A/N: At the end of S4E10, Seth told Jessica that he was not worried about the land grant because he rented. Despite that, in S12E14, Seth supposedly mortgaged his house that took him thirty years to pay for in order to fundraise for a benefit concert to save the woods near Cabot Cove. While I tend to view all of the MSW TV show episodes as canon, this is a distinct inconsistency. I, like others, I am sure, view the early seasons as the glory days of MSW and thus, I tend to go with the renting story being the more valid or likely as it aligns with what we know about the medical debt from losing Ruth in other episodes. Recently, I wondered what Jessica really thought about that and this story is the result. I had not intended to write another multi-chapter so quickly after "Best Friends to Lovers," but what can you do when the muse insists? Ha.
This story is eight chapters plus a very brief epilogue, but still needs editing, which I will do before posting each chapter.
I am aware that Grady and Donna did not get married until Season 5 and didn't have Little Frank until later on. But if MSW can have inconsistencies, so can I!
If you enjoy my story, please review. I don't own these characters, only the stories that I create in my head.
Chapter 1
Jessica Fletcher was not a devious woman. Nor was she sneaky or conniving. She did not play games either. However, she did have some control issues that she was well aware of. Ever since finding out that her best friend, Seth Hazlitt, did not own the house that consisted of his office space and apartment above, but instead, rented, she had been troubled.
Oh, it had been to his benefit during the recent issues with the possible land grant that had everyone in Cabot Cove up in arms. But after that died down and had been resolved, she had been left with a problem that while she knew it was not hers to solve, she could not or perhaps would not, let it go.
While Jessica was not devious or even calculating, she was headstrong and the care and compassion she had for those closest to her, meant that sometimes, she got involved with things that were perhaps not her business.
While she knew this about herself, it did not really stop her behavior. Instead, she did what she believed to be best and hoped that those involved would forgive her afterwards. After all, what was that saying?
It was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
That attitude had and would continue to land her in hot water at times. Hadn't she used that same excuse before when she immersed herself in murder investigations that she had no business getting in the middle of?
Over the years, she had carefully invested her book advance money and royalties. That, combined with the small retirement income that she and Frank had saved before his death, meant quite simply, that she would never want for anything the rest of her life. Early on, after the success of A Corpse Danced at Midnight, the money had become far too much of dare she say, a burden. She knew that for others who had little that would be a hard truth to ever hear someone say, so it was one she never shared with anyone, preferring to now leave the accounts and totals in them to be effectively managed by financial advisors. She was not foolish to not have her funds audited from time to time, but the people she had employed over the years, had managed her finances well.
In the early days of her success, it had pleased Jessica enormously to set up a trust fund for Little Frank, Donna and Grady's son, who was both Frank's and her namesake. Then, she had named Grady and Donna the heirs of her estate, as Grady was the closest relative she had, since she had helped to raise him as a young boy when his parents died. She had also created smaller funds for the flurry of nieces and nephews she had on her own side of the family. Even so, she had more money than she often knew what to do with and enjoyed contributing to charitable work in Cabot Cove and New York, often becoming involved in raising funds for libraries that were near and dear to her heart, as well as medical organizations that Seth would support, thus garnering her own.
After finding out that Seth rented, she was not completely sure why it bothered her so much, but she knew he had struggled financially after Ruth died, taking a number of years to pay off her medical bills. He was a Harvard educated doctor and could have worked anywhere in the country making more money than he would ever make in Cabot Cove. Yet, she knew that small-town medicine was his calling. These were his people and his community and he would never even consider leaving.
Still, for a man who was as selfless as he was, it did not seem right that he rented his apartment and the office space for his surgery beneath it. Renting was not a bad thing. In fact, she imagined that over the years as he paid off the medical debt, it gave him peace of mind knowing that his rent was a fixed amount and he was not responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of his living space.
Jessica's own drafty Victorian house sometimes felt like a money pit the older it became, with endless plumbing and electrical work. Last year, she had to replace her roof and furnace all within two months. She had the money and at the end of the day, writing a check for the repairs should not have given her pause, but she supposed she would always feel like a Maine housewife at the end of the day. Writing out both checks with numerous zeros at the end as she had done then, was never going to be something she enjoyed.
It had taken her several months to find a solution to Seth's housing, working through the problems in her mind, fully aware that the man would not agree with her viewing it as a problem that needed fixing. Not only that, he would likely become furious with her if he had an inkling of what she wanted to do.
Seth was a proud man and would never agree to any help, especially financial, nor would he even see the need. However, there was something deeply unsettling and simply wrong to know she had the means to help, which would not allow her to dismiss her concerns in an attempt to forget about her worries. She had provided for all of her loved ones in the event of her death. Why should Seth be any different? He was her best friend after all. The thought that something could happen to her and then he would be alone…what if as he aged, he was forced to retire? Despite the fact that he had told her on numerous occasions that he hoped to never retire fully, what if something happened to his health and he had to? He had to understand that he would likely reach a point where he needed to step back from direct patient care, even if he always did some type of charity work that he loved. Then, what would happen to him?
While she had been apprised of the knowledge that Seth had paid off Ruth's medical bills some time ago and was saving for retirement, she had never dared to ask if he would have enough. The thought that he would not, broke her heart.
So, after some assistance from Eve, she had circumspectly learned who owned Seth's house. The man's name was Harold Morris and he lived in Portland, having inherited the house from his grandparents who had been prior Cabot Cove residents many years previously. Reaching out to the gentleman through the help of her attorneys, she had attempted to purchase the house for the full value. Mr. Morris had originally said no to her offer, as he apparently kept it in memory of his grandparents who he had been close to, as well as the fact that Seth was an exemplary tenant and his landlord was conscientious enough that he did not want the town to lose their doctor.
Keeping her name anonymous, her attorneys had made another offer far above the value of the home, adding that it was not the new buyer's intention to evict the current tenant, and that new offer was not one Mr. Morris could refuse as the saying goes. After the purchase, Jessica immediately deeded the house that held the apartment and office space over to Seth.
The landlord and her attorney had both understood that under no circumstance were they to ever tell Seth of the transfer of ownership. As the landlord had not been privy to Jessica's name as the buyer, he did not know that Seth was now the deed holder, only that he had sold the house through a law firm in New York to a private buyer. Thus, only Jessica's attorneys at the law firm knew the behind-the-scenes details and she planned to keep it that way.
While the property was deeded to Seth now, the address for all the property taxes and insurance had been changed to Jessica's attorneys so she could make the yearly payments through the law firm without his knowledge. With the help of her attorney, she set up an account where all of Seth's rent payments would be filtered to from the landlord on a monthly basis. Her attorney would pay Mr. Morris on Jessica's behalf, a small stipend to manage the rent payments, thus keeping the link to her hidden. Hopefully. That way, in the event that something ever happened to her before Seth, his home would be his, and he would have a nest egg of whatever rent he had paid to that point to cover the upkeep as well as taxes and insurance. Her attorney updated her will to show the deed of transfer and account information that would be given to him in the event of her death.
Jessica understood that if that ever happened, it would hurt Seth terribly to know that she had gone behind his back in that manner. It would be a betrayal to him. But the alternative? Thinking of him one day being forced into a state home or having to live with his daughter, who he was not close to? Quite simply, she could not live, or rather die, thinking that could ever happen to him. Not when she had the means to do something about it.
The entire process took months to instigate and she had to overcome a great deal of guilt to proceed. If Seth ever found out, she risked not only his wrath and hurt pride, but a loss of their friendship. It was incredibly sneaky of her to do this, but every time she considered not providing for him, she could not sleep at night.
Jessica knew she loved Seth, but their relationship for whatever reason had arrested developmentally. Too fearful to rock the boat or perhaps to change their living patterns, neither had ever sought to see if they could become romantically involved, despite the rumor mill in town having other ideas. Knowing that Seth would always be there for her no matter what, she had to be there for him. Even if physically, she was not any longer. She could not allow Seth to ever be alone without a means to care for himself.
She just couldn't.
