Page 126 of Mistaken Intention

“TBA?”

“Theodore Bennett Associates. Dad named the company after himself.”

“His name was Theodore?”

“Yes.”

I delve into the recesses of my mind, but I’m not coming up with anything. “I don’t remember him.”

“I shouldn’t worry. Like I said, he wasn’t an easy man to live with.”

“He was presumably a successful one, though, if he made so much money.”

Hunter tilts his head. “The bulk of his cash didn’t come from hard work. It came from taking the company public. He did that not long after his cancer was diagnosed, and netted a small fortune.”

“So you don’t own the family firm?”

“No. That was intentional on Dad’s part. He put me in charge, but made sure I had no control. When he died, he left us his shares, so between us, we have a controlling interest, but the company is owned by all of its shareholders, not just the Bennett family.”

“Why did he do that? I mean, why did he put you in charge, but tie your hands at the same time?”

“Because that’s the kind of man he was. Not that I care anymore. Livia’s taught me that trying to work out his motives isn’t worth it. I can’t change what he did, so I don’t think about it anymore.”

I sit in silence for a moment, trying to work things out in my head. “If our father was such a terrible man, why did he leave us so much money, as well as the shares in the company and this house?”

“I don’t know. I imagine he left us the house because he didn’t know what else to do with it. It’s not as though he spent very much time here, so I doubt it had any sentimental value for him. As for the shares, I expect that was because he didn’t like the idea of TBA falling outside of Bennett hands, even if it’s no longer owned by us entirely.”

“And the money?”

“I’ve always believed that was because he expected us to give up our careers and blow it all.”

“Just like that? Did he never allow for the fact that we might enjoy what we do?”

“He never allowed for anything. I’m speculating here. In all honesty, I’ve got no idea why he did the things he did… and like I say, since I’ve met Livia, the past isn’t something I spend too much of my time dwelling on.”

I guess that makes sense… except I don’t have a past, and there are things I still need to know.

“What about our mother? Where does she feature in all of this?”

“That’s a little more difficult to explain,” he says, frowning.

“Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know, but in this instance, even I don’t have all the answers.” He looks down at his hands and I wait, knowing he’ll tell me what he can. “Mom left us when you were six years old.”

“Six?”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry,” I say. “I’m struggling with context here. Nobody’s told me how old I am yet.”

He smiles. “You’re twenty-eight.”

“And you’re…?”

“I’m thirty-three.”

“So you were eleven when Mom left?”

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