“I told you, I’ve been here for years.”
Katie was torn between intense dislike for the neighbor and burning curiosity. It might help if she knew more about Chase’s father. Of course, if Helen suspected she wanted information, the woman would clamp her mouth shut. Maybe if she went at it from another direction.
“Why didn’t you go after the father?”
Helen smirked. “He wasverymarried.”
“I’m surprised that stopped you.”
“That old man never would have left his wife. He joked about it all the time, how she’d take half of everything, but he was dead serious. You could see it in his eyes.”
Katie gestured to the muffins. “I appreciate you keeping an eye on Chase, but he’s got me now, and I’ll bake him whatever he needs. Bye-bye.”
Helen gave her a dirty look before walking away.
Hopefully, that was the last time she’d see their pushy neighbor.
♥♥♥
The last person she expected to see at her door later that week was Reginald Jacob. The only non-family member to hold stock in the company, he had been absent from meetings long enough for rumors about early retirement to resurface. According to Chase, it didn’t matter because Mr. Jacob promised to sell the stock to him.
Mr. Jacob greeted her with a smile and a bouquet of daisies. Dressed like an old-fashioned gentleman in a three-piece suit, he tipped his hat to her. “Good afternoon, my dear. Hope I’m not intruding. Probably should have called, but I find the element of surprise to be a useful tool.”
Confused, she took the flowers with a lighthearted laugh. “Chase isn’t home right now.”
“That’s why I came at this hour, so I could talk to you uninterrupted.”
She opened the door wider and stepped aside. She knew she should take time to put the flowers in water, but she was eager to hear what had brought him all the way out to the lake house. He followed her to the living room and took a seat on the couch.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
He shook his head before removing his hat. It landed on the coffee table in front of him. He smiled at her before sitting on the couch. “All I want is a moment of your time.”
She sat on the opposite end of the couch and rested her hands in her lap. Hopefully, she looked more comfortable than she felt. It was important to put a guest at ease. At least that was one of her mother’s favorite sayings. “Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Jacob?”
“Right to business. I like that.”
“Sorry. I’m just curious. Why would you want to talk to me without Chase around?”
He reminded her of her maternal grandfather. When he started talking in the low, melodic voice of a consummate storyteller, she suspected it would be a while before her curiosity was satisfied.
“Theodore Grayson and I met in college, and we became instant friends. When he founded his company a few years later, I was right there beside him. I’m not sure how much you know about our business and the family behind it. I’ll try to make this brief.”
She motioned for him to keep going.
“Theodore was not a self-made man.” Mr. Jacob grinned. “He came from money and lots of it. When he was alive, he tried to gloss over that part. He wanted people to think he’d created a multi-billion-dollar company out of nothing. I think he should have just been proud of what he managed to do, turning his inherited millions into billions. Not an easy feat.”
“What sort of man was he?” she asked. “I heard he was a dictator to his employees and a workaholic that ignored his wife and children. I heard he hated marriage and brought up his sons to feel the same way.”
Mr. Jacob nodded. “I’m afraid that’s true. Theodore was a brilliant businessman, but he basically sucked when it came to emotional ties.”
“Why did he get married when he obviously hated the institution?” she asked.
“Back then, it was the expected thing to do. If a young man didn’t take a wife, rumors swirled around him that he was either gay or there was something wrong with him. It was a different time, a different society. Theodore didn’t want people saying those things about him. He also married because he wanted someone to oversee his household, host parties, and take care of the social end of things. Evelyn was perfect for him in that way. She is a born party planner, and she thrives in social situations.”
That made sense. To people like Theodore Grayson, appearance was everything. Of course, he would want to look like a faithful family man. She felt even worse for Chase now.
Mr. Jacob continued. “I love those boys as if they were my own sons, but I’m not blind to their faults, either one of them. Billy does not have a head for business, and he’s letting that little girl he married lead him around by the nose. His father would have hated seeing that. Theodore would have put a stop to it, but I don’t feel like it’s my place. Billy chose poorly when he took her as his bride, but Chase did an amazing job picking his.”