“Then we should set a date for mediation.”
Seph had been suggesting the same thing for the last couple of weeks. Mediation, when all parties sat down and basically agreed a compromise, would be the cheapest and quickest way to agree what percentage of profit each brother took from the sale of the business, given that neither would sell it to the other.
“That’s not an option. He doesn’t deserve anything. He had his cut when he sold three buildings without my knowledge and took the profits. That should be him done. Especially after it was me who financed the original shop in the first place while he was still in school. He’s freeloaded all the time.” David shook his head and sent a glare my way, as if I had something to do with his brother being like that.
“If Ron’s never pulled his weight, why did you stay in business with him?” I was tired of being polite and nice, being the one he only spoke to when he wanted a cup of tea or coffee fetching. I’d started to ignore that now and waited for Seph to get it instead.
David Hartford glared at me again and then turned to Seph. “He entrapped me with that signature. I thought I was signing something else.”
Seph looked from me to David. “Georgia asked you a question. Are you going to answer it?”
David opened his mouth to speak back but words didn’t come out.
I knew Seph was pissed off at how David was being with me. He’d been glowering after a phone conversation I’d had with David yesterday; it’d been on loudspeaker, meaning Seph had heard all of it and by the end of it, he’d been pacing the room.
He looked at me. “What was the question again, dear?”
“Why did you stay in business with your brother for so long if he left most of the work to you? It’s something your brother’s counsel will ask.” Explaining the reasoning behind my question really pissed me off, but I knew without it, David would get twitchy.
He looked at Seph. “Why’s she asking this?”
“Because it’s a legitimate question. You need to answer it.”
David shook his head. “He did do some work, not much mind, but it was obligation to our parents to keep him employed.”
I shuffled through the notes I’d made when I’d been going through the pack sent by Ron’s legal team. “Ron’s provided a list of what he was responsible for over the forty years you worked together and it looks substantial. We need to go through it and disprove what he did; either he’s over-inflating his role, or it was something someone else did. So first is the brokerage in the diamond exchanges. He says that it was him who had the knowledge of the diamond market and could value the stones.”
“He’s lying.”
I wanted to roll my eyes but contented myself with a deep long sigh instead.
“That isn’t going to wash, David. As your counsel, we can’t respond with ‘he’s lying’ without any evidence. The other side will walk all over us. We need you to be honest.” I knew my words had just lit a fire.
“Is she saying I’m lying?”
Seph stood up, his face contorted with fury. “Shehas a name, and unless you can treat her with the respect she deserves, our representation of you will cease. Do you understand?”
“Your father wouldn’t like…”
“My father has nothing to do with this, and if he heard you speaking to any woman the way you’re speaking to Georgia, he’d have you marched off the premises. Think very carefully about what your next words to me or Georgia are, Mr Hartford, that is all I suggest.” Seph sat back down but didn’t look at me. His eyes were fixed on David, jaw clenched. I wondered if Maxwell had heard, given he’d been outside just a few minutes ago.
“I apologise if I’ve upset your girlfriend.”
“And we’re done. Please leave.” Seph stood up again, stepped over to the door and opened it. “Let us know which solicitor takes your case and we’ll forward the file in due course.” His tone was now cold, hard.
“All the best with getting what you want, Mr Hartford.” I stood also, not offering my hand as I normally would’ve done.
“What?” He looked at Seph and didn’t move. “I’ve been bringing my business to this firm for years…”
“And that relationship just ended. Please see yourself out without causing a scene, Mr Hartford. We’re not interested in have a client whose attitude is so demeaning to women.”
I could see the anger radiating off Seph, fire blazing in his eyes. Everything was tense, ready for a fight which I knew he wouldn’t start.
David Hartford stood up, picked up his briefcase and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
I watched Seph, his shoulders relaxing only slightly. His shifted back to the door and locked it, the click the only sound, slicing through a different kind of tension than there had been a less than a minute ago.
“You didn’t need to lose a client over how he spoke to me. That’s not uncommon.”
