The Contract

by Jerry D. Young

  “Sure he does, Sara,” Trinity said gently. “Everyone knows that.”

  “I didn’t mean to say it the other way! I didn’t! It just came out!”

  Trinity just looked at her, for the second time not saying a thing.

  “Say something, Trinity!” Sara pleaded.

  Trinity shook her head.

  “But… But… You always say something,” Sara said.

  After a very long moment Trinity did speak. “I think you pretty much said everything there is to say, Sara.”

  “Nooo!” It was a wail.

  Trinity just cocked her head and looked at Sara.

  “I love him,” Sara finally said, very softly.

  Sara was looking in Trinity’s direction, but Trinity could tell that Sara’s eyes were focused well beyond her.

  Trinity was grinning at her when Sara’s eyes did finally come back to Trinity’s face.

  “Do… Not… Say… A… Word…”

  Trinity rolled her lips together and shook her head.

  Sara jumped up and started pacing again. “I can’t believe this. I am in love with him.”

  She paced some more as Trinity watched. “I think I have been… for a long time… And just wouldn’t admit it to myself. I think I’d… we’d better go home first thing in the morning.”

  Trinity finally spoke. “Sara. I think you need to stop and think about this for a little while.”

  “You guys have been hoping for this for… forever.”

  “Sure we have,” Trinity replied. “But this is brand new for you. You’ve had a… shock, I guess… You should be very, very sure before you do anything… rash… You’re already concerned about Jason. Think how he’d feel if you told him… and then…”

  Sara had stopped pacing to look at Trinity as her friend had spoken. Sara nodded and moved over to the ornate desk that was part of the furnishing of the room.

  “I am sure, Trinity,” Sara said. She smiled over at her friend. “Absolutely, positively sure, I am in love with him. I plan to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him. But, you have a point. I can just hear him, if I were to call him and tell him I was coming home… for this reason, anyway. ‘You’ve wanted to see those sites since you were a little girl, Sara. Are you sure you want to leave now? There is plenty of time for all this later. You’re here now.’”

  “Uh…” Trinity said, “Yeah. Good point. So… How can you stand it? Knowing. And him not knowing that you know.”

  “I can’t, actually,” Sara said, picking up the telephone receiver on the desk.

  “Hi, Mrs. MacDougal, it’s Sara. Oh, I’m fine. I’d like to speak to Jason, please.”

  Trinity watched in awe as Sara waited patiently for a few moments, then, when Jason apparently had greeted her, said, “I love you, Jason. I will consider a proposal when you chose to make one. In the meantime, I’m wearing the ring. Well, in that case, yes. We can discuss the details when I get back. Oh. Just one thing. Lose the door between the bedrooms. Bye. I love you, too.”

  Trinity had noticed Sara holding the phone on her shoulder as Sara got something out of the purse sitting on the desk.

  “Well,” Sara said, “I am officially engaged to Jason McKindrick.” She held out her hand to show Trinity the ring.

  Trinity’s jaw was hanging down as she stared at Sara.

  After Jason told Sara he loved her after she’d said good-bye, and she’d responded in kind, Jason hung up the phone. With a small smile he touched the intercom button for the kitchen.

  When it was answered by Mrs. MacDougal, Jason said, “Mrs. MacDougal, please have the carpenters remove the door I had installed, and restore the wall to its original configuration. And of course, it comes out of my funds, not the household funds. And Mrs. MacDougal, there’s going to be quite a bit of extra work in the months ahead. Give yourself, and everyone else, a raise. A big one.” He flicked off the intercom.

  Mrs. MacDougal was in the study only moments later. “Are you alright, Master Jason? Isn’t… Isn’t… she coming back?”

  Jason looked up, hearing the tearful note in Mrs. MacDougal’s voice. “Yes, of course Sara is coming back.” Standing and hurrying around the desk Jason gave Mrs. MacDougal a hug then stepped back.

  “I’m sorry. I am a little distracted. I didn’t mean to give you that impression.”

  “But is everything alright?” she asked, watching Jason carefully. He certainly looked okay, but the instructions had seemed to indicate... unless… But of course it wasn’t her place to say or do anything until an official announcement.

  “Yes,” Jason said. “Certainly.”

  “Very well,” Mrs. MacDougal said, barely able to contain her joy. “I know you have a long day planned tomorrow. See to it you don’t stay up too late.”

  Jason smiled. “Yes Ma’am.”

  “You are going back now, aren’t you?” Trinity asked the next day. Sara seemed to be making preparations to go to the next place on her agenda.

  “No. I didn’t ask him, but I’m sure Jason would insist. You know him. He would insist.”

  “Yeah. You’re probably right. I don’t know how you can stand it, though.”

  Sara smiled. “I can stand it. I know what I have waiting at home. You want to travel with me the rest of the trip?”

  “I can’t,” Trinity replied. “A couple of days… I can’t over indulge Jason’s generosity. I have to go home if you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine. It would be nice. But you’ll have your chance one of these days to do some traveling, I’m sure.”

  Jason concentrated on his preparations to enter the Coast Guard while waiting for Sara to come home. But Sara made it home before Mrs. McKindrick did. She was standing beside him when his Step-mother entered the house.

  “Mother,” says Jason, “I would like to introduce you to Miss Sara…, my fiancée. Sara, my mother, Mrs. McKindrick.”

  “How do you do, Mrs. McKindrick. It is very nice to meet you.”

  She removed her gloves and with a very small smile says, “So you are the one. Sara.”

  Sara nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  She acknowledged the greeting with a nod, but looked at Jason and said. “You needn’t call me Mother, Jason. You know that. Nor Mrs. McKindrick, any longer. You also know that the name change went through last week, just as scheduled.”

  “Yes, Ma’…”

  “Jason…”

  “Yes, Audrey. I’ll have the staff take care of the cab.”

  Audrey nodded. “And would you have the staff come in to the living room for a moment, Jason?”

  Jason nodded.

  “Can I get you anything…ah…I’m not sure what I should call you. Audrey doesn’t seem appropriate,” Sara said.

  Audrey cut her eyes toward the living room door after she and Sara entered and turned around. “Audrey is fine, Sara.”

  Sara noticed the slight twinkle in the woman’s eyes as she smiled a genuine smile at Sara. “While we have a moment, a short one, I’m afraid…I wanted to tell you congratulations. You have captured the heart of a very special young man.”

  “I know. I’ve never in my life met anyone like him.”

  “He is very much like his father in many ways. You would have liked his father. And he would have adored you. Jason deserves to have you in his life.”

  “I’m just sorry it took me so long to realize…”

  “Don’t be, Sara. Never doubt yourself. Always make informed choices. You made the choice you did when it was the right choice for you to make.”

  “Jason said almost the same thing,” Sara said, studying Audrey. “I’m beginning to see that he is right about you.”

  The smile Audrey gave Sara was different this time. “He warned you wisely, I take it.”

  “No. Just the opposite. The others were…never mind. But Jason said…he never had an unkind word to say. He really didn’t say much other than to wait and judge for myself.”

  “Oh, really?” The real smile wa
s back. “I do imagine the others did have less choice words to say about me.”

  “I would never…”

  “Of course not, Sara. Nor am I asking you to do so. You are as loyal to them as they are to you and Jason. And to me, when it comes down to certain things.”

  “That is true, you know. They have never once said anything disparaging about you to anyone.”

  “I know. The McKindrick’s know people. They only deal with good ones.” Again the slightly crooked smile. “Except for me, of course. Ah. There is Jason and the staff.”

  “We will take these things up immediately,” Mrs. MacDougal said.

  “Oh, no,” Mrs. MacDougal. “Nothing goes up.” She gave Jason a long look, then said, “I won’t be staying. I’m just dropping off a few things. It seems that my choice of attorneys was less than the best. It would seem that Lawrence has absconded with what remained of my inheritance. But that is of no matter to anyone here. I have had my name changed back to my maiden name, so there is no longer any affiliation with the McKindrick name. I take it Jason has not mentioned that this would and did occur on his eighteenth birthday. Again, no matter.”

  She stepped over to one of the parcels that the maids had brought in. “This should only take a moment, and then, if Juliet would call me a cab, I’ll be on my way to locate an apartment and a job.”

  Again Sara saw that genuine smile. “Actually, I expect I will be able to get my old job back as hostess at Barney’s. He did say I could come back any time. But now…Sara…Here. I thought you might like this. Perhaps as part of your gown…”

  The package was not really gift wrapped, just carefully packaged. Sara opened a corner of the paper and saw the delicate lace.

  “But…” Sara said.

  “That’s Irish lace, lassie!” Mrs. MacDougal told Sara, turning wide eyes to Audrey.

  Audrey picked up another package, this one much smaller, but heavier.

  “You’ve done a wonderful job raising Jason, Mrs. MacDougal. Far better than I could have done, had I tried. While I was in Scotland, I stopped at…well…this is a stone from the castle from your hereditary home. I thought you might like to have it.”

  “From MacDougal Castle?” Mrs. MacDougal asked, awe in her voice. She handled the stone for a moment then looked up at Audrey, tears in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say…”

  “Needn’t say anything, Mrs. MacDougal.”

  Mrs. MacDougal looked over at Jason as Audrey turned away to pick up another of the parcels. Jason shook his head slightly at Mrs. MacDougal for her not to do or say anything.

  She handed each of the staff a package, then said, “If you could call a cab for me, I’ll be on my way.” Her eyes met Jason.

  “You can stay here, you know. For as long as you want. This is still your home and you are still family, name change or no.”

  Audrey shook her head. “No, Jason. This is your home. It never really has been mine, though I was made most welcome.”

  There were still tears in Mrs. MacDougal’s eyes when she spoke, the Scottish brogue thick. “Lassie, ye’ must stay. Tis’ only right that…”

  Softly Audrey lifted a hand and touched the elderly woman’s face. “No, Mrs. MacDougal. Don’t let a piece of stone sway your judgment. I am what I am and nothing will change that. This is not my place to be. Not now.”

  “But…”

  “There is no need for a cab,” Jason said. “Candy and Juliet will take you to the Carlton and get you checked in.”

  “Jason,” Audrey said, “I’m afraid I can’t afford the Carlton at the moment. The Motel Six will have to do for a few days until I…”

  “No, Audrey,” Jason said. He looked at Candy. “Load her things into the limo. Sara, would you see to things, then join us in the study, please?”

  “Of course, Jason,” Sara quickly said, ushering the others out as Jason took Audrey’s arm in his and led her to the study.

  “Jason, I know you. And I will not accept…”

  “How was your trip, Audrey? Was it all you expected?”

  She looked at him a moment after he unlinked his arm from hers. “I enjoyed it immensely. It was all I dreamed of and more. Jason, what are you up to? I’ve already said that I won’t live here and the name change is already done. And I do know that Lawrence took me for everything that I had. You were right about him. I’m not often wrong when it comes to men. I thought I would be able to control that situation. I thought his greed would keep him in place.”

  Her words and face had both gone rather bleak.

  Sara knocked lightly and entered. She looked at Jason and nodded, then went to stand beside him.

  “It did, Moth…Audrey. He fooled many people.”

  “He didn’t fool you,” she replied. Then she smiled a little. “But then you are a McKindrick, after all.”

  “You had a pretty good idea, too, Audrey. He was just a bit less stable than you gave him credit for being.”

  “That is true,” Audrey replied. “I really did think he would try and fail, but would still be here with most of it. Your father’s attorneys were careful how they set things up. I really did not think he could get his hands on the money.”

  “He had to actually forge a document. That wasn’t expected. Apparently he made some commitments that he couldn’t keep and got desperate. Sara, would you hand me that case, please?”

  Sara looked behind the desk, saw the aluminum brief case and handed it to Jason.

  “He tried to recover, but as he got in deeper and deeper, he made more and more careless decisions.” With a small smile, Jason opened the briefcase on the desk and turned it around so Audrey could see inside. “I simply re-acquired the companies and the other assets, at significant discounts. Between the discounted price and the true increase in value of almost everything, the difference in value from when you left to now is actually about what you started with. Just a little more, actually. Three point four million. One hundred thousand in cash, the rest in convertible assets, all in your name.”

  Sara saw the stunned look on Audrey’s face. She was a little stunned herself. Jason had been wheeling and dealing more than usual lately, but she’d had no idea what he’d been working on.

  “But Jason, this is all yours. Not mine,” Audrey said, closing the case.

  “No, Audrey,” Jason replied. “This is what your assets earned while you were gone. You no longer have the assets themselves, of course. But it is only right you have the proceeds from the time that you did have them. I re-acquired them at a bargain, and they will continue to do well, now. It is rather coincidental that the value of the proceeds is approximately the same as the value of the assets when you left. But, of course, they were very good assets to begin with.”

  “Yes. I know,” Audrey said, studying Jason’s face carefully. “Your father was very generous to me in the settlement of his estate.” She paused a moment, then continued, carefully. “I’ve never known you to lie, Jason. But you have the McKindrick way with words.”

  Audrey’s eyes cut to Sara, then back to Jason. “And you are generous to a fault. You do not owe me anything, Jason. I was your step-mother and did nothing to try to raise you. I merely accepted your father’s attention…and assets…with never any intention to be a mother of any sort.”

  “I know, Audrey,” Jason said softly. “You did a very fine job on all accounts. You did what you thought best. I don’t necessarily agree that you would have done poorly being a mother to me. I do think you would have done just as well raising me as you did in choosing to allow Mrs. MacDougal to do so. You do not give yourself enough credit for motherly instinct. Because you believe you can never have children, does not mean you would not do a good job if you did raise a child. Be that as it may, being water under the bridge and everything having turned out just fine, I tell you now, that this…” Jason gestured toward the case. “Is yours.”

  Audrey watched him for long moments, then gave a tiny nod.

  Jason withdrew a business card
from his shirt pocket. “This gentleman comes highly recommended, Audrey, if you would like someone you can trust implicitly to help you invest and manage this.” Jason placed his hand on the briefcase and snapped it closed.

  Taking the card, Audrey looked at it. “I seem to remember this name. He worked with your father on something once, didn’t he?”

  “I believe so,” Jason replied. “I’ve consulted with him a few times, too. He is very good at what he does. And ironclad trustworthy.”

  “I may give him a call,” Audrey said. “I don’t like the idea of having assets just lying around, not earning either interest or profits.”

  Jason smiled. “Nor do I. Now, I believe Candy and Juliet should be ready.”

  They left the study, Audrey carrying the briefcase. As Jason had said, the others stood grouped in the entry, everything obviously ready.

  “I made the reservations at the Carlton,” Sara said. “Presidential suite. And Audrey, don’t try to pay for it, no matter how long you choose to stay. I took care of it, myself.”

  “Sara, you cannot…”

  Sara cut Audrey off. She stood beside Jason, holding one of his hands tightly in hers as she said, “Yes, I can. Because I want to. Because, despite what you said, and even because of the very truth of it…”

  Jason finished the thought for Sara, because her voice began to tighten and she couldn’t continue. “Because, Audrey, while you might have married father because he was good looking and wealthy, with no intention to do anything except live the good life, you wound up falling in love with him. And me.” Jason looked around at the staff. “And them.”

  Audrey tried to shake her head no, but couldn’t bring herself to deny the facts that she’d only realized recently had been true almost from the day she’d married Jason’s father. She had fallen in love with them. All of them. She’d just never known how to show it.

  “You’re always welcome here,” Jason said. “You are still family.”

  Mrs. MacDougal had listened with astonishment, but seeing the look on Audrey’s face and in her eyes, she realized that what Jason had said was very true. The poor woman had simply not known how to express her feelings and had used the haughtiness to protect herself.