business, but she was shocked. “Your mother would never allow such a thing.”
Harry shrugged, his expression unhappy. “Mum’s not the same person you knew, Jewel. She’s changed.”
“She’s like a puppet.” Josh closed his eyes tight, then opened them. “Everett pulls the strings.”
“So, where are you two living?” Jewel asked, beginning to feel protective. She had known the Hungerford boys since they were toddlers.
“Not in the house. We’ve left. We’ve fixed up the workers’ cottage. We live there now.”
“And you came all this way to see me?”
Josh folded his arms, suggesting he wasn’t leaving until she helped them. “Yeah.”
“But there are good solicitors in Cairns and Townsville.” Jewel named two of the major cities in the far north of the state.
“Sorry, we trust you, Jewel,” Harry said. “Not them. We talked it over. We rang your mum. You’d never betray us. Everett knows all the legal guys up north. He can get around anyone, he’s so smarmy, the asshole. He got the bank to lend him nearly a million dollars, remember? The thing is, Jewel, we don’t have a future anymore,” Harry said, his eyes holding hers. “Grandpa left us that land to work. The Hungerfords have always been on the land. It’s our life. His legacy was our future.”
“That’s always the way I saw it,” Jewel said. “You realize your mother has committed a breach of trust? She held that land in trust for you, her two sons. She had no legal right to mortgage the property. In doing so, she and your stepfather could be said to have squandered your inheritance, which must be worth several million. You’re in a position to start legal proceedings. When do you gain direct control, or is that some way off?” She addressed Harry, but Josh spoke.
“Just over a year. When I turn eighteen and Harry turns twenty. Our birthdays are only a month apart.” Josh sounded as if they could barely survive until then.
“For that matter, the bank has acted improperly. They knew perfectly well the land was held in trust for you boys. We all knew. The whole district. Your grandfather was a highly respected and influential man.”
“One of Copeland Connellan’s top mining engineers in the north,” Josh said proudly, his eyes wandering to Jewel’s wall of plaques, tributes, degrees. “I saw on the board outside that this firm handles Copeland Connellan’s legal affairs.”
“That’s right, Josh.” Jewel nodded.
Josh leaned toward her. “Mum always said you were really going to make something of yourself. You’re a corporate lawyer, right?”
Jewel nodded again. “Corporate and commercial. I had to work hard to earn it. What about you? I take it you finished your schooling Josh?” Both boys were very bright.
“End of last year,” Josh confirmed.
“And you, Harry? What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Harry said glumly.
“But surely your mother wants you to go on to university or agricultural college?”
Both boys sat silent for a moment, looking exceedingly upset. “We’re not talking to Mum,” Josh said eventually. “We can’t talk to Mum. It’s impossible to see her without Everett. He doesn’t let her out of his sight. That’s his tactic.”
“That’s hard!” Jewel frowned. “You were all so close. How are you supporting yourselves? Where’s the money coming from?” she asked.
“Grandpa left us some money, as well,” Harry said. “I got mine when I turned eighteen. I’m taking care of Josh. We’re in this together.”
“It sounds like you’ve been worrying yourselves sick.” Both boys looked as if they’d been carrying a weight of grief on their shoulders.
“It’s terrible to know we’ve lost Mum.” Harry swallowed. “It’s…it’s like she’s joined some sect. And it’s terrible to know what she’s done to us. Are you going to help us, Jewel?”
Jewel settled back in her chair, pondering the fact that she was already loaded down with work. “I should speak to your mother,” she said.
“You’ll never get to her.” Josh punched one hand into the other. “It’s always the two of them. Everett’s always alongside. I suppose a legal battle would cost a lot of money?”
“I’m afraid so, Josh. And from what you tell me, it would be very bitter. Are you absolutely certain you’d want to work the land if you won the case? Your stepfather and mother own and work the adjoining land.”
“It’s not as though we could even sell.” Harry let loose with his anger and frustration. “It’s not ours. We’re in limbo. Going nowhere. Everett thinks he has it all over us. A couple of hick kids. You have to help us, Jewel. We can’t deal with all these problems. You don’t know how it feels.”
“Oh, I think I do, Harry, and my heart aches for you. Let me talk to my boss about it.” Jewel started to drum her fingers on the desk.
“What does that mean?” Josh clenched his jaw, obviously anticipating obstacles.
“I’m free to take on cases, Josh, but my boss is the senior partner in the firm. I’d have to discuss it with him.”
“But you can help us?”
“You can be helped. Understand that. I’d like to be the one. Where are you staying?”
“With a friend,” Josh replied. “You wouldn’t know him. We boarded with him at school. He’s a good bloke. His parents are graziers on the Darling Downs. They have an apartment for when they come to town. Dex lives there—it’s close to the university. Dex is a real bright guy. He’s studying medicine.”
“Listen, why don’t I take you both out tonight?” Jewel suggested. “I’ll have spoken to my boss by then. We can really catch up. You like Italian? Thai? Indian? Chinese? Don’t for the love of God say McDonald’s.”
“Italian is great.” Harry grinned, looking as though he wanted to embrace her. “That’s very nice of you, Jewel.”
“Hey, aren’t you guys forgetting how nice your mother always was to me?” Jewel answered quickly, shaking her head as she considered what the boys had told her.
“You wouldn’t know her now, Jewel,” Josh said again, bitterness in his tanned face. “Everett has taken her over. She’s his now, the stinkin’ fraud.”
AFTER THE BOYS HAD GONE, Jewel got feverishly down to work, refreshing her memory of the Omega deal by speed-reading through the file. At the end, she still came to the conclusion, as had Skinner, that the deal was airtight. Omega ex-executives would be ill-advised to go to litigation, but it seemed that was their intent. Bad advice from their lawyers, who would nevertheless line their pockets. It wasn’t until after lunch that she had the opportunity to speak to Skinner about the Hungerford boys’ situation. She expected—and received—an irritated-sounding response.
“I would’ve thought you had one hell of a job on your hands already,” he said when she was finished.
“I can’t walk away from this, Blair. I feel indebted to these boys. To their mother. She was very kind to me when I was a girl. She was directly responsible for a number of fund-raisers to send me off to university. Mr. Hungerford was alive at the time, and the boys were just kids. Really nice kids.”
“Then, she’s well and truly let them down, hasn’t she. If what you tell me is true,” Skinner said, his eyes narrowed. “Have you taken the time to check?”
“Of course. I’m thorough, Blair. You know that. Besides, there’s money in it for the firm.” Which, of course, was Skinner’s bottom line. “The land I’ve been told would fetch around six million in