A Hamilton Family Christmas - Donna Kauffman Page 0,105
idea of trust,” she began, “but if you think this affects my life here, my future—”
“I don’t think,” he said quietly. “I know.”
“So—”
“So, you’re right. We’ve talked about trust. I need to know I have yours, Melody. To allow me to handle this my own way, on my timetable. I realize now”—he stopped, then started again before she could say anything—“we want to fix things, and we will. But explaining everything would cause panic, fear. This way—”
“Who is we?”
“Lionel.”
“And you.” She’d made it a statement.
He nodded. “Yes. He had things that needed working out, solutions that he wasn’t finding. Then I came along and—”
“Offered him those solutions.”
“Basically, yes.”
“Because Hamilton Industries is in trouble.”
He simply held her gaze.
The knot of dread returned. “Does it have something to do with you being Trudy’s grandson? There’s been talk of Lionel using a chunk of the Haversham fortune to save Hamilton Industries. He came into all of Trudy’s money eventually. Money that would have rightfully been—”
“That was a long time ago. And no, I’m not trying to swindle the old man out of his empire. I was happy building my own. I came here to understand where I came from.”
To his credit, he didn’t get angry or insulted at the question, but simply answered it directly. She liked that. He wasn’t hotheaded or overly sensitive. She’d thought, given the scars, that he might be. She liked that he had himself under control. But just barely. Yes, she admitted, she liked that part, too.
“What has Lionel offered you?”
“That’s just it, Melody. Everyone thinks I popped up out of nowhere, the lost grandson of an heiress, come to claim his fortune. And that Lionel is an old man with no heirs of his own, at least none who are willing to take on what he spent a lifetime sustaining and building. It’s a huge burden, the one he was handed. Don’t get me wrong, I know it was a challenge he relished. He’s made life tough on Trevor for not being willing to take on what he sees as Trevor’s rightful duties. Duties Trevor walked away from. The way Lionel sees it, Trevor essentially thumbed his nose not only at the family fortune but the family itself. Seems he wasn’t too keen on playing Lionel’s game.”
“Are you?”
“I like knowing I’ve made a difference. And yes, I bloody well like to succeed. If success brings along creature comforts, I’m not going to play martyr or live like a monk. I worked hard for what I have. But ’tis no’ the gain that motivates me, Melody.”
“It does Lionel.”
“Aye, it does seem so. He doesn’t understand a man like Trevor.”
“Do you? How well do you know him?”
“We’ve spent time together. I met with him before meeting Lionel. To answer your question, yes, I do. I respect his desire to live life on his own terms.”
Melody’s gaze sharpened then. “You’re a lot alike, the two of you, aren’t you? Only your terms are more in line with Lionel’s than Trevor’s.”
He nodded, a glint of respect in his eyes. “’Tis true. Thank you for no’ sayin’ that as if it’s something to be ashamed of.”
“I haven’t had any reason to think ill of you. I might not agree with your goals, because I don’t see them as a good fit for Hamilton. But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect what you do, or have done.”
“Fair enough. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. So . . . back to Lionel. What was it like, meeting with him the first time? What is it he wanted from you? Or for you?”
“He wanted my help.”
“He knew about you a year ago, so why wait until—”
“We’ve been working on this for a long time—it didn’t just come together since I got here, Melody.”
“I—I didn’t really think about it that way. I guess”—she trailed off, laughed a little at herself—“I guess I didn’t think about a lot of this. So, you’re going to step in for him, then? When . . . you know, when the time comes? Is this all overwhelming for you?”
“I’ve had some time to come to terms with it. And”— he paused, then went on—“finding out about my real heritage has forced me to go through a lot of things I thought I’d left behind for good. I thought, until tonight anyway, that it was best to leave them there.”
“What changed your mind tonight?” she asked, truly surprised to hear him say that.
He peeled off his gloves and brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “Good