Free The Lost Prince by Selden Edwards Page B

eyes came to hers. “You are very persistent, Miss Putnam.”
    “I know what I want,” she said, “and I try very hard to get it.”
    “And…,” he said with his head down. “There is something I need to make perfectly clear.”
    “And what would that be?”
    He paused for a moment, then burst forth. “You are a very attractive woman, Miss Putnam, and I know that you are accustomed to getting your way. But I need to make it clear that attractiveness has no effect on me. I am considering joining you because of the offer, nothing else.I wish to have what you would call a business relationship, nothing more.”
    At first Eleanor said nothing. Thinking back on it, if there was one moment in which she thought she could not go on, this was it. Later she would admit that she found his brashness refreshing and a departure from Boston propriety, but for now she was aware simply that she had no choice. She took a deep breath. “A business relationship is what I am looking for, Mr. Honeycutt. Nothing more. But, my, you are very direct.”
    “I think you will find that will always be the case.” He looked her in the eye. “I think you will find me a rather blunt fellow,” he said. “I am not exactly like others in that regard.”
    “My goodness,” Eleanor said, both stunned and attracted by the frankness. “We must be cautious here to keep things honest, Mr. Honeycutt, even if they seem blunt. We must be clearheaded, dedicated, discreet, efficient. But we must be able to trust each other.” She paused to be sure that he was taking her seriously.
    For a moment, he looked as if he might wish to explain. “You will find me very trustworthy,” he said blankly. “Trustworthiness is one of my strongest attributes.”
    “You understand that I will be asking you to pursue certain very specific investments, and that your job will be to do exactly what I say.”
    “I understand that.”
    “And as a part of your compensation you will always have ten percent of the Hyperion Fund at your disposal to do with as you wish, to use to gain knowledge of how the stock market works.”
    “That is very generous.”
    “And also essential for your education,” she said, thinking of the discomfort of traveling alone to Cincinnati, reaching out her hand and accepting his. “Now, with regard to that year’s salary you did not accept when first offered—”
    “You need not apologize,” he interrupted. “I had my chance, and I did not avail myself.”
    “Other opportunities will present themselves. There will be many chances to invest. As I said, you will become a very wealthy man.” She paused. “Now, there is something I do need to give you.” She withdrew from her purse for the second time an envelope. “I can offer this to you now.” She handed it to him.
    He opened the envelope and examined its contents carefully, a look of confusion on his face. “It is the year’s salary,” he said, “purchased six months ago.”
    “It is,” she said. “Cincinnati Soap and Candle stock purchased back then, in your name. Now worth considerably more. Double, actually. All you need to do is redeem it for the highly valued Procter and Gamble stock.”
    “You knew I would say yes. You knew I was about to lose my position here.”
    “I did not know—” Eleanor began, then stopped herself. “It had to be,” she said. “And now you are on your way, it would appear.”
    “We are on our way, Miss Putnam.”
    “Indeed we are,” she said, and she rose and extended her hand to say good-bye.
    Ted Honeycutt said nothing at first, giving his head only the slightest nod, staring blankly at the envelope he held in his hand. “Tomorrow,” he said finally, “I begin. And where are we going to put it all?”
    “Northern Pacific,” she said. “We put it all into Northern Pacific.”
    “All of it?”
    “All of it,” she said. “This will be good for you. You can test your wings and begin to learn how to move around in this brave new