Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“Sheldon Manswell, you are to receive a yearly stipend of five hundred thousand dollars. This is to be paid to you in equal monthly amounts. Your father believed this would provide for your needs while encouraging independence in all other matters.”
Sheldon’s eyes widen slightly, a flash of disappointment passing across his face. It is subtle, fleeting, but still unmistakable. Five hundred thousand dollars a year is generous by ordinary standards, but by the measure of the Manswell fortune, it is practically nothing. I think back to what Betty told me about Joseph being closer to Axel than Sheldon, but this still makes me wonder about the reasoning behind what appears to be a slap in the face for Sheldon. I guess I’ll never know.
“Sheldon, I’m so sorry,” I murmur softly, but he shakes his head.
“It’s ok,” he whispers, forcing a small smile. “I’ll survive.”
Gavin turns the page in the folder and goes on.
“The next few items I won’t go through at this time. Joseph Manswell has designated certain members of the household staff to receive generous sums on the condition that they remain employed for the next year. He has requested that the sums stay private between the estate and the person concerned. They will continue to receive their normal salaries in addition to these gifts, which will be paid in full at the end of the year. Once the year is up, the staff may be kept on at the discretion of Mr. Rhodes and Miss Button. In the meantime, if any of the staff members leave before the year is up, their sum may be awarded, again at the discretion of Mr. Rhodes and Miss Button. If any member of staff is let go within this year, they will receive their salary and sum in full. The staff members this will affect are Betty Maynard, Marjorie Johnson, Gregory Finch, and Elise Jackson, plus the remaining household cleaning team and gardening team.”
I am glad to hear that Betty is getting to keep her job and then getting a nice pay out after the year is up. I am more than a little surprised to hear that I am part of the decision-making team about whether the staff stay on after the year or not. Why is their staying my choice? I don’t want to interrupt to ask, so I make a mental note to ask Gavin after the reading.
“And now,” Gavin says, his voice lowering. “We come to the primary beneficiaries of Joseph Manswell’s estate: Jo Button and Axel Rhodes.”
What? I glance at Axel, who raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but wary. My stomach tightens.
“The bulk of Mr. Manswell’s wealth,” Gavin continues, “is to be divided equally between the two of you. However, there are specific conditions to be met before the inheritance is finalized. These conditions are as follows:
“Both of you must reside in the mansion for a period of one year. During that year, Jo Button will be responsible for the meticulous cleaning and restoration of Joseph Manswell’s private collection of invaluable paintings, and Axel Rhodes must continue to run the business empire, maintaining all operations at their current level. During that year, all of your living expenses will be covered, and Miss Button will receive a salary that will match that of Mr. Rhodes.
“At the conclusion of the year, both of you must be in a position to produce an heir. This means Jo must be pregnant, and Axel’s partner must also be pregnant. Should either of these conditions fail to be met, the entirety of the inheritance will be forfeited and redirected into several trusts supporting animal charities. These are the final wishes of Joseph Manswell. I confirm that he was of sound mind when he drew up this testament.”
The words hit me like a hammer to the chest. My fingers tighten around the arms of my chair. I look at Axel, and the disbelief on my face is mirrored in his own. This time, I can’t stop my question from blurting out.
“You can’t be serious,” I gasp, my voice tight with shock. “Are you saying he expects us both to be tied to each other’s actions in something as important as producing heirs?”
Axel’s green eyes blaze with anger. “This is absurd,” he mutters, his jaw clenched with disbelief. “This is insane.”
I stare at him, not knowing what to say. My mind is reeling, trying to process the implications. One year. Living under the same roof. Tied together in fortune and biological obligation. At least now I understand why I get a say in the employment of the house staff. I feel the edges of panic creeping in. I don’t want this life. I don’t want to play-act ‘lady of the manor’. And I certainly don’t want to have to be pregnant in a year just to fulfill some clause in a will just so I can inherit some money.