Gwen’s heart sank. She wasn’t sure if she wanted Liam Malone to miraculously be her long-lost brother or not. It would be horrible if Willy had been raised to become someone who set fires and attacked people in their own homes. She wished Patrick was still in town so she could tell him not to waste his time in Pittsburgh, but he’d left an hour ago.

“Thank you for investigating,” she said to Oscar. “It wasn’t what I hoped to hear, but I’m grateful for your help.”

Oscar nodded. “Just forget about him, okay? I also wanted you to know that I’ve had a change of heart about the college. Since our reputation is going to take a beating over that vile memoir, it’s the wrong time to cut off funding. Natalia has a soft spot for the college and asked me to grant a one-year extension on your funding.”

A jolt of happiness shot through Gwen. A one-year extension wasn’t much, but having the axe lifted off the back of her neck was at least a temporary reprieve. “Thank you!” she said. “And please thank Natalia as well.”

“Let’s join the others,” Oscar said. “I have an important announcement to make, but you needn’t concern yourself with it. It’s only bank business.”

She took a seat alongside her cousins. Soon the entire family gathered in the open area near the bow of the ship. Oscar began talking about the corporate merger in which he would partner with J.P. Morgan to buy Carnegie Steel. Ten other steel companies would be bought at the same time, and Oscar explained exactly what that would mean for their family.

“Once this deal is complete, the new corporation will control seventy percent of the steel production in the United States, and as their banker, this will make us a very wealthy family.”

Gwen couldn’t see what all the fuss was about, because they were already obscenely wealthy, but Oscar went on to explain that this deal had the potential to be the largest business merger in history.

“The partners of Blackstone Bank will meet in July to have a formal vote endorsing the deal.” Uncle Oscar paused, looking unusually stern as he scanned the assembled family members on the deck. “I only need a simple majority among the shareholders for the merger to succeed, but I want a unanimous vote among the Blackstones endorsing this merger. All the men here have shares in the bank. Between Father and myself, we already have a fifty-percent share of the vote, so we have an automatic majority, but I want our partners to see that we are unified in this decision. As a sign of good faith, I want every man here to promise you will vote in support of the merger.”

“What will you do if they don’t?” Gwen teased. “Make them walk the plank?”