“He asked if he could come over tomorrow night to discuss the legalities,” she said. “He said we should settle this as a family, without the lawyers making things complicated.”

I reached across the desk and put my hand over hers. “We don’t have to let him in this house, Caroline.”

“No,” she said, looking up, her eyes bright with a sudden, cold intelligence. “We do.”

“Why?” I asked, frowning. “We have Rebecca’s letter now. We can show this to our attorney in the morning.”

“An unsigned letter from an estranged mother won’t be enough in court, Grandma,” she said. “His lawyer will say she is bitter, or lying to protect herself.”

She was right, of course; the legal battle would be long, expensive, and draining.

“So what are you thinking?” I asked.

“I think we play along,” Caroline said, a small, hard smile touching her lips. “I think we tell him I am considering his proposal.”

“Caroline, that is dangerous,” I said. “He is manipulative. He has had years of practice.”

“But he is also greedy,” she said, her voice quiet. “And greedy people get careless when they think they are winning.”