In fact, she looks very much like the cat that got the cream.
Shade lets out a breath. ‘That’s the Marchmont & Co. insignia.’
Daisy nods and her expression is expectant.
‘You were right,’ I say dutifully, and she gives us a superior look.
‘I know.’
‘Fussell and Meyer, too. My father must have cut out the middle and stashed them there,’ Shade murmurs as he stands and walks over. He takes them from her hand and lays them out on the coffee table.
‘Does Andy know you have this?’
She shakes her head. ‘No. I was careful. I was alone in the office when I took it. I had my back to the camera. It didn’t see me. I moved the books a little as well, so there wasn’t an obvious hole on the shelf where it had been. I snuck it out under my coat.’
I pick up one of the papers. ‘This is a copy of the marriage contract signed by Joseph and John.’
She takes the legal document from me and looks it over, her eyes widening.
‘This can’t be right.’
‘What can’t?’ Blake asks.
She points at a line and shows us.
‘The amount of money that’s being exchanged. Three hundred million dollars.’
Shade takes it back and stares at it.
‘The Bandervilles were going to pay my father three hundred million for Daisy to marry Joe.’
‘Well, I guess that explains why John wasn’t letting it go,’ I say with a frown.
Blake opens his computer and starts typing. The rest of us look through the other documents, but there are only some preliminary ones from prior to the signing. The marriage contract seems to be the only thing that’s important to us.
‘The Bandervilles can’t pay that,’ Blake says absently.
‘How do you know?’ Daisy asks.
‘Because I’m looking at their business financial statements. The ones that are public record. I can also see their accounts in real time. Even if they liquidated everything they own, there wouldn’t be enough to pay that kind of money.’
‘Then how are they going to keep to the deal they made?’ I ask, and glance at Daisy. ‘And, no offense, butwhy?’
‘Pop must have had something on them, why else would they pay for her? No offense,’ Shade says.
‘Shut up,’ Daisy says with a roll of her eyes. ‘Just because you say ‘no offense’ doesn't make it any less offensive. And I’m totally worth three hundred million.’
‘To us you are,’ I admit, taking her hand and kissing her palm. ‘But the Bandervilles?—’
‘We just mean that it’s not normal for the groom’s family to pay the bride’s.’
‘But if the Novelles are blackmailing the Bandervilles somehow, and for that kind of money, that would explain why even Andy is so adamant that a marriage still goes ahead.’
‘Holy shit!’ Blake exclaims.
He turns his computer around so that we can all see the screen and gives Shade an apologetic look.
‘Sorry, dude, but by these numbers, the Novelles are flat broke. Their holdings are pretty much zero. Looks like your dad started selling stuff off years ago. The Novelles are a sinking ship. Andy needs that money from the Bandervilles.’
