“That I already know as well.”
“One of you will be named the winner and either propel the family fortune forward, or set it backwards,” Carter continued. “But my sources are convinced that Felix has a clear advantage.”
Harrison should not have been surprised. He knew he and his father weren’t on the best of terms. But he was very surprised. His father knew he was far and away the better choice and the only man truly capable of propelling Bainbridge Oil tofar greater heights. “I would have thought Father was smarter than that. What gives my kid brother the edge?”
“He has what you appear to be allergic to having: a family. A wife and children. Stability. You don’t even date anymore.”
“You don’t know what I do,” Harrison snapped back. His private life was and would always be his private life. Not even his father would have the satisfaction of worming his way into that aspect of his life.
“You’re right, I don’t know of course. And I’m sure you get around. I’m sure of that. But it’s been quite some time since you last brought a woman with you to any event we’ve attended. So I can only base my observations on what I see. Just as your father is going to base his decision on what he sees.”
Harrison exhaled. He knew it too. “What do you suggest I do to regain,or gain, the upper hand? I haven’t time for games. I have an empire of my own to run.”
“And it’s a considerable empire, to be sure. You’re among the top 500 richest men in the world. That’s an astonishing feat. But your father is among the top 10 richest men in the world. If you take over his vast fortune, and manage to keep your own, you will catapult to number three. The third richest man in the world. That’s worth fighting for.”
Harrison didn’t respond, but Carter knew he had hit a nerve. Harrison had always been averse to being second-best.
“You’re the eldest son,” Carter continued. “That company should be yours by rights. But it’s not. You’ve got to fight for it like you’ve had to fight for everything you’ve ever received in this life. Felix gets everything handed to him.”
“Felix is weak,” said Harrison. “I cannot imagine Father leaving that kind of responsibility, hislegacy, in the hands of a weak man like my kid brother.”
“But he will, Harrison. Felix is a social butterfly. He’s stable. You’re a loner. You do more work in an hour than yourbrother does in a month, but nobody sees it. You stay behind the curtain. Felix is out there. His name gets in the papers. He’s a known fixture among the blue-bloods in every high society from here to Chicago. You have thatwhatever happened to Baby Janetype of notoriety. Big in your youth: a star is born. But what have you done for them lately?”
When he was a younger man, he was the brightest star. But that was before everything happened. “You’ve laid out my shortcomings,” Harrison said. “You haven’t laid out any solutions.”
“Because there are no easy solutions. You and Felix will be at your father’s estate for his retirement party next month, and he’s going to make his choice. I just want you to be chosen. Unlike your father’s company, your company is bleeding right now. We’re on the ropes. If there’s no drastic infusion of revenue we will have to begin the onerous task of liquidating assets. It’s just that bad.”
Harrison sat there. Nobody had to tell him how bad it was. He lived and breathed BCT. But he’d seen bad quarters before and rebounded. But Carter was right. How many more rebounds did they have left? “You’re refusing to get to the point again,” he said.
“Okay, I’ll just come out and say what needs to be done,” said Carter. “You’ve got to get engaged. And I mean like yesterday. But certainly before you go to his retirement party next month. As of right now, Felix is on the leaderboard. You have ground to make up. Having a sweet, tender lady on your arm would go a long way with the old man. Because I personally believe he wants a reason to choose you. You’ve got to give him that reason. He wants a family man to run Bainbridge Oil. Having a nice fiancée to show up with just might tip the scales in your favor if that’s what he feels is lacking about you.”
“There’s a lot he feels is lacking about me. I doubt seriously the fact that I don’t have a woman is at the top of that list.”
“But it’s on the list.” Then Carter stared at him. “He doesn’t still blame you, Harrison, even if you still blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. You wasn’t even--”
“Right! Move on.” Harrison made the order in a tone that made clear he was not discussing that. At all.
Since Carter knew he was beating a dead horse anyway, he moved on. “I do have one solution.”
Harrison looked at him. Why didn’t he say that in the beginning? “Is this solution a secret, or do you plan to share it with me anytime soon?”
Carter hesitated, but he said it. “We spoke with Gweneth.”
Harrison leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
“Hear me out please, Harrison,” Carter said quickly. “You need a fiancée. Say what you want about her, but she’s perfect for the role. HB knows Gweneth and adores her. He’ll see right through it if it’s some random woman you show up with. At least give Gweneth a try, Harrison. Nothing beats a failure but a try.”
“A try is only an attempt. It beats nothing,” said Harrison as he rose to his feet.
Which Carter knew was a dismissal. He stood up too. “Will you at least consider her?”
Harrison did not respond. “I’ll show you out,” he said, and headed for the exit.
Carter was accustomed to being shown the door whenever he delved too deeply. But then Harrison stopped and turned as Carter walked up beside him. “Any new report from the doctor?”
“I spoke with him yesterday. Your father remains in the same poor health. The good news is that he’s not goinganywhere in the next few months. He’ll be around for his retirement party. The bad news is that he won’t be around in the next few years. That, his doctor says, is a certainty.”
A sadness washed over Harrison. He loved his father even if they’d been at odds for most of his life. “I haven’t seen him since that night. I wouldn’t begin to know how to even . . .” Harrison began rubbing his forehead.
