Love With A Stranger (14 page)

Peter shifted his position in the chair before he added, “As for a bloodline will, I’m positive it’s meant to safeguard your life. With one in force, no man will be tempted to marry and do harm to you for your estate because it would revert to me after your death, since you don’t have a Grantham heir to inherit it. Spouses have been murdered for far less money than you’ll be receiving. By your estate, I mean anything that came from Dad. Whatever you brought into the marriage is yours outright
to do with as you please. I suppose I should ask if you are pregnant.”

“What?” she asked in confusion.,

“Are you pregnant with another little Grantham? If so, that changes the bloodline order to your child being your heir, not me or mine.”

“No, I’m not pregnant. Your father didn’t want any more children. He claimed he was too old and too busy for rearing one. He said that a man his age wouldn’t have the patience and energy to deal with a crying infant or an active toddler and a worse time handling a rambuctious teenager.”

“He was being foolish, Cass; he
wasn’t
too old to start another family. All he had to do was hire a nanny to take care of the little bundle. You wanted to have children, didn’t you?”

“Yes, and I didn’t know Tom was so set against it before we married. Does the bloodline stipulation still apply after ten years?”

“I think so, but Simon can answer that question for you. If you meet someone you want to marry, Cass, and if he loves you enough, he’ll wait the specified time limit. If you don’t want to wait five or ten years, giving up a fortune that size would certainly prove your love for him. Besides, if you still want to have kids, it isn’t too late.”

“At my age, Peter, it could be risky for the child.”

“You’re only thirty-five, Cass, and you look much younger.”

She smiled and nodded, but wanted the touchy subject dropped.

“I think you should look over the papers again to see if you have any questions for me. If I don’t know the answers, I’ll get them for you tomorrow, or you can make a list and ask them when you see Simon.”

While Cass read everything over, Peter observed her as his mind whirled with ideas. He wasn’t about to tell Cass that as a forty-nine-percent owner in the eight companies, she had a vote in their business matters. He didn’t want her interfering
in his affairs and decisions, and he did have the power to overrule her if she tried. Simon had promised not to divulge that fact, either, unless she specifically asked about it, and he doubted she had enough business sense to do so. All he had to do was get her married off within a few years, less than five, and she wouldn’t withdraw much from that trust fund account. Perhaps Cass’s desire for a child would be the key to her defeat; he was certain she wouldn’t want to wait much longer before having one, surely not five or ten years. There should be plenty of men her age who wanted a baby, if only to prove they were still virile.

If he and Inez were right, Jason Burkman had more than a professional interest in his stepmother, be it a romantic or vengeful one. He hoped Jason would woo her mindless and marry her fast so she would be compelled to relinquish all claims to her inheritance, to Grantham money and belongings that should be his!
Jason, my man, if you get Cass out of my life, I don’t care if you do believe you’re exacting revenge on the man who slept with your wife and caused your divorce.

Jason was only half correct in his assumptions about the past. Peter hadn’t seduced Brenda Burkman sixteen months ago; the sex-hungry slut had pursued him like a voracious predator, practically dragged him off to her lair where, he admitted with a suppressed grin, she was skilled in the many arts of giving pleasure. Maybe that was how Brenda had gotten her hooks into Jason while the poor bastard was still suffering over the death of his first wife. No red-blooded man, single or married, would have turned down what she had begged him to take. For three months they had met frequently and always with great-lust.

Peter was certain Brenda had arranged for Jason to discover them together in hopes of gaining her freedom and ensnaring him, but she had failed and lost both of them. Jason had been smart and clear-headed enough to prevent a nasty scandal by keeping the reason for his divorce a secret from everybody.
Both men had been delighted when Brenda moved back East to seek another target.

Yep, Peter decided, it would suit him just fine if Jason snared Cass soon and she had to return what was rightfully his. But if that goal failed, he could get Jason out of the picture fast with a few clever words whispered into the bitch’s ear. Besides, he wouldn’t mind screwing her silly a few times before discarding her. Despite how much he hated her, Cass was beautiful and desirable.

For a while there, Peter reflected, he had thought there might be another way of getting rid of Cassandra Redfern Stillman Grantham. She had signed a prenuptial agreement to give her only five hundred thousand dollars in the event of a divorce before five years, three million dollars up to ten years, and ten million dollars if the marriage lasted longer. But upon his father’s death, Cass got thirty percent of the cash assets, their home, household possessions, jewelry, car, and forty-nine percent of the company stocks: a fifteen-million-dollar-plus gain with his death versus a divorce.

When those two detectives had questioned him about his father’s possible enemies and beneficiaries, he had revealed the news about Cass’s prenuptial agreement, though he had pretended it was dragged out of him. He had hoped those two creeps would become suspicious of her and cause her trouble. If he had learned sooner about the police’s suspicions, he would have found a way to create evidence against her!

Peter reasoned that her discovery of his father’s betrayals and a resulting divorce and loss of so much wealth could have been a strong motive in the eyes of the law for her to kill her husband. But Cass didn’t know the truth about his weaknesses; his father had been clever to conceal his rapacious and diverse appetite for sex. It was too bad she hadn’t opened his briefcase and found enlightening notations on his calendar and in his phone book which even her dense mind would have grasped. He had been tempted to tell her the truth just to jeopardize and
torment her, especially about those homosexual encounters. He couldn’t tell her about seeing his father and David Hines cavorting wildly in the gym while she was out Christmas shopping and he’d come into the house unheard by the two men or Hines would retaliate by exposing their drug scheme to incapacitate Cass for a while.

Peter quelled the revulsion that almost gagged him as he recalled what he had witnessed on the sly that day in the gym between the naked, writhing males. Those sights and sounds were indelibly branded into his mind forever, and he despised his father for imprinting those hateful images there. After reviewing his father’s calendar and phone book and checking locked drawers in desks in his residences elsewhere, he had learned more than he had wanted to know from letters and Polaroid shots. He had destroyed all of them, and hoped no more were in existence.

Tom’s screwing around with other women didn’t bother Peter, but his father’s bisexual affairs did. He couldn’t imagine how Thomas Ethan Grantham could have taken such risks with his life, reputation, and wealth. Maybe his mother hadn’t run off with another man as he had been told many years ago; perhaps she had discovered the dirty truth and couldn’t bear it. Knowing Tom’s proclivities, she had left a male child with him, who might grow up to emulate his father’s behavior, and that was unforgivable! Even so, he had been sent to the best boarding schools and college available and been given everything he desired, except a mother’s love. His father had educated and groomed him to step into his shoes, but it turned out the last thing he wanted was to be anything like the real Thomas Grantham! He would feel sorry for the betrayed Cass if he wasn’t sure she had only married his father for his money and social status, so she had gotten what she deserved!

Cass’s mind was racing as swiftly as Peter’s was. She suspected Tom had included that marital stipulation to prevent her from falling in love and wedding too soon after his death;
perhaps he wanted everyone to think he was so wonderful and irreplaceable and she was so grief-stricken she had to mourn him for a long time! Tom owed her for humiliating her, betraying her, and for endangering her life with his bisexual cheating. She would take his money and use it to obtain freedom from her past with him. Now that she knew what kind of man he had been, she was surprised he had left her anything. Perhaps he had loved her in a strange way.

At least, she realized, he hadn’t exposed his dark side by bequeathing anything to any of his lovers! Nor had anything been left to his first wife, a woman she had been told had run off with another man.

She wasn’t envious of what Peter had inherited; after all, he was Tom’s only child. Nor did she have any desire to exchange this house for one of the other residences where Tom might have entertained his lovers, so she hoped Peter didn’t make that suggestion. One point he hadn’t elaborated on was her position in the eight companies; as the only other stockholder, surely she had some say in how they were run, and had a vote in business matters concerning them. Since Peter had controlling interests, was in charge of them, and they were profiting nicely, she wouldn’t press that point any time soon and risk antagonizing him. She wouldn’t even mention it to the lawyer when she met with Simon so neither man would realize she was knowledgeable in that area. They didn’t have to know she had been an administrative assistant in a large company before she got married.

Cass looked up from the pages and told him, “I sent Inez over to your place for that box of messages, letters, and cards you mentioned on the phone. I have them upstairs if you want them returned.”

Peter was surprised that was what she chose to remark on after what she had read and heard today. Obviously the extent of her wealth and the demands placed upon her collecting it were too much for her feeble mind to absorb so fast. He forced
out a smile and said, “Good, I’m glad you handled them. Has anyone else called or written that I need to thank?”

“Not unless a message came in on your answering machine at home. I assume you stay in touch with your office here when you’re out of town, so your secretary has probably passed along any that came in there.”

“You’re right, and she did. I should warn you, if anybody tries to bill you for something they claim Dad owed or ordered, refer them to me; that’s a scam some con men try to pull on grieving widows or other family members while they’re still dazed. You might even get bills and magazines from subscriptions they’ll claim he ordered before his death. I immediately canceled Dad’s credit cards and had all business charge accounts changed to my name so they can’t be used illegally. I also closed his bank account but left enough in it to cover any outstanding checks; we don’t want a forger dipping into it. Do you need any money to tide you over until all of this is settled?”

You did it “immediately” after his death but you’re just now telling me? Were there charges or checks you didn’t want me to see? Perhaps some you made or wrote? Or enlightening ones about your father?
“I don’t think so. I have money in my personal checking account and several credit cards with high limits in my name. They’re still open, right?”

“Yes, but I took Dad’s name off of them and added mine as the person who’ll cover any overdrafts and excessive charges you make. If that happens, you can repay me later.”

“Thanks, Peter. Should I take over my personal finances or let our accountant continue to pay the household bills as usual?”

“Either way, whichever you prefer; but if it were me, I’d let Harry Dredger do the work, at least until everything is settled and you’ve fully recovered. When you get ready to take over, meet with Harry and let him teach you how to handle your bills and records.”

Cass had handled her budget for years after her divorce from
Brad, but only her income and bills had been involved, not an enormous estate which could be beyond her management skills. “That’s excellent advice, Peter, thanks. I don’t think I have any questions at this time, but I’ll let you know later if I do. Would you like to join me and Linda for dinner?” she asked, but hoped he wouldn’t.

“Thanks, but I’m exhausted after my long trip and I ate a late lunch. I’m going to grab a snack, take a steam shower, and turn in early. When you see Doctor Burkman next time, thank him for me for all he’s done for you. Good night, Cass, and I’m glad you’re doing better. If there’s anything you need, if it’s only to talk, just call me at home or at the office.”

“Thank you, Peter, and good night.”

Cass watched him leave via the patio door rather than going through the kitchen where Linda was working.
Peter, Peter, Peter, should I trust you or not? Tragedies do have a way of bringing people closer together or healing old wounds, and your concern and advice seem sincere, and contradictory to what would benefit you most. You could have let me go off the deep end three weeks ago and legally gained control of my estate, but instead you quickly sought medical help for me! It’s fortunate that you inherited fifteen percent more than I did, because a vice-versa decision or a fifty/fifty split would have angered you. Since you’re the major stockholder in all eight companies, I can’t really cause significant trouble to you with them. Your change of heart is so confusing! If you’re being deceitful, what are your motive and intentions? And how far will you go to obtain your goals?

But if you’re truly offering me an olive branch,
Cass reasoned,
I don’t want to risk damaging it because we do have business connections and we’re still neighbors. I just wish I wasn’t so leery of you! I suppose the only thing I can do is watch and wait to see what happens, and pray it isn’t bad.

She halted her rambling thoughts and joined Linda in the
kitchen. She pasted on a smile. “How is it coming? Do you need any help?”

“Just about finished. Is Mr. Grantham joining us?”

Cass noticed how Linda glanced toward the den. The nurse had clearly groomed herself, and three plates were waiting on the counter. “No, he was tired. He’s already gone; he left by the patio door. I’ll set the table.”