Chapter 14 - THE LAST OFFER BEFORE THE VOTE
Celeste came to Margaret’s townhouse Thursday night.
Margaret almost did not let her in.
Emily was upstairs.
Adrian had moved into a furnished apartment in LoDo and, so far, had respected the no-contact boundary except through attorneys.
Celeste stood on the porch without makeup.
Margaret had never seen her look older.
“I’m resigning as chair tomorrow.”
Margaret opened the door wider.
“That’s your decision.”
“It’s the board’s decision if I don’t.”
“Yes.”
Celeste stepped inside.
She remained in the entryway.
“I need one thing.”
Margaret almost smiled.
“Of course you do.”
“Don’t vote to force a sale.”
Margaret’s expression changed.
Celeste continued.
“If the bank loses confidence and the Cole block turns hostile, they may demand more collateral. I could lose most of my shares.”
“You pledged them.”
“I know.”
“Then the risk belongs to you.”
Celeste looked toward the stairs.
“I was trying to leave something for Adrian.”
“You almost helped him destroy his marriage.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Celeste’s eyes filled.
Margaret had seen Adrian cry.
Now his mother.
Neither moved her as much as she once might have expected.
Celeste said, “Robert died believing I could keep the company in the family. Every year since then I’ve been proving him right to a dead man.”
Margaret understood that more than she wanted to.
She had spent years making decisions based on what she imagined Peter would have wanted.
Grief could become a board member nobody had elected.
“That still doesn’t explain Emily.”
Celeste looked upstairs again.
“No.”
“Say it.”
Celeste’s shoulders dropped.
“I decided her fear was an acceptable cost.”
Margaret heard movement above them.
Emily was standing at the top of the stairs.
Celeste saw her.
Neither woman looked away.
Emily descended slowly.
“You should go.”
Celeste nodded.
At the door she turned.
“I am sorry.”
Emily’s face did not soften.
“I believe you.”
Celeste seemed surprised.
Emily added, “That doesn’t mean I trust you.”
Celeste left.
The next morning, Margaret entered the Westbrook boardroom carrying the same phone Adrian had tried to take at dinner.
The same voting schedule remained saved inside it.
Thirty-eight percent.
Arthur called the meeting to order.
Celeste sat at the far end.
Adrian was present with counsel because the committee’s recommendations affected his employment.
Emily had chosen not to attend.
Margaret understood why.
This was not where her daughter needed to prove anything.
Arthur summarized the findings.
Then he turned to Margaret.
“Cole Family Holdings has been asked whether it intends to support current management.”
Everyone looked at her.
Margaret opened her voting authorization.
For sixteen years she had used her shares to preserve peace.
May you like
That morning, she used them to establish a boundary.
And once her signed instruction reached the corporate secretary, nobody in the room could put the old arrangement back together.
