31 march 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2692: acid bath

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Vanderbilt Ludlow, CEO of the Ludlow Winery, had a terrible week coming up to getting the registered letter, and had just uttered the magic words just before the letter came: “How much worse can it get?”

He had no idea yet about the conversation his brother Astor had with their cousin, Capt. Robert Edward Ludlow Sr.

What Vanderbilt knew was that “Baby Bob” Ludlow had grown up – the captain was a decorated army officer with a record and reputation to match, and although he was from of the working branches of the Ludlow family, he even from very young manhood had seemed as much like a Ludlow old master as anyone in that he could dispose of people at will. Some boys thought they were going to bother some of the Ludlow girl cousins and their friends in the public high school … but the bullies were about to get bullied in ways they were not ready for.

Astor was six years older than Robert, and so hadn't seen that, but Vanderbilt, though he went to private school, heard about it because it was some of the boys in his school who thought they could play with the “poor girls” – but they couldn't, because Robert wasn't having it. He figured out how people were cheating in their big schools and exposed them so they would be expelled; he worked out where people were trying to go to important universities and messed their chances up by documenting their bad behavior and sending it on. In essence, messing with Robert Edward Ludlow was an invitation to an acid bath for one's hopes and dreams – or, as the nickname actually started there as it went into the Army: “You do not mess with Robert Edward Ludlow or anyone he cares about, because if you mess with Robert Edward Ludlow, there will be hell to pay.”

Vanderbilt knew: Cousin Robert was an operator, like his architect father and his ancestral Lee uncle, the Confederate general for whom he was named. He had no problem using multiple levels of violence against violent people. He would beat them down across every realm he could reach, and he had been doing it for 42 years. He was fearless, ruthless, and efficient, and he didn't care who you thought you were.

Case in point: the cease and desist letter that meant the Ludlow Winery could no longer make wine. Vanderbilt read it in disbelief until he read down to who the patent holder was, and then it all made terrible sense because he knew instantly that someone in his branch of the family had ticked his cousin off … someone had noticed that the Ludlow Bubbly was surpassing the Ludlow Winery in revenue, and someone had tried to pull rank.

Astor Ludlow was sitting in his palatial drawing room at home, sipping the family product, when Vanderbilt scanned the letter and sent it over before calling him.

“Brother,” Vanderbilt said, “check your email and call me back – we have a major problem.”

“Vandie,” the big brother said, “you need to get outside with a good vintage and enjoy this sunset.”

“Astor,” Vanderbilt said, “we're not going to be able to open the bottling side for business tomorrow without risking a major lawsuit.”

“What?”

“Check your email, Astor.”

“Oh, all right – just hold on – let me get you settled down so we both can enjoy our evening.”

Neither would enjoy their evening, because the cascade of swear words and oaths that issued immediately from Astor upon seeing that letter told his younger brother that Astor, in fact, was the person who had ticked their cousin Robert off. Astor was always somewhat condescending to his younger relatives, and his siblings and cousins generally just took it … but Robert was not that cousin.

Vanderbilt put that call on hold and called Robert.

“What do the rest of us need to do to get out from under this?” he said.

“Vanderbilt,” his cousin said, “as CEO, what you had better start figuring out is what your inventory is and how many days the Ludlow Winery has before it can't restock its shelves. You might also want to work out what you are going to tell your essential workers who are picking grapes with nothing to do with them, and what you are going to do with those grapes, and also those coming in to do bottling runs next week. You also had better talk with your board and figure out what you are going to do with the Big Loft Bulletin, Lofton County Free Voice, and La Voz Libre when they hear about it.

“You see, Vanderbilt, you care about your company and I care about my grandchildren, which is why I built a company they can fully participate in while the revenue helps to feed them now and especially into the future. One of your company's board members and major shareholders of your company threatened to steal my recipes and put my company out of business. You had better figure out how you are going to deal with the consequences of that for your company while I hold all the patents to its recipes.”

Vanderbilt thought fast.

“Can we partner with you to make a special edition grape soda with our surplus that we are going to have starting next week?

Robert considered this.

“It is a delicious idea,” he said. “A pity that you are in no position to bargain, Vanderbilt.”

Vanderbilt's mind was going, still...

“How much do you want for the patents, Robert?”

“Two-thirds of what is in your cash accounts as of today, plus the dismissal of Astor from the board.”

“Robert, we gotta pay our people.”

“To do what, exactly? If you open to bottle, I'll take everything you have on patent infringement. If you don't open to bottle, your workers are going to need to either sit it out on unemployment or find another job.”

“How much can we lease the patents from you for?”

“Vanderbilt, you are a true Ludlow – you didn't even hear that you are in no position to bargain. There has got to be a way -- I know that is how you think, because it is how I think. It is also why I have cut off every pass. You should be getting the second letter just about … .”

Vanderbilt heard a knock on the door, got up, got another registered letter, opened it, read it, and came back to the phone.

“You even went and bought up a controlling interest in the water rights that go with our wine coolers?” he said.

“I already told you that you are in no position to bargain, Vanderbilt.”

Vanderbilt considered this … Cousin Robert never had much money, but he had done astonishing things because he had a mind for creative finance. Somehow, while again no one in the family was paying attention, he had slowly bought out the little interests this family member and that one had in the protected creek that the Ludlow Winery used for its spring water. Now, he owned 65 percent of the water rights.

“I'll convene the board and put what you want on the table, Robert, first thing in the morning. I'll call you when we have an answer.”

“Very good, Vanderbilt. I look forward to speaking with you when that is done.”

Vanderbilt took Astor off hold, and Astor was still cussing … but, given that being pushed into any kind of acid bath was painful, Vanderbilt supposed that it was to be expected … and the bath was just beginning.