The few people remaining in the Short Street Tap and Grill when Thom left were determined to stay until closing at 1:00am. Thom said good night and walked home, enjoying the chill of the Piedmont autumn night under a near full Carolina moon. As he walked, he thought of the house next to the mill in Bellemont, sitting dark and empty. First Thanksgiving in 129 years there was no Montgomery feast. If he were to return there to live, he would be the fifth generation to occupy the home, but he wasn’t going back. He didn’t know where he would land, but it would not be on the south bank of Alamance Creek. He welcomed the unraveling of any ties he had to Bellemont.
The phone was ringing when Thom walked into his apartment. After wishing him a happy birthday and exchanging how-r-you talk, Benjamin told Thom about an offer from Carolina East Development regarding purchasing the mill. The latest offer was for the mill and all the property, including Bellemont. There were no plans to kep the mill operaing as a mill. Discussions leaned towards redidential condos and probably some speciality retail.
Benjamin said it was a pleasure to call his son, now of legal age, and discuss with him family business decisions and especially this sale that would end forever Sagefield Cotton. Benjamin told his son that the irony is that this would be his first act as a person of age, and it would be his last as inheritor of Sagefield Cotton.
Then Benjamin told him the new offer was for seven million.
After a couple of seconds of silence, a couple of seconds that seemed much longer, they agreed that it was time to move on and cash in on Sagefield Cotton.