Chapter 4
The family meeting was in the library at Bellrose Hall. Cece had arranged it like a tribunal: two lawyers, a court reporter, Gus’s doctor, and Paul’s cousin Marian, who had never once sided against Cece. Rain from the night before had left the air thick. The west windows were fogged.
Renee sat across from Cece. Paul sat beside her, but his chair was angled away, as if he might bolt. Junie and Theo were upstairs with the housekeeper, which was the only thing Renee had insisted on.
“Where is Gus?” Renee asked.
“Resting.” Cece folded her hands on the mahogany. “His doctor is here to explain.”
The doctor, a thin man with a soft voice, opened a folder. “Mr. Vandermeer suffered a mild stroke in February. Since then, he has shown signs of vascular cognitive impairment. Short-term memory loss. Confusion under stress. His ability to make complex financial decisions is compromised.”
Renee’s blood went cold. “Gus runs the foundation. He knows every tenant on the estate.”
“He has good days,” the doctor said. “But the trust requires capacity. Mrs. Vandermeer has petitioned for temporary guardianship.”
“You did what?” Paul stood.
Cece didn’t flinch. “I filed yesterday. The hearing is in ten days.”
“You can’t just take his rights.”
“I can protect the family.” Cece’s voice was calm. “Which is more than you’ve done, Paul. You signed a deed you don’t remember. You let your wife run around the courthouse like a private investigator. You have no idea what’s at stake.”
Renee leaned forward. “What is at stake, Cece? The west grove?”
Cece’s eyes flickered. “The grove is part of a larger restructuring.”
“Blue Heron Holdings?”
The room went still. One of the lawyers coughed. Cece’s mouth tightened, then relaxed into something like pity. “You’re upset. You’ve been listening to a child’s fantasy about survey stakes.”
“She saw them.”
“She’s ten.” Cece turned to the lawyer. “The guardianship also includes temporary custody provisions for the minor grandchildren if the parents are deemed unfit. I don’t want that. But if Renee continues to harass my husband and interfere with trust business, I will have no choice.”
Renee’s hands went numb. “You’re threatening to take my children.”
“I’m offering stability.” Cece looked at Paul. “Your daughter needs help. She lies for attention. She’s been saying wild things at school.”
“She doesn’t lie,” Renee said.
“Then why did you dismiss her when she told you about the stakes?” Cece smiled. “You thought it was pipeline work. Even you didn’t believe her.”
The words hit because they were true. Renee had dismissed her. She had been busy, distracted, sure the estate was too well managed for anything strange. She had failed her daughter once. She would not do it again.
“You’re using Gus’s health to cover a land fraud,” Renee said.
Cece stood. “This meeting is over. My attorneys will serve the guardianship papers this afternoon. Renee, you are no longer to access trust accounts or foundation records. Paul, you will stay at Bellrose tonight.”
Paul looked at his mother, then at Renee. “No.”
“Paul.”
“I’m going home with my wife.”
Cece’s face didn’t change, but her fingers curled against the table. “Then you’d better hope she knows what she’s doing.”
Renee walked out with her heart pounding. In the hall, she passed the closed door to Gus’s study. She heard nothing. But she felt him in there, somewhere, behind Cece’s locked version of events. She had ten days before the guardianship hearing. Ten days to prove that the woman in the ivory suit was not saving the family.
She was burying it.