The Philanthropist's Danse (35 page)

“I regret never seeing you again, Winnie. I wish I had tried to contact you sooner, but when I returned to America, I had to let Charlie Wells go. I had a wife and soon we had a son, too. Time escaped me, and now, when I have no time left, I find my mind returns to our one perfect summer. You saved my life and stole my heart, Winnie.

“I would trade it all in, everything I have now, everything I’ve built and bought in my lifetime. I’d give it all up if I could return to that cliff top and hear a different answer from your lips. I’m sentimental these days. It’s a new trait I find increases with every passing day. Knowing that I’m counting down my remaining time makes me nostalgic.

“I’ve made arrangements that you will be financially well off for the rest of your days. It’s the only thing I have left to give these days, money. I married twice in my life and fathered children that turned out to be nothing but trouble. As I look back, I know my marriages failed because I was never as in love with my wives as I was with you. The rest of what I have to say is in another letter and is for you alone.”

The old woman’s cheeks were streaked with tears as she heard the words from her old love. Had she paid attention, she would have seen that others, too, had moist eyes. Bethany and Janice were moved, even though in Bethany’s case it had been tainted with a vicious barb. Janice held Winnie’s hand and felt her grip tighten as she wept and regretted her answer of forty years ago.

William saw the old woman’s reaction and Janice’s kind gesture. Even the hardened lawyer had a lump in his throat as he read Thurwell’s last words to Winnie. He coughed to clear his throat and gain the groups attention. He had one final paragraph to read.

“My time is almost over. It’s taken me three days to write this letter, and I get less done each day. The drugs dull my thoughts. I brought each of you here to either reward you or punish you, depending on what you deserved.

“I called this week the Danse, after my favorite piece of music. I head off to my death, but I’ve trailed you saints, sinners, leeches, loyalists and lovers along with me. Bill referred to this event as a meeting, but the label was inadequate. I have chosen to die without my family close by. I have my doctor and lawyer here to see me die. You twelve have been my puppets, but now the Danse is over. I release you back to your lives. Enjoy them, for now I know our time is too short.”

William folded the letter and looked up to see a wide variety of emotions on the faces before him. “Ladies and gentleman, this concludes the Danse. I wish you good night and will see you in the morning, before you depart.”

He turned on his heel and left the room. He had more work to do. He had discovered the meaning of two more of his yellow envelopes as he read the letter and needed to open them before he destroyed the Old Man’s letter. He also realized the conditions to open third envelope had been revealed and hurried to his office.

N
o one moved or spoke after William left. The words he had read replayed in twelve minds, some stinging with rebukes, some glowing with praise. Caroline Smith left first, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, her face deathly pale. She was shaken to learn of a pending criminal investigation. She had not been careful enough to survive a scrutiny of her deals to approve endowments. Once out of the view of the others she ran to her room, locked the door behind her and sat on the floor in the dark and sobbed at the prospect of jail.

She would have to spend a sizeable portion of her new wealth on her legal defense, and her chances of working again in any senior position would be over forever once the investigation made the news. She was ruined, and she sat on the floor and felt hate toward the vindictive philanthropist rise in her gut.

$

Bethany and Camille left together, each leaning on the other for physical and emotional support. Bethany was devastated by her father’s harsh words. She had expected something of a rebuke, and regretted he had shared his contempt publicly. Her guilt was overwhelming. What upset her most was that her father had denied himself the comfort of her company at the end of his life. It was the cruelest cut of all and left a wound she knew would never heal.

Camille was relaxed, she had gotten away with nearly no mention at all, but then she and her father had exchanged most of their unpleasantness face to face when she arrived to make her claim as part of his family. Her face was sore, and she needed more painkillers, but she would console her sister first. Camille had been surprised to find she actually cared for Bethany and had decided she would like to maintain their relationship. Nurturing the nascent sisterhood meant Camille had to put Bethany’s needs ahead of her own, so she popped a couple of pills and held her distraught sister’s hand into the early hours of the morning.

$

Freddie offered Betty Freah his arm, which she took with a wide smile and a flirty look. Both of them were happy in the knowledge that they had been true to their friend and had been recognized for it. Freddie suggested a glass of champagne and was pleased when Betty agreed, but it was a short-lived triumph when she immediately invited Dennis and Janice to join them.

Dennis agreed, but Janice declined. She wanted to chat with Winnie Tremethick and said she might join them later. Freddie caught the Judge’s eye to see if he wanted to celebrate with them and after a moment’s thought the Judge agreed. “Sure, I’d love to. Why don’t you three go and find a cozy spot in the library and I’ll ask Jeremy to deliver the champagne?”

Freddie thanked him and led Betty and Dennis to the library.

$

Janice smiled at the old lady, whose eyes were still moist. “You meant the world to him, didn’t you Mrs. Tremethick? Yet none of us knew you even existed. He carried your memory as a private thing all these years.”

Winnie nodded and dabbed at her tears with a tissue. “I feel so guilty. I should never have rejected him. I was too worried about what other people would think and that silly notion cost a wonderful man his happiness. I managed to forget him for a long time. I didn’t even know it was Charlie when I got here. I’ll never forgive myself for first rejecting him and then forgetting him. Not when he never stopped loving me.”

She smiled at Janice’s concern. “You’re a dear for keeping me company, but I think I’ll go to bed. I have to be up early tomorrow to fly home, and you should be celebrating with that husband of yours.”

Winnie saw a flicker of something ugly flash across Janice’s face and knew there was trouble in her marriage. But she kept her own counsel. The two women embraced, and Winnie went to her room, her heart filled with a warm glow from Charlie’s last words.

$

Philip looked across the table at his brother, who sat with a brooding expression. “Well, I guess Dad didn’t like either one of us much. Although, I think you might have gotten the worst of it.”

Junior nodded, he had been wounded by the hard words from his father, but at the same time the knowledge the Old Man had his final say was empowering. “He’s done now, though, for good. We’ll never have to look at his sour face again, brother. He’s humiliated me for the last time, and I don’t know about you but I feel better just knowing he can’t get in my way anymore.”

Philip waved his hand and snorted. “You always did let him get to you, Junior. You needed to care less about what he thought. I never worried and look what he did for me. I treated him like a cash machine, and he gave me what I wanted. Hell he even got me out of my jam. He was a pussycat. You just never had the balls to push it.”

Junior regarded his younger sibling with envy. It was true. Philip had always had it easier than him. He narrowed his eyes and decided to jab his reckless young brother out of his self-satisfaction. “So I suppose you’ll be asking me for money now? Can I expect the same gratitude?”

He was rewarded with a visible flinch from Philip, who instantly regretted his boast. “No. No way, Junior, not like that. Beth said she’d help. If you help out too, I’ll never have to bother anyone. Hell, I’ll ask the French bitch too, share the pain around the family, you know.”

Junior nodded, he knew he would have to give up something to his brother, just to keep him off his back, but he could make him squirm. “I’ll talk to Beth and see if she’ll talk to the other one. I don’t think she’d agree if I ask her.”

He chuckled as he saw a cruel smile form on Philip’s face. “Good idea. If she refuses, maybe it’s my turn to mess her up a bit.”

Jeremy interrupted the brother’s dark conversation when he arrived with two men at his side. “These men will see you to your rooms. You may visit with one another if you wish, but I cannot allow you free roam around the mansion. These men will stay with you until you leave in the morning. Good night, gentlemen.”

The Thurwell brothers did their best to ignore the men following them and went to Junior’s room to share a bottle of expensive brandy.

$

Judge Freeman intercepted the major-domo as he headed across the lobby and pulled out the sealed note he had stolen from the lawyer’s desk. “Jeremy, Mr. Bird asked that I give you this. It’s from Mr. Thurwell and was to be handed to you directly. There was some mention you would know what to do, but with regard to what, I’m afraid we’re in the dark.”

Jeremy took the note and slipped it into his pocket without looking at it. “Perhaps that’s for the best, sir.” The Judge nodded and started to walk to the library when he remembered the champagne and called after Jeremy to have it delivered. Freeman’s heart pounded as he joined the others in the library. He had set something potentially deadly in motion, but he smiled when the others greeted him happily. They had few cares now that the riches were shared, and the dinner was over.

The Judge had persuaded himself that the philanthropist’s instructions were ambiguous enough that he had deniability should something happen to Philip Thurwell. The champagne arrived, and the small group broke into spontaneous applause as Jeremy uncorked it expertly and poured each of them a glass.

$

William looked up at the sound of applause that drifted into his office. Some of the guests were in the mood for celebration, even after the dinner and explosive letter. Bird could not hear distinct voices, but he guessed Freddie would be the leader of the group, and that it was made up of the people identified for praise in the philanthropist’s letter. He checked to make sure his door was locked and returned to the yellow envelopes, reading the labels with renewed interest now more had their meanings revealed.

He put aside two, one labeled
NYC Apartment
, and a second marked
The Professor
. He knew roughly what was in the first and only needed to keep the second safe as a method of controlling Caroline Smith. The lawyer continued to look through the envelopes one by one and then stopped to read the label of the last one again.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the philanthropist’s letter, looking for a phrase. He found it:
“Saints, sinners, leeches, loyalists and lovers.”
He looked at the last yellow envelope and read the label,
For a Loyalist.
There was no doubt the cryptically labeled envelope had been referenced in the letter. He opened the envelope and read the single sheet of handwritten text.

Bill,

This note should be one of the last you open, you are almost finished. By now, unless I am extremely mistaken, you will have come to rely on the services of my major-domo, Jeremy. He has been invaluable to me in more ways than you can imagine. I want you to give him Litore, my mansion, along with enough cash to keep the bills paid for as long as he lives. You can calculate that with his help.

Litore has been Jeremy’s home for a long time, and I know no one else will appreciate it like he will. Jeremy likes to be out of the way, country life suits him. Transfer the title to him free and clear. If I’m wrong about him wanting to stay then he can sell it, no strings attached. Tell him before you leave and make it happen as soon as you can.

JCT2

Bird raised an eyebrow,
Litore
was a valuable property, the land alone was worth a small fortune. The Old Man had given his New York home to Dennis and his wife, now he had given his mansion to another servant. It was generosity the lawyer had not expected, but if Thurwell decreed it, so be it. The other major assets, like the landmark buildings, were all to be rolled into the Foundation. The full dismantling of the estate would take months of work now the personal fortune had been divided. All of it was destined either for charitable causes or the Thurwell Foundation. The family had received all they were ever going to get.

William looked at the four yellow envelopes that remained. He had no reason to open them because the required conditions had not been met. He thought about taking a look regardless, but hesitated. He had already opened the
In Case of Murder
envelope without proper cause. He decided they would remain unopened.

The lawyer locked the envelopes he still needed in his safe and carried the rest from his desk to the fireplace. He took the time to read the Old Man’s final letter one more time and fed each page to the fire as he finished it. He threw the unopened envelopes onto the fire and watched the yellow packages darken around the edges and then catch alight and burn into curled black ash. He looked into the flames for several minutes. The firelight flickered over his face and revealed a somber man, deep in thought.

Another burst of laughter from the library broke the spell the dancing flames had cast over him. He called for Jeremy and unlocked his door and sat at his desk. As he waited for the major-domo, he contemplated the events of the week and wondered if the Old Man would have been happy with how the
Danse
turned out.

He heard a knock and Jeremy entered his office. William invited him to sit. “I have some good news for you, Jeremy. Mr. Thurwell has left you a generous gift, and I didn’t want to wait to tell you.” The major-domo wore a guarded expression, but his eyes were interested.

“I’m happy to tell you the mansion is yours. Mr. Thurwell thought you would enjoy it. It will come with enough cash so that you can afford to keep it, we'll figure out the amount together later. I’d like to add my own observation that if this week is representative of how you usually work, you have more than earned what is a most generous gift. Congratulations, Jeremy.”

He stood and offered his hand over the desk, which Jeremy took with a look of bemusement. “Are you certain, sir?
Litore
? All of it?” The lawyer nodded and watched as the realization sank in. “I never expected to be so favored, sir. I am grateful and will keep the place as I know Mr. Thurwell would have wanted it. He loved it here. It was a pleasure to see him relax when he got out of the city.”

Bird smiled, he had shared the same observation how the mansion affected Thurwell’s mood. Jeremy saw a melancholy look come over the lawyer and took his leave. “I better get back to work for now, sir. Thank you for sharing the news, but until we have dispatched our guests I’m still just an employee.”

The major-domo walked to the door and turned as he left the room. “Don’t worry about that other matter, sir. I’ll take care of it.”

The lawyer nodded absently, paying only slight attention as his thoughts went to the Old Man’s last days. Bird and the doctor had pleaded with him to return to the city and a proper hospital, but he had insisted he wanted to die here, in his retreat. He said it was the only place in the world he wanted to be.

$

Dennis was with the celebrating guests in the library and could see William’s office door from his seat. He watched Jeremy enter the room and decided to intercept him when he left. When Jeremy emerged again, Dennis excused himself from the merry group and hurried after the major-domo.

He caught up with his target and begged a moment with him. Jeremy seemed distracted but remembered his manners and invited Dennis into the back where they could chat. Dennis faced the other servant and opened his mouth to speak, only to find he had no idea how to start the conversation. Jeremy looked puzzled and prodded the manservant. “You did ask to speak to me, sir. Perhaps just saying whatever is on your mind would be a good start?”

Dennis laughed. “I’m not used to being called ‘Sir’, that’s usually my line.”

He was rewarded with a polite smile from Jeremy who patiently waited to hear what he had assumed to be an urgent matter. Dennis stammered and felt awkward now he was face to face with the capable major-domo. “I wanted to tell that I admire your work. I served Mr. Thurwell in New York for many years and heard your name on a few occasions. I don’t know why Jan and I were invited to this meeting and you weren’t. I can only hope he has found a way to thank you. I just wanted to say that I see how much he meant to you, and I feel the same way. I would have been as proud as you were to stand behind his chair at dinner tonight. I was jealous, if I’m honest.”