falling in his favor.
Cait found her voice first. “Well, this has to be a mistake,” she said.
“It’s not a mistake,” Rogan said.
“He can’t just have the estate! It belongs to all of us!”
“It doesn’t, legally,” Rogan said. “Not as long as Charlie meets the terms of the will, that is.”
“There are terms?” John looked at Charlie, his eyes narrowed. “That’s not usual, is it?”
Rogan shrugged. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen something like this.”
“Well, what are the terms?”
“Your aunt requires that Charlie be married in order to inherit.”
The room fell silent again.
This time it was Scott who recovered first — he burst out laughing. “Married?” he repeated. “She’s pranking us. Charlie doesn’t even have a girlfriend.”
“Yeah, this is a joke,” Cait agreed. “She’s having her last laugh, Mr. Rogan, that’s all it is. What happens to the estate since Charlie isn’t married?”
“If he doesn’t meet the terms, the estate is to be sold and the profits split between the four of you?—”
“That’s more like it.”
“But don’t be too hasty. He has some time.”
“How long?”
“If Charlie can provide a valid marriage license within the next thirty days, he’ll inherit.”
“Well, it’s like Scott just said. He doesn’t even have a girlfriend,” John said. “And even if he did, Charlie can’t even commit to breakfast. There’s no way he’s going to be married in a month. This is ridiculous.”