Page 107 of Audacity

‘How so?’ Dad thunders, taking the bait just like I knew he would.

Well, Dad, I’m glad you asked.‘Take Eleanor. The epitome of good breeding and respectability, and, pardon my French, fucking useless.’

‘Amen, Father,’ my sister pipes up with a wicked smirk. Mum shoots her her signaturedon’t make me put you over my kneeglare, to no avail.

‘Everything she’s done has been mediocre and steeped in snobbery. I’m sorry, but it’s true. And I didn’t even realise it until Athena opened my eyes to the incredible possibilities of what we could achieve. Athena has a brilliant strategic brain and an exceptional variety of experience—some of which she may have gained in roles that you don’t like and don’t have to like.

‘But, at the end of the day, our fiduciary duty here is to the staggering amount of money we’re planning on giving away, and if you compare Athena to Eleanor and find thatAthenais the one lacking, then I have no earthly clue how to get through to you.’

I’ve cast the pleasant, pastoral tone aside, I realise. My voice is harder, colder, more authoritative than any tone I’ve used with my family in a long time. Because I’ve spent years feeling guilty about this inheritance, overwhelmed by it, and now—thanks to Athena—I finally know how to use it.

I’ve finally found my calling.

I have felt lost for so long. I felt equally lost during my years as a priest and in the aftermath. All this time, I’ve bemoaned my ability to be the type of shepherd I believe I should be. The type ofmanI believe I should be.

Managing the Sullivan billions made me feel at worst, uneasy, at best, conflicted.

Stewarding the Sullivan billions takes my innate desire to serve, to shepherd, and reimagines it as a new type of priesthood: ministry on a staggering scale.

There’s only one person I know who can transform my purpose into reality, and, God bless her, it’s not Eleanor Whitmore.

‘I don’t disagree on Eleanor. But I worry that we were shown that young lady’s true colours the other night,’ Dad says gruffly.

Mairead puts down her cutlery with a huge sigh. ‘For God’s sake, Dad, the only person who showed their true colours the other night was Harrington. Given what he threw at Athena, Ithought she conducted herself in a seriously classy way. And I hope those lawyers of hers take him for every penny he has.’

‘They will,’ I promise her. I turn to Dad. ‘Look, I realise you don’t know her very well, but I do.’

‘Verywell,’ my brother mutters under his breath, and I turn to frown at him. ‘Athena is the least fake person I know,’ I tell my parents. ‘If she doesn’t like you, you’ll know about it. She doesn’t suffer fools, and she doesn’t dissemble. She can’t be bothered. In her professional circles, she’s supremely self-confident, but the reaction she had from all of you the other night was horrific. I know you were shocked, but think about it from her perspective.

‘You don’t need to worry about her character. She’s withdrawn herself from me, and I know she’s making other career plans just now. She’s already mentally walked away, and it’s not because she’s afraid of a good fight. She’s really not. I know in my heart that she’s walked away because she doesn’t want me to have to make a difficult decision, and she doesn’t want to put any more pressure on me given my guilt over leaving the priesthood. If that doesn’t sayintegrity, I don’t know what does.’

‘I trust Gabe here,’ Bren pipes up. ‘I don’t think he’s blinded. I think he’s an excellent judge of character. And from what I’ve seen of Athena, she’s a straight shooter. That’s what we need.’

I throw him a grateful look. ‘She always expresses horror at being taken for a do-gooder. She’s never tried to pretend to anyone that she’s an angel. But she gets the job done like no one else I know. We need her.’

Mum pouts, her face like thunder, and my sister goes in for the kill. ‘A few weeks ago, we all loved her. We were blown away by her. Absolutely nothing has changed there. She’s still every bit as qualified and capable as she was before the gala. Wait.’

She takes a huge gulp of red wine and presses on, her attention going to me. ‘I actually think you’re the perfect powercouple. You’ve got the pastoral background, but honestly, this lunch aside, I don’t ever see you stand up for what you want. Not really. Athena will harness all that goodness and whip you into shape. Together you could be unstoppable—I mean it.’

I smile despite myself. Athena’s words from our planning session at my house come back to me.Together, we’re unstoppable.

Never have I believed something quite so fervently.

I’m done being the gentle priest here.

There’s a time for humility. For patience. For lending your ear. My family is used to all those characteristics from me. I dare say they depend on them.

This is not that time.

It’s time to advocate for others who deserve it, whether that’s the thousands of people we can help or the woman who’s been so maligned at the hands of my family.

It’s time to step into my power, the power they so readily granted me when they handed me the reins over a year ago.

It’s time to stop asking for permission.

‘Your belief means a lot, sis,’ I tell Mairead.

I fix my eyes squarely on my parents. ‘Let me be very clear. As CEO, I have the ultimate say in this appointment. The foundation will be run by the most qualified person. That’s Athena. And, after everything I’ve said, if either of you still feel you want to cast a stone… Well. You know as well as I do what Christ had to say about that.’

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