Anything Goes

if we stay ten years?”
    Mr. Prinney nodded. “In addition to the real estate holdings. There will be debits from the total, of course, and who can guess what will happen to the value of gold over the years? Or the value of all the other properties he left,“ Mr. Prinney said.
    “Other properties...“ Robert murmured, as if it were part of a song lyric.
    “Your great-uncle held title to diverse properties. Some were his alone, but the majority were co-owned with other business associates of his,“ Mr. Prinney said. “He owned land in Florida, Michigan, several ranches and a mountain in Colorado, orange groves in California, some of which he sold to moving picture studios, others which are still in the estate.“
    “And these would be ours?“ Robert asked.
    “In ten years, if you agree to fulfill the requirements,“ Mr. Prinney said. “In that case, I would be in charge of financial decisions during that period, but would explain my reasons to you and instruct you in the process.“
    “You’d be better off instructing my sister,“ Robert said. “She’s the one with a head for figures.“
    “The house and grounds need a great deal of work to be considered livable,“ Mr. Prinney continued. “As trustee, I’m inclined to be liberal in that regard. It’s not economically sound to let a potentially valuable property go to wrack and ruin. And then there will be upkeep. That will come out of the capital as well. But once the original expenditures are made, the interest on the capital should pay for the upkeep without diminishing the total.”
    Lily’s mind was reeling. Almost a million dollars each and half the house at the end of ten years. Plus these ‘other properties.’ She’d be thirty-four years old by then. Not so young, but not terribly old, either.
    Mr. Prinney, in the face of their stunned silence, was inspired to chattiness. “Your Uncle Horatio was an astute man. And was good enough to share his financial advice with me. He had invested heavily in stocks through the years, but never on margin, as so many did. And he saw the end looming. He sold his stocks at their peak, bought gold and land, and urged me to do the same with my pitiful few investments.”
    Nearly a million dollars, Robert was thinking. But we have to live here. Here! Dear God.
    “ Mrs. Prinney and I would be in dire straits indeed if Mr. Horatio Brewster had not warned me,“ the lawyer was going on. “I suppose you’d like to have a tour of the house now.“
    “Will there be any sort of allowance for us? For food and clothes and such?“ Robert asked.
    Lily was surprised at Robert asking such a practical question.
    Mr. Prinney shook his head with regret. “No, I’m afraid not.“
    “Then how would we eat?“ Lily asked.
    Mr. Prinney shrugged. “I suppose you’ll have to get jobs.“
    “Mr. Prinney, we have jobs,“ Lily responded sharply. “Dreadful jobs. We are no longer ranked among the idle rich.“
    “I’m so sorry, Miss Brewster. I meant no criticism. Let me explain. Your great-uncle’s stipulation of your remaining here for ten years was very specific. You are to take up full-time residence in Voorburgon-Hudson at Honeysuckle Cottage. Keeping your jobs in the City would require a two-hour train trip each way and I was assuming that the train fare alone would make living here and working in the city impossible. Besides...“
    “Besides what?“ Lily asked suspiciously.
    “Should anyone dispute your claim when the ten years have passed, they might have grounds to argue that your daily presence in the City counted against your time here.“
    “Who would dispute our claim?“ Robert asked.
    “You have other living relatives,“ Mr. Prinney said. “I’m not suggesting that any of them would cause trouble, but it’s a possibility you must consider.”
    Robert’s eyes narrowed. “Cousin Claude!“ he exclaimed.
    “But surely...“ Lily started to object.
    Mr. Prinney put up a hand. “Your uncle’s will is quite unusual. It follows no standard for which there is precedent that I know of. That leaves it more open to legal challenge than I like.”
    Lily glanced at Robert. His normal level of cheerfulness had dropped several notches. In fact, he looked downright serious, a very rare sight.
    “I may, however, have a partial solution for you,“ Mr. Prinney said. “Mrs. Prinney and I have quite a large house in Voorburg. It was her mother’s home and now that our daughters are grown and married,