The Millionaire's Tainted Legacy

On Edge

"What  do you think is going on, Maria?"

She was now just picking at her muffin, while baby Matty slept on, oblivious.

"I'm afraid you're going to tell me that I was right all along. That Joey's gotten into trouble. That having him do any work at all at OFC this summer was a huge mistake."

Tito watched his sister's eyes fill up with tears. "I can't go through this all again, Tito."

"Maria. That not what this is about. Joey does a great job, and he's not in any trouble. He's been helping me plan the sailing trip. What's more, so far none of participants in OFC have gotten into trouble, and I've been getting great reports back from the sponsoring companies."

He grinned. "So much so that we're going to have a full crew of them on Jack's boat. So don't tell me you're having second thoughts about Joey coming along. He's a born sailor and we're going to need him showing the other boys the ropes." He paused, then added, "literally," and to his relief, Maria laughed.

But the worried look was still in her eyes.

"If it's not that," she said, "then it must be the meeting you had with that lawyer and whoever set up that trust. It has something to do with Bradford Thornton, doesn't it."

Tito studied her. "Yes, it does, but not in the way you think."

"Just spill it all at once, Tito," she told him.

So he did.

Everything from Eleanor's professed only recent discovery that there had in fact been two babies, not one, and that they had not been given up after birth by their mother for adoption. That they had struggled. That her husband and son had known everything and told her nothing until her husband was practically on his deathbed. And that a ten million dollar trust was about to be handed over to him and Maria.

"I don't want it," was the first thing Maria said.

Tito leaned back in his chair. He had to give her time to let it all sink in. He wanted to say that's fine for you to say, living in your million dollar home with your millionaire husband launching your successful art career, but he didn't. He had to give Maria the chance to absorb the shock of all this new information.

"This kind of money can mean a lot to what I'm doing with OFC," he said mildly, instead. "It can take us to a new level helping these kids."

Maria sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I just . . . every time I think of his smug, condescending face when he told me the only reason my painting was at the charity auction in the first place was because I was obviously trying to get ahead by having sex with Ritchie, I just lose it. And the things he said about our mother. Tito, how can you even think about accepting this? It's tainted money because it's coming from him."

"He's dead, Maria. And it's not coming from him. It's money from Eleanor's side of the family. That asshole Thornton and his asshole father have nothing to do with it."

"She's the asshole's mother," Maria pointed out. "And asshole Sr.'s wife."

"That's why I need to get to know her better. So I can decide. So we can decide."

"I don't like it."

He leaned forward, put a hand on hers. "Eleanor wants me to move in with her for three months. On her house on Fisher Island."

"Oh, hell, no," Maria said, loudly enough that a few people at the counter glanced their way, and the baby stirred in his sling. She lowered her voice. "Please tell me you aren't even considering it."

When he didn't answer immediately, Maria stared back at him, comprehension dawning on her face.

"You aren't just considering it, are you?" she asked slowly. "You've already made up your mind."