Cordelia sighed into the phone. She was not leaving Connecticut anytime soon. Maybe not ever.
She’d only set the phone down a minute when it rang again. She pressed it to her ear without looking. “Molly?”
“Ms. Bone?” the voice on the other end of the line questioned.
“Yes, it’s me.” She pulled back the phone to look at the screen—Elliott, Gould & Associates, the law firm in Hartford she’d sent the paperwork images to.
“I’m calling on behalf of Mr. Gould. I’m his paralegal, Allen. Thank you once again for the documents you texted. We’ve been able to make physical copies, and Mr. Gould has given them a substantive read,” the man said politely. “You’ll be receiving a full letter from him shortly.”
“And?” Cordelia asked, hope fluttering in her chest.
“While Mr. Gould himself will be happy to go over any remaining questions that you have, he wanted me to call and give you his immediate findings. I am sorry to report that there isn’t much he can do at this time. The jurisdiction of the will is rock-solid. The dynasty trust—though old—is explicitly prepared andhas been carried out with no dispute for generations. Mr. Bennett Togers is named as legal guardian and trustee of the estate in your aunt’s incapacitation. His remaining so, like your residence at the property, is a condition of the trust. You could challenge the will in court, of course. But it is our emphatic opinion that that would fail to bring you the desired result. And the fees could become quite burdensome.” The man cleared his throat as he finished, and Cordelia could hear the telltale sound of him swallowing a drink of water.
“I see,” she said, sinking. “And there’s really nothing further he can do?”
Allen spoke plainly. “Ultimately, it is your decision whether to pursue this in a local court. He would file for you should you choose to do so. But it is not his express recommendation.”
Cordelia sighed. “Allen, is it? So, what exactly are you suggesting? In the simplest terms possible.”
This time, it was Allen’s turn to sigh. “Ms. Bone, can I be frank?”
“Please,” she told him.
“While the conditions of your aunt’s will and the family trust are unusual, they are legally sound. Courts are limited in their ability to craft solutions to estate cases like yours. That is why we so often attempt to resolve these cases outside of the litigation process. It will get expensive and adversarial, and there is little likelihood you will emerge pleased with the results,” Allen told her.
Cordelia took a deep breath in. It sounded like litigation had the potential to drain whatever was left of their meager family fortune, effectively making the battle over the trust moot. “If a lawsuit isn’t ideal, then what does he advise?”
“At this time, his best advice is for you and your sister to sign the trust,” Allen told her. “Perhaps in time, with the properresources behind you, you can unravel this from the inside out. We would certainly be happy to help you try.”
Resources,she thought. Where the hell was she supposed to find those if she couldn’t sell the house and its belongings? She sighed.
“But right now,” he continued, “you’re staring down a deadline that could cost you everything if you don’t act quickly to secure your claim on the inheritance.”
“A deadline?” It was the first she’d heard of it. Bennett hadn’t mentioned any kind of time limit.
“It’s why I called. Mr. Gould didn’t want to leave you waiting on such a time-sensitive matter. You have four weeks to make your claim. That’s quite generous, actually,” Allen told her. “That timing began with the date of your aunt’s death, which means you have less than two weeks left.”
“I see,” Cordelia said. Another ticking clock. “Can I ask why all the red tape for what is considered a modest inheritance? It seems a bit pompous.”
Allen scoffed on the other end. “Ms. Bone, have you taken the time to actuallyreadthese papers you sent us, to look into your aunt’s assets?”
She was embarrassed to say she hadn’t. But in her defense, there had been a terrible lot going on. “Not in detail, no.”
“Modestis not the word I would use to describe your late aunt’s estate. Her holdings are some of the most remarkable we’ve witnessed—varied and extensive. Stocks, properties, businesses. Her investment portfolio is beyond impressive. The numbers are staggering, to be honest.”
Cordelia began to tingle in a strange way, the tips of her fingers going numb. “Howstaggering?”
“Your aunt—soon to be you and your sister—is what is known as an ultra-high-net-worth individual. That title is given only tosomeone with a net worth in the range of eight figures,many times over.”
Her mouth dropped open, emitting a high-pitched squeak.
“Don’t short yourself,” he said. “Sign the papers and allow the trust to begin funding you here in Connecticut. You can maintain your assets in Texas. Once everything has been put into your names, then we can begin dismantling the dynasty trust if you still wish to sell the property, though it will only continue to appreciate. But I warn you, tampering with a dynasty trust like this one is not necessarily recommended. These generational trusts protect the family’s assets from a number of threats over time, including enormous taxes. You may find that it’s in your best interest to comply with the trust like the many Bones who came before you.”
“Thank you,” she told Allen, still in shock. “Let Mr. Gould know I will take his advice under consideration.”
“Stay in touch,” Allen told her. “We’ll be happy to help you however we can in the future. You’ll receive an invoice by mail shortly.”
She imagined it would be “staggering,” in keeping with the figures of the trust.
