My part was not to be clever.

My part was to be unmoved, and to trust the process he had set in motion, and that, unlike cleverness, I knew I could do.

Before I could answer, a fist began to hammer on the office door, hard and furious.

“Father!” came Julian’s voice from the hallway, thick with venom.

“Open this door.

We know what you did with the estate lawyers today.

Open it!” Arthur looked at me across the desk, and a faint, sad smile touched the corners of his mouth.