“Margaret,” I said, standing on the threshold.

The wind blew a spray of rain across the porch.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were signing the papers,” she said.

She looked past me into the empty foyer.

“You cannot do this.”

“This house has been in the family since my husband’s grandfather built it.”

“It was paid for with my father’s money, Margaret,” I said.

“And then it was mortgaged to pay for Grant’s bad investments.”

“The bank owned it.”

“I bought the note.”

Margaret gripped her cane tighter.

Her knuckles were white.

“We can reach an agreement,” she said.

“I have some jewelry left.”

“The property in Maine is still in my name.”

“The property in Maine was seized yesterday,” Lena said, stepping out behind me.

“The court order was served to your attorney at noon.”

Margaret’s eyes flickered.

She looked at Lena, then back to me.

“You are a cold woman, Nora,” she whispered.

“I was your husband’s mother.”

“I treated you like a daughter.”

“You treated me like an account to be drawn upon,” I said.