AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nic, I’m going to be honest here. Working in the family business is not what I want to do with my life. You know that. I’m thinking about opening a design studio or if I can afford it, buying an antiques business. It all depends on the inheritance. I’ve set aside the rest of what Mom and Dad left. It’s my retirement and freedom account. For situations like this one.” I turned my head to watch the grand houses pass by out the window.
“I’m sorry about David. I can’t believe he did that to you.” Nic’s voice was low so hopefully Trenton didn’t hear my private business. But being at home meant one thing, I had no private business. Everything was up for discussion.
“I really don’t want to talk about him.” I’d had to delete another set of messages this morning. I should have blocked his number when I left Seattle, but I guess I wanted to hear his explanation. But sorry I cheated wasn’t really a why and neither was the I made a mistake phrase that he used in every message. I had been looking for a reason, but maybe there wasn’t one. The affair had happened and now we were over. Case closed.
“It’s not your fault,” Nic added to my internal ramblings.
I didn’t waste the time to even answer. I knew the issue had been David. At least I found out before I said I do.
The attorney’s office was in a high rise building near the French Quarter. Palm trees lined the road and as we pulled into the building’s underground parking, the temperature cooled. Trenton paused at the entrance and a doorman opened my door and held out his hand. I’d walked to most places in Seattle, including back and forth to work. This royal treatment was nice, but annoying.
The air inside the parking lot was hot and humid, but that changed as soon as we got into the lobby and into the elevator. Nic pushed the button for the fifteenth floor. Neither one of us talked on the way. I didn’t have to make decisions today, but I did need to support my brother in his position. Holding my tongue was never my strength.
The lawyer was waiting for us as the elevator door opened. He reached out and shook Nic’s hand, then reached for mine. “Ms. Cayce, I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m Michael Dean, your grandmother’s attorney.”
The fact he didn’t call me Ms. Ardronic made me like him at once. And the fact he looked like Santa Claus in a suit didn’t hurt either. “Thank you so much, Mr. Dean. Grandma will be missed.”
I wanted to say how sorry I was that I didn’t come home sooner, but he didn’t need my apology. I’d already told the ghost of my grandmother the same thing several times and had been forgiven each time. I was beating myself up for my own perverted pleasure. I took a breath, hoping to push the regret away. At least for now.
“We’re in the conference room. Several of your relatives have already arrived. We’ve been waiting for you two before we began.” He walked down the hall toward the conference room and Nic caught my gaze. He’d been right. The family had tried to get the lawyer to explain what they’d received from the estate before we’d arrived.
Now the fun could begin.
3
The conference room was filled with my aunts, uncles, and what appeared to be a lawyer for each of them. The lawyers were in black suits, everyone else wore bright colors except for me and Nic. We were in dark blue. I couldn’t have worn canary yellow even if my grandmother’s ghost had requested it. I mourned for her. I knew she hadn’t wanted me or anyone to mourn, but there it was. I couldn’t see a future where the world didn’t include my grandmother. Nic held out a chair for me and I slipped into it, wanting nothing more than to fall into my bed at the hotel and sleep for a week. Okay, maybe a year.
“Are you okay?” Mr. Dean set a cup of coffee and chicory blend in front of me. “I’m having some pastries brought in, but maybe lunch would be better? You all probably haven’t eaten. Yet.”
I was about to say no, when Aunt Franny spoke up. “That would be nice. My niece came in from Seattle for the funeral and I’m sure she’s feeling the jet lag still.”
I took the coffee and met Nic’s gaze. He shrugged. This time, it hadn’t been him to step in and save me, but the effect was still the same. Everyone thought I needed taken care of. I had always been the baby of the family and treated as such. Which was one reason I chose a college as far away from my family as possible. The fact that most of them didn’t like flying had made it a perfect place to find my own footing. Yet, I’d given up spending these last years with Grandma. I wasn’t sure today that it had been the right decision. “Thank you, Mr. Dean. I’m sure my blood sugar is a little low.”
Mr. Dean hit a button on the table and quietly spoke to someone. Then he nodded to his assistants who were standing by a table with a pile of folders. “The food will be right here. Will readings be quite a lengthy process, especially when my colleagues find a need to attend. I would hate to have anyone pass out due to hunger. Besides, your grandmother set up the catering before her passing.”
Nic squeezed my hand. “Of course, she did. Grandma Andrews felt feeding people was the highest act of love you could show.”
A woman in a black suit set a folder down in front of me. The clear front cover showed Grandma’s name and the words, last will and testament with a date. I pointed to that and looked up at Mr. Dean. “She signed the will two weeks ago?”
“The will has been done since your grandfather died, but we’ve updated it at least annually due to changes in the beneficiaries. Like when your parents died, and then she called me a few weeks ago to review and make some final changes. I guess she had a feeling.” Mr. Dean waved in more assistants who set platters of food on the table with small plates. In front of me was a plate that held a mixture of croissants, beignets, and fruit. Some of the croissants had been made into sandwiches with ham or sausage patties and melted cheese. My stomach grumbled and I took one of the sandwiches, one of the powdered sugar covered beignets and several cubes of fruit. I wouldn’t be passing out just because I didn’t eat. I could take care of myself.
One of the lawyers, I think he was with Uncle Arthur frowned. “The timing seems convenient.”
“Are you saying she knew when she was going to die?” Mr. Dean focused on the man who was now looking at Uncle Arthur. “If so, we lost a powerful prognosticator. Of course, this is the Ardronic family.”
The other lawyer shook his head and sipped his coffee, not willing to take on the fight. At least not there.
Nic took two of the croissant sandwiches and the rest of the family filled their plates. Only the lawyers seemed to have already eaten that morning as they were busy looking through the will documents.
Mr. Dean waited a bit for the food to start to be consumed and then started reading the will aloud. I wasn’t paying attention until Nic kicked my shoe with his foot. I met his gaze and realized we were at the distribution of assets portion.
“To my daughter, Fanny, I leave my French Quarter condo and a sum of fifty thousand dollars for its upkeep. I also give her my ruby necklace that was given to me by my grandmother. I have left the necklace to my attorney to hold so she won’t be confused on which item is actually hers.”
I saw Franny flush. But she kept her mouth shut. One of the assistants picked up a jewelry box from the back table and set it down in front of her.
“To my grandson, Nic, I leave the family property outside of New Orleans, the rest of the belongings including furniture inside and on the property that I don’t specifically bequest to someone else, and the trust with funds that has been set aside to manage the property.” Mr. Dean handed Nic another folder. “This has the trust documents as well as a complete inventory of the property and the belongings. Your grandmother had Trenton do the inventory of the house and surrounding property. You are now the owner of, among other things, an old tractor that is in the barn on the outer field. Your grandmother was very excited to hear that the tractor hadn’t been sold when your father stopped farming the land years ago.”
“Grandma Andrews loved talking about the land and all the blessings it had given the family over the years.” Nic took the folder and set it under the will folder. “Maybe I’ll become a gentleman farmer in the future.”
