The Philanthropist's Danse

by Wornham, Paul

  Janice figured she could repair the damage in either case, but it was a sharp reminder of the fragility of her marriage. Yesterday she had plotted to run away and start anew without her husband. Today she had fallen a little bit in love with him again since her ugly encounter with Junior. A cold finger of doubt worried at her. Was she in love with Dennis again, or was what she felt a temporary emotion triggered by the extreme circumstances of the past twenty-four hours? She shook her head to clear it. She needed to pay attention to the Judge who was her best hope of achieving her goals.

  Freeman had his own doubts. He figured Janice to be the kind of woman who would sell her own mother for a profit, so it was entirely possible she could turn on him. Yet, against his better judgment and instincts, he believed her. He knew enough to know he had not heard her real motives and perhaps he never would. But he trusted her.

  He had an idea of his own. “Okay Janice, I agree in principle that it will be to our advantage to let the family believe they are in a stronger position than they actually are. However, before we give Bethany an answer we must shore up our own defenses. We must have Freddie and Betty’s support, and they too must agree to your scheme. If that can be achieved, then I concur that Dennis accepts Bethany’s offer, and we play for the win. Any objections?”

  Janice smiled at the Judge. He was adept at this. She shook the Judge’s hand, and even Dennis seemed keen on the plan. It was decided that Freeman would approach Freddie and Betty. If the Thurwells saw Janice or Dennis in conversation with the others, their plan might fail. The Judge hurried from the library in search of Freddie and Betty, aware that time was slipping away before the next session would begin.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Jeremy dragged Philip Thurwell’s unconscious body into the basement and across the stone floor of the mansion’s vast wine cellar. The young man had not stirred when he had been lifted out of the snow and carried to the house by the major-domo, assisted by two male staff. Jeremy fetched a sack of sugar from the dry goods store and placed it under Philip’s head. He threw a wool blanket over the prone figure because the cellar was cool, but there would be no other comforts.

  Jeremy pulled the heavy oak door shut, turned the lock and dropped the key into his pocket. It would be William Bird’s decision what to do with Philip, but in the interim Jeremy did not intend to allow him further opportunities to cause trouble.

  $

  In the dining room, Betty Freah saw Judge Freeman’s imposing figure enter and look around. He was searching for someone and she was surprised when his eyes stopped on her. He headed over to join her and Freddie. Freddie had little interest in the Judge after the first day, but when Freeman was closer, Freddie saw he had a different look about him. Today he could believe the man was a Judge, he was not the broken man of yesterday. “Well, Judge, what brings you to my table?”

  Freddie didn’t hide his disdain, but was surprised it had no effect. “I have an offer you need to hear, Freddie. The same offer is extended to you, Ms. Freah.” Betty was intrigued and was keen to hear what the offer might be, but she waited for Freddie to take the lead. Hagood wondered what the Judge was up to, but he would listen. He had made fortunes by listening when others were too busy talking.

  “Okay, fine let’s hear it, Freeman.”

  The Judge shook his head. “No, not here, Freddie. I have others that want to meet with you. We have a more private space in the library.”

  Hagood snorted. “No, they can come here, why should I move?” He flinched at a sharp pain in his shin. Betty glared at him and delivered another kick under the table. Hagood was amused, but he got the point. “Okay, we’ll come with you and see what this is all about.” The Judge smiled and waited for Freddie to help Betty out of her seat. Betty gave Freddie a sharp look and exaggerated smile as she folded her arm through his and Hagood uttered a gruff laugh as they followed the Judge.

  $

  Larry washed his face in cold water and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes looked haunted, and his skin seemed paler than usual. He had to get out of the mansion, back to the outdoors and his boat. Sitting in his dead friend’s country retreat in the middle of January did not suit him. MacLean desperately needed the torture to end, he felt trapped.

  He would come to terms with his new financial situation soon enough. It would hurt to give Freddie half his share, but it was better than nothing. Larry pulled on a fresh shirt and glanced at his watch, he had another fifteen minutes to collect himself and then it was time to return to the stifling conference room.

  He wondered if Mrs. Tremethick, his only remaining friend, could use some company. He caught a look at himself, who was he kidding? It was he that needed company, not the old lady. He left his room and headed down the hallway.

  $

  Freeman led Freddie and Betty to the nook where Janice waited. Dennis was busy repositioning seats he had collected from other areas of the library. Freddie said nothing, but was surprised to see who Freeman’s new partners were. “Judge Freeman told us there was something we had to hear. What is it?”

  Hagood directed the question at Janice. There was no doubt in his mind who was in charge of the small group. Freddie liked Dennis, but the manservant was not a schemer.

  Janice did not hesitate. “We want you and Betty to join the Judge, Dennis and I. Allied, we will have five votes, which should safeguard us against any effort by the family to rob us. It will also give us plenty of influence when it comes to deciding who gets what.”

  Freddie knew safety in numbers was a sound plan. He glanced at Betty who looked tense but was listening. Freddie started to speak, but Janice held up her hand.

  “There’s more, Freddie. Yesterday Dennis and I sold our votes to the family for a fee. Bethany renewed the family’s offer a few moments ago. We propose to accept it, but only to trick them into a false sense of security. Our real alliance will remain with this group. When the moment comes, Dennis and I will vote with you, Betty and the Judge. The family can go to hell.”

  Freddie heard a thin whistle escape Betty’s lips as she looked at Janice. She never suspected the housekeeper capable of such devious plotting. He thought about Janice’s proposal and about his deal with Larry MacLean. Perhaps he could keep it, make an extra half-share and still benefit from Janice’s alliance.

  “Okay, let me see if I understand this. You, your husband, and the Judge want Betty and I to join your group. At the same time, you and Dennis pretend to join Bethany and the family, but will vote against them? Is that right?”

  Janice knew it was time to let Freddie do the talking. He’d agree or he wouldn’t. He looked at Betty who shrugged as if to tell him it was his decision. He turned back to the housekeeper. “I see a flaw in your plan, Janice. Splitting the fortune is unlikely to be achieved in one vote. I think it’s possible there will be three votes, maybe more, before this thing is through.”

  She nodded, but Freddie saw she missed his point. He needed to spell it out. “You and Dennis can only surprise the family by switching your vote once. The first time you do it, the cat will be out of the bag and further votes will be tainted with suspicion, which would be counter-productive for all of us.”

  Freddie had everyone’s attention now, even the Judge’s. No one had thought the idea through as far as Freddie. Freeman interrupted. “Freddie makes a good point, Janice. I had not thought of there being more than one vote, but he’s right. If you and Dennis switch the way you vote, it might hurt the family to the benefit of this alliance, but it will compromise any chance of success in the next round. It’s no good if everyone is worried about double-dealing and betrayal.”

  Freddie nodded, the Judge had understood. He turned to Janice, who was upset. She wanted the satisfaction of seeing Junior’s reaction the moment he realized she had fooled him. She wanted to hurt him and was not happy to hear Freddie tell her the idea was a bad one. “I see your point Freddie, but wouldn’t we be better letting the family think they had two more votes? If
Dennis and I refuse their offer, they’ll know we have another plan.”

  Hagood nodded. “Yes, they will know, but it’s better for everyone that we reach a successful outcome tonight, before we suffer another penalty. We have a better chance of reaching a deal if we don’t play games. Think about the numbers, Janice. A motion needs nine votes to pass, the best we have is five. There are three family members left, and that’s enough to block any motion they don’t like, regardless of how you bait and switch.

  “We could be deadlocked in the first round, and you and Dennis will have blown your play for no advantage. The family has the ability to protect themselves from being kicked out, what’s the point of pretending you support them when you don’t?”

  Dennis whispered in Janice’s ear. “He’s right, Jan. It might be better to play this one straight.”

  She was irritated at being denied her chance to trick Junior, but there was more than one way to win. “Okay, you’re right, Freddie. Dennis will refuse Bethany’s offer, but can we agree that we don’t let the family take one dollar more than the rest of us? No lion’s share for them. At most, they get the same as the rest of us. If you accept that condition, we have a deal, Mr. Hagood.”

  Janice smiled as she spoke, a smile so full of malice that Betty felt a chill run through her. Freddie wondered what drove Janice’s animosity toward the family, but he didn’t care enough to worry about the details. She laid out a set of conditions he had no problem with and he agreed to Janice’s terms.

  There was an audible sigh of relief, and they all exchanged handshakes in a complicated cat’s cradle of pumping arms. Freddie decided to come clean about his other deal. “By the way, we have six votes, not five. Betty and I have arranged a deal with Larry MacLean to make sure he is not thrown out empty handed. He will vote as I do, without question. I do not believe we need to include him in this agreement, let’s consider his vote a bonus.”

  Judge Freeman looked at his watch and announced it was nearly time to reconvene. Dennis was dispatched to tell Bethany that he and Janice would not accept her offer, a duty he reluctantly accepted.

  $

  Winnie struggled to keep her eyes open as she listened politely to Larry MacLean reminisce about his old friend and her long-ago lover. Larry spoke of Johnston Thurwell, but she could only think of him as Charlie. Winnie was tired of Larry. He had woken her from a much-needed nap and now kept her awake with story after story about the past. She was too polite to say anything, but she was certain that a lot of what Larry was saying was pure fiction. She knew enough about men to understand that any opportunity to tell stories unchallenged led to embellishments.

  Winnie looked at her wristwatch, they would head back downstairs soon, an idea she did not relish but which seemed less of a burden with each passing moment in MacLean’s company. She was in no doubt that if Larry talked uninterrupted for much longer, she would hear about how he and Charlie had slain dragons in their youth.

  $

  William was finally warm again after a long shower. He had eaten the soup Jeremy sent and felt better for it, but he could not stop his hands from shaking. He looked at them, turning them palms up, then palms down. They shook from the wrists to his fingertips though the nauseous feeling in his stomach had quieted. He had puked in the shower when he realized how close to death he had come. If Jeremy had not seen Philip leaving the house, he would be outside, dead on the snow-covered pathway to the boathouse.

  Bird sat in a thick terry-cloth robe and watched his hands shake. He had tried to dress, but shirt buttons were an insurmountable obstacle with his fingers in their current condition. So he sat and waited for them to stop shaking. A knock at the door made him jump like a frightened rabbit, and he stared fearfully at the door, afraid that Philip had come to finish him. He sighed audibly when he heard the calm voice of Jeremy.

  Jeremy stepped into the suite, looked once at the lawyer and immediately took control. Bird was in shock and in no shape to return to the conference room. He walked to the telephone and quietly issued orders to his staff. A few moments later, there was a sharp rap on the door and Jeremy admitted one of his staff, a burly young man with a shock of red hair. Jeremy ordered the man to stand guard outside the door and allow no one into the room. He placed a gentle hand on William’s shoulder and told him not to worry and then was gone.

  $

  Bethany’s eyes were wide with shock as she looked at Dennis’s apologetic face. The manservant had a hard time making eye contact with her. Camille had uttered some expletive in French and Bethany was glad her understanding of the language did not extend to gutter talk. Junior had left a few moments before, so she was spared the humiliation of his reaction. “Why, Dennis? Our offer was good enough yesterday, why not today? I don’t understand.”

  Dennis mumbled an answer, but all she made out was his wife’s name. Bethany wished for the second time that she had thought to speak directly with Janice. Her husband was a poor go-between. Her immediate thought was that Janice was negotiating, but Bethany needed Junior’s agreement before she could increase her offer. He had left in search of Caroline Smith, there may not be time to figure out this unexpected reversal before they resumed.

  She looked at Dennis, who seemed pitiful as he squirmed in his seat and rubbed his hands nervously. “How much will it cost today, Dennis? I assume that this is about money? Yesterday you would have received eighteen million dollars, but your bonus was conditional on finishing the business before the penalty was applied. Today’s offer was ten million plus another six if we wrapped up before midnight. Apparently that is no longer enough, so tell me, how much will it take?”

  He gave her a strange look, but she paid it no attention. He had been odd since he returned. Of course, he didn’t have an answer. He would need to return to Janice, and the negotiations would drag on, perhaps too long. Bethany needed to negotiate directly with the housekeeper, but first she had to make Junior agree to increase their payout. She dismissed Dennis and left with Camille to find Junior. She saw the Judge and Freddie Hagood heading into the conference room and cursed, she was out of time.

  $

  Caroline saw Junior loitering in the lobby as she headed to the conference room, he was waiting for her. He fell into step next to her, and they walked together for a few paces before he whispered. “Okay, you’re in, but you’ll accept ten percent less than the family. It’s still a lot of money, Smith, you owe me.”

  Caroline felt a surge of relief when she heard she was safe from any attempt to throw her out. For the first time that afternoon she allowed herself to relax and a bounce appeared in her stride as she entered the conference room.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The room filled quickly, and there was an excited buzz of conversation, punctuated by an occasional crackle from the fireplace. Judge Freeman waited to begin. He looked at William Bird’s empty seat and wondered what kept the punctual lawyer from being on time.

  He was about to make a quip about timekeeping when he saw a suited figure stride into the room, but it died on his lips. It was not William Bird he saw, but Jeremy, the major-domo. Jeremy closed the heavy doors behind him and turned to face the room. He saw the Judge look from him to William Bird’s empty seat and back again, and he spoke before Freeman could frame a question.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the interruption, but it cannot be avoided. Judge Freeman, I understand you are the Chair?” Freeman nodded. “Then I must ask you to call an immediate recess until further notice.”

  There was immediate uproar. Junior jumped to his feet and demanded to know what was going on. Others asked the same question, with varying degrees of volume and outrage. Jeremy held his hands up and waited for the noise to subside, he had no intention of trying to shout them down.

  Eventually they got the message and quieted, and the Judge took charge.

  “Jeremy, I’m not certain you understand that our business here is time sensitive. I assume you are here on Mr. Bird’s instructions,
we would like an explanation, please.” There were murmurs of agreement, and everyone turned their attention to the major-domo.

  “I am here on Mr. Bird’s behalf, but not at his instruction. I regret to inform you that during the last recess, Mr. Bird was physically attacked and is badly shaken.”

  Jeremy waited as uproar drowned out his voice. He waited patiently for the room to fall quiet, making no appeal for calm but just waiting for them to settle. “Mr. Bird was outside when Philip Thurwell confronted him and attacked him with a weapon. Fortunately, I happened to be nearby and was able to intervene before Mr. Bird was injured. However, he is in shock and needs time to recover.”

  Bethany slumped into her chair, unable to believe what she had heard. She knew Philip was capable of violence, not long ago he had admitted murder, to her considerable distress. It did not require a stretch of the imagination to see he would blame the lawyer for his disinheritance. She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. “Where is my brother now? Did you hurt him, Jeremy?”

  Freeman was irritated at Bethany’s interruption, but understood her concern and indicated for Jeremy to answer.

  “I had to restrain him, Miss. I had little time to act. Your brother was close to killing Mr. Bird. I hit him, once. It was enough to stop the attack. He is locked in the wine cellar where I intend for him to stay until I receive instructions from Mr. Bird.”

  Bethany lowered her head and cried. She was fond of her younger brother, but recent hours had revealed a person she no longer recognized. A week ago, if she had been told the things she knew now about Phil, she would have laughed them off as wild fantasy. Today they were all too real, and she wept for the brother she thought she had known.

  Junior stood and everyone took a collective deep breath, anticipating a fight. “You need to let my brother out of the cellar now. You have no authority to keep him down there.”