Chapter 12 - Richard Opens the Vale Archives
Richard did something Victoria did not expect.
He opened the family archives.
Not selectively.
Completely.
Independent counsel reviewed decades of acquisition files.
They found evidence supporting part of Evelyn’s account.
Thomas Carter’s trust had contributed funds.
But the exact ownership percentage remained disputed because records
were incomplete.
Rather than fight every point indefinitely, Richard proposed mediation.
Sarah agreed.
Not because she trusted him.
Because she wanted facts without spending ten years at war.
The final settlement recognized the Carter family’s historical interest.
It included compensation.
More importantly to Sarah, the official property history was corrected.
Winter House records would now acknowledge Thomas Carter’s contribution
and Evelyn’s dispute.
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Money mattered.
But the erased history mattered too.
