Chapter 14
Agnes returned to the main dining room six months after the banquet.
Not for another enormous party.
She refused.
“Twelve guests.”
Damien looked at her list.
“There are fourteen.”
“Remove two.”
“Which two?”
“The boring ones.”
Greta laughed.
They settled on thirteen.
Arthur attended.
Two cousins Agnes still trusted.
Several old friends.
Greta joined after her shift ended.
No photographers.
No company directors discussing deals between courses.
No relatives invited solely because excluding them might offend somebody.
Agnes took the central chair.
The same section of the room where Celestine had told her she did not belong.
Damien noticed Agnes hesitate before sitting.
“Another chair?”
She looked annoyed.
“It’s furniture.”
He nodded.
That was the correct answer.
Dinner was ordinary.
Someone complained about politics.
Arthur argued about wine.
One cousin told a story everyone had heard before.
Damien had never been so relieved by boredom.
After dessert, Arthur brought out new trust documents.
Agnes had decided to replace the old successor provision.
If she ever became incapable of managing her voting interest, no individual relative would automatically take control.
An independent professional trustee would temporarily administer the block until a formal succession process occurred.
No son.
No daughter-in-law.
No spouse.
No person whose financial position improved when Agnes became vulnerable.
Damien read the amendment.
“You don’t want me?”
Agnes looked at him.
“You already control enough.”
Arthur coughed to hide a laugh.
Damien nodded.
“Fair.”
Agnes signed.
Then removed the ancient ring.
She held it toward Damien.
He looked at it.
“No.”
“One day it will be yours.”
“Not today.”
“I didn’t say today.”
He smiled.
“Then keep it.”
She studied him for a moment.
May you like
Then slipped the ring back onto her finger.
For the first time in generations, a Rourke succession document had become clearer instead of more secret.
