The Witherspoon Legacy
Amanda Childs, Attorney at Law, also moonlights as parish organist at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Mainville. A widow, she lost her husband Andrew, an FBI agent, four years ago when he was mysteriously killed. The details of his death were never disclosed by the authorities.
Amanda has never remarried. Instead, Amanda has thrown herself into her law practice, as well as immersed herself in the musical and church activities in the small town of Mainville. Her dear friend and constant companion is Marjorie Witherspoon, an older and wealthy woman who lost her husband and daughter, Amanda’s best friend, in an automobile accident fifteen years earlier. Together they are active in church and community activities.
Amanda’s friend Marjy succumbs in a valiant fight against cancer. Amanda finds herself again alone and struggling with her grief and loneliness. In the aftermath of Marjy’s death, Amanda discovers herself suddenly named in Marjorie’s new will as trustee for several large projects on behalf of the church, and as residuary legatee, the estate being in excess of fifty million dollars.
The day of the memorial service, the Bishop, Stephen Marks, who is celebrating the Eucharist, is handed a letter from Marjorie Witherspoon, to whom he was engaged years ago. He staggers out of church during the service, and suffers a heart attack. Amanda finds him, and her intervention helps save his life. Later at the wake Amanda becomes violently ill and passes out. There are some rumblings in the community that she is actually a closet alcoholic and pill addict.
The day after the memorial service, Amanda is visited by an auditor from the Presiding Bishop, who is investigating unexplained disappearances of monies from the diocese and church, the vehicle seemingly through the recital series fund she and Marjorie had set up. Suspicion turns to Amanda, as allegations are made that she has unduly influenced Marjorie Witherspoon in order to inherit, as well as that she has set up a corporation for the embezzlement of funds from the church.
Amanda finds herself embroiled in possible scandal and criminal investigation, as Connor Thomson, the auditor retained by the Presiding Bishop’s office, continues to encounter and engage her in his search for evidence. Her close childhood friend Bill Barnes, another attorney from an old established family in town, a perennial playboy and recent widower, reappears at her side, trying to seduce her into marriage.
Amanda is faced with a dilemma of who to trust as she is mired in suspicion and the evidence of fraud points to her. Mysterious incidents threaten her life and keep her on edge. In the meantime she must fend off the accusations of Connor Thomson and the advances of Bill Barnes, while making arrangements to get away to New York to see Malachi Feinstein, the attorney handling Marjorie’s estate, who urges her to meet with him without delay.
As Amanda is drawn more and more into danger, she is unaware that the small-town secrets regarding her and those she has loved, events about which she has been in the dark, are about to be revealed.
The Kreiser Affair
Charlotte Lawson is a wealthy socialite, a scion of Atlanta society. A child prodigy, she faces a promising career as a performance artist, majoring in piano and organ. She is completing her studies with Wilhelm Kreiser, one of the most sought-after teachers in the country.
Charlotte, reeling from a sudden breakup with her fiancé, flings herself at her teacher, and ends up falling in love with Kreiser.
Then something goes terribly wrong, and Charlotte flees Atlanta. She develops performance anxiety, and gives up her dreams of public performance. She struggles to pull herself back together, with the help of her childhood friend, Gerard Fellowes, one of the wealthiest and most eligible bachelors in the country.
However, her path keeps crossing that of Kreiser. She finds herself still drawn to him. He encourages her, only to abandon her.
Out of the blue, Kreiser is murdered. Suddenly Charlotte finds herself a suspect, as the police’s search for evidence points to her and the net begins to tighten.
The Childs Conundrum
Amanda Childs, Mainville attorney and organist at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, was happy. Exonerated of charges of federal criminal conspiracy, embezzlement and money laundering, she has just become engaged to Jon Connor, the FBI agent who was investigating the case. Her friend and law partner Ralph Carmichael is getting married.
However, just as things seem to be going so well, she is felled with the news that William Barnes, Sr., the head of the conspiracy that took the life of her husband Andrew and almost cost hers as well, is fighting the charges, and intends as his defense to again pin the blame upon her. She renounces her engagement, despite Jon’s protests, to keep Connor’s integrity intact. She informs him that his credibility on the stand would be tainted if the jury is informed he is dating and engaged to the former prime suspect in the case. She painfully resolves, for the sake of Andy’s memory, that nothing will hinder the prosecution and conviction of Barnes.
In the meantime an old childhood friend faces charges that he murdered his wife. Amanda steps in to defend her friend, and in so doing is thrown in constant close proximity with another lifelong friend. The contact resurrects old memories and repressed feelings between them.
While still reeling about the revelations of her own paternity, Amanda suddenly learns that her deceased husband Andrew’s past is shrouded in mystery. All her past doubts about Andrew’s love for her are revisited, when it is learned that he kept certain personal matters secret from her. In the meantime she is being shadowed, and is accosted by a newspaper reporter about to leak the story of Andrew’s famous father.
Just as Amanda seemingly sees light at the end of the tunnel and makes crucial decisions regarding her future happiness, she is mired in suspicion of murder. The evidence clearly points to her as the perpetrator. Her liberty and very life become in jeopardy, and she must rely upon others to try to save her from impending doom.
The Connors' Crisis
Amanda Childs and Jon Connor have made it to the altar, and are settling into a cozy life in Mainville. However, their married life starts out rocky, with Amanda’s injuries from the accident causing health complications. Amanda and Jon find themselves dealing with a plethora of family issues, Amanda trying to win the approval of Jon’s family, to make peace with Andrew’s father, the powerful Senator Thomas Whitmore, and to maintain a relationship with her own brother Jeff.
Jon is transitioning from the FBI into a career as an attorney in private practice. He is approached by Stephen Marks, the former Bishop of the Episcopal diocese and Amanda’s real father, disclosing a surprising turn of events and seeking Jon’s assistance in filing a probate and guardianship action involving the late Billy Barnes.
In the meantime life in Mainville is changing. Dr. Howells has a scare with a heart attack. Both Charlie and Ralph are soon to be fathers. Ralph is putting his name up for the county judge vacancy, and Charlie has already qualified to run for sheriff.
Amanda is surprised when she is approached by Esme Townsend, a wealthy and influential local woman, about applying for the judgeship. She declines, determined to support Ralph and to champion Charlie’s appointment for sheriff when the incumbent died.
Out of the blue a dark-haired, dark-eyed beautiful woman shows up, a lobbyist promising Ralph her assistance in his bid for judge. The woman, Lauren Mallory, turns out to be a former acquaintance to Jon and later to David, and it is discovered that she had a sexual relationship with both several years earlier.
Amanda is served with a paternity complaint filed against Jon. Reeling from this revelation, they receive a call that Ralph is in trouble. Arriving at Ralph’s home, they discover that a murder has occurred. When law enforcement responded to the call, David and Ralph were found at the house with the victim, and they are suddenly suspects.
While crime scene operatives are crawling all over the house looking for evidence, Charlie gets the call from the governor that he has been appointed as sheriff and that he will lead the murder investigation. He finds himself suddenly at odds with his friends, and he and Amanda skirmish over the collection of evidence.
During the murder investigation, evidence keeps mysteriously appearing, casting suspicion first at Ralph, then David, and even Jon as the possible suspects. Amanda is approached and threatened by a shadowy figure that she should apply for the judgeship or face the possibility of charges being brought against one or more of the men. She is blackmailed into keeping silent.
Charlie and Amanda end up on opposite sides, and Amanda desperately fights the growing evidence against her husband and friends. Furthermore, she is faced with more and more information eroding her trust in Jon. As events unfold, Jon has to combat his own jealousy and suspicions about Amanda as well.
Then, just as Amanda’s nerves are stretched to the breaking point, evidence is delivered to her that seems to point irrefutably to Jon’s continuing involvement in an affair with Lauren Mallory, and to his being the perpetrator of the murder.