Chapter 7 - A Father's Teachings
Back at the Vance residence, the atmosphere was quiet, stripped of the manufactured pomp Eleanor had enforced for decades. Arthur sat on the floor of the greenhouse beside Lily. Spread between them were fresh lumps of white modeling clay, wooden carving tools, and small jars of pastel glazes.
"Will Uncle Gage be mad forever, Daddy?" Lily asked softly, her small fingers smoothing the clay into a tiny bowl. Her eyes still carried the shadow of yesterday’s humiliation.
Arthur dipped his fingers into water and guided her hands. "Uncle Gage is learning a lesson he should have learned twenty years ago, sweetheart. When you don't respect what people build with their hearts, you end up with nothing to hold onto."
"Grandmother looked very angry when she left," Lily whispered.
"Grandmother is going to live in her cottage by the coast for a while," Arthur replied calmly. He had signed the eviction notice for Eleanor’s downtown apartment that very morning, redirecting her allowances directly to independent management. "She needs time to remember what family means."
The butler entered the greenhouse, stepping quietly over the stone floor. He bowed slightly. "Mr. Vance, your brother has been spotted downtown trying to liquidate personal effects. He attempted to contact your private secretary three times from a payphone."
Arthur did not pause his carving. "Did he apologize for what he broke?"
"No, sir. He asked for the access codes to the summer residence."
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"Then he hasn't hit the ground yet," Arthur said evenly. "Keep the gates locked."
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