VINA IN VENICE (THE 5 SISTERS) (2 page)

Another week passed with no better results, and they’d finally had to acknowledge their parents were gone
forever.
  The search had been called off and they’d returned to the
mansion, their lives shattered by the tragic loss of their beloved parents. 
Friends and relatives rallied around them, but it was
Sheldon
Davis, their father’s attorney and
good
friend, who
took over the legalities.  Death
in absentia
, he’d called it.  Presumption of death. 

Since the circumstances surrounding Victor and Lucinda’s disappearance overwhelmingly support
ed
the belief they were dead, he was able to obtain a court order
to have
certificates of death issued.  This allowed him to proceed with the reading and execution of their last Will and Testament, relieving the girls of the financial burden they most certainly would have endured if the process had run its normal course.
  As Executer of the Will,
Sheldon
advised them to let their father’s capable employees manage the company for a while.

“Victor
was an exceptional judge of character,” he’d told them.  “His management team will keep things running smoothly until you’re ready to take the helm. 
Providing
…” he eyed each of them in turn, “you follow the stipulations of the Will.”

“Stipulations?” Victoriana sounded as dazed as Vina felt.

Sheldon
held up
several
sealed envelopes, all of them numbered.  “There are five…tasks your parents want you to complete before control of the company, assets, and finances are turned over to you equally.  They are to be performed one at a time
.  O
nly
after
each of you has accomplished, or made an earnest effort to accomplish the task, will the next one be assigned.”

Vina glanced around at the confused faces of her sisters.  “I think I speak for all of us when I say we don’t understand.  What kind of tasks, and who determines whether any or all of us have made an earnest effort?”

“I’m afraid I can only
divulge
what is in the first envelope.  The others will only be revealed upon successfully completing the one before it.  It seems I also have
the
dubious
h
onor of determining
whether
each of you has given it your best shot.”

“Daddy trusted you implicitly,” Vina said.  “Naturally, we feel the same the way.  But…should you decide one or more of us has
failed
what does that mean as far as the company and other assets are concerned?”

Sheldon’
s eyes lingered on Victoriana
for a moment
before addressing them all.
  “I want you to know that I tried to persuade Victor not to make it so cut and dried, but he was adamant.
 
If even one of you fails…the company and assets will be sold off.  All proceeds will be added to your parents
’
cash and liquid assets,
and
then divided in half.  Fifty percent will be shared equally by you ladies, and the other fifty is to be distributed to various charities.”

Victoriana was the first to recoup from the blow.  “
Sell the company
,” her voice shook with anger
,
“
has
you lost your mind?  You’re the hot shot lawyer
, Mr. Davis
.  It’s
your
responsibility to steer your clients
towards sound
decisions.”

“Steer them, yes,” Sheldon replied gently, “but I can’t bully them.  You and I both know there was no way to talk Victor out of something once he made up his mind.”

“Mother could have done it,” Victoriana
countered
.  “Did you even bother to ask
her to talk
him
out of it
?”

“No, but it wouldn’t have accomplished anything.  Lucinda’s Will is identical to Victor’s.  I met with them at
the
same time, and she agreed with his decisions wholeheartedly.  You’ve all been apprised of the value of your parent’s estates.  Even at fifty percent, you
will
be independently wealthy for the rest of your lives…as long as you’re not frivolous with the money.
”

“We are Victor Moore’s daughters,” Victoriana declared with an indignant huff.  “We have never been, nor will we ever be,
frivolous
with money.”

The corner of Sheldon’s mouth twitched as if he was trying not to smile.  “
My apologies, Miss Moore, I didn’t mean to infer that you were.  Now, shall I leave you alone to discuss it
,
or will you need a few days to think it over?”

A dead silence fell over the room as Vina and her sisters bounced a non-verbal conversation off each other. 
There wasn’t really anything to consider.  They weren’t worried about losing half the estates to charity; their parents had always been extremely generous when it came to a worthwhile cause.  But to lose the company their father had built an empire out of, the company where each of them was held in high regard because of their hard work and dedication…it was inconceivable.  More importantly, how could they refuse the last request their parent’s would ever ask of them?

“We are in agreement,” Victoriana informed him.  “
Please open the first envelope.”

“You…all agree?”  Sheldon looked bewildered.  “Wouldn’t you like to discuss it first?”

Victoriana’s smile was indulgent.  “
We did discuss it, Mr. Davis, and we agreed to comply with our parents
’
wishes.”

“Amazing,” he mumbled as he plucked the envelope with the number one written on it.
 

Vina had listened intently
while Sheldon read the instructions. 
Apparently, the first task was a two-parter. 
They were to take a couple of days to consider the qualities they desired in a husband, then write
them down.  Only after all of them were finished, were the
y to open the second envelope.  It seemed an odd request, but one that required little effort on their part, so they were still in agreement about going through with it.  Maria did not voice her reluctance at the time, but they were all aware of it just the same.

“I have
a
question,” Kelsey said, after Sheldon finished reading.  “
You said Daddy’s management team
will
run the company until we complete the tasks, but you didn’t mention anything about a time frame.  Are we to understand that we
can’t
go back to work
until then?”

“No time frame,” Sheldon replied.  “Victor didn’t want to burden you with that kind of pressure.  He felt your own desire to get back to work would be incentive enough.  That’s not to say you
are
forbidden to work.  It would, however, be more expedient to focus on the tasks rather than divide your attention and delay turning the company over to you completely.”

Maria scowled at Sheldon.  “And just how are we to maintain the mansion and its staff?  It was Daddy’s income that paid for the roof over our heads, food, clothing, and all the
other expenses of daily living.  We certainly won’t be able to take over the costs involved if we’re not working.”

“Victor’s accountant will handle paying the household expenses,” Sheldon told them.  “He will also provide each of you with a monthly stipend equal to your current salaries.  If there are any unexpected expenses, bring them to me for approval and I will forward them to the accountant.”

Maria’s sour expression made it evident she wasn’t thrilled with that last part, but she didn’t pursue it any further.  “You said the first task has a second part to it.  Once we complete the lists of our…
ideal
man, how long do we have to wait to find out what’s in the second envelope?”

“That’s up to you, ladies.  I’m entrusting the second envelope to you now because I know you will honor your parents’ request not to open it before you’ve made out your lists.”

“How magnanimous of you,” Maria muttered.

Sophia
shot Maria a disproving
glance
before
offering Sheldon an apologetic smile on behalf of their cranky sister
.
  “I…I have a question too.  What about the families of the pilot and flight attendant?  Did they have life insurance policies?  I’d hate to think of their families struggling to make ends meet while we are getting full salaries whether we work or not.”

Vina grimaced inwardly for not
thinking
of it herself,
but being sensitive to the needs of
others came naturally to Sophia
.  It was one of the things Vina most admired abou
t her
twin.  She was glad Sophia
asked
,
and wa
s relieved when Sheldon assured them the
surviving families
were being well provided for
financially.
  Monetary compensation couldn’t make up for their loss, of course, but at
least they wouldn’t have to deal with
financial concerns in their time of mourning.

Her mind shifted back to the present
as
her sisters filed into the room.  Victoriana held the second envelope in her hand and remained standing while Vina joined the others on the sofa.  Maria was still in a dubious mood so Vina felt safer cocooned between
Sophia and Kelsey.  Her nerves were a bit jittery as Victoriana
tore the envelope open and extracted a single sheet of paper.

“It…it’s handwritten by Mom,” Victoriana squeaked out. 

Vina blinked back the well of tears in her eyes.  It was difficult to watch
the hands of
her strong
-
willed sister
tremble as she battled the same barrage of emotions they were all experienc
ing
.  Victoriana was the
leader, the one they looked to for strength and stability.  She was always so level-headed, so calm and cool in the face of adversity, and she rarely let that rigid control on her emotions slip.
  Right now, it was doing a landslide.

“You can do this,” Vina said with much more conviction than she felt.  If it was her standing there, she would have already crumbled to the floor
in a heap
, blubbering like an idiot.

Victoriana cleared her throat, her hands slowly steadying.  “
My darling daughters
,” she read.  “
Do not grieve for me, for my life has already been filled with greater love and joy than anyone could ever imagine or hope for.  I pray that your father is still there to
comfort and guide you, but we felt it was important to have a contingency plan in the event that he and I passed together
.
”

Vina clutched the hands of Sophia and Kelsey as all the girls openly wept.  Even the stalwart Victoriana had tears streaking down her pale cheeks.  How she found the inner strength to continue reading in that unwavering voice was beyond Vina’s comprehension, but she couldn’t have been more proud of Victoriana than she was at that moment.

“
By now, you will have read the first letter.  Have patience, my darlings; it is
my
last
opportunity to meddle in your lives and offer some motherly advice.  My greatest wish is that each
of
you will find the kind of love your father and I share.  A love that is open and honest, trusting,
and
ever-lasting.  Nothing is more important than family.  I realize that right now, you must feel as if our
family
has been torn apart by death, but it can only separate us physically.  As long as I remain in your hearts, I am alive.
”

Victoriana drew in a ragged breath, pausing for a moment to allow a box of tissues to be passed around.  She smiled at Sophia through a mist of tears and took the tissue being offered.  They dabbed at their eyes, made some very unfeminine sounds as they blew their noses, than put on brave faces while Victoriana read the last part.

“
We are proud of your diligence in becoming an essential part of the family business, but we do worry that your dedication has kept you from enjoying your youth.  Learning to balance your personal life with your professional life will be difficult, but you will never find the kind of happiness I want for you
while sitting
behind
a desk. 
This is why we have temporarily taken away your work duties.
 

“
You are being pushed from the nest.  Find your true love, your destiny, your heart’s desire.  I have given Sheldon an envelope for each one of you.
  Inside, you will find a ticket
to a destination we believe is the perfect setting for romance
.  We have also taken the liberty of providing you with an escort, someone we trust to watch over our daughters and keep them safe in our absence.  Our love is with you always.
”