Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

It's like a meeting between strangers.They had not met or corresponded for many years. Judge Tyler Stanford came to Boston by plane. Kendall Stanford Leno came by plane from Paris, and Marc Leno came by train from New York. Woody Stanford and Peggy drove up from Hobe Bay. ※※※ The three heirs were notified that the funeral would be held at the Emperor's Church. The street outside the church was barricaded by the police, and the assembled crowd rushed to catch a glimpse of those dignitaries.The funeral was attended by the US vice president, senators, foreign envoys and political dignitaries from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.The seven hundred pews in the church will be filled to capacity at the time of Harry Stanford's life.

Taylor, Woody and Kendall and their spouses meet in the prayer room.It was an awkward meeting.They were strangers to each other, the only thing in common was the body lying in the coffin on the hearse waiting outside the church. "This is my husband, Mark," Kendall said first. "This is my wife, Paige. Paige, this is my sister Kendall, my brother Taylor." They exchanged a few pleasantries, then stood there looking at each other uncomfortably.At this moment, the usher of the church came before them. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. "The funeral ceremony will be held soon. Please follow me, everyone."

He led them into a box.They sat down and waited, but each was not at peace. For Taylor, being back in Boston felt inexplicable.The only things he missed about Boston were his mother and Rosemary.It seemed to him that they were still alive.At the age of eleven, Taylor saw a painting "Eating Parents and Children", which he always associated with his father. But now Taylor looked at his father's coffin being carried by the pallbearers and thought, this Saturn is finally over. I know the little game you're playing. The priest entered the church's wineglass-shaped pulpit.

"Our Lord said: I will die and rise again, I have life; those who believe in me will live even if they die; those who live will have eternal life as long as they believe in me..." ※※※ Woody felt refreshed. He had taken a dose of heroin before coming to church, and he was still on it.He glanced at his brother and sister.Taylor is blessed.He looked like a judge.Kendall has grown into a beautiful young woman, but seems to be too thoughtful.I don't know if it's because of my father's death?No, she hated my father as much as I did.He looked at his wife sitting beside him.I really regret not showing the old man this daughter-in-law.Had he seen her, he would have died of a heart attack.

The priest is still praying. "...as a father has mercy on his children, so the Lord has mercy on those who fear him. For he knows our constitution; he has not forgotten that we are a handful of dust..." ※※※ Kendall wasn't listening to the priest's prayer.She was still thinking about the red outfit.She also remembered her father calling her one afternoon in New York. So, you want to be a fashion designer, right?Well, let's see how good your craft is.I'm taking my girlfriend to a charity ball on Saturday night.She is about your size.I want you to design a dress for her.

Before Saturday night?Father, I can't do this.I…… You can do it. The dress she designed was ugly, with a big black bow on the chest and a long ribbon.This suit is something of a fancy dress.She had it given to her father.He called her again. I have received your costume.By the way, my girlfriend can't make it on Saturday, so if you come with me, you'll be wearing that dress. No! Then she heard him drop the dreadful words: You don't want to disappoint me, do you? She went, not daring to change the suit, and there she passed the most humiliating night of her life. ※※※ "...we have brought nothing into this world, and of course we can take nothing from this world. What the Lord gave us, the Lord has taken away. Bless our Lord!"

Peggy Stanford was a little uncomfortable. The imposing church and its well-dressed figures frightened her.She has never been to Boston.For her, this is the world of the Stanford family, and its glory and brilliance can be felt everywhere.Everyone here is much more decent than her.She held her husband's hand tightly. "... All beings are like grass and trees, and all good things are like flowers in the bush. The grass and trees wither, and the flowers wither, but the teaching of God will last forever." Mark was thinking about the blackmail letter his wife had received.The wording of the letter is so thoughtful and ingenious, without any loopholes, it is difficult to find out who is planning behind the scenes.He looked at Kendall, who was sitting next to him, pale and nervous.How much more can she take?he thought.He moved closer to her again.

"We hand you over to a merciful God who will protect you. God will bless you and take you in. God's halo will shine generously on you, and God will remove his shining countenance and make you forever Rest in peace. Amen." After the prayer service, the priest announced: "Funeral ceremonies are limited to relatives." Tyler looked at the coffin, thinking about the body lying inside.He had come straight from Boston's Logan Airport to the funeral home last night before they closed the casket. He wanted to see if his father was really dead. Woody smiled as he watched the coffin being carried out of the church from the mourning crowd: now those people got what they wanted.

※※※ The burial at Auburn Hills Cemetery was brief.The whole family watched as Harry Stanford's coffin was slowly lowered into the grave.After the coffin was buried, the pastor said: "If you are too sad, you don't have to stay here for long." Woody nodded. "Yes." The effect of the heroin wore off, and he began to feel a little tired. "Then shall we get out of here?" Mark said, "Where are we going?" Tyler turned to the group and said, "We live in Rose Hill. Everything is settled there. We're going to stay there until the estate is divided."

A few minutes later, they got into several limousines and drove to Rose Hill. ※※※ Boston is a city with a strict social hierarchy.The new aristocracy lived in Federation Street, and those who made their fortunes lived in Mulberry Street.Back Bay is the newest part of the city, home to the most prestigious new aristocracy, but Beacon Hill is still the oldest castle in Boston, and its residents are the wealthiest families in the city.It is a mix of ancient Victorian buildings, modern high-end residences, old churches and fashionable business districts. Rose Hill is the site of the Stanford family.The house was a Victorian building, occupying three hectares of grounds, and was very prominent in the vicinity of Beacon Hill.The Stanford children grew up in this house, but they all had a very unhappy childhood here.The limousine stopped in front of the house, and they got off one after another, looking up at the long-lost building.

"I can't believe Dad isn't inside waiting for us anymore," Kendall said. Woody grinned and said, "He's busy with affairs in hell right now." Taylor took a deep breath. "Let's go in." When they got to the front door, it was already open, and the old housekeeper, Clark, was standing there to meet them.He was in his sixties, a respectable and capable servant, and had been at Rose Hill for more than thirty years.He'd watched the kids grow up, and of course all the scandals that had happened in the Stanford family. When Clark saw them, he immediately relaxed, "Good morning!" Kendall hugged him warmly. "It's great to see you again, Clark." "We haven't seen each other for a long time, Miss Kendall." "I'm Madame Lenore now. This is my husband, Mark." "Good morning sir." "My wife talks to me a lot about you." "Not to speak ill of me, sir." "On the contrary. You're the only one she misses." "Thank you, sir." Clark turned to Taylor and said, "Good morning, Judge Stanford." "Hello, Clark." "It is a relief to see you, sir." "Thank you, you look good." "And you too, sir, and I'm sorry for what happened." "Thank you. Are you in charge of receiving us?" "Oh yes, I think we'll try to make you as comfortable as possible." "Should I still live in my old room?" Clark smiled. "Yes." He turned to Woody. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Woodrow. I think..." Woody grabs Peggy. "Well," he said curtly, "I want to rest." Woody walked past the crowd and led Peggy upstairs. ※※※ Everyone came to the spacious living room.A pair of Louis XIV armoires stood in the room, and a long gilt-painted table with screw-shaped legs and a custom-made marble top stood in the corner.There is also a row of high-end sofa chairs and sectional sofa chairs around the room.A gilded chandelier hangs from the ceiling.Medieval paintings in dark tones hang on the walls. Clark turned to Taylor and said, "Judge Stanford, Mr. Simon Fitzgerald asked me to tell you that he asked you to call and tell him when it is convenient to arrange for him to meet with the whole family." "Who's Simon Fitzgerald?" Mark asked. Kendall replied: "He's our family lawyer. Dad has always employed him." "I asked him to come and talk to us about the distribution of the estate," Taylor said. "If everyone agrees, I will arrange for him to meet with us tomorrow morning." "Okay," Kendall said. "The cook has a meal for us," Clark told them. "Is eight o'clock okay?" "Okay," Taylor said. "Thank you." "Ava and Millie will take you to your rooms." Taylor said to her sister and brother-in-law, "Let's meet here at eight, shall we?" ※※※ Woody and Peggy went upstairs to the bedroom."How are you?" Paige asked. "I'm fine," Woody said dryly. "Leave me alone for a moment." She watched him walk into the bathroom and slam the door shut, and she stood there waiting. Ten minutes later, Woody came out with a smile on his face. "Hi, baby!" "Hi." "Do you like this old house?" "Too...too big." "It's terrible." He walked to the bed and put his arms around her. “This is my old bedroom, and there used to be sports posters on these walls—the Brons, the Kettles, the Red Sox. I always wanted to be an athlete, it was my biggest dream. I was in I was captain of the football team when I was in boarding school. I had coaches from five or six colleges wanting to recruit me." "Then which one do you accept?" He shook his head. "None of them. My dad said they were just interested in the Stanford name and they wanted sponsorship from him. He sent me to an engineering school where no one played football." He was silent for a moment. , and muttered: "I could have been a champion..." She was baffled. "What did you say?" He looked up at her. "Haven't you seen the movie "By the Water"?" "No." "It's a line from Marlon Brando that says we're both ruined." "Your father must be very domineering." Woody let out a short laugh. "That's the best thing people can say about him. I remember when I was a kid, I fell off my horse once and I tried to get up and ride, but my father just wouldn't let me. 'You'll never be a rider,'" he said .'You're so clumsy.'" He looked up at her. "That's why I can be a nine-point polo player." ※※※ They came to the table together as strangers to each other.After everyone was seated, there was an embarrassing silence.The only thing they have in common is the trauma left by their childhood. Kendall looked around the dining room, admiring the magnificent furnishings in the house, but he couldn't get rid of that terrible time in his heart.The restaurant is decorated in a Louis XV classic style, surrounded by ornate walnut chairs.In one corner of the room stood a plain blue grease lacquered French wardrobe.On the wall hangs the oil painting and the oil painting. Kendall told Taylor: "I saw your verdict in the paper in the Fiorello case. He deserved what he deserved." "It must be exciting to be a judge," Paige said. "Sometimes." "What cases do you work on?" Mark asked. "Criminal cases—rape, drug trafficking, murder." Kendall was pale and was about to say something when Mark grabbed her hand, squeezed it, and warned her not to speak. Taylor said politely to Kendall: "Aren't you a successful costume designer too?" Kendall found it difficult to breathe. "yes." "She's amazing," Mark said. "So Mark, what are you doing?" "I work in a brokerage firm." "Oh, then you're one of those young millionaires on Wall Street." "Where, Judge. I'm just getting started." Tyler glanced at Mark with a condescending look. "I think you feel lucky to have such a successful wife." Kendall blushed and whispered in Mark's ear, "Leave him alone. Remember I love you." Woody began to feel the effects of the medicine.He turned to look at his wife. "Paige could have worn some decent clothes," he said. "But she's always slovenly. Am I right, baby?" Paige sat there in embarrassment, not knowing how to respond. "Maybe it's better to dress up as a waitress?" Woody suggested. "I'm sorry," Paige said, and she turned and ran upstairs. Everyone stared at Woody. He grinned and said with a smile: "She's too sensitive. So, shall we discuss the will tomorrow?" "Right," Taylor said. "I bet the old man won't leave us a dime." Mark said, "But there's so much money in his estate..." Woody snorted. "You don't know our father. He'd probably leave us an old jacket he wore and a box of cigars. He always liked to tie us down with money. His favorite line was 'You won't let me down, Didn't we?' We all behaved very well, because, as you said, he had too much money. I dare say the old man found a way of dealing with us." Taylor said, "We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" ※※※ The next morning, Simon Fitzgerald and Steve Sloan were on time for their appointment.Clark led them to the library. "I'll let them know you're coming," he said. "Thank you." They watched him go. The library is large, with two French doors leading to the garden.The room is inlaid with dark grained oak.Bookcases lined the four walls, filled with hardcover books bound in leather.Comfortable sofa chairs and Italian-style floor lamps can be seen everywhere in the house.In one corner of the room stood a custom-made display case made of beveled glass and gilded mahogany, which displayed the dazzling variety of firearms collected by Harry Stanford.There are specially designed drawers under the display cabinet for ammunition. "It must have been a fun show this morning," Steve said. "I'd love to know their respective reactions." "We'll find out soon." Kendall and Mark came to the study. Simon Fitzgerald said, "Good morning. This is Simon Fitzgerald. This is my assistant, Steve Sloan." "I'm Kendall Knoller and this is my husband Mark." The three men shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries. Woody and Paige were also there. Kendall said, "Woody, this is Mr. Simon Fitzgerald and Mr. Sloane." Woody nodded. "Hey. Did you bring cash?" "Well, the purpose of our visit this time..." "I was just kidding! This is my wife Peggy." Woody looked at Steve. "Did the old man leave me anything or...?" Tyler comes in. "Good morning, everyone." "Judge Stanford?" "yes." "I'm Simon Fitzgerald, and this is Steve Sloan, my assistant. It was Steve who brought your father back from Corsica." Taylor turned to Steve and said, "I'm very thankful for that. We don't know exactly how it happened. The news media has mixed reports. Was it a homicide?" "No. It appears to have been an accident. Your father's yacht was caught in a storm off the coast of Corsica. According to your father's bodyguard, Dmitry Kaminsky, your father was standing on the balcony outside the cabin when a gust of wind Blowing the papers out of his hand. He tried to reach for the papers but lost his balance and fell into the sea. It was too late when they found him." "What a horrible death," Kendall said with a shrug. "Have you talked to this guy named Kaminsky?" Taylor asked. "Unfortunately, no. He was gone when I got to Corsica." Fitzgerald said: "The captain had advised your father not to sail in a storm, but for some reason he had to get here quickly. He arranged for a helicopter to pick him up as if there was something urgent to do. deal with." Taylor asked, "Do you know what's urgent?" "I don't know. I interrupted my vacation to come back. I don't know what..." Woody cut him off. "It's interesting, but it's corny, isn't it? Let's talk about wills. Did he leave us anything?" His hands were twitching. "Why don't we sit down and talk?" Taylor suggested. Everyone sat down.Simon Fitzgerald sat facing them at his desk.He opened his briefcase and took out some papers. Woody's drug addiction is about to strike again. "Huh? For God's sake, has he left us anything?" Kendall said, "Woody..." "I know the outcome," Woody said angrily. "He won't leave us a dime." Fitzgerald scanned the sons and daughters of Stanford. "Actually," he said. "Each of you has a share of the same legacy." Steve felt a sudden excitement in the room. Woody opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth to look at Fitzgerald. "What? Are you kidding me?" He jumped to his feet. "This is incredible!" he told everyone. "Did you hear that? The old bastard finally figured it out?" He looked again at Simon Fitzgerald. "How much money?" "I don't know the exact figure yet. According to the latest Forbes magazine, Stanford Industries has assets of six billion dollars. Most of the investments are in various industries, but the current assets are about four hundred million dollars." Kendall was stunned. "Then we'll each get a hundred million dollars. I can't believe it!" I'm saved, she thought.I have money to pay them, and I can now get rid of them forever.She looked at Mark, felt excited immediately, and held Mark's hand tightly. "Congratulations," Mark said.He knows better than anyone what this money will mean. Simon Fitzgerald added: "As you all know, ninety-nine percent of the shares in the Stanford Industrial Group belong to your father. So these shares will be divided equally among you. In addition, your father has passed away, So Taylor's trust assets should be divided, and Judge Stanford should own the other one percent of the estate alone. Of course, this will require a lot of formalities. Also, I have to inform you that there may be an heir to this estate." "Another one?" Taylor asked. "Your father's will clearly stipulates that his estate will be divided equally among his heirs." Peggy was a little puzzled. "What... what heir?" "Natural offspring as well as legally adopted offspring," Taylor said. Fitzgerald nodded. "Yes. Any legitimate child shall be regarded as the offspring of both father and mother, and they are both protected by law." "What are you talking about?" Woody asked impatiently. "I mean there is a legal heir." Kendall looked at him. "who is it?" Simon Fitzgerald hesitated for a moment.He couldn't find any clever words. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten what happened many years ago. Your father had a child with a governess who used to work here." "Rosemary Nelson," Taylor said. "Yes. Her daughter was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee. Her name was Julia." There was silence in the room. "Hey!" exclaimed Woody. "That was twenty-five years ago." "Twenty-four years ago, to be precise." "Does anyone know where she is now?" Kendall asked. Simon Fitzgerald remembered what Harry Stanford had said. "She wrote me and told me I had a little girl with her, and if she thought she could get a penny from me, go to hell with her." "No," said Fitzgerald casually. , "No one knows her current whereabouts." "Then what are we still talking about here?" Woody asked. "I'm just making you aware that there is such a person. She's entitled to an inheritance." "I don't think we need to worry about that," Woody said confidently. "Maybe she doesn't even know who her father is?" Taylor to Simon Fitzgerald: "You say you don't know the exact amount of the inheritance, can you ask why?" "Because our law firm only handles your father's private affairs. His business affairs are handled by two other companies. I have already contacted them and asked them to prepare a financial report as soon as possible." "How long will this take?" Kendall asked anxiously.We urgently need one hundred thousand dollars of expenses. "Maybe two or three months." Seeing his wife's panicked look, Mark said to Fitzgerald, "Is there any way to expedite this?" Steve Sloan replied, "I'm afraid not. The will has to go through the probate court, and they have a very tight schedule right now." "What's a probate court?" Paige asked. "'Test' means 'prove.' This kind of court is responsible for..." "I didn't ask you to give us a damn language class!" Woody snarled. "Why don't we end these boring discussions?" Taylor told his brother: "The legal process doesn't allow it. When a person dies, his will has to be filed in the probate court. The court has to evaluate all the property, including real estate, subsidiaries, cash, jewelry, etc. Then It is also necessary to prepare a property list for the probate court to file. In addition, the estate tax must be calculated and the specific estate payment should be made. After all this, the heirs of the estate must apply to the court for a license to distribute the estate.” Woody grinned. "Forget it. I've been waiting almost forty years to be a millionaire. I think I can afford to wait a month or two." Simon Fitzgerald stood up and said, "In addition to your father's inheritance, there are some small gifts, but they do not affect the distribution of the main property." Fitzgerald looked around. "Okay, if there's nothing else..." Taylor stood up and said, "I don't think so. Thank you, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Sloan. If there is any question, we will contact you." Fitzgerald nodded to everyone. "Goodbye, gentlemen and ladies." He turned and headed for the door, followed by Steve Sloan. Outside, Simon Fitzgerald said to Steve in the driveway, "Well, you've seen the family, what do you think?" "They have no grief, it's a celebration. I wonder, Simon, if their father hates them as much as they do, why leave them all the property?" Simon Fitzgerald shrugged. "We'll never know the answer, I'm afraid. Maybe that's why he was so anxious to see me. He might want to give the property to someone else." ※※※ None of them fell asleep that night, and everyone was thinking about their own minds. Taylor thought, I've got my wish, I really have a dream come true!I am rich now and can provide everything Lee needs. ※※※ Kendall was thinking that as soon as I got the money, I'd have a way to buy them all off, and I'm sure they'd never bother me again. ※※※ Woody was thinking, I'm going to buy the best polo pony in the world, and I'll never have to borrow a horse again.I'm going to be a ten-shot player.He glanced at Peggy who was sleeping next to him.The first thing I'm going to do is get rid of this stupid bitch.Then he thought, No, I can't do this...he got out of bed and went into the bathroom.When he came out, he felt an indescribable feeling. ※※※ The atmosphere at breakfast the next morning was nothing like the atmosphere at the dinner table the night before.Everyone was in high spirits and elated. "Okay," Woody said cheerfully, "I think you're all making your own plans." Mark shrugged. "How to plan such a thing? This is an astronomical amount of money." Tyler looked up at everyone. "It's certainly going to change our lives." Woody nodded yes. "The old man should have given us money while he was alive. We should have enjoyed it long ago. If it doesn't insult the gods to hate a dead man, I've got to tell you something..." Kendall said reproachfully, "Woody..." "Come on, let's stop being hypocritical. We all despise him, hate him, and he deserves it. Look what he's up to..." Clark walked into the dining room.He stood aside apologetically. "Excuse me," said he, "but there is a lady named Julia Stanford at the door."

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