Chapter 14 - The Family Attorney
Martin Gray blamed himself.
He should not have carried all of it.
Some.
He had been Ashford family counsel for thirteen years.
Why had he never known?
Because Lucasta routed the matter outside legal channels intentionally.
The emails she sent Mara used phrases like:
Corvin’s position.
Family preference.
Security advice.
Not:
Counsel has advised.
She rarely invented a lawyer.
Smart.
Martin first encountered the issue six weeks before the gala when Caroline Beck contacted him.
He reviewed enough to become concerned.
Why not call me immediately?
He said:
“I wanted to authenticate before accusing your cousin of six years of interference.”
Reasonable.
But he also admitted another motive.
“I knew if I called you with an unverified claim involving a child, you might deploy your entire security apparatus.”
Would I have?
At the time?
Probably.
That bothered me.
Martin had learned to manage my power too.
I asked:
“Did you think I’d take the child?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I thought you might send investigators to Mara before she was ready.”
He was probably right.
“So you delayed?”
“Six days.”
Not six years.
Still, when working with powerful people, even careful professionals sometimes substitute management for direct advice.
We changed that.
Martin retained his role.
No firing.
He implemented a new rule for the family office:
No person may serve as sole communications intermediary in matters involving parentage, custody, child safety, or legal rights.
If someone requests no direct contact:
Independent counsel documents it.
If communication is routed:
Both sides receive clear confirmation of routing authority.
No informal cousin.
No event coordinator.
No:
Lucasta says.
Martin also apologized to June for allowing a gala venue.
She answered:
“That was stupid.”
He said:
“Yes.”
Good.
Not every professional error needs a committee report.
Sometimes:
That was stupid.
May you like
Then fix it.
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