Chapter 10 - UNCLE NICHOLAS
Lucy’s relationship to Nicholas remained legally unproven.
Emotionally, she had already decided.
“Uncle Nicholas” stayed.
Nicholas did not correct her.
Maria did not either.
Then Teresa came to New York.
Seventy-two.
White-blonde hair.
Sharp blue eyes.
She looked at Nicholas in the hotel lobby and began crying.
“You have Anthony’s eyes.”
Nicholas disliked that sentence.
He still hugged her when she asked.
Teresa brought letters.
Photographs.
One showed twenty-year-old Daniel beside Anthony.
The resemblance was uncomfortable.
Not identical.
Enough.
Then DNA.
Maria had thought carefully.
Daniel’s personal effects included an electric toothbrush in a sealed travel case from a trip shortly before his death.
Could produce DNA.
But chain of custody for legal inheritance might be questioned.
Nicholas did not care about inheritance first.
Lucy’s potential rights mattered.
Anthony’s estate had been closed years earlier, but Caruso family trust contained descendant provisions.
If Daniel was Anthony’s son, Daniel might have been entitled to an economic share.
That could pass to Lucy.
Potentially tens of millions.
Maria became angry.
“I don't want this to become why everyone cares whether Daniel was his son.”
Alexandra answered:
“Then we separate relationship from claim.”
Good.
For court purposes, they petitioned to use preserved pathology tissue from Anthony and a hospital blood sample from Daniel retained lawfully from a prior procedure.
Both estate representatives consented through court.
No Lucy sample needed.
Result:
Probability of parent-child relationship between Anthony Caruso and Daniel Santos exceeded 99.99%.
Confirmed.
Nicholas had a half-brother.
Dead before Nicholas knew.
Lucy was his niece.
When Maria told Lucy, she used three-year-old language.
“You know how you call Mr. Nicholas Uncle Nicholas?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Daddy and Mr. Nicholas had the same daddy.”
Lucy frowned deeply.
“That’s silly.”
Maria laughed through tears.
“A little.”
“So he really uncle?”
“Yes.”
Lucy screamed:
“I KNEW!”
She absolutely had not known.
Nicholas heard about it later and laughed for the first time in weeks.
Then legal rights.
Daniel’s share of Anthony’s descendant trust had been omitted because no acknowledged paternity.
Could it be reopened?
Yes.
Complicated.
Nicholas waived statute-based objections his side might raise.
Other Caruso beneficiaries did not.
Litigation began.
Maria refused to let Nicholas instruct his lawyers to “just give it.”
“It isn't only yours.”
True.
Independent court process.
Eventually preliminary settlement recognized Lucy’s beneficial share without displacing other descendants unfairly.
Trust established.
Not instant access.
No luxury childhood because adults felt guilty.
Maria remained her mother.
Primary decision-maker.
Nicholas had no custody role.
He was an uncle.
Literally now.
That made him strangely happy.
Then Saturday visits.
Arthur.
Lucy.
Maria.
Sometimes Nicholas.
Maria no longer wore the maid uniform.
That changed the air.
One afternoon she brought coffee.
Nicholas took it.
“Sugar?”
She stared.
“You don't remember?”
“I remember when you were paid to know.”
Her expression softened.
“Black.”
He smiled.
“Before eight?”
“One sugar.”
He laughed.
She remembered too.
Then Maria said:
“This is weird.”
“Yes.”
“I worked for you.”
“Yes.”
“You were engaged.”
“Past tense.”
“Don’t.”
He understood.
No romance built on vulnerability immediately.
“I wasn't proposing anything.”
“Good.”
Then:
“Maybe dinner sometime.”
Maria stared.
Nicholas corrected:
“Not while Daniel’s trust litigation is unresolved.”
That surprised her.
“Why?”
“Because money and power already make this complicated.”
She nodded.
“Maybe after.”
Not yes.
Not no.
Good.
Then Granite Harbor Fiduciary responded to subpoena.
Beneficiary:
Elise Caruso Bell.
Arthur went pale when he saw the surname.
Bell.
Nicholas looked at him.
“Arthur.”
May you like
The old butler closed his eyes.
“Elise was my wife.”
