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She wiped her mouth and took a sip of wine "Anyway, about the last six or seven years, Lance took hold,an interest in the business Daddy was thrilled Wood/Warren was Daddy’s life He loved us, but he couldn’t e us the way he did the business By the ti, the last in line, Daddy’d pretty iven up any hopes for a successor"

"What about Ebony?"

"Oh, she’s been passionate about the company since she was a kid, but she didn’t believe Daddy’d ever let her have a hand in it He was old-fashioned A man leaves his business to his oldest son Period He knew Ebony was sh, and he-didn’t think she’d stay with it Woet married and have babies and spend money That was his attitude Woolf They don’t go head-to-head with cheineers and syste on an engineering degree, but Daddy made it clear it wouldn’t help her cause, so she went to Europe and gothis prophecy," I said

"That’s right Of course, at that point, Daddy did a turnaround and swore he’d have left her the company if she’d stuck it out She hated him for that, and I didn’t blame her a bit He was a real shit soht She got ho loss He was a dud if I ever saw one A real bore I don’t kno she put up with him"

"Lance says she wants to take over"

"I’ve heard that, too, though it’s not anything she talks towith Ebony, but we’re not real close"

"What about Olive? Is she interested?"

"Peripherally, I guess She ineers orked for Daddy He’s vice-president now, but they e and he’d just hired on"

"Is that Terry Kohler?"

She nodded "You met him?"

"When I was out there What’s he like?"

"Oh, I don’t know Sh, but sort of humorless Good at what he does Crazy about her, I round she walks on ’Slavish’ is the word"

"Lucky girl Is he ao out on his own at one point and foruess it didn’t work out He kind of lost heart after that, and I don’t know… being hter probably takes the heat off"

"How does he get along with Lance?"

"They clash now and then Terry’s easily offended You know the type He gets his nose bent out of shape at the least little thing"