Free A Surrendered Heart by Tracie Peterson

make an immediate decision left her breathless. If she employed Mr. Rosenblume as her lawyer, what would her uncle say or do? Would he insist she move out of his home? Not that she would mind that idea, of course. She silently prayed for guidance.
    “If I should decide to employ Mr. Rosenblume, how would the transfer take place?”
    Mr. Fillmore raked his fingers through his thick hair. “You would inform your uncle of employing Mr. Rosenblume as your lawyer. Your uncle has been intent upon removing his files from my office since the day my father died. After a cursory review of the files, I understood his persistence. I immediately removed the files from my office and told your uncle that there is little paper work there.” Vincent massaged his furrowed brow. “That much is true. However, he wants to come to the office and review his files.”
    Fanny was doing her best to digest the information. “Then my uncle doesn’t know these records exist?”
    Vincent shook his head. “No, not at this time.”
    “But once I begin to investigate, he will get wind of what is going on,” Mr. Rosenblume warned. “It won’t take long before he realizes Mortimer left a paper trail and it has fallen into your hands. I must warn you that this could cause no end of trouble for you, Miss Broadmoor. You’re the one who must decide if you’ll permit your uncle to continue down this path of deceit and thievery. I would strongly urge you not to do so. But you must consider the difficulty this will cause with other family members.”
    Fanny considered her dear cousins. Sophie would urge her to hire Mr. Rosenblume immediately. But what of Amanda? In spite of his shortcomings, Uncle Jonas was Amanda’s father. Once Amanda began to gain her strength, would such news hinder her complete recovery? And what would happen to Aunt Victoria and the rest of the family if proof of his actions came to light? Would they despise her?
    Mr. Rosenblume shifted in his chair. “I know this is difficult, Miss Broadmoor, but Mr. Fillmore needs to know what he should do regarding these records.”
    “Leave the files here. Mr. Rosenblume, I will retain you as my legal representative. At this moment I’m not certain how far I will proceed. I will need time to consider my actions further.”
    Mr. Fillmore jumped to his feet. The man was obviously delighted to hear her decision and anxious to be on his way. “You have my word that I will cooperate with Mr. Rosenblume in any manner he requests, Miss Broadmoor.” He hesitated for a moment. “And I hope I have your word that you won’t tell your uncle what I’ve done.”
    Fanny nodded. If Uncle Jonas quizzed her at length, she’d simply direct him to speak with Mr. Rosenblume. That was, after all, what lawyers were supposed to do, wasn’t it? Moments later, Mr. Fillmore hurried out of the office, leaving her to deal with Mr. Rosenblume and the mountain of paper—a task that didn’t appeal to her in the least.
    She glanced at the clock on Mr. Rosenblume’s mahogany desk. A full forty-five minutes remained until the driver was due to return. Though she understood the importance of the issue at hand, she longed to take her leave and contemplate this unsavory news in private. She longed to walk among the gardens of her grandparents’ home and pick lilacs for Amanda.
    Before she could excuse herself, Mr. Rosenblume retrieved several papers from one of the files. “There are several things I believe you need to review immediately. Much of this can wait until I’ve conducted a thorough examination, but this is a matter of import. It appears your uncle has been actively seeking a buyer for the Broadmoor Mansion, and I’m not at all sure you would agree with such a sale.”
    Fanny frowned. “Broadmoor Mansion has already been sold, Mr. Rosenblume. My uncle sold it without my knowledge. He proposed the sale with the hope I would marry the young man of his choosing. Though I was distraught, the court approved