No traces remained of the festive luncheon they had enjoyed only a few hours earlier. But once again, Willy, Alvirah, Monsignor Ferris and Sister Cordelia sat at the same table they had dined at earlier in the day. Kate was with them, quietly weeping.

“I spoke to the Bakers an hour ago,” she said. “I told them that I was turning the house over to Home Base and that I couldn’t renew their lease.”

“And you say they produced a new will?” Willy asked incredulously.

“Yes. They said Bessie had changed her mind, that she hadn’t been a bit happy at the prospect of having the house wrecked by a bunch of kids. They also told me that she said the repairs Vic has made and the painting he’s done showed her that they’d keep the house in pristine condition, just the way she wanted it. You know how much she loved this house.”

She married the judge to get it, Alvirah thought wryly. “When did she sign it?”

“Just a few days ago, on November 30th.”

“She showed me the previous will when I stopped in to see her on November 27th,” Monsignor Ferris said. “She seemed quite happy with it then. That was when she asked me to make sure that Kate could stay in the apartment after she transferred the house to the Home Base program.”

“Bessie left me an income, and according to the new will, I’m allowed to live in the apartment in the Bakers’ home rent free. As though I’d stay here with those people!” The tears now ran freely down Kate’s face. “I can’t believe Bessie would do this to me. To leave this house to perfect strangers like that. She knew I didn’t like the Bakers. And to get an apartment somewhere else is impossible. You know what the prices are in Manhattan.”

Kate’s scared and she’s angry and she’s hurt, Alvirah thought. But even worse… She looked across the table and thought that for the first time since she’d known her, Cordelia looked her age.