Chapter 13 - The Debt Behind the Door
I turned back toward Nathan.
"If Arden wants repayment, we'll deal with it."
He laughed.
"With what money?"
I refused to answer.
His smile disappeared.
"You think your lawyer can manufacture seven hundred eighty thousand dollars?"
"No. But she can read a contract."
I walked away before he could respond.
At Vale Atelier, the employees had gathered in the production room.
Denise stood near the entrance with her phone in her hand.
"Well?"
"The court stopped the sale."
A ripple of relieved conversation moved through the room.
Someone clapped.
I wanted to enjoy the moment.
Instead, I raised my hand.
"That's temporary. And we have a financial problem that hasn't gone away."
The room quieted.
I explained the advance from Arden, the transfers to Nathan's store, and the overdue bills.
I didn't soften the numbers.
I didn't promise that everyone would keep their jobs.
I told them what I knew.
Then I told them what I didn't.
Denise watched me from beside the old rolling mill.
When I finished, one of the younger jewelers raised his hand.
"What happens if we can't pay Arden?"
"We negotiate repayment, seek financing, or consider other options," I said.
"And if none of those work?"
I swallowed.
"Then we may have to reduce operations."
No one spoke.
It was the hardest answer I'd given all week.
Afterward, Maya and Daniel joined me in my mother's office.
Daniel spread the Arden agreement across the desk.
"Nathan left out an important detail," he said.
I leaned forward.
"The repayment isn't due immediately?"
"Not under the provisions we've reviewed. Arden must follow the notice requirements, and the agreement provides a cure period. Their notice appears to start a sixty-day repayment window if the transaction doesn't close."
I stared at him.
"Then why did Nathan say we'd be bankrupt tomorrow?"
"Because he wanted you to believe there was no alternative."
Maya nodded.
"That doesn't mean the debt isn't serious. It means we have time to negotiate."
Sixty days.
It wasn't much.
But it was more than Nathan had allowed me to imagine.
Daniel continued.
"The bigger issue is cash flow. The company has legitimate receivables, but we need someone willing to finance them. We also have to address the transfers to Nathan's store."
"Can we recover that money?"
"We can pursue it. The records support further investigation, but litigation takes time."
I looked at the photograph of my mother on the desk.
She was standing beside a display of handmade necklaces, laughing at something outside the frame.
My mother had never been rich.
She had borrowed, negotiated, repaired, and worked through difficult years.
She hadn't built the workshop by waiting for someone else to rescue it.
I picked up the phone.
I called the Boston boutique.
Then a supplier in Providence.
Then a longtime client in Chicago.
I explained our situation without revealing confidential details.
I asked whether they would confirm existing orders and consider deposits for future work.
Some declined.
Others agreed to discuss terms.
By late afternoon, we had collected commitments that gave us the beginning of a financing proposal.
Not enough to save the business.
Enough to make a lender listen.
At five, Iris called.
"I've reviewed the production records," she said.
"And?"
"Several things Nathan told us were misleading."
My pulse quickened.
"Will Harrow oppose the sale?"
"The sale is already restrained. The question now is whether the company has responsible management."
I gripped the phone.
May you like
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Harrow may support a change."
