Читать книгу Taken By The Maverick Millionaire - Anna Cleary - Страница 7

TOM RUSSELL stood BY his father’s grave and surveyed the rolling pastures. The morning was fresh with smells of earth and grass. All the way to the boundary fence the grasss prang tall, its lush green enriched by its contrast with the flat brown stubble of the farmer’s on the other side. His private creek, fed by the mighty Hunter, was awash, little waterfalls gurgling down its pebbly path, the willows on its bank glowing with new greenery, soaking their privileged toes.

Horse country. Heartland of the Russell newspaper dynasty. And now it was his.

If he could hang onto it.

He drew the crumpled paper from his jeans pocket and smoothed it out. Though he knew them by heart, the spidery words sprang out to gut him afresh.

My son,

By now you’ll know what I’ve done. I want you to understand, boy, that I did it for you as much as for charity. Sometimes a man needs a shock to see what’s important. The big money’s gone, but you’re a true newspaperman at heart, like your old man, and you can probably save Russell Inc if you want to.

Tom, I lost a woman once myself, and I know what it is to grieve. But I also know that the best way to get over a woman is to find another one. You’ve still got your shares in the company and a little bit of property. Find yourself a nice girl who doesn’t care about money…

As always when he reached that line, Tom crushed the letter in his fist and shoved it back into his pocket. The irony of it.

Another woman.

That was always his father’s solution.

As if there could be a woman to replace Sandra. But he could rebuild his inheritance. He could use what was left to claw it all back. In the meantime, he could trade on his reputation and his finance skills to keep what was left of the corporation ticking over. Marry it off to the highest bidder, if necessary. Keep the cash flowing, pay the salaries… Pay the bequests to his stepsisters.

It could be done. It could.

If he could keep his father’s last act a secret. All he needed were weeks. Just a few more weeks…