"What? You're going to Europe? Are you crazy? That's a battlefield!" Margaret objected strongly over dinner when Josh brought up the idea.
"Margaret, I'm just going to do so business under the guise of a goodwill mission, not fight on the front lines. There's no real danger!" Josh tried to convince her, a bit annoyed by her strong reaction.
"The way things are in Europe now, it's a wasteland! What profit could you possibly make there? Are we so poor?" Margaret couldn't understand Josh's logic.
Not everyone had the keen insight to see the imnse business opportunities hidden beneath the ruins of Europe's battlefields.
From Margaret's perspective, based on the grim reports she had read in the newspapers, Europe was full of misery. People lacked clothing, food, and shelter. How could they have money? And if they did, it was all in the hands of aristocrats, the rich, or royalty. Even their governnts were probably running out of money, thanks to the relentless siphoning off by the United States.
"Margaret, in a way, we need this money - because it's not just a little, it's a lot," Josh explained patiently. "Over the past few centuries, Europe, as the cradle of modern civilization, has plundered massive amounts of wealth from around the globe. Their reserves aren't sothing that a war or two could completely wipe out. If all goes well, this trip to Europe could multiply our fortune tenfold!"
Tenfold?
Margaret was stunned.
How much were her and Josh's current visible assets? Not to ntion everything else, Josh's sugar factory alone-thanks to its steady stream of military contracts-had amassed nearly $10 million in assets in the past year.
Adding in the bonds Josh had purchased, her own holdings, and the real estate they had just purchased in Florida, Chicago, and Los Angeles, their total assets were already in the tens of millions.
Even without counting Josie's private businesses, which she knew about but never questioned, their combined wealth exceeded $20 million.
Tenfold? Wouldn't that be over $200 million?
In this day and age, that was an astronomical amount.
Before World War II, Arican billionaires were few and far between, mostly concentrated in the elite circles of families like the Morgans and Rockefellers. It was only during the warti boom that new millionaires and billionaires began to erge.
At $20 million, Josh and Margaret would be among the nation's elite.
Although Margaret didn't fully understand Josh's strategies, she had seen firsthand how he had tripled their fortune in a single year.
She hesitated, torn between her concern for Josh's safety and the potential fortune.
"Margaret, I'll only be gone six months at the most. It's all for our future, don't you think it's worth it?" Josh held her from behind and spoke quietly.
"Fine," Margaret finally relented, though she added, "but promise you won't go anywhere too dangerous. And take enough people with you. Money can always be earned again, but I can't lose you."
"Of course. I'll bring Vito, Brook, and the others-they're all familiar with Europe. There's no real danger. I'm not going to war," Josh assured her.
But Margaret's next words left him speechless.
"Josh, I'm pregnant."
"What? Since when?" Josh grabbed her shoulders and stared at her in astonishnt.
"Before we ca to Los Angeles, I didn't feel well one day and went to the doctor. He said I might be pregnant, so I did the A-Z test. This morning the doctor confird it. What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Margaret's face flushed as she explained, watching Josh closely.
In the 1930s, pregnancy tests included a thod called the A-Z test. It was reliable, but ti-consuming, complicated, and expensive.
"I-I'm not unhappy - just surprised! This is such wonderful news!" Josh stamred, overwheld with emotion.
He was truly surprised. In his previous life, although he had lived comfortably into his thirties, he had never married, let alone had children.
Now, for the first ti in two lifetis, he was about to beco a father. It was a whirlwind of emotions, mostly joy.
Margaret chuckled at his flustered expression, her cheeks flushing even more. She suddenly rembered-Josh was not even 17.
Born in August 1928, Josh was only 16 and would turn 17 later that year.
In so ways, he was still a child himself, but now he was about to beco a father.
Of course, such things were not uncommon in those days. Even in 21st century Europe, adulthood was often marked at 16. In the U.S., having your own inco at 16 was considered a sign of independence.
"The doctor said it was two months at the most. By the ti you get back from Europe, the baby will be born," Margaret said gently, stroking his cheek.
"Forget Europe! I should stay here with you and the baby!" Josh exclaid, suddenly indifferent to his business plans. His mind was now entirely on his child.
"Relax. It's not necessary. You said it yourself - this trip is for our future. I want our child to have a billionaire father, too. With Francesca and the others around, everything will be fine at ho," Margaret reassured him with a smile.
"You are right. I must secure a great fortune for our child. And when it's born, I'll prepare a great gift," Josh nodded, his mind racing. "How about I buy her Neuschwanstein Castle for her first birthday?"
Though in another world, he believed the timing of events wouldn't be much different.
Securing the castle after the war would be a challenge, but possible, especially with his Austrian heritage.
Margaret, srized by the grand vision Josh was painting, suddenly blurted out, "No, I want Neuschwanstein Castle! You'll have to think of sothing else for the baby's present!"
With that, she scurried off to her room, leaving Josh stunned.
This woman - competing with her unborn child over a gift?
(Castle's Image)
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