Chapter 6.0.1 (Draft)

WATER TABLE

I know this is sort of morbid. But, I was curious about how she died.

On the phone I said: "So can you tell me what happened to her, how she died?"

The stern sounding London Solicitor, Ms. Aldridge definitely didn't have had a voice like butter. Well maybe butter just taken from the freezer to soften.

"Really? You don't know?

‘No idea,’ I said.

"Apparently, she died at sea…"

In other words, I needed to do a little detective work on my own if I wanted to understand what had happened to put me in this position.

Angie had made her way to London as she hope she could. She found herself in various positions with orchestras and larger ensembles at times touring other parts with her cello. But, eventually she found herself back in the UK, teaching once again.

Ironically, it was her teaching that became an unlikely vehicle propelling her into an unexpected course in life. She never anticipated that her journey would lead her to Mike Beauchamp, a man whose life had taken just as many unexpected turns.

Mike was the widowed father of one of her students. When they met she found him soft-spoken and intelligent. It was like a fire in his eyes was still shadowed by the loss of his wife, who had died in a mysterious boating accident. His story, already woven with wealth and privilege, took on even greater complexity after her death, as he inherited a significant portion of the sprawling Pentreath estate, which included homes in Cornwall, London, and the picturesque Cotswolds. Mike's life had not been defined by tragedy alone, though. He had built a formidable tech empire after graduating from Oxford, and, with the connections of his late wife’s influential family, his power and influence grew in ways that even he hadn't imagined.

Angie and Mike's romance unfolded slowly, almost as if it were a natural continuation of their intertwined lives. Angie had become a steady presence in his world, not just for his son but for him too. By the time they married, Mike was a towering figure in the UK's tech and political circles, his empire booming and his influence unparalleled. But despite his immense success, their life together was quiet, rooted in the slow, steady rhythm of the countryside, with occasional forays into the high society world that Mike’s success had drawn him into.

It was only after Mike’s death, claimed by pancreatic cancer, that Angie’s life changed yet again. Their prenup had been clear, and when he passed, the entire estate was left to her. The wealth, the power, the land—it was overwhelming. Angie, never one to be consumed by material things, slowly began to unravel the threads of her inheritance. She passed on the Cornwall and London houses to her adopted son and daughter, ensuring they would continue the legacy. She created a trust in Mike's name for cancer research, a quiet but powerful homage to the man who had transformed her life.

She kept the Cotswolds house for herself, though. It was there, nestled in the rolling hills, that she found solace. Her life as a country widow suited her. She wasn’t one for the grand displays of wealth, and the village embraced her quiet, dignified presence. The years slipped by, the estate's affairs managed with efficiency, and her days passed in peaceful solitude, punctuated by memories and the music that had once defined her.

It was on a whim, really, that she accepted an invitation from Sebastian Worth, a financier who had been a fixture in the upper echelons of London society. Angie had never been particularly close to him, but the world of money and influence was small, and their paths had crossed often enough. He was celebrating his recent acquittal from a highly publicized fraud case, and he invited a select few aboard his super yacht, Alpha, to cruise the Mediterranean. Angie had always loved the sea, and a break from her quiet life seemed like just the right distraction.

But tragedy struck. The 56-meter yacht, luxurious and pristine, found itself caught in a violent storm off the coast of Sicily. In the early hours of the morning, the sea turned savage, waves crashing relentlessly against the vessel. Angie, along with Sebastian and seven others, lost their lives when the yacht capsized. The survivors spoke of the terror—the chaos as the ship began to tilt, the desperate scramble for safety. Many of those who perished were found trapped in their cabins, including Angie, likely searching for air pockets as the yacht began to sink.

Sebastian Worth’s recent acquittal from the fraud case only added to the media frenzy that followed the tragedy. Speculation ran rampant, but no foul play was discovered. Investigators cited sudden, extreme weather conditions and possible mistakes by the crew. Yet, there was an eerie silence around the incident, an unanswered question that hung in the air. Angie’s name was mentioned in the press, but only briefly, her story drowned out by the larger scandal surrounding Worth’s life.