always right. Because he was the oldest, he thought his ideas should take precedence, but when a situation called for ruthlessness or malice, he was completely useless.
His main problem was that he could be sympathetic. He acted tough and callous, but Dustin and Brittney knew the truth. When they were children, he was the one who dragged home stray puppies, who rescued injured birds. Cold, aloof Jacquelyn never allowed them to have a pet, but Lucas had continued to try.
His obstinacy, combined with his occasional bursts of compassion, made him a worthless ally. If Faith Benjamin fed him a sob story, and he bought any of it, he'd start to feel sorry for her. He wouldn't be able to do what was necessary to resolve the issue.
During the family meeting a few days earlier, Dustin had agreed to let Lucas proceed, but Dustin was proceeding too. Not that Lucas needed to be informed. Dustin was hedging his bets and not betting on Lucas. If Lucas failed with Ms. Benjamin, Dustin would step in and handle her himself.
Brittney was sifting through the pictures, and as Dustin settled next to her on the sofa, she peered over at him.
"She looks different than I imagined she would," Brittney said.
She held up a clandestine shot of Faith Benjamin, one of dozens snapped by the private investigator Dustin had hired. She was decked out in a slinky black cocktail dress, having just exited a restaurant where she'd had supper with Lucas.
The detective had been following Benjamin, hoping to glean some relevant facts, when Lucas had arrived in a limousine to take her out on a date.
Funny how Lucas hadn't mentioned it.
"What were you expecting her to look like?" he asked his sister.
"More…low class maybe? More rough or common? She's very striking, very pretty."
"Yes, she is."
"Lucas seems absolutely entranced."
"I wouldn't read anything into it. You know what he's like. He smiles that way at every woman."
"He hasn't breathed a word about their date," Brittney pointed out.
"No, he hasn't."
"What do you suppose that means?"
"He doesn't want us to know about it."
"And we can't ask him, or he'll find out we're spying on him."
"He wouldn't take the news too well."
"No, he definitely wouldn't."
They both chuckled, and Brittney studied the photos again.
"I can see why Harold was attracted to her," she said.
"Attraction had nothing to do with it. She confused and tricked him. She probably wrote the damn will and tortured him until he signed it."
They'd had experts review Harold's signature, and it appeared to be genuine.
"Will we get the money back? Tell me what you really think."
"We'll get it, but we have to be relentless. We can't let Lucas screw it up. Pictures like this will help. They paint her in a bad light."
"How? She's stunning."
"A good lawyer will twist it all out of proportion. She's flaunting herself like a millionaire, wasting her dead husband's fortune. Or maybe she's a shark, starting in on the next generation of Merriweather. First she duped the grandfather, now the grandson."
Brittney laughed. "People who are acquainted with Lucas would never buy it. He can't be seduced. Not by someone like her. His tastes run a bit more…exotic."
"We're not shooting for the truth here. We're out to ruin her."
"So…whatever works?" Brittney inquired.
"Yes," Dustin replied. "Whatever works."
* * *
"Did you sleep with him?"
"Honestly, Gracie, it's only eight o'clock. What a question to ask so early in the morning."
Grace chuckled and sipped her coffee. "Does that mean the answer is no?"
"That means ," Faith snapped, "that it's none of your business."
They were in the kitchen, Bryce and Peanut still in bed, and Grace's curiosity was raging.
"You didn't, huh?" she sniffed. "At least tell me he tried. I hate to consider that you spent cash on such a terrific dress and he barely noticed."
"He noticed," Faith grumbled.
"And…?"
"And he wanted to, all right? Give it a rest."
"No. You know I have no life. I have to live
His main problem was that he could be sympathetic. He acted tough and callous, but Dustin and Brittney knew the truth. When they were children, he was the one who dragged home stray puppies, who rescued injured birds. Cold, aloof Jacquelyn never allowed them to have a pet, but Lucas had continued to try.
His obstinacy, combined with his occasional bursts of compassion, made him a worthless ally. If Faith Benjamin fed him a sob story, and he bought any of it, he'd start to feel sorry for her. He wouldn't be able to do what was necessary to resolve the issue.
During the family meeting a few days earlier, Dustin had agreed to let Lucas proceed, but Dustin was proceeding too. Not that Lucas needed to be informed. Dustin was hedging his bets and not betting on Lucas. If Lucas failed with Ms. Benjamin, Dustin would step in and handle her himself.
Brittney was sifting through the pictures, and as Dustin settled next to her on the sofa, she peered over at him.
"She looks different than I imagined she would," Brittney said.
She held up a clandestine shot of Faith Benjamin, one of dozens snapped by the private investigator Dustin had hired. She was decked out in a slinky black cocktail dress, having just exited a restaurant where she'd had supper with Lucas.
The detective had been following Benjamin, hoping to glean some relevant facts, when Lucas had arrived in a limousine to take her out on a date.
Funny how Lucas hadn't mentioned it.
"What were you expecting her to look like?" he asked his sister.
"More…low class maybe? More rough or common? She's very striking, very pretty."
"Yes, she is."
"Lucas seems absolutely entranced."
"I wouldn't read anything into it. You know what he's like. He smiles that way at every woman."
"He hasn't breathed a word about their date," Brittney pointed out.
"No, he hasn't."
"What do you suppose that means?"
"He doesn't want us to know about it."
"And we can't ask him, or he'll find out we're spying on him."
"He wouldn't take the news too well."
"No, he definitely wouldn't."
They both chuckled, and Brittney studied the photos again.
"I can see why Harold was attracted to her," she said.
"Attraction had nothing to do with it. She confused and tricked him. She probably wrote the damn will and tortured him until he signed it."
They'd had experts review Harold's signature, and it appeared to be genuine.
"Will we get the money back? Tell me what you really think."
"We'll get it, but we have to be relentless. We can't let Lucas screw it up. Pictures like this will help. They paint her in a bad light."
"How? She's stunning."
"A good lawyer will twist it all out of proportion. She's flaunting herself like a millionaire, wasting her dead husband's fortune. Or maybe she's a shark, starting in on the next generation of Merriweather. First she duped the grandfather, now the grandson."
Brittney laughed. "People who are acquainted with Lucas would never buy it. He can't be seduced. Not by someone like her. His tastes run a bit more…exotic."
"We're not shooting for the truth here. We're out to ruin her."
"So…whatever works?" Brittney inquired.
"Yes," Dustin replied. "Whatever works."
* * *
"Did you sleep with him?"
"Honestly, Gracie, it's only eight o'clock. What a question to ask so early in the morning."
Grace chuckled and sipped her coffee. "Does that mean the answer is no?"
"That means ," Faith snapped, "that it's none of your business."
They were in the kitchen, Bryce and Peanut still in bed, and Grace's curiosity was raging.
"You didn't, huh?" she sniffed. "At least tell me he tried. I hate to consider that you spent cash on such a terrific dress and he barely noticed."
"He noticed," Faith grumbled.
"And…?"
"And he wanted to, all right? Give it a rest."
"No. You know I have no life. I have to live
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