A Surrendered Heart

by Tracie Peterson

  She shook her head. “No. I have several matters that need my attention. You may return for me in two hours. I’ll meet you here.”

  He tipped his hat, hoisted himself up, and slapped the reins. Fanny strolled down Main Street as though she had nothing of import to fill her days. The usually busy streets were nearly void of traffic, and few customers entered the shops along the street. She stopped in front of the narrow brick building on her right. Ebony letters had been outlined in gold leaf to boldly announce the names of the lawyers who occupied the space. She pushed open the door and was greeted by a stern-looking clerk who peered over the rim of his spectacles.

  “May I be of assistance?” The man’s tone spoke volumes: He thought her an annoying intrusion.

  “Miss Frances Broadmoor to see Mr. Rosenblume.” She met the clerk’s unflinching stare. “He requested a ten o’clock meeting with me.”

  “You may have a seat. I’ll ascertain whether Mr. Rosenblume will see you.”

  The man’s manner was impolite, and she wondered why Mr. Rosenblume tolerated such disrespect from his employees. Then again, perhaps Mr. Rosenblume didn’t know. She withdrew the lawyer’s note from her reticule. The letter had been personally delivered by a messenger several days ago and asked that she keep the appointment a secret. If either Amanda or Sophie had been available, she would have ignored the request and brought one of them along. The fact that Grandfather Broadmoor’s lawyer wanted to meet with her secretly was both intriguing and odd. When Uncle Jonas had hired Mortimer Fillmore to handle her grandfather’s estate, Mr. Rosenblume had gracefully bowed out of the picture. Though Mr. Rosenblume would have been Fanny’s choice, she’d had no authority in the decision. The judge had approved Mortimer Fillmore.

  Perhaps that was why Mr. Rosenblume had summoned her. Another lawyer would be needed now that Mr. Fillmore had died. She had simply assumed Mr. Fillmore’s son and law partner, Vincent, would take charge of the remaining legal details for Uncle Jonas.

  Upon his return, the clerk was more congenial. “If you’ll follow me, Mr. Rosenblume will see you in his office.” With a grand sweeping motion, he waved her forward and opened the door to the adjacent office.

  She stopped in the doorway. Mr. Rosenblume sat behind a massive mahogany desk that overpowered his small frame. But it wasn’t the sight of Mr. Rosenblume that captured her interest as much as seeing Vincent Fillmore, who stood when she entered the room. Her surprise must have been obvious, for he stepped forward and held a chair for her. “It’s good to see you, Miss Broadmoor.”

  She nodded and sat down. What would have brought these two men together? She glanced back and forth between them. “Have you and Mr. Rosenblume combined your law offices?”

  Though his dark eyes appeared dulled by either pain or sadness, the younger lawyer smiled and shook his head. “No, but we have united in an effort to protect you, Miss Broadmoor.”

  The ominous words were more than enough to capture her undivided attention. “Protect me? Whatever from?”

  Mr. Rosenblume shifted in his chair. “We don’t want to alarm you, my dear. Your life is not in danger. However, I fear your financial future has been severely compromised.”

  “By my deceased father and your uncle Jonas,” Mr. Fillmore added.

  She clasped her hand to her chest. “You must be mistaken. When I spoke with my uncle in February, he assured me that my investments were sound. Had there been any change, I’m certain he would have advised me.” Having noted the pitying look the two men exchanged, she hastened to reinforce her position. She didn’t want them to think her a complete dolt. “I understand the country continues to suffer with financial woes, but those had begun even before my grandfather’s death. Perhaps it would be best if Uncle Jonas attended this meeting with us. He could better explain my—”

  “No, it wouldn’t be better, my dear.” Mr. Rosenblume assumed a grandfatherly tone as he pushed away from his desk. “I know this conversation is going to prove extremely difficult, but I ask that you give us your full attention as we explain what has happened to your inheritance.” Mr. Rosenblume circled the desk and held out his hand. “Why don’t we move across the room?”

  Fanny followed his gaze to the vast library table, where three chairs had been arranged. Neat stacks of paper lined the shiny tabletop. “How long do you anticipate our meeting will take? I have other matters that require my attention, and I told my carriage driver to return for me in two hours.” She’d set her mind upon delivering lilacs to Amanda. Thoughts that the spring blooms might aid in her cousin’s recovery took precedence over the heaping papers assembled on the table.

  “Then we should begin immediately. If necessary, we can schedule a time to meet again tomorrow or next week.”

  Mr. Rosenblume escorted her across the room and pulled out one of the chairs. She would be seated between the two lawyers. How she wished Michael were here at her side to offer support through what she feared would be an ordeal. She truly didn’t want to listen to the facts and figures these men would likely present. Though they’d been nothing but kind, she would feel more comfortable with a family member present—someone who understood finances. Someone like Uncle Jonas. That was why the judge had entrusted him to handle her inheritance.

  “Let me begin by telling you that because my own father was involved in this arrangement, it pains me greatly to explain what I’ve discovered.” Mr. Fillmore tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. “Your uncle and my father share a common bond.”

  Was Mr. Fillmore going to examine the history of her uncle’s friendship with the senior Mr. Fillmore? Fanny understood that the young lawyer was grieving his father’s death, but he was using precious time without explaining the details of why she’d been secretly summoned.

  “I understand they were dear friends. That’s why Uncle Jonas insisted your father handle the estate when Grandfather Broadmoor died. I argued on behalf of Mr. Rosenblume, but because I was only seventeen and a woman, Uncle Jonas wouldn’t listen to me.”

  “And because he wanted to control the money he believed should have been his,” Mr. Fillmore added. “He resented the fact that you’d inherited a full third of the estate.”

  They were covering facts she already knew. Perhaps she should try to move the conversation forward. “But I thought that Uncle Jonas came to accept the terms of Grandfather’s will. My financial returns have been excellent. He’s told me so. That’s why I’m confused by all of this. Why don’t you explain.” She pointed at the files and papers spread across the table.

  “I’m coming to that,” Vincent said. “Because both my father and your uncle are devious men who permitted money and power to rule their lives, they devised a plan that would eventually permit your uncle to convert all your assets.”

  “Convert them into what?” This was all very confusing.

  Mr. Rosenblume patted her hand. “Convert them to his name, my dear. It appears your uncle and Mortimer Fillmore created a method whereby any financial losses were credited to your portion of the estate and any gains were assigned to your uncle’s. It appears to be a complicated accounting scheme that should have been noticed by the court when your uncle filed his financial accounts.”

  “If you and Mr. Fillmore’s son were able to discover what occurred, why didn’t the judge?”

  Vincent pointed to the table. “These are records and correspondence that my father maintained in his office files, information that wouldn’t have been submitted to the judge. However, we have reason to believe my father may have influenced the judge to cooperate.”

  “Influenced? What does that mean?” Fanny looked back and forth between the two men, uncertain which one she should look to for an answer.

  “It means the judge may have been bribed to overlook discrepancies in the papers your uncle filed.” Mr. Rosenblume hunched his shoulders. “It saddens me to tell you this, but there are occasions when judges succumb to the lure of money, too. Of course, we can’t say this is absolute in your
case. As Vincent mentioned, we’ve only completed a cursory review of Mortimer’s records.”

  Fanny turned toward the younger lawyer. “So when you discovered what you thought were discrepancies, you contacted Mr. Rosenblume?”

  “Yes.” Vincent scooted forward on his chair and rested his forearms across his thighs. He met her gaze with unflinching determination. “Because of my father’s involvement in what I believe to be a misrepresentation of your interests, I thought it would be best for you to employ a lawyer who will give you sound legal advice. I believe it would be completely improper for me or any lawyer in my office to represent you. Since Mr. Rosenblume had been your grandfather’s attorney, I thought he could lend you the most expertise.”

  Fanny attempted to digest the scattered information. Was her lack of money the reason Uncle Jonas had argued against the purchase of a home for Sophie and Paul? Although it had taken a bit of prodding, he’d met her request. Had he withdrawn the funds from his own account in order to meet her demand? Would her uncle have stolen from her? Certainly her uncle was a trying and callous man, but she didn’t want to believe he’d steal from his own niece.

  “So I have no money whatsoever?” she asked.

  “Nothing as bleak as that, my dear.” Mr. Rosenblume offered her an encouraging smile. “There is some money available. It simply appears your uncle has commingled and transferred many of your financial assets into his own account. Unfortunately, he has made many ill-advised investments and lost a great deal. Once I’ve gone through all this paper work and discussed the situation with the banks and accountants for the investment companies, I’ll have a more substantial answer. That is, if you wish for me to take over as your legal representative.”

  The need to make an immediate decision left her breathless. If she employed Mr. Rosenblume as her lawyer, what would her uncle say or do? Would he insist she move out of his home? Not that she would mind that idea, of course. She silently prayed for guidance.

  “If I should decide to employ Mr. Rosenblume, how would the transfer take place?”

  Mr. Fillmore raked his fingers through his thick hair. “You would inform your uncle of employing Mr. Rosenblume as your lawyer. Your uncle has been intent upon removing his files from my office since the day my father died. After a cursory review of the files, I understood his persistence. I immediately removed the files from my office and told your uncle that there is little paper work there.” Vincent massaged his furrowed brow. “That much is true. However, he wants to come to the office and review his files.”

  Fanny was doing her best to digest the information. “Then my uncle doesn’t know these records exist?”

  Vincent shook his head. “No, not at this time.”

  “But once I begin to investigate, he will get wind of what is going on,” Mr. Rosenblume warned. “It won’t take long before he realizes Mortimer left a paper trail and it has fallen into your hands. I must warn you that this could cause no end of trouble for you, Miss Broadmoor. You’re the one who must decide if you’ll permit your uncle to continue down this path of deceit and thievery. I would strongly urge you not to do so. But you must consider the difficulty this will cause with other family members.”

  Fanny considered her dear cousins. Sophie would urge her to hire Mr. Rosenblume immediately. But what of Amanda? In spite of his shortcomings, Uncle Jonas was Amanda’s father. Once Amanda began to gain her strength, would such news hinder her complete recovery? And what would happen to Aunt Victoria and the rest of the family if proof of his actions came to light? Would they despise her?

  Mr. Rosenblume shifted in his chair. “I know this is difficult, Miss Broadmoor, but Mr. Fillmore needs to know what he should do regarding these records.”

  “Leave the files here. Mr. Rosenblume, I will retain you as my legal representative. At this moment I’m not certain how far I will proceed. I will need time to consider my actions further.”

  Mr. Fillmore jumped to his feet. The man was obviously delighted to hear her decision and anxious to be on his way. “You have my word that I will cooperate with Mr. Rosenblume in any manner he requests, Miss Broadmoor.” He hesitated for a moment. “And I hope I have your word that you won’t tell your uncle what I’ve done.”

  Fanny nodded. If Uncle Jonas quizzed her at length, she’d simply direct him to speak with Mr. Rosenblume. That was, after all, what lawyers were supposed to do, wasn’t it? Moments later, Mr. Fillmore hurried out of the office, leaving her to deal with Mr. Rosenblume and the mountain of paper—a task that didn’t appeal to her in the least.

  She glanced at the clock on Mr. Rosenblume’s mahogany desk. A full forty-five minutes remained until the driver was due to return. Though she understood the importance of the issue at hand, she longed to take her leave and contemplate this unsavory news in private. She longed to walk among the gardens of her grandparents’ home and pick lilacs for Amanda.

  Before she could excuse herself, Mr. Rosenblume retrieved several papers from one of the files. “There are several things I believe you need to review immediately. Much of this can wait until I’ve conducted a thorough examination, but this is a matter of import. It appears your uncle has been actively seeking a buyer for the Broadmoor Mansion, and I’m not at all sure you would agree with such a sale.”

  Fanny frowned. “Broadmoor Mansion has already been sold, Mr. Rosenblume. My uncle sold it without my knowledge. He proposed the sale with the hope I would marry the young man of his choosing. Though I was distraught, the court approved the sale, and there was little I could do. I don’t know how he managed the legalities.”

  “My dear, the entire setup was a sham. Your uncle duped young Daniel. Still, his plan fell short, for he didn’t convince you to marry Mr. Irwin, did he?”

  Fanny shook her head. The lawyer’s knowledge of Daniel Irwin piqued her interest, and she leaned closer to examine the file’s contents. “Exactly what makes you think the house is for sale?”

  He handed Fanny a note written on her uncle’s stationery and dated only a week prior to Mortimer Fillmore’s death. The letter confirmed exactly what Mr. Rosenblume had told her. Uncle Jonas blamed Mortimer for not locating a suitable buyer even though they’d lowered the selling price. How could her uncle do such a thing! He knew how much that house meant to her and how much it had meant to his parents. Indignation assailed her as she read the words scrawled at the bottom of the page. Burn this letter after you have read the contents.

  Mr. Fillmore hadn’t followed her uncle’s orders. In addition to the letter, there was an unsigned deed made out to Daniel, together with background information that had been gathered on several men, Daniel included. Fanny recognized the names of the others—all of them men her uncle had invited to Broadmoor Island. With each additional detail, her anger mounted.

  “Has your review revealed how my uncle gained permission to sell Broadmoor Mansion?”

  “The paper work appears to be in order. The judge signed a document approving the sale. You uncle’s motion to the court states that cash was needed to meet unexpected debts. He further declared Broadmoor Mansion could be easily sold and the proceeds used to pay those undisclosed debts. Since your uncle has authority to act on your behalf, notification to you wasn’t required. The records reflect your uncle Quincy was notified, but he filed no objection. If he truly received the notice, I doubt he even read the papers. Quincy has never been interested in business matters. I would guess Jonas relied upon that knowledge as well as the fact that Quincy’s charity work generally keeps him too busy to worry over issues relating to your grandfather’s estate. Like you, Quincy relies upon Jonas.”

  “Since the court has already granted permission to sell the house, I want to purchase Broadmoor Mansion, Mr. Rosenblume.”

  Mr. Rosenblume smiled. “I was certain that would be your reaction.”

  “Can it be arranged without my uncle’s knowledge?”

  The lawyer hesitated. “I assume your uncle has continued to hold control of your investme
nts and funds even though you’ve attained your majority?”

  “I’m afraid I had little choice. The judge, Mr. Fillmore, and my uncle all advised that it would be imprudent for a woman to attempt managing my vast holdings. The judge indicated he wouldn’t approve such an arrangement. Uncle Jonas gives me an allowance each month. Other than that, I don’t know if I have access to any of my money or not. I’ve never made any attempt to withdraw funds. Even when I purchased a house for my cousin, I had my uncle see to the transaction. After what you’ve told me, I’m doubtful I can access any of the accounts.” She silently chided herself for such a grievous error in judgment. “This will ruin my opportunity to purchase Broadmoor Mansion.”

  “Not necessarily. I could purchase the house for you,” Mr. Rosenblume said. “Once we’ve gained access to your funds, you could repay me.”

  Fanny stared at the lawyer. No wonder her grandfather had valued Mr. Rosenblume. In addition to his honesty, he was obviously a compassionate man. She didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness, but she had little choice. If she didn’t agree, Uncle Jonas would continue to seek a buyer for the house. It might be lost to her forever.

  “Please do what you can to secure the title for me,” she said.

  “I know you may find it difficult to trust anyone right now, Miss Broadmoor, but I hope you will remember my years of faithful service to your grandfather. My intent is to help you in any way possible.” Mr. Rosenblume gathered the papers and shoved them inside the file folder. “I will make every effort to secure the mansion at the lowest possible price. The fact that Jonas is anxious to sell should work in your favor.”

  “Let’s hope so,” she said. “Is there anything else we must address this morning?”

  “I do want you to understand that your uncle has commingled funds and it will take time and effort to determine exactly what is yours and what is his. While some of the details are clear-cut, others are clouded.”