your fortune on your own, without help, without shortcuts, to achieve the results you want. It’s the only way it will ever have any meaning for you. I hope that you will work hard and act wisely in the future, exercising good judgment. I gave you all the help I could when I was alive. Now you have my strong hope that you will do well on your own. And although this may appear to be a harsh decision to you, rest assured, I love you, son.’ ” As Arnold finished reading, Bertie exploded from his seat with a look of rage, glancing at the girls and Véronique in fury.
“You bitches! All of you! You bilked him out of everything, kissing his ass when you visited him, and whining to him, and bad-mouthing me! And you!” he said, turning to Véronique viciously. “You with your holier-than-thou ways about making it on your own, and making everyone crawl to you for money, and pretending that you’re poor—you did this, you talked him into screwing me over, just so the girls would get it all.” They all knew that none of what he said was true. They had never complained to their father or expected anything from him. And Véronique had never pretended to be poor or expected her children to crawl for money. She had wanted them to have honest jobs and work for a living. And as Paul said in his will, she had been far more generous and tolerant of Bertie than she ever had been with the girls. She had wanted to make up to him for the mother he didn’t have. She had always felt sorry for him because of it and made excuses for him that he didn’t appreciate or deserve. But Bertie was blind with fury over what he didn’t get in his father’s will.
“Is that it for me?” he said, turning to Arnold, who nodded.
“Yes, Bertie, it is. I’m sorry. He thought he was helping you.” And Arnold had agreed, which he didn’t say now. Bertie was a wastrel of the worst kind, and it would have been pointless to give him anything. The girls would put Paul’s money to better use, constructively. Bertie would waste it on schemes and throw it away, which Paul understood. He was realistic about his son.
“You’ll hear from me about this!” he said menacingly to Véronique and the girls. “This isn’t the end of it, not by a long shot.” Then he strode out of the conference room and slammed the door, as the girls sat silently.
It had been a day of shocks and surprises at their father’s hands, for Véronique as much as the rest of them. The announcement of his illegitimate daughter was far more astounding and upsetting to them than anything Bertie could have said, or his being left out of the will, which had amazed them, too. They had assumed that Bertie would get part of whatever their father had. But they had never expected him to be left nothing, and a new sister to appear. Véronique still looked pale and was shaken to her core, as the girls began speaking all at once and asked Arnold about Sophie.
And then Arnold called them to order again. There was more. “ ‘And to my ex-wife Véronique, whom I love deeply and who is the most extraordinary woman I know, I leave my love, my heart, our memories, and a request. The request is that she begin painting again. You have enormous talent, and should go back to your artwork. In addition, I bequeath to you the painting that we bought on our honeymoon in Venice, thought to be by Bellini, but never authenticated, which you thought was a fraud. We both loved the painting whatever its value or lack of it. You promised to pursue its provenance and never did. If it is worthless, I hope that it will bring back happy memories for you, as it does for me. I have enjoyed it for all these years.’ ” She had relinquished it to him somewhat reluctantly in the divorce, because of its sentimental value to her. But Paul had wanted it even more, so she had let him keep it. “ ‘And if it proves to be a true Bellini, I leave it to you with joy as a valuable gift, which is far less than you
“You bitches! All of you! You bilked him out of everything, kissing his ass when you visited him, and whining to him, and bad-mouthing me! And you!” he said, turning to Véronique viciously. “You with your holier-than-thou ways about making it on your own, and making everyone crawl to you for money, and pretending that you’re poor—you did this, you talked him into screwing me over, just so the girls would get it all.” They all knew that none of what he said was true. They had never complained to their father or expected anything from him. And Véronique had never pretended to be poor or expected her children to crawl for money. She had wanted them to have honest jobs and work for a living. And as Paul said in his will, she had been far more generous and tolerant of Bertie than she ever had been with the girls. She had wanted to make up to him for the mother he didn’t have. She had always felt sorry for him because of it and made excuses for him that he didn’t appreciate or deserve. But Bertie was blind with fury over what he didn’t get in his father’s will.
“Is that it for me?” he said, turning to Arnold, who nodded.
“Yes, Bertie, it is. I’m sorry. He thought he was helping you.” And Arnold had agreed, which he didn’t say now. Bertie was a wastrel of the worst kind, and it would have been pointless to give him anything. The girls would put Paul’s money to better use, constructively. Bertie would waste it on schemes and throw it away, which Paul understood. He was realistic about his son.
“You’ll hear from me about this!” he said menacingly to Véronique and the girls. “This isn’t the end of it, not by a long shot.” Then he strode out of the conference room and slammed the door, as the girls sat silently.
It had been a day of shocks and surprises at their father’s hands, for Véronique as much as the rest of them. The announcement of his illegitimate daughter was far more astounding and upsetting to them than anything Bertie could have said, or his being left out of the will, which had amazed them, too. They had assumed that Bertie would get part of whatever their father had. But they had never expected him to be left nothing, and a new sister to appear. Véronique still looked pale and was shaken to her core, as the girls began speaking all at once and asked Arnold about Sophie.
And then Arnold called them to order again. There was more. “ ‘And to my ex-wife Véronique, whom I love deeply and who is the most extraordinary woman I know, I leave my love, my heart, our memories, and a request. The request is that she begin painting again. You have enormous talent, and should go back to your artwork. In addition, I bequeath to you the painting that we bought on our honeymoon in Venice, thought to be by Bellini, but never authenticated, which you thought was a fraud. We both loved the painting whatever its value or lack of it. You promised to pursue its provenance and never did. If it is worthless, I hope that it will bring back happy memories for you, as it does for me. I have enjoyed it for all these years.’ ” She had relinquished it to him somewhat reluctantly in the divorce, because of its sentimental value to her. But Paul had wanted it even more, so she had let him keep it. “ ‘And if it proves to be a true Bellini, I leave it to you with joy as a valuable gift, which is far less than you
Similar Books
