Chapter 26

I went to lock up my office and was startled by a very handsome man walking towards me. I jumped nearly three feet.

“I am sorry frauline I did not mean to scare you.” He said in a German accent.

“No worries, sir, I was just ending early.” I told him.

“I was hoping you could help me? There’s an estate I heard the Historical society nearby was talking about restoring.” I looked at him with politeness but, my brain was raising an alarm.

“I believe I have heard of it. How may I help you?”

“Are they still planning on it?”

“That I am aware, we don’t directly work with them on such projects.”

“I am a real estate developer, it’s been crumbling for centuries, I am interested in purchasing the land. There is a wealthy client in America that saw the site only and wants to purchase it for modern rehabilitation. I stared at him speaking warning bells were going off more in my head.

“I would suggest you call the “Hofer Group, they’re attorney’s that are in charge of managing the estate.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He said as he walked away.

‘May I ask you the interested party is?” I asked curiously.

“A wealthy party” he said as he looked me over, dismissing me as not having wealth.

“What firm are you with?” I ask. Just curiously.

“The Holton international firm in New York.” He says smugly. Owens old firm. Brilliant.

Who are you clients, maybe I know them, you see I come from generational wealth on more than one side of my family. Just because I am working here does not mean, I am poor sir.” I snap at him. I steps backwards.

“Mr. and Mrs. Gallow” he says looking at me, like I couldn’t possibly know who my mothers parents are.

“My grandparents!” I shout

“You’re what?!” he stammers

“Yes, my disgusting, power hungry, money mongering grandparents. Trust me, they think you’re a homeless beggar unless your wealthy like them cause that’s how they are. You can tell them you met with me Katherine De Cheney, and you can tell them No! I own that property on my fathers side of the family, and it will be a cold day in hell that they’ll ever step a foot there. They’ll tear it down, build a billion-dollar modern piece of shit cause they have no value in true beauty. They’re all flashy and no worth.” I yell at him.

“Tell them, I own it legitimately, it’s my father’s family ancestry, and I will never see it go to them!” I yell as he runs away.

That just pissed me off.

I call their number. I heard grandpa answer.

“Well, if it isn’t our leech granddaughter, what do you want? I am not giving out cash today.” He sneers

“Here me well, I found out that you want the La Fleur estate in France.”

“What’s it to you about a crumbling property, are you squatting there? What am I saying, like you have ever been to France.” He laughed.

“Listen well” I say in a cold voice that gets his attention “I will never let you have my Estate!” He keeps laughing.

“I am serious! You’re a filthy power-hungry, money-grubbing sack of shit! It will be a cold day in hell; I will hand over my father’s ancestral home to anyone in your family!” I growl.

“Have you lost your mind? Your father was just a banker; he has no wealth!” he laughed.

“If that were true, I would not be calling you. It’s my families birthright, my heritage, my family history, and my home. You’ll never get it. Where did you think my grandmother lived? In a shack? She’s been living on the property her whole life, it is a family estate. It is in the will that it can never be sold and resides in the La Fleur/De Cheney family so fuck off!” I growl.

“You’re lying, you have no connection with the La Fleur family! Your mother would have told me that she married into ancient royalty.”

“This is why my father did not let her tell you, he knew you would try to scheme your way in. He knew you would do something like this; he knew what kind of family you are. My mother was a pearl in a sea of slime.”  He’s screaming at me that he’ll take me to court.

“Then I suggest you contact The Hofer group; they control the assets of the estate. I suggest you call them and see how far you get.” I say as I hang up.  I call the Hofer group in New York.

“Hello” I hear a voice that almost sounds like Ralph’s it stirs my soul.

“Hello this is Katherine De Cheney, I am living in France now but, I just found out that my mother’s family wants to purchase the Chateau.”

“if  they’re family, we could make it open to them.”

“You don’t understand, they’re money monger’s they’ll tear it down and rebuild so billion dollar modern house that will scream “look at me I’m fucking rich, envy me!” I say with a snarl.

I hear him chuckle.

“You really don’t like them, do you?”

“No, you could tell?”

“You’re sassy” he says laughing a bit.

“I just don’t’ like they’re type. They abandoned me just because I chose to work for a living and not be a billionaire princess.” He growled lowly.

I’m sorry, they’re assholes, you’re better without them.”

 “Yet, you surprise me, so much anger, I have never heard you this aggressively passionate, and I am thankful you’re so passionate over a mansion from what I heard you didn’t want.” He says approvingly.

“I didn’t want it, for my own personal reasons, which coincidentally are still occurring, just different.”

“what’s happening?” he sounds alarmed. So, I reiterate everything to him. I don’t know how but, I feel my body wants to quake in fear. There’s a cold and dangerous vibe coming from the other side of the phone.

“Mr. Rudolph Hofer actually interested in speaking with you. He was talking about coming to France to inspect the mansion. He wants to bring it back to life.”

“I look forward to meeting him.” I say politely.

“Our team here will arrange a meeting with Fredrick soon about starting the process. We’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you.”

“Have you been in the manor yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Fredrick was supposed to show you inside, I’ll arrange it. Try not to go in on your own, it’s not structurally safe.” He says in caution.

“I understand, no worries.” I tell him, I bid him goodbye and hang up the phone. Why is it every time I talk to someone from that firm, it gets my body aroused? It’s weird.  As I hang up the phone, Judith walks towards me. She says she’s ready to go. We walk out together and head towards town.

We find a cute little bistro. We eat sandwiches and drink some beers. We talk about our lives, our families, and get to know each other better. I learn that she is married, has two children, and four dogs. She grew up in Paris and is a French native.

“You speak such good English, no offense.”

“It’s all good, I went to UCLA for college before coming back home.”

“Oh okay, that makes sense.”

“Yeah” she says with a smile. We continue to talk more about everything. Politics, the history of the town. I share with her my history, where I am from, my family. I tell her about what I just learned involving the estate. My greedy grandparents etc.

“They sound like horrible people”

“They are, I never hate anyone but, I can’t tolerate them.”

“You cannot let them get their hands on the property.”

“I won’t trust me.” I say in determination. We begin to talk about the mansion, as we are. I get the sensation again like I am being watched. I don’t feel this in a bad way. I smell the scent of “peppermint and wintergreen” I have only smelled that with Ralph. When Judith leaves to find a bathroom. I turn around in my seat and search for him. I don’t see him. My heart feels like it’s aching for him. I continue to look around the restaurant, and I don’t see anyone. I give up a little depressed, thinking that I might be imagining things. Judith returned to our table. We decided to go visit the mansion. We paid for our dinner. We walked out hand in hand a little drunk but, still able to stay up straight, somehow.

We were a giggling mess as we walked away from the bistro. I was still getting the feeling of someone watching us. I didn’t want to turn around  again and startle Judith, so we just left.