He had finally accepted that she would be unable to give him children, she had willingly taken her punishment and then marveled at how he could forgive her failings.
She signed any papers he asked her to, never questioning their purpose. In fact she tried her best never to ask any questions, accepting that Charles would tell her anything she needed to know.
There was one dark night, one memory that she kept pushed out, that she refused to acknowledge, no that she couldn't acknowledge. She would keep it buried for the rest of her life.
It was only when Charles told her that Nate was returning to Silver Glade that she actually noticed he had been missing. Her son had been busy stealing what was rightfully hers, and it was up to Charles to get it back for her.
Amelia would have to play her part, and she was just happy to still be needed, to be wanted. She would do all that he asked of her, she would show her son that he was not above the law.
In preparation for Nate's return, Charles gifted her with some new pills, they made her feel more confident, especially when having to face her son, who had always made her feel too much.
Feelings were for the weak, for those with nothing to lose. She wanted to feel numb. She wanted to make her husband happy in any way he commanded. She had a part to play, she was going to make Charles proud with her obedience.
Amelia Elizabeth Henderson Sinclair's world came crashing down when finally forced to face the sins that she had allowed, although unwittingly, to be committed against her son.
CHAPTER TWENTY
As he waited for his mother to arrive, Nate wondered again for what felt like the millionth time if he was making a mistake. There was no guarantee that Amelia would show up, and even if she did, that would she listen to what he had to say.
He knew that with Charles by her side, whispering his poison into her ear, it was unlikely that she would believe anything Nate had to tell her. But he had to try.
He owed it to himself to take this last opportunity to let his mother know what had happened to him at the hands of his stepfather and his friends. To warn her of the danger she was now in because of her husband's choices; how his willingness to gamble on her inheritance was was going to fail, and the only chance she had of escaping the danger was to let her son help her.
Jack had been by his side the last few days, meeting with board members of the Henderson Foundation, going through documents dealing with his mother's allowance, reviewing any time she had asked for advances on her funds, along with any outside enquires that seemed suspicious.
There had been a few members of the board who had been approached by either Charles or one of his minions, trying to find a way for his stepfather to get a seat on the board. There had also been some low risk attempts to get their hands on accounts that they had no business seeing.
Luckily his grandfather had made sure that the board was made up of people who could be trusted. The kind of people who had their own income sources so that they could not be bribed or blackmailed by the likes of Charles Sinclair.
Nate was beyond grateful for Jack's help. He had sometimes struggled with some of the legal jargon that the Foundation's law team insisted on using, but his mentor was there to make sure that he understood it all.
Jack was also able to help him get his point of view across in a way that the board could see that Nate wasn't going to go crazy spending money at the expense of the many charities that the foundation endowed.
They had been particularly impressed with one of the new causes that he had wanted to support; the research that he had done, and the impassioned way he spoke about his plans moving forward.
He read through the notes in front of him; even though he knew all the information they held, he was still worried that he might have missed something. The room seemed too quiet, his heartbeat loud in his ears and for one moment he thought he might be having a panic attack.
'You've got this' he told himself, focusing on his breathing, which slowly returned to normal.
"Everything okay?" Jack had entered the room, but stayed silent until Nate had regained his control, something that he appreciated. "Just had word from the security desk that they have arrived."
"They're all here?" As predicted there was no way that Charles Sinclair would not be in attendance, even though it had only been his mother who had been asked to the meeting.
"Charles has also brought his legal eagle with him." Jack made no attempt to hide his disdain for the local prosecutor, Brad Robertson.
"He left his other guard dog at home?" Nate asked, wondering how Officer Camden felt about not being included.
"And for that we can be thankful. Joey Camden might not be the sharpest tool in the box, but he has a short temper and there's going to be enough going on without having to deal with a tantrum."
"Amelia is here, right?" He hated how his voice seemed to tremble.
Anytime he was in the same room as his mother he struggled to block the memories of how she had let him be treated. How she had ignored his cries of pain, had seemed to have no trouble walking away leaving him in the clutches of a man with no soul.
"She is." Jack confirmed. "I'm going to be by your side, and Victoria will be doing most of the speaking, at least while dealing with the legal stuff."
Victoria Townsend was head of the legal department of the foundation, and had known Nate for years. She'd been involved with the process of gaining his emancipation, and was someone that he trusted.
It had been agreed that the lawyer would lead the meeting, allowing Nate to observe everything, to decide if his mother's behavior showed signs that she would be open to on offer of help from her son.
"This way Mrs Sinclair. Gentlemen." He tried not to laugh at the tone of Victoria's voice when she used the word 'gentlemen'. It was pure southern charm that highlighted the fact that she didn't believe the term applied to either Charles and his sidekick.
Jack took a seat beside him; he too would be watching the body language of Amelia; as well as keeping an eye on Nate, to make sure he didn't suffer any panic attacks. Refreshments were offered and declined, and it seemed as if Charles was anxious for things to get started.
"Mrs Sinclair, thank you for joining us today," Victoria began.
"You are not to address my wife directly," Charles interrupted, his tone sharp. "And if I am not treated with the respect I deserve, then we shall walk."
Nate was impressed by the way Victoria didn't react in any way to this announcement by his stepfather. Rather she remained quiet, the personification of politeness.
"I can't believe you expect me to take this meeting seriously, not when you force me to speak with an underling. I was under the impression that I would be meeting with a senior partner, not some washed up débutante."
Inwardly Nate cringed at the vile words Charles spoke, even knowing that Victoria was well able to handle herself, he hated that she had to be in the same room as his stepfather.
"As far as I am aware, Mr Sinclair, the invite to attend this meeting was addressed and sent to your wife. As I am the most senior legal partner of the foundation's board I will chair this meeting. I am here at the express invitation of the chairperson of the Henderson Foundation, as is your wife. Therefore please feel free to remove yourself and you friend, who has also not been invited to attend today."
She raised her eyebrow at Charles, almost daring him to walk out. Nate could see that his temper was barely under control.
"I speak on behalf of my wife, with her permission. We have no secrets." Charles spat out the words. "Therefore you will not address her."
He watched his mother the whole time Victoria and his stepfather were engaged in their battle of wills. She seemed even more vacant than ever; giving her husband the smallest of smiles when he took her hand, not appearing to notice how tightly he held her.
It pained Nate to see her like this, knowing that there was a strong possibility that she would remain under her husband's
control for the rest of her life.
"Mrs Sinclair, do you agree to have your husband act as your proxy? Which means that he shall represent you in all matters today?" Victoria had promised to try and get his mother to speak or act on her own behalf; but there was a fine line between helping her advocate for herself and being accused of bullying.
In the end it didn't matter, as with a whispered 'Yes' Amelia ceded her authority to her husband.
"Very well, before we proceed let the record show that Mr Charles Sinclair will be proxy for Mrs Amelia Sinclair." The stenographer keeping record of the day, nodded to show that she was up to speed with everything.
"If I might ask your friend to identify himself, and his reason for being here today." Again Victoria put an emphasis on the word 'friend'.
"I'm Brad Robertson, the Silver Glade prosecutor."
"Are you here in an official capacity Mr Robertson?"
"Charles asked me to be here, so that Mrs Sinclair's interests are protected from her son." Nate had no response, even though he could see both his stepfather and his lackey were hoping for one.
"I will have to ask you to leave Mr Robertson, unless you are willing to recuse yourself from your office." Victoria ignored the indignant noise Brad made.
"Surely as an officer of the court and someone who has passed the Bar exam, you know that you cannot be here otherwise. Naturally we would be only too happy to provide the necessary paperwork and a notary so that you can stay."
He watched as his stepfather conferred with Brad, they had been neatly boxed into a corner. What did Charles need more; a prosecutor he could call on, or legal assistance now. His decision would give Nate an idea of what his stepfather's endgame plan was, and when Brad stood up to excuse himself from the room, he knew that there was a bigger game at play.
"If you would like we can postpone the meeting, until you organize a new legal counsel?"
"You might have all day to waste, but my time is more valuable, so let's get on with this shall we?" Charles's temper had gone up another level, his usual mask of indifference in front of an audience slipping.
"Very well, there are some papers to be signed, and your wife's new allowance has been settled."
"Excuse me, her new allowance?" It felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped, such was the coldness in his stepfather's words.
"Well yes, after a review it has been decided that Mrs Sinclair's allowance needs to be restructured; in line with her living arrangements and lifestyle. But please don't worry there have been additional funds set aside for the purchase of a new home for Mrs Sinclair."
Nate couldn't lie there was something satisfying about seeing his stepfather lost for words. One glance in his mother's direction, tore at his heart.
From her there was no sign that she had heard anything. It was possible that she didn't even know where she was. Did she even know that her father was dead? Had she retained that information? He had to work hard to keep his emotions from his face.
"Neither I or my wife have any intentions of leaving our current home, but I'm sure that we can find some use for the money you mentioned."
"Mr and Mrs Sinclair, I have documentation here that says you have been made aware that the current owner of the property has given you notice that you must leave by close of business this coming Friday. It is signed by both of you. Furthermore it has been brought to my attention that you made structural changes to the building without permission of the owner, and as such could be liable not only for the cost of undoing the changes, but also repairing any damage that was caused. As the property is under a preservation order there might even be some criminal charges."
"I don't know what lies he's being tell you, but we signed no such papers." Charles pointed in Nate's direction. "And the house belongs to my wife. It is part of her inheritance from her parents."
"You signed the papers at the first reading of the will of Mr Nathaniel Henderson. This is your signature isn't it Mr Sinclair?" A folder with papers was placed in front of Charles. "You will also find your wife's signature, along with the notary, and one of my colleagues who was present that day. Lastly a copy of the stenographer's notes."
Victoria was calm as she explained everything to Charles. Nate watched as his stepfather struggled to understand what was happening, how he could have made such a big mistake as to willingly signing away any claim to the Henderson property.
"My wife and I were so caught up in our grief what we couldn't take in everything that was said on the day," Charles tried to backtrack desperately from the major mistake he had made.
"That is of course understandable, but as the transcript shows you were offered outside counsel to discuss the papers, and their implications and you refused. So I will ask again, do you wish to take a break and have someone with you now?"
Nate could see that Charles was weighing up his options, how important were his other plans, could he get another prosecutor on board in time.
"I would be grateful if you could arrange the paperwork for Mr Robertson and if we could have some time to review things as they stand." Charles sure knew how to turn on the charm when he needed, and it showed Nate how others could be so easily drawn into his web.
"Very well, if you want to follow me, there is a room available down the hall. I'll also arrange for some refreshments to be prepared for you."
Charles, as they hoped, was so focused on trying to resolve the issue with the house that he walked away, leaving Amelia sitting in the meeting room. Waiting a couple of minutes to see if his stepfather would return, he then took his chance to approach his mother.
Moving quietly so as not to startle her, he took a seat to her left.
"Hi Mom, it's me. Nate." He couldn't help the catch in his voice. He reached out his hand, to take his mother's, the motion slow. There was no reaction to either his voice or touch.
"Please Mom, just say something." He hated how weak his voice sounded, how as the silence grew there were tears in his eyes. His mother stared straight ahead, her once bright eyes dull and cloudy. Nate could see the concerned look that Jack gave him.
"Mom, please. I miss you so much."
His voice broke on the words, on the secret he had kept to himself. How in spite of everything, or rather the nothing she had done, there was part of him that still missed her. The mother who had read to him, who went to games in the park, who tried to bake cookies for him.
"Don't make me say goodbye. Please Mom." It was as close as he would ever get to begging his mother, but even as he said the words, he knew that she hadn't heard them.
He heard the sound of rushed footsteps in the corridor and knew that his time was up. He moved away from his mother. No Amelia. No Mrs Sinclair. Therefore he was looking out the window when his stepfather and his faithful lackey arrived into the room. He was glad to put some extra distance between them as he battled to get a hold on his warring emotions.
Once everyone had retaken their seats, and Brad had signed the necessary paperwork recusing himself from his role as prosecutor, Victoria tried to move the meeting on.
For someone who wanted access to Henderson Foundation funds, Charles had, as far as Nate was concerned, made several key errors. It seemed as if his stepfather had no real idea of how the foundation was set up, how money was authorized for release and which of the board members he needed to get on his side.
As usual though Charles was so sure of himself; of his infallibility, that he never once considered that anyone would see through him and his lies. Nate watched with interest as Charles and Brad seemed to have a silent conversation, the lawyer not overly happy with whatever decision had been made.
The fact that he seemed reluctant should have been a clue to just how desperate his stepfather was; that even his trusted sidekick tried to stop him, before reaching into his briefcase and withdrawing a large folder. Nate didn't like the look of triumph that Charles threw his way, and his next words certainly left him stunned.
"Though it pains me to say this, I fear that my wife's dearly departed father has made a mistake; one that you have all overlooked, but I'm sure that once it has been cleared up we will all be able to work together in the best interests of the Henderson Foundation, and my family of course." He paused, letting his words sink in, looking like some deranged movie villain revealing his evil plan.
"However since Nate is not legally of age to inherit his legacy, I am more than willing to look after his affairs, as I am just not his legal guardian but also his father."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
There was silence in the room, as those present allowed the bombshell that Charles had just dropped sink in. Nate's heart raced in his chest, and he struggled to gain control over his emotions, which was made difficult as he couldn't ignore the look of smug satisfaction on his stepfather's face.
In the end it was impossible not to react, and his laughter filled the room. Charles exchanged a glance with Brad, while all the time Nate shook with the force of his laughter.
"Is this just another example of his mental instability?" Brad questioned out loud, killing any mirth Nate felt. "Is that why you are here Dr Riley?" The lawyer turned to Jack, who had been in the room the whole time.
"Dr Riley's services are no longer required. If anything I believe he has been encouraging Nate's problems, not helping them. What kind of father would I be if I didn't put his health first? My son needs protection from those who would try and take advantage of him."
How Charles said any of this with a straight face Nate would never know, but then again his stepfather had being lying for years, so he had plenty of practice. Still his declaration angered Nate who knew that he had to be careful with how he responded.
Jack, for his part continued to ignore Charles and the shooing gestures he made; the ghost of a smile on his face. When his stepfather began snapping his fingers Nate felt his temper grow. Victoria seemed to sense this and spoke, her voice clear and very condescending.
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