last. She couldn't ev= summon up the courage to raise the matter with Henry when he asked her for the last hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
'I am going to lose the whole deal if I don't have that money right now, Anne.'
'But it's all I have, Henry. If I give you that amount, I'll be left with nothing.'
'This house alone must be worth over two hundred thousand. You could mortgage it tomorrow.'
'The house belongs to William.'
'William, William, William. It's always William who gets in the way of my success,' shouted Henry as he stormed out.
He returned home after midnight, contrite, and told her he would rather she kept her money and that he went under, for at least they would still have each other. Anne was comforted by his words and later they made love. She signed a cheque for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars the next morning, trying to forget that it would leave her penniless until Henry pulled off the deal he was pursuing. She couldn't help wondering if it was more than a coincidence that Henry had asked for the exact amount that remained of her inheritance.
The next month Anne missed her period.
Doctor MacKenzie was anxious but tried not to show it; the grandmothers were horrified and did; while Henry was delighted and assured Anne that it was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him in his whole life, and even agreed to building a new children's wing for the hos, pital that Richard had planned before he died.
When William heard the news by letter from his mother, he sat deep in thought all evening unable to tell even Matthew what was preoccupying him. The following Saturday morning, having been granted special permission, by his housemaster, Grumpy Raglan, he boarded a train to Boston and on arrival withdrew one hundred dollars from his savings account. He then proceeded to the law offices of Cohen, Cohen and Yablons in Jefferson Street. Mr. Thomas Cohen, the senior partner, a tall angular man with a dark jowl was somewhat surprised when William was ushered into his office.
'I have never been retained by a sixteen - year - old before~ Mr. Cohen began. 'It will be quite a novelty for m& - - - P he hesitated ~ - - Mr. Kane.'
He found Mr. Kane did not run easily off the tongue. 'Especially as your father was not exactly - how shall I put it? - known for his sympathy for my co - religionists.'
'My father,' replied William, ',was a great admirer of the achievements of the Hebrew race and in particular had considerable respect for your firm when you acted on behalf of rivals. I heard him mention your name on several occasions. Thaeswhy I have chosenyou, Mr. Cohen, not you me, That should be reassurance enough.'
Mr. Cohen quickly put aside the fact that William was only sixteen.
'Indeed, indeed. I feel I can make an exception for the son of Richard Kane. Now, what can we do for you?'
'I wish you to answer three questions for me, Mr. Cohen. One, I want to know if my mother, Mrs. Henry Osborne, were to give birth to a child, son or daughter, whether that child would have any legal rights to the Kane fan - dly trust. Two, do I have any legal obligations to Mr. Henry Osborne because he is married to my mother, and three, at what age can I insist that Mr. Henry Osborne leave my house on Louisburg Square in Boston?'
Thomas Cohen's quill pen sped furiously across the paper in front of him, spattering little blue spots on an already ink - stained desk top.
William placed one hundred dollars on the desk. The lawyer looked taken aback but picked the notes up and counted thern.
Chapter 11
'Use the money prudently, Mr. Cohen. I will need a good lawyer when I leave Harvard.'
'You have already been accepted at Harvard, Mr. Kane? My congratulations.
I am hoping my son will go there too.'
'No, I have not, but I shall have done so in two years' time. I will return to Boston to see you in one - week, Mr. Cohen. If I ever hear in my lifetime from anyone other than yourself on this subject, you may consider our relationship at an end. Good day, sir.'
Thomas Cohen would have also said good day, if he could have spluttered the words out before William closed the door behind him.
William returned to the offices of Cohen, Cohen and YabIons seven