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come, requesting that Jade report, alone, to Mrs McLean’s office, it was delivered personally by Miss Wright, and came as a complete shock to Jade. Rani, knowing that it could only be bad news, hugged her friend, and wished her well, as Jade left their room.

      Tears were in her eyes, as she made her way to the office. She dreaded to hear the words that the Commodore was dead. She had received a letter from him just the day before, and he had sounded fine. I wonder what’s happened?

      Knocking on the door, Mrs McLean bid her enter.

      Jade was surprised to see an elderly man seated before the principal’s desk, and was astounded when he turned. It was the Commodore, with a very grim look upon his face.

      When Jade sat down, the Commodore took her hand, and said, ‘I’m afraid it’s your parents. They were in a motor vehicle accident.’

      ‘Are they alright?’

      The Commodore nodded his head. ‘I’m afraid ... they were both killed instantly.’

      All the blood drained from Jade’s face, and she felt dizzy. ‘How could that happen! I don’t believe it!’

      ‘I’m so sorry, my dear Jade. It seems your father ... well, he was leaving an embassy function. He drove through an intersection, and your parents’ car was hit by a large truck. The car burst into flames. No one could get to them.’

      Grief overcame her as she burst into tears. The Commodore held her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. It seemed to Jade that everyone in her life was dying; it wasn’t fair. The Commodore allowed his granddaughter to sob quietly for a few minutes until she appeared to compose herself and gather her thoughts.

      ‘What-what-about their funeral?’ Jade sobbed.

      ‘That will all be handled out there, dear. The embassy will look after all the details. It’s going to take place in the next day or two.’

      ‘But ... I won’t be able to be there!’ wailed Jade, who suddenly realised the impossibility of such a long journey in such a short time.

      ‘I’m sorry, Jade, but it has to be done this way.’ The Commodore’s heart went out to his granddaughter, who had experienced more than her fair share of loss and grief in one so young.

      Mrs McLean cleared her throat. ‘The Commodore will take you home with him, Janice. There will be important matters to do with your parent’s estate that will have to be looked into. You may be gone for quite a while. Make sure you pack for a fairly long stay.’

      ‘I will be coming back, won’t I?’

      ‘Of course you will. I’ll not let you get out of your final exams that easily,’ said Mrs McLean in an attempt to make light of the dreadful situation.

      A short memorial service was held in the school’s chapel, after which the Commodore drove Jade to his home, where she spent the evening staring at the bedroom ceiling, unable to sleep.

      Memories of her parents crowded into her mind. The look, the sounds, and the smells of the house she had called home.

      Her tears flowed, as she recalled her father’s pleasures, so quickly snatched from him, and the deterioration of his spirit, that had followed.

      Her mother’s cold calculation in her removal of the rival now crowded into her understanding, but Jade perceived that it had been done with a complete lack of recognition of the contributory part she herself had played in the drama.

      Toward morning, as Jade tossed the thoughts over in her mind, she had the uneasy feeling that perhaps the crash had not been an accident. Could her father possibly have crashed deliberately? He certainly had been sad enough to do something silly the last time she had seen him.

      The thought scared her, and she tried to push it aside, but it continued to return. She visualised it happening. The look of desperation upon her father’s face, and the look of shock on her mother’s, finally breaking down her icy demeanour, just an instant before death took her.

      Jade sat up, sobbing uncontrollably.

      The truly devastating thing, thought Jade, was that they were now both dead, and there was no way that she would ever know the truth of the matter. It would be something that would haunt her, for the rest of her days ...

      * * *

      The Commodore drove Jade to the city the following day, escorting her to the reading of her parents’ wills.

      Samuel Groom, the senior partner at Groom and Sons, had been a schoolmate of Sir Robert Green, and the firm had been looking after the family’s legal affairs for generations. Samuel’s middle-aged son, Gerald, conducted the reading in his book-lined office, assisted by Gerald’s son Walter, several years older than Jade, who was learning the legal profession as an articled clerk in the firm.

      Walter made himself busy studying the new heiress — he was very pleased with what he saw, and was equally delighted with what he read in the family’s file. She’s a little young yet, but in a couple of years I think she’ll be absolutely ripe for the plucking, he thought to himself. He handed the documents to his father, who spread them on the desk, while Walter moved to the side of the room, positioning himself in such a way as to be available for his father and to enable him to continue carefully studying Jade.

      Gerald Groom adjusted his glasses, and commenced reading.

      Jade was totally overawed by the occasion, light-headed with lack of sleep, and confused with the jargon. She watched Gerald Groom’s mouth move, but he may just as well have been speaking Swahili, for all she understood. Finally, he finished. He turned the papers toward Jade, handing her a pen, and indicated where to sign.

      Jade was totally confused, she looked at the Commodore, who smiled in support and nodded to her. So she signed where indicated, and then the Commodore signed as well with grim formality.

      ‘I don’t understand,’ said Jade.

      ‘What don’t you understand, Miss?’ asked Gerald Groom.

      ‘All of it. What does it all mean?’

      The two older men looked at each other; a knowing glance passed between them. Of course she didn’t understand — this sort of thing was men’s business.

      ‘Perhaps I can be of assistance?’ asked Walter from his position near the wall. He walked slowly over to Jade’s chair, and looked down at her.

      ‘In a nutshell, you have inherited a great deal of money. Your father was an only child, and, as such, inherited a large sum of money and property upon the death of his parents. He was also a clever man when it came to finances, and so accumulated a small fortune in his own right, mainly through being a Lloyds ‘name’. Added to this was a trust fund that was your mother’s. So, as the only child, all this now goes to you. Our firm has been given the task of managing the inheritance, and we will invest it on your behalf. It will be supervised by the Commodore, who, as your only surviving relative, will be your guardian until you come of age.’

      ‘And when I come of age?’

      Walter looked at his father, who took over, ‘I would envision that we would continue to manage the funds on your behalf. So you will never really have to worry until you marry, at which time your husband will take over the management of the funds.’

      ‘What if I want to look after the funds myself?’

      ‘I’m afraid that will be out of the question whilst you remain a minor, and I’m sure you’ll have far more appropriate matters to attend to, when you do reach the age of twenty-one.’

      Jade glanced at Gerald Groom, seated behind his desk. She realised that he thought of her as a simple female, and that it would be impossible to change matters at this point in time. However, her time would come. He might have control of her money for the present, but it was hers, and she had no intention of being told what she could do with her own property.

      Taking a moment to collect herself, Jade drew on her reserves

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