Noah and Liam would roll their eyes and resume whatever they were doing at the time. Reading was Liam’s passion. Video games were Noah’s.
The day they were leaving for Miami, their mother refused to see them off, feigning one of her “headaches.” Liam and Noah were used to her disinterest but got hugs and kisses from the staff—the people who actually cared for them. Even Sidney merely gave them a handshake and a thousand dollars each. “This is your allowance for the semester. Don’t ask for any more.” After which, he picked up his attaché case and left the grand foyer of their mansion in Wilmette, one of the most luxurious suburbs of Chicago.
Chapter Two
Christmas 2007
Chicago
Liam and Noah were in their final year at the University of Miami, and neither of them was certain if he was going to continue his education, take some time off, or look for work. They had managed to get through three and a half years of undergraduate school with good grades and good behavior. They were involved in sports and dated a number of girls, but neither was interested in having a committed relationship. Though Liam was the quieter and more moderate of the two, even he enjoyed his freedom. And if their parents’ relationship was any indication of what married life was like, neither one of them was interested in entering into any long-term involvement. Casual dating and being “friends with benefits” was the norm for most students their age. And they saw no reason to deviate from that norm.
During school breaks, they would often go on “family” ski trips to Aspen or Vail. In the summer months, Liam, Noah, and a small staff would stay at the family vacation home in Shelby, Michigan. “A modest castle on the lake,” is how Eleanor would darkly refer to her husband’s purchase. “Sidney wanted a place where he and the boys could spend time fishing.” Part of that was true, but everyone knew that Sidney used the villa during the off-season for his frequent liaisons.
Regardless of where they were during school breaks, the family was surrounded by acquaintances, guests, and a variety of social friends. Heaven forbid they interacted with one another as members of a family. There were always other people around to keep the conversations banal. Liam and Noah referred to the multitude of people as “insurance.” Insurance that nothing personal would be discussed. Occasionally, someone would ask, “So, Liam, how is school treating you?” Liam would think to himself, Schools can’t treat a person. The question should be, How are you treating school? Liam was always the more perceptive of the two, but before he could get a chance to discuss his studies and interests, Mother would quickly change the subject. She never got over the fact that not only did they go to a school that was known as “Sun-Tan-U,” but they actually were going to graduate from “that dreadful, crass place.”
It was now their final Christmas holiday while in college, and, as per usual, some distant cousin and her brood were staying at the house. Eleanor hired professionals to handle the holiday decorating, the results of which always generated many disapproving looks. Nothing ever seemed to satisfy her.
It was late in the evening, and Liam had a craving for ice cream. He didn’t want to bother the staff. They deserved some peace, especially since Eleanor was on her customary pre-party rampage. As Liam made his way down the long corridor, he overheard his mother hissing at his father. But the heavy oak door that separated the master bedroom suite from the hallway made it difficult to hear his father’s reply. Sidney never raised his voice, something that invariably infuriated Eleanor. But rather than add fuel to her own fire, Eleanor would stop talking and leave the room, banging the door in her usual manner of expressing her discontent. She barely noticed Liam standing in the hallway and breezed right past him. Not a look. Not a word. She cruised her way to the guest bedroom suite, which was usually occupied by Sidney. But that night, she was hell-bent on making a dramatic grand exit, and that was the only other available bedroom.
The next morning, she was absent from the breakfast table. Nothing new there. She usually took her morning coffee with her dry wheat toast in her bedroom. Most of the time she never ate or drank either of them. She simply liked the idea that she had someone who could fix it and bring it to her. Margaret Drew, the family cook and head housekeeper, would scrape the uneaten toast into a small bowl. She would then break it into pieces and leave it outside the windowsill for the birds. Once Noah had spotted her recycling his mother’s discarded breakfast and was happy to see it hadn’t gone to waste. He gave her a nod of approval, which made Margaret smile.
With their college graduation a few months away, the pressure was on for the twins to decide what their next moves would be. Sidney had arranged for the family financial planner to meet with them before they returned to school.
Lately, when it came to money, Sidney’s hands would tremble, and any discussion was immediately terminated. It wasn’t as if the boys asked for cash on a regular basis, but conversations with their father tended to center on their making plans for gainful employment. And it was their impression that Father seemed to feel some urgency about their entering the workforce.
Edward Coulson had been the family’s financial planner for decades. Even though Sidney earned well over seven figures managing other people’s money, it was important for them, he said, to have someone impartial advising them.