“Declan has.” Prim grimaced, clearly embarrassed. “I know I’ve made myself out to be so independent but despite my constant demands, Declan hasn’t yet delivered all the files to me as I’ve asked. I’ve just these few so far, but they don’t make much sense.”
“Why would he keep them from you?”
“For just that reason. He knows I’m not prepared enough to handle every aspect of them,” she admitted. “But he hasn’t taken the time to educate me as he’d promised he would. He thinks I’ll waste away his grandchildren’s future. I told you, he thinks I’m a dunderhead.”
“He’s the fool if he believes that.” James tapped her temple with a grin. “Have you reminded him that the law is on your side?”
“It’s only just occurred to me that I might employ that fact to make my case.”
“What has Shane to do with all this, then?”
“Not much. He sees nothing wrong with me leaving business to the men and has been hesitant in going behind Declan’s back to bring the files home for me. Due to my diminished mental capability, of course,” she told him. “I think I told you, he works as a junior partner at the bank.”
“As does Mr. Leachman?”
“Yes.”
“And Declan wants Leachman as your husband pretty desperately.”
Prim’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What are you suggesting?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Yet. Let’s peruse the files and see if we can make sense of them, shall we?”
“We?” she echoed.
“Naturally. You’ve got to learn.”
* * *
“I have to say, you can wipe any doubt from your mind that it was only you these files baffled,” James said a few hours later, tossing a folder into the pool of papers on the desk. “There’s something missing here, though I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. I see a steady stream of cash output that suggests loans of some sort, given the smaller deposits being returned periodically into each account.
“They appear to be interest payments, but I can’t see where the funds went to begin with. Or to whom.” He scratched his head. “This is all you have?”
“Yes, until tomorrow at least,” Prim said, perceiving his frustration as if it were her own. “I’ve told Shane I would have them collected Monday despite his reservations.”
Leaning back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head, James chuckled. “That’s my lass.”
A knock sounded from the door. Prim turned to find her father-in-law there. He swept in, dropping a pair of briefcases onto the floor next to the desk. “I hope I’m not interrupting?”
“We were just working on some of the investment portfolios,” she said, coming to her feet to greet Declan with a kiss on his cheek. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”
“Shane called on me a short while ago and told me you were making all sorts of rash demands,” the older man said. “I thought you trusted me with all of this?”
“I do,” Prim assured him, though the last few hours had put a doubt or two into her head. There were things that didn’t add up. “But, I told you I wanted to have a hand in what was going on. To learn to take care of them myself.”
“Yes, I know what you said...”
Prim sighed, well-accustomed to that placating tone.
“…I just don’t understand why you’d want to bother with it all when I’m here to help you and happy to do it. I enjoy it. Besides, I want my grandchildren to have a solid future, you know.”
Familiar frustration welled up in her. They’d been down this road too many times before. She could tell him that she craved the responsibility all she liked, but he’d never believe her or take her seriously.
It was as if he didn’t hear her, didn’t want to…or he was hiding something from her.
She shot a pleading glance at James, but he made no move to help her. He just nodded, his eyes filled with encouragement and faith.
In her.
