She was twenty-one. Not a girl anymore and certainly not a student. Now she was a college graduate with a degree in art.

Now she was a woman.

Just as he had with Lucas, Pop took her to the Maritime Bank to talk to Mr. Rowe about the Trust Great-Grandpa had set up for her.

Mr. Rowe was very nice, and he explained things as clearly as he could. It was, he said, a pretty simple trust.

“Yours is almost identical to your brother’s,” he said.

“You will receive annual payments from it until you reach the age of 35. After that, you may accept the entire benefit in bulk, or continue the payments. In any event, until the time you take complete control of it, the bulk of the trust is not available except in an emergency. And as trustee, I would have to see it as a pretty dire emergency. Is this clear?”

She nodded.

Then he told her what the payment would be this year.

She asked him to repeat it. He did.

“Oh…Oh my!”

He smiled. “I know it seems like a lot, but if you decide to get your own place, you’ll find it will enable you to live in modest comfort rather than luxury. These payments are, you understand, not in fixed amounts, but based on things like the current value of the stocks, interest, etc. I would not say you were wealthy, young lady, but I think with careful management, you can be pretty comfortable. It certainly provides you with a measure of security.”

“Do you have any questions?” he asked.

She turned to Pop.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” he said.

“Your great-grandfather set this up so professionals could help you and your brother manage your inheritance. Me, I’m just a bystander. Mr. Rowe is the person you need to ask.”

“If I… If I die, can I leave the trust to anyone I want?”

“Surely that won’t be for a very long time, my dear. But it is a very good question. The answer is, no, not until you reach the age of 35.”



“If, God forbid, you were to die before then, the trust would either transfer to your brother or be divided equally among any children you might have. Or Lucas’ children, if he were no longer living. Or, if the absolute worst were to happen, your cousins on your father’s side. The point is, only your great-grandfather’s direct descendants could inherit. Amadou was quite emphatic about that.

After your thirty-fifth birthday, of course, it will pass entirely into your hands and you can leave it to anyone you want.”

“So,” Pop asked. “How does it feel to be a lady of means?”

It felt good. It felt exciting.

***

She still wanted to get a job. Something at the Finnegan, or maybe she could teach a couple of art classes at St. Nicholas Grammar. In the meantime, she kept busy. Tonight she would help with the inventory at the Artte Shoppe, and of course there was her painting — though these days, she had to admit, she was spending as much of her free time as she could with David.

As soon as they got home from the bank, she stepped out of her heels, changed her dress and unpinned her hair, shaking her head with realief. David was going to meet her at Reckoner Park and they would walk to The Rose for lunch.

On her way, she felt uneasy. Things were going so well with David. They had been seeing each other for six months now, and she kept waiting for the bumps, the setbacks she’d read about, seen in movies. Maybe this was where it would happen.

She had money now. What if… What if he were a fortune hunter, like Montgomery Clift in The Heiress?

What if the Baghills didn’t really have lots of money of their own? Was he going to question her about the trust? She imagined him saying “When you are thirty-five? Hmmmm,” his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Was this the part where sinister music started playing in the background?

He was already waiting for her. They kissed, then he stepped back and looked at her. “I thought you were going to pin your hair up and look like a lady today.”

“I did. It just — the bun gave me a headache. And the heels made my feet hurt, so I changed.”

“You don’t… You don’t mind do you?”

“Of course not, silly.

“How did it go at the bank? Everything squared away?”

“Oh yes. Mr. Rowe is nice! And it wasn’t complicated at all, not the way he explained it.”

“I’m glad to hear that. See, bank offices aren’t such terrible places, are they? Even if you do have to dress like a grown-up.”

“I… Oh, if you want I’ll run home and change…”

“I was joking, sweetheart.” He put his arms around her. “Your hair’s not long enough for a bun, anyway. No wonder it gave you a headache. Little steps. Remember, it all starts with little steps. ”

He didn’t even ask about the money.

She heard no sinister music at all.