Miriam sat down, smoothing her linen napkin over her lap.
“Eleanor, we think it is only right that you give Sienna your grandfather’s silver watch as her wedding gift,” Miriam said, her eyes fixed on my wrist. “It belongs in the family, and Sienna is the one entering a proper marriage that will secure our future.”
I touched the silver watch on my left wrist, feeling the cool metal links.
“Grandfather gave this to me when I graduated,” I said, keeping my voice deliberate. “It was not a family heirloom for general distribution, and it was meant for me.”
Sienna pouted, her lower lip turning down as she glanced at Miriam.
“But Arthur loves antique timepieces, and it would look wonderful on his dresser,” Sienna said. “You do not even wear it every day, and it is wasted in a warehouse office.”
I kept my hand flat on the table, covering the watch face.
“No,” I said.
Miriam set her fork down with a sharp click against the bone china.
“We are only asking for a small gesture of family unity, Eleanor,” Miriam said. “Your stubbornness is becoming quite difficult for all of us.”
“I am not giving away my grandfather’s watch,” I said.
Sienna turned to Miriam, her eyes bright with sudden tears.
“She always does this,” Sienna said. “She wants to ruin my wedding because she has nothing of her own.”
I stood up, leaving my plate untouched, and walked out of the room before anyone could reply.
The lobby of Vance Crest was quiet when I entered at eight o’clock the next morning.
Arthur Vance was leaning against the mahogany reception desk, his dark hair combed back neatly with pomade that smelled faintly of sandalwood.
He held a manila folder in his left hand, and as I walked in, his eyes narrowed slightly before he touched his blue silk tie.
“Eleanor, good morning,” he said, his baritone voice smooth and warm. “We need to make some adjustments to the organizational chart today.”
