Robert Ludlum – Scarlatti Inheritance

the self-indulgence and although he disapproved he nev

er took it very seriously.

“I hadn’t realized it, Mother.”

‘Then, obviously, rm wrong and we’ll drop the subject. I really am far

removed from the times.”

Elizabeth smiled, and for the first time in a long time she gave her oldest

son an affectionate kiss. Yet something was bothering Janet Saxon and

Elizabeth Scarlatti knew it.

The wedding ceremony of Janet Saxon and Ulster Stewart Scarlett was a

triumph. Chancellor Drew was, naturally, his brother’s best man and

following the brides train were Chancenoes five children. Chancellor’s

wife, Allison Demerest Scarlett, was unable to attend the wedding as she

was in labor at Presbyterian Hospital.

The fact that it was an April wedding was a source of contention between

Janet Saxon and her parents. They would have preferred June or, at least

May, but Janet was adamant. Her fianck insisted that they be in Europe by

the middle of April and that’s how it would be.

Besides, she had her own very valid reason for a short engagement.

She was pregnant.

Janet knew her mother suspected. She also knew that her mother was

delighted, even admired her for what she believed was the proper use of the

ultimate feminine ploy.

95

The prospect of this particular bridegroom entrapped, cased, irrefutably

cornered, was enough for Mar= Sayan to give in quickly to the April

ceremony. Manan Saxon would have let her daughter be married in a synagogne

on Good Friday N that ensured the Scariatti hm

Ulster Scarlett took a leave of absence from his seaslow at the Waterman

Trust Company. It was understood that following an extended honeymoon on

the Continent he would plunge back into the world of finance with increased

vigor It positively touchad-and amazed -4eGerson Cartwright that Ulster

took with him–~on his sacred journey of love,” as do Virginia cavalier put

it,–& large number of papers to study. He had gathered together literally

hundreds of reports concerning the myriad interests of the Scarlatti

Industries and promised Cartwright that he would inaster the complexities

of the inexhaustible diversiflcation by the time he whirned.

Jefferson Cartwright was so moved by Ulster’s earnest-

ness that he presented hhn with a hand-tooled leather

brief case.

The first leg of the newlywedie trip was marred by what appeared to be a

severe case of seasickness on Janet’s part. By a mildly amused ship’s

doctor, however. it was ascertained to be a miscaniage and as a result the

bride spent the entire voyage to Southampton confined to her cabin.

In England they discovered that the English aristocracy was becoming quite

tolerant of their invading Amencan counterparts. it was all a question of

degree. The cmde but nch colonists war rips for the taking and tRken dity

were. The more shcceoftbk~-~ this category inchuted Ulster Scarlett and his

wifD–were absorbed without question,

Evm the owners of Blenheim had to be with someone who could wager the price

of their best hunter on the turn of a single card. Especially when this

particular gambler could tell at a glance which was the best hunter.

96

At about this time-the second month of their trip-the rumors began

filtering back to New York. Brought mainly by returning members in good

standing of the Four Hundred. It seemed Ulster Stewart was behaving very

badly. He had taken to disappearing for days at a time and on one occasion

was known to have been gone for the better part of two weeks, leaving his

bride in a state of embarrassed anger.

However, even these extremes of gossip were not dwelled upon, for Ulster

Stewart had done the same thing while a single man, and Janet Saxon, after

all, had hooked herself Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor. She should

complainl A thousand girls would have settled for the ring and the ceremony

and let him do as he pleased. All those millions and some said a titled

family thrown into the bargairil No one had much sympathy for Janet Saxon.

And then the rumors took another turn.

The Scarletts uprooted themselves from London soew ty and began what could

only be described as an insanely planned itinerary throughout the

Continent. From the frozen lakes of Scandinavia to the warm shores of the

Mediterranean. From the afill-cold streets of Berlin to the hot pavements

of Madrid. From the mountain ranges of Bavaria to the flat, dirty ghettos

of Cairo. From Paris in summer to the Scottish islands in autumn. One never

know where Ulster Scarlett and his wife would be. next. It didn’t make

sense. Them was no logic in their destinations.

Jefferson Cartwright was more concerned than anyone else. Alarmed. He was

unsure of what to do and so he decided to do nothing but send carefully

worded memorandums to Chancellor Draw Scarlett.

For Waterman Trust was sending thousands upon thousands of dollars in bank

drafts to every conceivable and some mconcervable exchanges in Europe Each

letter of request from Ulster Scarlett was precisely worded and the

instrtictions absolute. The demand for confidence, for silence, in the

transactions was emphatic. The breaking of this confidence to be penalized

by the immediate withdrawal of his interests from Waterman…. One-third of

the Scarleft trusts. One-half of the Scarlatti inheritance,

There was no question about it. Ulster Scarlett had benefited from his

unions at the bank. He knew exactly how to expedite his financial demands

and did it in the

97

language of the banking profession. Still, Jefferson Cartwright was uneasy.

He could be subject to criticism at a later date. There still remained

two-thirds of the trusts and the second half of the inheritance. He solved

his insoluble dilemma by sending the following-then variations of it-to

Ulster Scarlett’s brother.

Dear Chancellor:

Just to keep you up-to-date-as we so successfully established during your

brother’s sessions here at Waterman-Ulster is transferring considerable

sums to European banks to cover what must be the finest honeymoon in the

history of marriage. Nothing is too good for his beautiful wifel You!ll be

happy to learn that his correspondence is most businesslike.

A number of such notes were received by Chancellor Drew, who smiled

indulgently at his reformed younger brOther`3 devotion to his wife. And to

think he was corresponding like a businessman. Progress bad been made.

What Jefferson Cartwright did not explain was that Waterman Trust also

received endless bills and charges validated by Ulster’s signatures from

countless hotels, railroads, stores, and lending institutions throughout

Europe. What disturbed Cartwright was that the flexibility he had

authorized during the dirigible incident would have to be employed again.

it was inconceivable but there it wasl Ulster Scarlett’s expenses were

going to exceed the income from the trust fund. In the space of several

months-when one added the charges to the transferals-Ulster Stewart

Scarleft was reaching the eight-hundred-thousand-dollar mark.

Inconceivablel

Yet there it was.

And Waterman was subject to losing one-third of the Scarlatti interest if

he divulged the information.

In August Ulster Stewart Scarlett sent word back to his mother and brother

that Janet was pregnant. They would remain in Europe for a minimum of three

more months as the doctors deemed it best that she do as little traveling

as possible until the baby was Well along.

Janet would remain in London. while Ulster traveled with friends to do some

hunting in southern Germany.

98

He’d be gone for a month. Possibly a month and a half.

He’d cable when they7decided to Come home-

in mid-December the cable arrived. Ulster and Janet would be home for the

holidays. Janet was to remain fairly inactive as the pregnancy was a

difficult one, but Ulster hoped Chancellor had checked on the decorators

and that his brownstone on Fifty-fourth Street would be comfortable for

her.

He instructed Chancellor Drew to have someone meet a prior ship to escort

a new housekeeper Ulster had found on the Continent. She had been highly

recommended and Ulster wanted her to feel at home. Her n

was Hannah.

Language would be no problem

She spoke both English and German.

During the remaining three months of Janet’s pregnancy Ulster resumed his

sessions at Waterman Trust and his mere presence had a calming effect on

Jefferson Cartwright. Although he never spent more than two hours at the

bank, he seemed somewhat more subdued, less given to fits of irritation

than he had been before his honeymoon.

He even began taking work home in the hand-tooled leather briefcase.

in reply to Cartwright’s confidential and offhand questions about the large

sums of money forwarded by the bank to Ulster in Europe, the Scarlatti heir

reminded Waterman~s third vice-president that it was he who had made it

clear that nothing prohibited him from using the income from his trust fund

for investments. He reiterated his request that a his European transactions

remain confidential between the two of them.

“Of course. I understand completely. But you must realize that in the event

we transfer funds from the second trust to cover your expenses–as surely

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