Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon

“There’s some money in trust for me,” Eve explained. “Five million dollars. Because of the rules of the trust, it won’t come to me until I’m thirty-five years old.” She smiled ingenuously. “That seems so long from now.”

“At your age, I’m sure it does,” the banker smiled. “You’re—nineteen?”

“Twenty-one.”

“And beautiful, if you’ll permit me to say so, Miss Blackwell.”

Eve smiled demurely. “Thank you, Mr. Seagram.” It was going to be simpler than she thought. The man’s an idiot.

He could feel the rapport between them. She likes me. “How exactly may we help you?”

“Well, I was wondering if it would be possible to borrow an advance on my trust fund. You see, I need the money now more than I’ll need it later. I’m engaged to be married. My fiancé is a construction engineer working in Israel, and he won’t be back in this country for another three years.”

Alvin Seagram was all sympathy. “I understand perfectly.” His heart was pounding wildly. Of course, he could grant her request. Money was advanced against trust funds all the time. And when he had satisfied her, she would sent him other members of the Blackwell family, and he would satisfy them. Oh, how he would satisfy them! After that, there would be no stopping him. He would be made a member of the executive board of National Union. Perhaps one day its chairman. And he owed all this to the delicious little blonde seated across the desk.

“No problem at all,” Alvin Seagram assured Eve. “It’s a very simple transaction. You understand that we could not loan you the entire amount, but we could certainly let you have, say, a million immediately. Would that be satisfactory?”

“Perfectly,” Eve said, trying not to show her exhilaration.

“Fine. If you’ll just give me the details of the trust…” He picked up a pen.

“You can get in touch with Brad Rogers at Kruger-Brent. He’ll give you all the information you need.”

“I’ll give him a call right away.”

Eve rose. “How long will it take?”

“No more than a day or two. I’ll rush it through personally.”

She held out a lovely, delicate hand. “You’re very kind.”

 

 

The moment Eve was out of the office, Alvin Seagram picked up the telephone. “Get me Mr. Brad Rogers at Kruger-Brent, Limited.” The very name sent a delicious shiver up his spine.

 

 

Two days later Eve returned to the bank and was ushered into Alvin Seagram’s office. His first words were, “I’m afraid I can’t help you, Miss Blackwell.”

Eve could not believe what she was hearing. “I don’t understand. You said it was simple. You said—”

“I’m sorry. I was not in possession of all the facts.”

How vividly he recalled the conversation with Brad Rogers. “Yes, there is a five-million-dollar trust fund in Eve Blackwell’s name. Your bank is perfectly free to advance any amount of money you wish against it. However, I think it only fair to caution you that Kate Blackwell would consider it an unfriendly act.”

There was no need for Brad Rogers to spell out what the consequences could be. Kruger-Brent had powerful friends everywhere. And if those friends started pulling money out of National Union, Alvin Seagram did not have to guess what it would do to his career.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated to Eve. “There’s nothing I can do.”

Eve looked at him, frustrated. But she would not let this man know what a blow he had dealt her. “Thank you for your trouble. There are other banks in New York. Good day.”

“Miss Blackwell,” Alvin Seagram told her, “there isn’t a bank in the world that will loan you one penny against that trust.”

 

 

Alexandra was puzzled. In the past, her grandmother had made it obvious in a hundred ways that she favored Eve. Now, overnight everything had changed. She knew something terrible had happened between Kate and Eve, but she had no idea what it could have been.

Whenever Alexandra tried to bring up the subject, her grandmother would say, “There is nothing to discuss. Eve chose her own life.”

Nor could Alexandra get anything out of Eve.