The Chosen Heir (The Bolles Dynasty Book 3) (3 page)

Instead of getting into his vehicle, he placed his bag in the boot and took a walk. He called his personal assistant to put off his afternoon conference call.
 

Checking his phone, he noticed his sister, Olivia, had texted him: ‘
Arriving tomorrow morning for a visit. Private airstrip. Can you collect us
?’

If he didn’t make an appearance every three months in London, Olivia would text him a day or two in advance and show up on his doorstep expecting him to welcome her. The problem was he would drop everything to see her. Everyone else may despise his Bolles lineage, but his sisters were curious about their father and treated his memory with respect. His life would be simpler, if his mother could do the same. But instead she held tightly to her bitterness.

He needed time to contemplate his next move. The golf course was draining his capital reserves and he had a decision to make. Pushing aside his memories, he walked the course. They had widened some of the fairways, removed plots of ball-swallowing rough and added intricate sand traps. The result was a faster pace of play considered to be more challenging. The golf course was a beast when the wind howled but would draw in the elite and beginning players alike.

Deciding not to question his motives too deeply, he decided to sell off more of his assets to keep going forward. The place was magnificent. The rolling hills ending at the rough and rocky coastline of the ocean spoke to him. He would play this course frequently and remember his father. Even if his family and most of the world thought that Oliver Bolles, and all of his scandals and lies, were beyond redemption, he would remember the best of him.
 

He checked the time. He had promised Stella that he would meet her for a drink before dinner. He was tempted to cancel and instead go for a challenging hundred-kilometer bike ride. He wasn’t up for an emotional discussion about where their relationship was heading. They had been seeing each other for a few months and he had the impression that she wanted to settle down and she had demanded that she meet his family. He rarely brought a woman he was dating to meet his family. It wasn’t worth the effort. They would offer advice and insist on dissecting each nuance of the relationship.

After a difficult and awkward “exit-talk” with Stella,
 
William climbed onto his racing cycle and headed out to claim his favorite fifty-kilometer circuit. It was the only thing that calmed his nerves and allowed him to escape his thoughts. The sheer effort of pushing his body past his comfort zone brought him a measure of satisfaction. His empire may be bleeding money, his personal life was superficial and empty, but his body wouldn’t disappoint him.

***

The next day William headed out to the private airport to meet Olivia and her daughters. It was nearly two o’clock in the afternoon and he had already put in eight hours of work. What did she have on her mind this time? He was heading to London in a few days. What could be so important that it couldn’t wait until then?
 

Waiting at the small airstrip, he returned a few calls while watching for the sleek Pilatus PC-12 turboprop to come into view.
 

His sister and her husband, Fionn, had no shortage of money. They had made smart choices. Olivia’s fashion empire was thriving and Fionn had launched his own equity investment firm a dozen years ago and it was booming. William, on the other hand, had taken too many risks in the past five years, and if he wasn’t careful, he would soon be bankrupt. The shame around making poor financial choices caused him to stand up straighter. He would not allow himself to be defeated.
 

The Pilatus made a smooth landing and he watched the two-person crew secure the plane. Stepping forward, he saw his two growing nieces, Beatrice and Addy, gracefully walk down the movable steps and run towards him. He tossed Addy into the air and laughed at her shriek of delight before turning to Beatrice and gathering her into a tight hug. His nieces were the image of their mother with their golden hair and piercing blue eyes.

Olivia stepped down onto the runway in a stylish outfit, but she looked worn out. Hopefully the visit wasn’t to warn him of a problem. He had assumed it was merely a chance to catch up before the baptism of their other sister’s infant son.

He kissed her cheek and when the girls were far enough ahead, asked her, “Is everything fine?”

Olivia smiled at him. “Yes. I was hoping to speak with you about a business concern before you come to London. And it will be a madhouse with all the events scheduled.”

He placed an arm around his sister’s shoulders and guided her to his Range Rover. His nieces had already climbed into the back seat and were buckling their seat belts. He opened the rear hatch and took the overnight bags from the pilots.

Climbing into the vehicle, he said, “I have your rooms ready for your stay. What activities do you have planned for the next day or so?”
 

Addy answered. “Mum said we are visiting a company that makes hats and then we will collect samples of lace.”
 

He glanced over at his sister and she smiled. “Tomorrow’s plans. Let’s go back to your place and chat.”

William asked his nieces about their studies and hobbies on the short drive back. Most of his inquires were met with giggling and he kept up a teasing banter with them.

Olivia asked, “Can you slow down around the curves?”

He downshifted. “Are you not well?” His sister shook her head.

His housekeeper, Mrs. Blake, greeted them at the door and said she had set up their favorite tea and sandwiches on the back terrace. Olivia took a call from her husband, Fionn, and joined them a few minutes later.

The girls chatted amicably and then disappeared the moment their tea was consumed.
 

“They are growing up, those two. How old are they now?”

Olivia took a sip of her tea. “Seven and eleven. I would have thought you would remember that, as you never miss a birthday.”

Tension wound its way through his shoulders. He had a few things to take care of before he headed to London. “You are a wonderful mum, Liv.”

She put her cup down. “It’s a good thing, as I’m expecting a baby in January.”

Delight swept through him. His sister and Fionn were made to be parents. Their dedication to the girls never faltered. “Fionn must be over the moon.”

Olivia was an exceptionally kind and involved mum. She was nothing like his mother. He wished Olivia’s children could count toward his allotment of future offspring. But Diane had made it clear that she had no interest in her husband’s “mistakes” as she termed both of his sisters. It was the reason he rarely saw his mother.

His sister’s face lit up. “Yes. He is thrilled.”

“Shouldn’t you be home resting?”

Olivia smoothed down the edges of her skirt. “It’s early in the pregnancy. I’ll have plenty of time to rest later on.” She sat forward. ”I wanted to talk with you about a business opportunity.”

He raised his eyebrows. He and Olivia rarely spoke about business. She was firmly enmeshed in the fashion world and typically spoke about design or culture. “You have me curious.”

Olivia stood up and began pacing. “Do you remember meeting Bridget North a year ago? She is a marketing genius and alerted me that my favorite hat company in Dublin is about to go out of business.”

He remembered Ms. North. Where was Olivia heading with this? “Many of the garment-centered businesses can’t compete with the lower labor rates abroad.”

She looked at him. “It’s an old family business that has been in existence for a hundred and fifty years. They make the most beautiful hats. I can’t imagine them disappearing.”

She wanted him to save the company. “Have you asked Fionn about it?”

Her voice rose with excitement. “He is not interested in taking on a small, family-owned business in Ireland. But you have based yourself here and you have a management team that is skilled at turning around failing companies.”

He tempered his words. “Liv, some of the companies I’ve purchased are no longer in existence. In order to become profitable again, sometimes they need to be combined with other companies or broken apart and sold for the assets.”
 

Olivia remained silent and looked at him. Although he doubted they realized they were doing it, his sisters expected him to the fill the void left by their absent father. William had been given a huge advantage in that he had his father all to himself, but could he fill his shoes for his sisters?

He stood up. “It doesn’t make sense to purchase one of your suppliers to keep them around so you don’t have to find a new source.”

She crossed her arms. “You don’t understand. They make custom women’s hats that can’t be found elsewhere.”

He couldn’t possibly take on another failing business. The golf resort was problem enough. “Do women even wear hats anymore?”

“What?” Olivia blinked at him.

William shrugged. “It’s a fair question. None of the women I have dated have ever worn a hat beyond maybe a baseball cap.”
 

“Maybe you are dating the wrong women.” It often came back to this.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Liv, I have enough issues with a golf resort I’m trying to make profitable. I can’t take on a failing hat company. The garment industry in Dublin is doomed.”

She pulled out her chair and sat back down. “I disagree. There has been a resurgence of skilled shops. You understand numbers, Will. How hard can one small company with less than fifty employees be to manage? It is ten minutes from here.”

The timing was wrong for him. “I’ve learned there is a steep knowledge curve to each new industry.”

Olivia waved a hand. “I can give you Bridget North for a year. She understands marketing, knows the industry and she is from Ireland. Did you remember meeting her at one of my events?”

He was not going to admit to meeting the uptight Ms. North and he had no interest in working with her. “Does she have experience running a company?”

Olivia shook her head. “No. But she is well educated and savvy. I’m sure with some mentoring she would be up to the task.”

The housekeeper, Mrs. Blake, came in and asked if she could clear away the plates.

William nodded and asked, “Should we get out of your way?”

“Heavens, no. The girls want to help with dinner so I’ve sent them to change and thought I should take care of this before I lose track of time.”

Olivia smiled at her. “Are you sure they won’t become a nuisance for you, Mrs. Blake?”

The housekeeper stopped gathering the tea items for a moment. “I selected the ingredients for dinner with them in mind.”

William stood up and opened the door to the house for his housekeeper who was carrying a tray loaded with dishes. “Thank you, Mrs. Blake.”

He needed to find a way to distract his sister. Leaning on the low stone wall surrounding the terrace, he asked, “Have you spoken with Ms. North?”

His sister glanced out over the garden. “Not exactly, but I think I can convince her.”

He would have to tell her no. “Olivia, I want to help, but this entire idea seems to be coming out of left field. Before I decide to purchase a company, I review the financials, possible assets and current market trends.”

Olivia touched her slightly rounded belly. “I thought of purchasing it myself, but with this new baby, I can’t possibly take more on.”

He looked away. She was a force of nature, but she was right with a pregnancy and then an infant, the timing was wrong. “Maybe the hat company will limp along for another year and then you could think about it.”

“I scheduled a meeting for tomorrow. They are within days of closing the shop. This is the eleventh hour.”

This was not good news. “What is the name of this company?”

Olivia sat forward. “The Breen Hat Company. Surely you have heard of them?”

He looked at his beautifully put together sister. “No. I can’t say that I have.”

Giving him a pleading look, Olivia said, “Please, William. Have Alex or Arlo take a look at the company and see what can be done.”

He smiled at her. “I will. But you must be careful to not get your hopes up.”

She stood up and hugged him tightly. “I’ll go rest until dinner. Is it fine if I ask Bridget to take the train up? Can you meet her in the morning?”

The idea of spending time with Bridget North irritated him. “I can pick her up. But I can’t make any promises about Breen until I visit and go through their financials. And I’m not sold on Bridget North.”