The Sailor's Inheritance

Catherine

Catherine had sat through a plethora of meetings since her father had become ill with the fever. Being the eldest daughter of three left her with many responsibilities. Her father's large estate and his tobacco company seemed to be the most pressing. Since he had fallen ill she had been representing him in the business and so far had gained notable respect for a woman in this time.

Within three months she had gone from a daughter of a wealthy man to the head of a large business. The notion her father's colleagues have noticed. Catherine had become the talk of the dining room table with the Lords of this town. While her younger sister's were married off to wealthy enough men and tended mostly to their own lives. She was free to travel for her fathers affairs.

The Lord Thompson she had been betrothed to was lost at sea during a pirate attack on his voyage to retrieve her from her father's care. When the news of this arrived she had been beside herself with grief at the life she could've lived lost. With her mother having passed just a few months before of a fever her father never had found a suitable replacement.

Catherine thought to herself of how all the moments lead up to her being here at this meeting now among the wealthiest merchants in the new world.

The striking of an old grandfather clock brought Catherine from her thoughts to the meeting at hand.

"Lord Jamison" an older merchant spoke. he was rotund in the stomach region and clearly living well. His white wig slightly offset from his furious wipping of sweat from his brow. "with all taken into account we simply cannot barter with the heathens that call themselves pirates."

"They have cheap supplies for our ships and their whole island is a port!" recanted the young Lord Jamison. He was young and rash. A few years younger than Catherine herself but otherwise he had built his own empire back from nothing that the very pirates hes trying to broker a peace with left him.

"Then we put it to a vote." Another merchant spoke in. "All those in favor of attempting a contract with port royal say Aye."

Aye's and Nay's were heard all throughout the room. Finally everyone looked too Catherine. Representing her father's company and his interests she chose to be silent for a moment.

"Gentlemen" she sat tall in her chair and looked at each one of the Lords before her. "with the interests of my father's trading ships in the forefront of my thoughts on this matter I will leave it at if there was a treaty made that left no doubt that my father's ship would be in perfect condition both arriving and leaving the port than the answer would be Aye. However if this peace you wish to Brooker leaves room for doubt my father's ships will pull out. I have other business to attend now. Good day to you all."

With quiet good days following her as she stood and left the office room she finally took a deep breath. Feeling good about her decision she got into her coach and asked the driver to take her back to the estate. Her father's living will was to be read to the family tonight to prepare for his passing and she was to host her younger sister's tonight at dinner.

The ride back to the estate was a short one. Catherine had barely noticed the dreary weather as the sun fell behind the fields. when the carriage pulled around to the beautiful oak French doors she noticed the drivers for her sister's carriages waiting along with a few members of her father's staff. Catherine tucked the few stray curls of her long black hair back into place and readied herself as if it was just another business meeting with the Lords and remindes herself she'd be able to take a hot bath as soon as she got it over with.

As she entered her father's home she was informed by Gerald the butler that Sarah and Abigail accompanied by their husband's were waiting in her father's study for her. The lawyer had apparently already arrived and agreed to wait til she had appeared to read the will.

Catherine strode up the grand stair case and thought of all the times she used to play princess scampering up and down the stairs only to be reminded that Ladies don't fool around on stair cases. The exquisite carved railing had rearing stallions at the top of the railing and it was as if their tails flowed down to create the serene scene in red mahogany. At the top of the stairs was another set of French doors leading into her father's study whose walls were lined with floor to ceiling shelves. each shelf having just enough room to fit the perfect amount of books. above head was a chandelier with ivory for accents. The real beauty of the room was her father's desk. Each section of the wooden desk held an intricate war battle carved into the desk itself. For the first time in her life Catherine saw a man she did not recognize behind the desk and with his white wig and small round spectacles sat at ease in the chair. He was holding a large envelope with her fathers waxed seal unbroken upon it. He was most certainly the lawyer.