Sycamore Row - John Grisham

Lucien took it well. He offered a few of his usual vile condemnations of his heritage
but seemed placated by the fact that his grandfather had lost the case against Sylvester
Rinds. Without invitation, he launched into history and explained to Portia, and at times
throughout the afternoon to Jake as well, that Robert E. Lee Wilbanks had been born
during Reconstruction and had spent most of his life laboring under the belief that
slavery would one day return. The family managed to keep the carpetbaggers away
from its land, and Robert, to his credit, built a dynasty that included banks, railroads,
politics, and the law. He’d been a harsh, unpleasant man, and as a child Lucien had
feared him. But give the devil his due. The fine home Lucien now owned had been built
by dear old grandpa and properly handed down.
After hours, they climbed to the attic and slid further into history. Jake hung around
for a while, but soon realized it was a waste of time. The files went back to 1965, the
year Lucien inherited the law firm after his father and uncle were killed in a plane
crash. Someone, probably Ethel Twitty, the legendary secretary, had cleaned house and
purged the old records.