tears welling in her grandmother’s eyes had Caterine reaching for the older woman’s hand. “Perhaps there’s another way?”
“No, my dear, there isn’t.” Miss Dauphine dabbed at her eyes with a lace-edged hanky. As she gazed through the window into a courtyard destitute of summer blooms, she visibly composed herself. Then sitting even more erectly than she had before, her mouth set in a determined line, she continued.
“Ma Chérie is what’s important. If I can’t follow tradition, I’ll at least save the business my grandmère worked so hard to create.” She took a deep breath. “I intended to leave Ma Chérie to you in my will.”
Caterine opened her mouth to protest but her grandmother cut her off.
“Let me finish, Caterine, and don’t interrupt. I fear if I were to do this, my sons would feel compelled on behalf of their daughters to contest my will, placing you in a difficult, not to mention unpleasant, position. Therefore I’ve made an appointment tomorrow with my attorney, Clayton Butler. At my request, he’s drawn up the necessary papers for me to turn over total ownership to you while I still live and can deal with my sons myself.”
Caterine could only gape. Finally finding her voice, she protested. “Grandmère, you can’t do that. Charlotte is next in line, then Paulette.”
“Honestly, Caterine, I don’t need you to tell me who my granddaughters are. I’m well aware that of all my grandchildren, you’re the youngest. You’re also dependable, level-headed, and intelligent. But of all your attributes, the one that stands out is that you truly love Ma Chérie. You care about tradition and holding our standards to the highest quality. Your final goal isn’t to see how much money you can make, as it is with your aunts and cousins. How my two sons could have married such vulgar, greedy women is beyond me. Other than you, my dear, your mother was the only one who truly cared, but she and my son are gone, so I’m placing the future welfare of Ma Chérie in your hands.”
Caterine sat speechless and began to feel sick. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Grandmère, do you realize how angry this is going to make everyone? Why not tell the family you plan to leave Ma Chérie to me, but you intend on keeping control for now?”
“I thought of that, but after what occurred yesterday I’ve decided I want this done and over with. I’m weary of listening to their grand ideas. Giving the business to you now should put an end to their plans.”
Caterine’s voice quavered when she spoke. “Grandmère, you have no idea how much your trust means to me. I’d be honored, but I’m truly afraid that by doing this, we’ll have even more problems than we have now.”
Miss Dauphine uttered an unladylike snort. “Ma Chérie is mine to do with as I wish. As a matter of fact, so is the house. If they make me any angrier, I might give that to you as well.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can do anything I want. Your two uncles and their sons have total control of Doucette Shipping. What they do with it is their business. Ma Chérie and the house my grandpapa gave to my grandmère on their wedding day are mine.”
Caterine sighed as images of the upcoming confrontation passed before her eyes. If this was what her grandmother wanted, so be it. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d clashed with her family, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last.
“This is how I intend to handle the situation,” Miss Dauphine continued. “I plan on telling the family my decision tomorrow night after dinner. I want to wait until I’ve seen my attorney and all the paperwork is signed and finalized. I wanted to explain all of this to you today because you’ll need to be present tomorrow. My appointment is at ten o’clock. Tomorrow morning when your Aunt Frances and Aunt Hyacinth arrive for work, tell them you have to leave for a while.”
Resigned, Caterine took a deep breath. “All right. If
“No, my dear, there isn’t.” Miss Dauphine dabbed at her eyes with a lace-edged hanky. As she gazed through the window into a courtyard destitute of summer blooms, she visibly composed herself. Then sitting even more erectly than she had before, her mouth set in a determined line, she continued.
“Ma Chérie is what’s important. If I can’t follow tradition, I’ll at least save the business my grandmère worked so hard to create.” She took a deep breath. “I intended to leave Ma Chérie to you in my will.”
Caterine opened her mouth to protest but her grandmother cut her off.
“Let me finish, Caterine, and don’t interrupt. I fear if I were to do this, my sons would feel compelled on behalf of their daughters to contest my will, placing you in a difficult, not to mention unpleasant, position. Therefore I’ve made an appointment tomorrow with my attorney, Clayton Butler. At my request, he’s drawn up the necessary papers for me to turn over total ownership to you while I still live and can deal with my sons myself.”
Caterine could only gape. Finally finding her voice, she protested. “Grandmère, you can’t do that. Charlotte is next in line, then Paulette.”
“Honestly, Caterine, I don’t need you to tell me who my granddaughters are. I’m well aware that of all my grandchildren, you’re the youngest. You’re also dependable, level-headed, and intelligent. But of all your attributes, the one that stands out is that you truly love Ma Chérie. You care about tradition and holding our standards to the highest quality. Your final goal isn’t to see how much money you can make, as it is with your aunts and cousins. How my two sons could have married such vulgar, greedy women is beyond me. Other than you, my dear, your mother was the only one who truly cared, but she and my son are gone, so I’m placing the future welfare of Ma Chérie in your hands.”
Caterine sat speechless and began to feel sick. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Grandmère, do you realize how angry this is going to make everyone? Why not tell the family you plan to leave Ma Chérie to me, but you intend on keeping control for now?”
“I thought of that, but after what occurred yesterday I’ve decided I want this done and over with. I’m weary of listening to their grand ideas. Giving the business to you now should put an end to their plans.”
Caterine’s voice quavered when she spoke. “Grandmère, you have no idea how much your trust means to me. I’d be honored, but I’m truly afraid that by doing this, we’ll have even more problems than we have now.”
Miss Dauphine uttered an unladylike snort. “Ma Chérie is mine to do with as I wish. As a matter of fact, so is the house. If they make me any angrier, I might give that to you as well.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can do anything I want. Your two uncles and their sons have total control of Doucette Shipping. What they do with it is their business. Ma Chérie and the house my grandpapa gave to my grandmère on their wedding day are mine.”
Caterine sighed as images of the upcoming confrontation passed before her eyes. If this was what her grandmother wanted, so be it. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d clashed with her family, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last.
“This is how I intend to handle the situation,” Miss Dauphine continued. “I plan on telling the family my decision tomorrow night after dinner. I want to wait until I’ve seen my attorney and all the paperwork is signed and finalized. I wanted to explain all of this to you today because you’ll need to be present tomorrow. My appointment is at ten o’clock. Tomorrow morning when your Aunt Frances and Aunt Hyacinth arrive for work, tell them you have to leave for a while.”
Resigned, Caterine took a deep breath. “All right. If
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