Love With A Stranger (13 page)

“Jason said until next Tuesday. By then, you’ll be fine and ready to take over your recovery program.”

“That sounds good and bad; I’m going to miss you being there every day. But I’m sure other patients will need your help more.”

As the nurse fingercombed her windblown blond hair, she said, “Don’t worry; we’ll stay in touch; I do have days off on occasion.”

“If not, I’ll have to fake a relapse, so you’ll return,” Cass jested.

“She’ll be under my watchful eye for a long time, Linda,” Jason said. “I’ll take good care of her. There’s no telling what kinds of mischief she’d get into with both of us gone. The minute our backs were turned, she’d probably be out in the ocean challenging those crabs and jellyfish.”

“No way, I promise to behave myself. I’m planning to stay well.”

“Excellent, Cass; that’s what we want to hear, right, Linda?”

“Right, Jason. I guess we should head back now; it’s getting dark.”

“Peter is returning home tomorrow evening, so I suppose I need to spend some time with him going over family business,” Cass told Jason during their return walk, by way of explaining why she wasn’t inviting him to dinner on Wednesday.

“Just don’t get upset going over such matters,” he advised. “If you aren’t ready to deal with them, tell him to wait until another day. I’m sure he won’t mind. You’ve made excellent progress in a short time, Cass, so don’t mess it up by subjecting yourself to unnecessary tension. Agreed?”

“I’ll follow your orders, Doctor Burkman, and Linda will be there to make certain I do.”
Let’s just hope Peter is cooperative. He’s been so nice since Tom’s death, too nice, and that worries me. I keep waiting for things to revert to the way they were, or become worse. I’ll know soon if or when that’s going to happen.

At six o’clock Wednesday, April third, Peter came to see Cass, ten minutes following his return home and five minutes after Inez left for the day. She guided him to the den and introduced him to her nurse. She noticed the tall and handsome man didn’t appear to attempt to charm the green-eyed blond who, at twenty-seven, was a year older than he was.

As Peter shook Linda’s hand, he said, “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Carnes, and I want to thank you for all you’ve done for Cass. Even over the phone, I could tell she’s better. Now I can see it with my own eyes.”

Linda tried not to stare at the man with straight, thick black hair, a compelling hazel gaze, and bronzed tan. A sexy voice and brow-hooded eyes enhanced his magnificent image. He was even more good-looking up close than at a distance! She had heard rumors that Peter was a carefree playboy, but he didn’t give her that impression. For certain, a warm glow was spreading through her loins! “I appreciate that, Mr. Grantham; Cass is easy to like.”

“You’re right; she’s a strong woman who just had a rough
go of it after Dad’s death. How much longer will you be staying with her?”

Linda noted that he didn’t ask her to call him Peter and his expression and manner remained respectful and polite, genial, unflirtatious.
So much for the rumor that you have to conquer every female you meet! Unless I just don’t appeal to you.
“Until Tuesday. Then she’ll be ready to take care of herself. Of course, she’ll stay in Doctor Burkman’s care for a while longer.”

“That’s good, because it’s apparent his treatment has been beneficial.” Peter looked at his stepmother and feigned what he knew from practice was a convincing smile. “You seem like a different woman, Cass, like your old self again. It’s obvious Doctor Burkman and Miss Carnes are giving you good care; you were smart to change to him. I know from experience that Doctor Hines can be annoying at times; I think he has an ego problem and doesn’t like to be questioned or overruled,” he said and chuckled. “I’m not saying he isn’t a good physician, because his reputation speaks for itself, but he can be a pain in the rump. Dad used him and recommended him to me, so that’s why I called him when you were…out of sorts, shall we say? I forgot to tell you on the phone to have Doctor Burkman send your medical bills to my office so my secretary can file the insurance claims, and I’ll write checks to pay for anything not covered under our family policy. I know you’re relieved to be feeling better.”

If Peter was annoyed with Cass for changing doctors, it wasn’t detectable in his voice or expression or mood. “Yes, I am relieved. I have to admit, I was worried about me for a while.”

Peter faked an empathetic air as he replied, “So was I, Cass, and Inez was, too. You just took Dad’s loss too hard; he wouldn’t have wanted you to suffer as you did. I don’t mean for this to sound cold or harsh, but we can’t feel guilty about being alive. You deserve to be happy again, and I’m sure you will be as soon as you accept that reality. What you need is to
get out of this gloomy house, and have some fun; there’s no crime in doing that.”

“I know you’re right, Peter, but it’s so difficult. It’s only been a month since my life changed so drastically. It never entered my mind that Tom would die so young or be…killed in an accident,”
or betray me so horribly.
“I expected to grow old and gray with him. Besides, I don’t think it would look proper for me to start gallivanting this soon. People gossip, and I don’t want to make a bad impression on anyone since I’m living here.”

Peter gave an exasperated sigh and half-frowned to dupe the two women. “If there’s one thing I know for certain, Cass, it’s that people gossip about others regardless of what they do, so you can’t allow busybodies to rule your life. I get more than my share of idle chatter but I just ignore it; that’s what you’ll have to do. Besides, I’ve never seen you behave as anything less than a lady. Don’t worry so much, it will get easier as time passes; you’ll see. Isn’t that right, Miss Carnes? I’m sure you’ve dealt with cases like hers before.”

Linda was touched by his words to Cass. She was being drawn rapidly toward the magnetic man who seemed to be so kind, considerate, and gentle. Surely the hedonistic and selfindulgent tales about him couldn’t be accurate, or they were exaggerated out of jealousy, envy, or animosity. “You’re right, Mr. Grantham, but everyone must grieve in his or her own way. I think Cass’s is improving daily. She’s certainly giving it her best try.” Linda felt as if she would liquefy into the carpet when he sent her a sunny smile and complimented her.

“You have a smart and compassionate nurse, Cass, so listen to her.”

“Thank you, sir, and your advice to her is perfect. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll prepare Cass’s dinner while you two talk in private.”

“Thank you, Miss Carnes, and a belated welcome to our home.”

During the course of their conversation, Peter had recognized the signs of sexual attraction, so he knew he was captivating the blond with his clever pretense. By now, he concluded, she probably would give her eye teeth for a date with him. He had no doubt he could entice her into bed during the first ten minutes they were alone. Linda was appealing and even interesting and might be a good lay, but he couldn’t indulge himself with Cass’s nurse and friend or he might antagonize his stepmother at an inconvenient time.

As she left the den, Linda hoped Cass would invite him to join them for dinner so she could study Peter closer and longer. Just in case that happened, she would prepare something special for tonight. And as soon as she had it cooking, she would sneak upstairs to freshen up a little.

Peter coaxed Cass to sit down as he reported on his trip. “All of our businesses are doing great; every one of them is operating in the black. I have to say that Dad hired some really top-notch managers to run them, so I don’t intend to make any personnel changes. I also don’t plan to sell off or expand any of them, but those aren’t decisions I have to make any time soon. I’ll keep working from my office here, but I will be taking trips to the other business locations on occasion to keep on top of matters. I’ll give you an updated report each time I return.”

Cass leaned back on the sofa across from his chair and tried to relax, but for some reason was uneasy. “Thanks, Peter; that’s very kind and thoughtful. You said, ‘our businesses;’ what did you mean by that?”

“I thought you might ask,”
you money-grubbing little bitch,
“so I brought along your copy of Dad’s will. Now’s a good time to discuss it if you’re feeling up to it. Everything’s clear and in order, so there’s no rush. I’ve already met with our attorney while you were…ill because I had to know where things stood with the companies and I needed to familiarize myself with them and their staffs. Businesses don’t stand still while a family is recovering from a tragedy. Employees and
managers worry about changes that might affect their jobs, so they need reassurance from the new owner; I believe I gave it to them during my visits. As soon as you feel up to seeing Simon Johnson, he can go over the papers with you again to make sure you understand all of the legalese and disbursements. That kind of jargon can be confusing.”

“I’m feeling fine, so we can discuss it now.” If she was about to be cut off without a cent, Cass reasoned, the sooner she knew it, the better.

After Peter closed the door for privacy and retook his seat in a bergere leather chair, Cass listened in amazement as he revealed the provisions of Tom’s will, which contained a shocking stipulation affecting her future and an astonishing dispersal schedule for her inheritance, part of a fifty-million-dollar estate that increased weekly!

Within the next ten minutes, aside from Tom’s manipulative stipulation that she would forfeit a huge fortune if she remarried before ten years elapsed, Cass learned that from a combination of cash assets, several large life insurance policies, a retirement account, mutual funds in the stock market, and bonds of various types, she was to receive thirty percent of that total; Peter, forty-five percent; and certain charities and foundations selected by Tom were to receive twenty-five percent in his memory. She also was given their home, household possessions, jewelry, and her new automobile. Off the top, inheritance taxes were to be paid before those three divisions occurred so none of them had to pay that enormous amount out of one’s share. She assumed the charity donations were made to help decrease those taxes and for ego purposes so Tom’s name wouldn’t be forgotten.

Cass didn’t know why her BMW and jewelry were mentioned because she assumed those items already belonged to her as past gifts. She continued to listen as Peter related how her cash benefits and stock dividends were to be paid out in strange and lengthy increments. For the first two years, she was to receive
enough to cover her living expenses based on her current lifestyle, plus five thousand dollars cash a month as “an allowance” and ten thousand cash at Christmas; for the ensuing three years, she would be given living expenses plus a tenthousand-dollar a month “allowance” and twenty-five thousand at Christmas; five years after Tom’s death, she would get fifty percent of the remaining trust fund; and ten years after his death, the balance of the account. Tom’s local bank had been appointed trustee of her money until all of it was dispersed over the ten-year period. If she died during that time, everything reverted to Peter because Tom had made out a “bloodline will.” If she was disabled, Peter controlled her business shares, the bank, and her remaining estate. According to the terms he had set forth, she could not alter them for ten years even with a will of her own.

Besides his forty-five percent of those assets, Peter inherited Tom’s private jet: a Citation Ultra which seated eight passengers and two crew members. He also got the other four residences and their furnishings: the San Antonio ranch, LA house, Aspen chalet, and the New York apartment. He was to be given Tom’s jewelry, except for his diamond-studded wedding band, which Cass was to keep, and his beloved Volante. Since the demolished convertible was beyond salvaging, he would receive the insurance settlement for it.

Tom’s eight businesses had been divided into a forty-nine percent interest to Cass and a fifty-one percent controlling interest to Peter, who was to “be in full charge of running all eight”: the seafood and electronics companies in Brunswick, import/export in LA, real estate in New York City, beef in San Antonio, golf cart maker in Augusta, and the restaurant and art gallery in Aspen. If Cass decided she wanted to sell her company stocks, Peter had first option to purchase them at fairmarket value. But if Peter decided to sell any or all of the companies, he had the authority and power to do so, then pay Cass her portion of the sales’ profits, which were to be deposited
into her existing trust fund account and would fall under that ten-year payout schedule he had explained to her earlier. The same was true if she sold out to Peter and for her yearly earnings from them.

Peter fingercombed his ebony hair as he halted for a while to allow Cass to absorb the abundance of information.

Cass realized it was an enormous amount of money and property, even with the long time required to collect it. But after ten years and if she was unwed, it was all hers…So, she mused, she could collect from the fund only as long as she remained a single widow. The moment she wed, her bequest halted and was awarded to Peter. At forty-five, she worried, wouldn’t she be too old to marry and have children? Yet, if she didn’t wait the time limit, she would relinquish a fortune. It was apparent to her that Tom was still controlling and manipulating her and her life from the grave!

Cass was furious.
I was a good wife, Thomas Grantham, so I deserve this bloody payoff! I earned it!
So Tom was still trying to hold on to her from his vaulted casket! A fifteenmillion dollar estate, plus added yearly business and stock incomes, she reasoned, wasn’t something to toss away easily.

Cass looked at Peter to question the stipulation that she would lose her inheritance if she remarried within ten years of his death, except for what she already had received and spent to that point in time. Even if she sold her home, if she comprehended the restriction accurately, the money had to be reinvested in another one or deposited into her trust fund. Either way, she didn’t really own the Sea Island estate outright until Tom’s timetable was met! It was as if Tom had made certain with his clever legalese that if she turned to another man, she could not take her portion of his wealth with her, at least not all of it within ten years!

Cass turned to Peter in shock and said, “Tom and I never discussed money, so I didn’t realize he was so wealthy. Why did he make that remarriage stipulation? Is it legal for him to
control my life in that manner after he’s gone?” Perhaps this was why Peter was being so nice: he didn’t believe she would remain single for very long.

Peter wanted to shout:
It was his money, you bitch, so he can dole it out in any way he desired, and you’re damned lucky he left you anything!
“I believe Dad divided up your payments in that manner to protect you against making unwise and costly business and personal finance decisions and from being hoodwinked. There are some clever men out there, Cass, who can dupe and defraud even a smart widow before she realizes what’s happening. That’s a lot of money and stock to turn over in a lump sum to a woman who isn’t accustomed to handling such wealth. I’m sure Dad only wanted to make certain your inheritance is protected while you’re given the time to adjust to his death and learn how to handle your estate. Don’t you think I’m right?”

After she nodded, though she didn’t look convinced, he continued, “As for that remarriage provision, I assume he did it to prevent a gold-digger from pursuing you for your money while you’re still vulnerable. It’s a fact of life that widows and widowers get lonely and often leap into another marriage too soon. There are some slick charmers out there, Cass, and you’re a young and beautiful and rich woman, so you’ll have to be careful in the romance department. It’s probably Dad’s way of forcing you to take a long and hard look at any man you’ll be considering for your next husband so you won’t make a mistake and lose everything if it doesn’t work out.”