Chapter 21 - Victoria’s Last Apology
Victoria was seventy-six when she asked to meet.
Not dying.
Just old.
Through counsel.
I had not spoken directly in years.
I considered.
Then agreed to thirty minutes at Mercer Heritage headquarters with Maria present nearby.
Victoria arrived with cane.
Cream blouse.
Still elegant.
No locket.
We sat.
She looked at me.
“You look like David.”
“I don’t.”
“When you are angry.”
“I’m not.”
She smiled faintly.
“Worse.”
Then:
“I wanted to apologize without letter.”
“You already did.”
“Not enough.”
I waited.
She said:
“I thought being a mother gave me rights to Julian’s decisions.”
Then:
“I thought being Richard’s widow gave me rights to company.”
Then:
“I thought because David was gone, his shares should come back to Mercers.”
There.
“Why?”
“Because I saw your father as outsider even after twenty-seven years.”
“He co-founded.”
“I know.”
“Did Richard?”
“Yes.”
That surprised.
“Richard used to say David was the only person who could tell him no.”
Then:
“I hated that.”
Of course.
Then she looked at hands.
“I repeated same thing with you.”
“Yes.”
“Julian married you. I thought that solved the no.”
My chest tightened.
“At least you admit.”
“I am ashamed.”
Then:
“I did not expect him to lose marriage.”
“You expected me to surrender.”
“Yes.”
Plain.
Then she asked:
“Did you ever believe bed was…?”
“For minutes.”
She closed eyes.
“I am sorry.”
“That wasn’t worst.”
“I know.”
Then she handed nothing.
No envelope.
No check.
Good.
“I don’t expect forgiveness.”
“I don’t know what forgiveness means here.”
She nodded.
“Fair.”
We ended after twenty-seven minutes.
No hug.
At door she said:
“Your father was right.”
I answered:
“About what?”
“Family businesses become dishonest when nobody has to explain family transactions.”
May you like
She remembered.
That was enough.
