Sally shook her head with a laugh. “Never mind. What kind of tea did he get? His usual Earl Grey?”
“No, oddly enough, he didn’t come in for tea. He wanted to see if I thought the captain well enough to discuss a business opportunity.” Katherine felt a grin stretch across her face, despite her attempt to be serious.
“Now, what may that grin be about, then?” Sally brandished a teaspoon menacingly. “Out with it!”
“Oh, Sally, it’s something I’ve been praying about, but didn’t think could ever happen! And it’s still not for sure.”
“Well, what is it?”
Katherine pulled out a chair and sat, motioning for Sally to do the same. “Mr. Patten said that a man came into the bank today to clear out his uncle's safety deposit box. The man who owns the rest of the Harborside block has died, and it was his executor—a nephew or something—who came to the bank today.”
“What’s that got to do with you?” Sally asked, brow crumpled in confusion.
“When he opened the safety deposit box, there was a paper folded around the deed to the building. The man read it, then asked who these Braddocks were, and where he could find them.”
“What? Why?”
“Because—” Katherine leaned forward and dropped her voice to an excited whisper. “The paper was the purchase contract for the Harborside block, and it stipulates that if ever the property is sold, it must first be offered to the Braddocks before being placed on the market.”
“Do you think they’ll be able to buy it?” Sally asked, eyes wide.
“I don’t know.” Katherine sat back against her chair with a frown. “But for some reason, this very thing has been on my heart for months—the Braddocks owning the whole block like they used to—and I’ve been praying about it, so this can’t be a coincidence. I’m going to stop by to see the captain when we’re done here, and I’ll talk to Serena about it then.”
16 Worth a Try
“Yes, Mr. Welch called us this afternoon. Apparently, he’s in quite a hurry to sell.”
“And?” Katherine held her breath.
“Oh, Katherine, whatever would we do with the whole block? We don't even use half the storeroom.”
Katherine let out her breath. She was ready for this question. “Well, I’ve been thinking we could open a museum. It would honor the Braddock family legacy and bring in customers at the same time.”
A smile spread over Serena’s face and her eyes sparkled. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Katherine!” but just as quickly, her face clouded. “There’s just one problem.”
“The money?”
Serena nodded. “You’ve seen the books. The Harborside is well out of danger financially, but nowhere near ready to make such a large purchase. Unless—” Katherine watched as the older woman’s face took on an odd, faraway look.
“Unless what?”
Serena motioned for her to sit down next to her on the small couch and turned to face her. “When I was young, Granny Braddock used to talk about a trust, that she would turn over to me when I was old enough. She said it was set aside by Isaac and Lizzy Braddock—”
“Lizzy who gave the Harborside its bell?”
“You have been paying attention. Yes, that’s her. Well, the Harborside didn’t come to them, you see. Isaac being a middle child, the shop’s ownership went to the oldest, my great-grandfather, Henry.”
“I never knew that. I guess I assumed that because they’re part of the Harborside’s story, it must have belonged to them.”
“No, Isaac and Lizzy only worked there. Henry Braddock, who as I understand was a good man who worked hard and tried to keep the Harborside going, ended up having to choose between bankruptcy and selling the warehouse spaces Edward had built around the original building.”
“How horrible. I can’t imagine making such a difficult decision.” Katherine said, realizing she had assumed the rest of the block had been lost due to some carelessness or unconcern. “But you said something about Isaac and Lizzie?”
“Yes. Henry didn’t tell them about having to sell until it was already done. Thankfully, he put that bit into the contract about offering it to the Braddock family first before selling it. When Isaac and Lizzy found out, they decided to make certain that the building would one day be recovered.”
“How?”
“Lizzy had a bit of money settled on her when she married, and Isaac had a few savings as well. They both agreed to put that money away, and add to it as they could. They put their little fund into a trust, and, according to Granny, each generation has added to it. If she was right, there is money to buy the building, but I don’t know how much or even where it is.”
“But if she told you about it—”
“Just before she died, she told me she had taken care of the papers, and that the trust was now in my name. I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, but now I wonder if there might be papers somewhere that tell who I need to talk to in order to withdraw the funds and buy the building.”
Katherine’s eyes lit up. “The sea chests! We’ve only just started sorting through the papers in your grandmother’s chest. I’m sure it’s in there, if it’s anywhere.”
The sparkle returned to Serena’s eyes. “It may well be!”
* * * *
