Harlow hugged her great-great-aunt, then poured herself coffee and took a seat. She looked at her brother.
“They’re at it again.”
“Mindy and Payne?”
Harlow nodded. “Someone needs to look at that poor bed frame. I think it’s going to fall apart.”
Lillian laughed. “I’ll mention it to Salvia. She can put it on the maintenance list. However, we should probably wait until after our guests have left.”
Austin looked at the clock on the wall. “I’m going to take a shower. If they’re not done, I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, they don’t go that long, so you should be safe.”
Austin grinned. “Old people. You never know what they’ll get up to.” He stood and circled behind Lillian. After hugging her, he whispered, “Thank you.”
He left. Harlow added clotted cream and jam to a scone, wondering why her brother was thanking Aunt Lillian.
“You seem to have something on your mind,” Lillian said as she sipped her tea.
Harlow stared at her. “You can’t possibly know that. I’ve been here like five seconds.”
“I’ve known you since you were a baby. So what is it?”
“I’m trying to figure out what to do about my job. Should I go back and work for my father, knowing he’ll always see me as his kid?”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“He doesn’t respect me.” Harlow nibbled on her scone. “I’m not sure I’ve earned his respect, so maybe I don’t have the right to complain. Now I wonder if I should quit and go somewhere else. I could earn my place in that company, get some real experience, then work for my dad later, when I’m more than a twenty-two-year-old with delusions of grandeur.”
“You’re being very hard on yourself.”
Harlow wished that was true. “I kind of think I’m being honest with myself for the first time. It’s not fun, but I’m hoping it builds character.”
Lillian studied her. “How about if I mess up all your plans?”
Harlow laughed. “I don’t think you have that much power.”
“Oh, my sweet, how wrong you are.” Lillian set down her cup. “I’m leaving you and your brother two hundred and fifty thousand dollars each. Before you joined us, I told Austin what I’m about to tell you. I’m going to give you both the money now. Why should you wait until I’m dead? I’m delighted to help him pay for college. So I say to you, if you want to buy your kayaking company, then you’re about to have the money to do that.”
Harlow stared at her wide-eyed. “What? I mean, are you serious? You can’t give me that kind of money.”
“Actually I can. I thought maybe you’d use some for your wedding, but maybe buying the company is a better option.”
Harlow dropped her scone and flung herself at her aunt. “Thank you so much. That’s incredible. You don’t have to do this.”
“I love you, child. What else would I do with it?”
Harlow’s chest was tight, and she was having trouble thinking. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? She could do so much with the money. As Lillian said, she could buy the kayaking company herself. For cash! She could run it and keep all the profits! She could—
“I don’t want to,” she said, the words coming from deep inside. They shocked her, but she knew they were honest. “I don’t want buy the company by myself. I’m not ready. I wouldn’t know the first thing about running it. I’m twenty-two. I don’t know how to be in charge of a bunch of employees or how it works. I would have to learn on the job, and that terrifies me.”
With that particular truth came yet another wave of “what had she been thinking,” expecting her father to buy her the business so she could play boss.
Harlow sighed. “I’ve been a fool. I don’t even want to buy it when you hand me the money. I’m a fraud.”
“You’re young and finding your way.”
A too-kind explanation for her behavior, Harlow thought. “I don’t deserve your generosity.”
“There is no ‘deserve.’ It’s my money, and I get to decide what happens to it.”
Harlow thought about how Lillian had said Austin would use part of his inheritance to pay for college. At least he had a plan. So did her mom and Enid, and—
“I want to help Enid. I could use some of the money to pay for part of medical school. That way she wouldn’t have to take out so much in loans. As for the rest, I don’t know. I’m overwhelmed.”
“You don’t have to decide anything now,” Lillian pointed out. “That’s why we have banks.”
Harlow hugged her. “You’re too generous. Thank you so much. You’re right. I don’t have to decide anything, but you’ve given me the gift of options.” She smiled. “Now I want to talk to my mom about this.”
Lillian patted her arm. “Yes, well, I would suggest you give her a little bit. She was going to yell at Mason about Austin wanting to join the navy. It might be better to let them deal with that first.”
Harlow laughed. “You’re right. I’ll wait.” She returned to her seat. “So, Mindy and her husband. Do you think they’ll work things out?”
“I hope so.” Her tone was wistful. “A good marriage is such a blessing. I hope you and Kip have that, my dear. And at least fifty years together.”
Harlow smiled. “Me, too.”
Because she loved Kip. He would be so excited about her inheritance and all the possibilities. They could use part of it for a down payment for a house.
“I’m feeling a little spry this morning,” Lillian said. “Get me my cane, darling. Then we can walk in the garden and cut flowers for the table. This afternoon, Austin promised me a few games of backgammon. He thinks he’ll win.”
Harlow laughed. “He always thinks that, and he never does.”
Lillian winked. “Some people are optimistic by nature, even when they have no reason to be.”
* * *
Once she regained her strength after multiple orgasms, Robyn returned to the music room to continue her inventory. While counting the number of flutes and guitars didn’t need to be done, she wanted some time to herself.
She went through two cabinets and found piles of sheet music. A wooden box contained stacks of handwritten music by Bellini, Romberg and Puccini.
Robyn stared at pages and pages of what looked to be original sheet music.