by Heather Gray
“You’d be surprised what money tells you about people.” Waggling his head back and forth a bit, Richard corrected himself, “It’s not the money so much as what people do with it. When you watch how people spend their money, it tells you a lot about them.”
“What does my list tell you about me?” Genevieve asked, torn between embarrassment over what felt to her like outrageous expenditures and avid curiosity about what made him think she was worth the time he was spending with her.
Smiling again, Richard said, “You have given God a place of priority and importance in your life. Your family matters to you. You esteem others higher than yourself.” When Genevieve tilted her head in question, he said, “A fraction of that money was spent on things that personally benefited you. Here’s a general breakdown. You spent almost half the money on relatives, one fourth on Christian entities, and one fifth on charity. You spent only a tenth on yourself.”
He paused for a moment, and Genevieve took the opportunity to process the figures he was throwing at her. He was the kid who always got A’s in math and ruined the bell curve for the rest of us.
“The money you spent on yourself includes a complete redecoration of your home, a retirement fund, a new car, and paying off your mortgage. You made your money go far.” Again chuckling he said, “Then, when you got to the end of the survey and knew you still had money to spend, did you go back and add it to your retirement fund? No. Did you go out and buy a yacht? No. What did you do? You gave the money to a clown college. That, my dear, tells me you have a delightful sense of humor.”
Continuing, he said, “I also learned how sensible you are. You put money aside for college and retirement – that’s forethought. In addition, you gave your family members gift cards to grocery stores so their current needs could be met.”
He makes me sound almost… special. Genevieve still wasn’t sure what to say, but at least she didn’t feel as defensive now as she had a moment ago.
Richard leaned back in his seat and said, “In short, Genevieve Mason, you are the complete package.”
Finding her voice, she asked, “What does this have to do with your grandfather’s will? Are you asking me to help you find a wife?” At least I got the word out this time without tripping over it. Why does the thought of finding him a wife bother me so much? I hardly know the man!
“No,” Richard said seriously. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his forearms on his legs. Looking her directly in the eye, he softly said, “I want you to be my wife.”
Genevieve jumped off the couch faster than a feline fleeing the threat of bath time. He can’t have said that. Richard remained in his chair while she moved quickly around the room until the couch stood between them. She stared at him. The look on his face was… sincere. Still, she could not think of a single thing to say. Her eyes moved around the office seeking understanding, and settled on the door she’d been led through when she arrived. Panic clawing at her throat, she bent over the back of the couch to gather her belongings. She fully intended to get out that door.
As she scratched at her notebook, trying to pick it up with numb fingers, Richard’s hands enfolded hers. She stared at them. His hands were big and warm and held hers oh so gently. She tried, albeit weakly, to stop them, but her eyes sought and found his stunning blue ones of their own volition. Unable to speak, she shook her head.
“Please hear me out,” he said. “Please.” That last word came out soft, pleading.
This is craziness!
Richard released her hands as she stood up. Her notebook and pen remained on the couch. He carefully picked up her belongings, put them inside her satchel, and made sure nothing had been left behind. Then he sat the satchel upright and within her reach. Backing away slightly, he said, “We’re talking about almost a billion dollars. I don’t want the money for myself, but I can’t let it get into the hands of greedy people who will squander it all on their own frivolous, self-seeking pleasures.”
Running his hand through his dark blond locks again, his face almost desperate, he said, “When I started this, I thought I’d find someone with whom I could get along. We’d get married, and even if we didn’t share each other’s lives on a daily basis, we’d have similar priorities and would suit well. You have no idea how many surveys I read through. I started to think I’d never find anyone, that the search would be futile. Then your survey landed on my desk. By the time I finished reading through it, I was certain you were the one. You love God, you love your family, you are practical and grounded, and you support clowns. What more could a guy ask for?”
“L-love. Shouldn’t you be looking for love?”
Richard contemplated the woman before him, and then sat back down, his movements tightly controlled. “Love is a choice, isn’t it?”
“H-how do you mean?” Genevieve couldn’t stop her voice from quavering.
“Love is the way you treat someone, how you talk to them, whether or not you honor them. It’s not always as simple as falling for someone.”
“I-I’m the last in my family…” her words trailed off as she lost her train of thought.
“I know, Gen. What I’m asking is a lot. You have a brother who is happily married, and a sister who is divorced. You’ve seen good and bad marriages.”
“I want a good one,” she said softly.
“I’m putting you in a terrible position, and I get that. Believe me, I get it. My whole life people have wanted to be around me because of money, and I’ve hated it. Now I’m asking you to marry me because of money, and I’m hoping…”
“What are you hoping?”
Richard sounded exasperated as he let out a sigh. Standing up again and walking around his office like a caged animal he said, “You know, I imagined how this conversation would go. I was a lot more urbane when I rehearsed it in my head.” Genevieve wrapped her arms around her middle and wondered what to do next. She knew she should grab her things and run for it.
But I don’t want to run.
After the silence had settled in around them, Richard said, “You haven’t said no yet. Does that mean you’re at least considering it?”
Genevieve let out a small, tight laugh, “When you said you had a proposal for me, I didn’t think you actually meant to propose.”
Giving her a smile that made her insides feel like jiggly gelatin, Richard said, “Let me buy you dinner. We’ll get out of here, spend a little time together. You can ask me more questions if you want. Or we can talk. This entire subject can be off-limits if you want. We can pretend it’s a regular second date.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be very good company. I-I don’t even know what to say to you right now. Besides, we never had a first date.”
“You’re not yelling or throwing things at me. That’s great conversation already as far as I’m concerned.”
How can I resist?
His sapphire eyes filled with promise, he added, “And like I told Max, it was pizza and ice cream. That’s a date in anybody’s book.”
Genevieve wanted to say yes, but she was afraid that the moment she walked out that door with him, her fate would be sealed. She didn’t trust herself to resist his charm if she spent any more time with him.
“What were you hoping for?” she asked again as she tried to regain her equilibrium.
“Come to dinner with me,” he said. “We’ll relax and enjoy each other’s company. Then maybe I can find the words to answer your question.”
She laced her fingers through the curls of her red hair. Tightly wound… my hair and I are on the same page for once. Giving Richard a brief nod, she said, “Okay.”
****
Richard took her to an exclusive restaurant. They were in a quiet corner, tucked away from the foot traffic and out of eyesight and earshot of other people. The menu was in a language Genevieve didn’t recognize, and there were no prices listed. She reviewed it for a moment then closed it and sat it down on the edge of the table.
“Do you know what you’d like
?” Richard asked. His eyebrows lifted in question as he awaited her reply.
Genevieve shook her head. “Would you please order for me?”
They sat there in silence for a while. Genevieve was still in shock. “I should have gone home,” she finally said. Who am I kidding? He’s out of my league. He takes me out to eat, and I can't even read the menu!
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I don’t know what to say.” After she rearranged her silverware – I think that’s real silver! – she looked up at Richard and, finally pulling her thoughts together into something cohesive, said, “I was so shocked by what you said, I never gave you a chance to explain what you had in mind.”
“You gave me a chance,” he said, “but I kept bungling it.” He gave a self-derisive smile then continued. “Do you want me to put all the cards on the table?”
Her voice strained, she said, “That would be my preference.”
He gave a quick nod then said, “I have a general idea what this whole thing will look like. Some points are set in stone, like the deadline. Others are flexible. Everything is open for discussion. This is nothing but my idea of how it could go. In order for this to work, we need to be able to function as a team. Your input is essential.”
He took a deep breath before continuing, “The way I see it playing out is like this: There’s a quiet ceremony in which we get married. I file all the paperwork necessary to meet the terms of my grandfather’s will. We live in the same house together, but we don’t need to share a room if you’re not comfortable with that. Once we’re married, we can take time to get to know each other and go through all the normal courtship steps. It wouldn’t be fair of me to expect you to fall madly in love with me the moment we sign on the dotted line, but I do hope you’ll give me a chance. I think we could build something solid and lasting.”
“What about kids?” I can’t be seriously considering this!
Drawing in his breath, he held it for a minute before saying, “I’d like to have a family. Maybe it’s asking too much too soon, but I’d like us to get to a point where we have a real marriage. If you never feel comfortable like that with me, we can always adopt. I want to be a dad, but I want our home to be stable before we think of bringing any children into it.”
“How many kids do you want?”
Richard shrugged, “I grew up kind of lonely. I’d like more than one, but I don’t want so many that none of them get the personal attention they need. Growing up in this world is hard enough, and wealth complicates it even more. Falling through the cracks, or ending up like my parents – that’s not what I want for any of my children. I want them to be grounded and hard-working. For that to happen, we would both need to be an integral part of their daily lives.”
“Were you raised by a nanny?”
Nodding, Richard said, “Most of the time. When I got old enough to rebel, I went to go live with my grandparents. Having a nanny’s not a bad thing, the way I see it, but letting the nanny be the one to raise your children is. Does that make sense?”
“I think so,” she answered. “Do you have any family? Maybe cousins?”
Shaking his head, Richard said, “No. Both my parents were only children. All my grandparents are gone. There are some distant cousins here and there, but they’re not people I grew up with or know.” Then, “Yours is wonderful.”
“We are far from being a perfect family.”
“None of us are without flaw,” he said ruefully. “You are important to your brother and sister and to your nieces and nephews. I don’t want to get in the way of that. Growing up surrounded by such a wholesome family could only be good for any kids we have. Your family – those are the kinds of aunts and uncles I’d want doting on our kids.”
Our kids? Her heart skittered and jumped a beat at the thought. “I still don’t understand why you chose me.”
When Genevieve watched Richard questioningly, he said, “What I saw on your survey caught my eye. It made me like you. When I met you on Tuesday and saw how genuine you were, well, that sealed it for me. You are perfectly ordinary.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “Thanks.”
“Okay, maybe that came out wrong.”
Is he actually blushing?
“You think?” she asked, fighting the urge to laugh. She lost the fight, and a snort escaped.
The corners of his mouth turned up as he said, “I want to be married to someone who treats me like a regular person. A wife who is intimidated by my wealth or, worse, who sees it as a weapon to use against me, isn’t what I want for my life.”
The meal had long-since ended. Their conversation, however, continued.
“So, in other words, you want a wife who will expect you to take out the trash, won’t hesitate to nag when you don’t, and will love – or hate – you based on who you are rather than what you have?”
“I think that more or less sums it up.”
“You do realize this is ludicrous, right?”
Wincing, Richard said, “I was hoping for a word like unconventional. Or eccentric. Ludicrous is a bit harsh.”
Genevieve shook her head as they left the restaurant. “I’ll give you that. It is an eccentric and certainly unconventional request. It’s still ludicrous, though. I’m not giving that one up.”
“Will you at least consider it?” Richard asked as he opened the car door for her.
After he was settled behind the wheel, she said, “You mentioned that my faith is one of the things that caught your eye.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he responded while pulling out of the parking lot.
“You’ve never said anything about your faith, what you believe. That’s important to marriage, isn’t it?”
Richard gave her a quick glance before returning his eyes to the road. “It is,” he agreed. “I accepted Christ as a teenager while living with my grandparents. Granddad was friends with a pastor. We lived in Winkston, but we drove about forty miles west of here for church. It was a small congregation, and after the original shock of having the Blakely family there wore off, people treated us like regular folk. My grandparents loved it. The church has a different pastor now, but that’s still where I attend.”
“You mentioned seeing your grandparents again someday. Were they saved?”
“They didn’t find their way to God until later in life, but, yes, they were. Their biggest regret was that they waited so many years before listening to God. If they’d gotten their priorities straight earlier on, my father might not have gone down the road he did, or so they always believed.”
Silence filled the car again, but it was a familiar and comfortable silence, much different from the tense one that had surrounded them on their drive to dinner. Before long, Richard was pulling into the parking garage at his office building. He pulled up next to Genevieve’s car, cut the engine, and turned to look at her.
“Gen, all I’m asking is that you think about it.”
“If I say no, what happens then?” she wondered.
“Honestly, if you say no, then I don’t know what I’ll do. Everything in me is telling me you’re the one.”
“You can’t fight the will in court?”
“My attorneys say it’s iron-clad, and I can’t break it. I tend to agree with them.”
“What’s so wrong with letting somebody have the money? If they waste it, who are they actually hurting?”
“Gen, you have to remember how I grew up. I know what happens when people live that kind of life. Trust me, they’re not the only ones to get hurt. How can I let that be my grandfather’s legacy in this world?”
“What will you do with the money if you get it?”
“You’d have equal input on this, but I’d like to set up a charitable endowment. All the money would go to supporting non-profits around the country. We’d need to bring an investigator on-staff so we can check out charities we consider gifting, and there’d be a lot of paperwork, so an attorney and at least one or two administrators. More staff might be n
eeded as the endowment becomes better known and more grant applicants begin coming in. My preference would be for the money itself to go into a trust. The interest alone could be used to give grants to hundreds of charities per year, allowing them to be better able to help others.”
“I’m not making any promises, but I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Genevieve started to climb out of Richard’s car then stopped and turned back to him. “Why would your grandfather have set up his will like that? Everything you’ve told me about him indicates he was astute and business savvy. He had to have known that something could go wrong with the charity he’d selected, so why’d he do it?”
Richard’s face was cast in shadow within the interior of the car as he answered. “When he told me about the changes he planned to make to his will, I raised those same questions. He said he knew in his heart it was the right thing to do. My whole life I’d witnessed Granddad make one successful business deal after another. Sometimes there was no rhyme or reason, and his only explanation was that he knew it was the right thing. When he gave me that answer, I believed he knew exactly what he was doing and that, like always, it would work out beautifully against all the odds.”
Genevieve had no idea what to say to that. I can’t exactly argue with a dead man, but still… She offered Richard a quietly spoken, “Goodnight,” before climbing into her car. She locked all her doors, started her engine, and began the drive home. Before she knew it she was pulling into her garage, still numb with shock.
I want to say yes.
Chapter Six
A week passed, and Genevieve thought of little else. She went through the motions of everyday life. There was a mani-pedi with Jenny, church, and a get-together at Jake’s house where she did her best to dodge her brother and his questions. Max decided to join the cross-country team and began hounding her to run with him. Two articles got completed and submitted, but she couldn’t remember a word she’d written. She hoped the articles were at least a step above gobbledygook.