The Philanthropist's Danse Read Free Page B

growing fear. He hated what came next and had argued bitterly with his employer about this moment, but had failed to sway the Old Man’s resolve. “Since you are all bound in this agreement, it’s time to reveal the purpose of your invitation.”
    He took a deep breath and spoke the words that changed their lives forever. “Your task is to decide who among you is to inherit the late Johnston Thurwell’s fortune.”
    $
    Junior paled to a parchment color as he absorbed the news of his father’s death. Bethany rocked in her chair, hugging herself and shaking her head. Tears streaked her cheeks as she realized she would never see or speak with her father again. Philip was uncertain what to do. His eyes darted between his brother and sister, but he sat frozen in his chair.
    Larry MacLean held his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his silver hair. Only the elderly Mrs. Tremethick showed no reaction. William saw his guests trying to absorb the news, but his instructions allowed them no time to grieve. His client had insisted that he be merciless.
    He raised his hand to signal for silence and was rewarded with immediate compliance, save for muted sobs. “Johnston Thurwell died one week ago, here in Litore , his country mansion. His death remains a secret that until now has been shared only by a few. There has been no announcement, and there will be none until your business is concluded.
    “Mr. Thurwell had time to make arrangements before he died and this meeting is the culmination of his plan. In a moment, I’ll leave you to your thoughts, but first you must understand what is expected of you tomorrow.”
    William checked to see everyone was paying attention as he dropped the hammer. “Mr. Thurwell’s fortune is to be shared among the twelve of you. Your task is to determine who gets a share, if any, and how much.
    “You begin tomorrow morning at 9.00 a.m. If you have not reached an agreement by midnight, the fortune will be reduced by twenty percent. The penalty will be repeated each midnight until you either reach an agreement or the entire fortune is transferred to the Thurwell Foundation. I will see you tomorrow, good night.” He gathered up his notes and laptop and had left the room before his guests fully comprehended the implication of everything he had told them.

Chapter Three
    J unior walked to the window and rocked on his heels as he stood with his back to the group with his fists balled tightly in his pockets. A casual observer might have seen that Junior trembled, but what the observer may not have guessed was that Junior Thurwell was furious, not grieving.
    He was angry at William Bird for humiliating him. He was angry the family had learned of his father’s passing in a room filled with strangers and servants. But what made Junior tremble with rage was his father’s decision to force his own flesh and blood to compete for their rightful inheritance.
    $
    Larry MacLean was devastated by the loss of his closest friend. He wanted to know what extraordinary circumstances made his friend choose to die without saying a word of goodbye to his friends and family. MacLean could have understood if it were only he who had been excluded, but what the lawyer told them made no sense. He looked across the table and realized Bethany and her brothers had been informed of their father’s death in the coldest imaginable manner.
    MacLean could not reconcile the callous act with the man he had known since college. He knew Johnston was tough. A man needed a brutal edge to build an empire as vast as Thurwell had in one lifetime. Yet Johnston Thurwell had also been a dedicated family man, which made the rejection of his children jarring.
    Larry tried to put himself in his friend’s shoes to understand what might have made him leave his children out of his life at its end, but it was too hard for him to think as a person he’d never been. Thurwell loved family, whereas Larry had preferred to live free of permanent