AUGUST TO JANUARY THE FULL MOONS. A VISITOR. Chapter 10
"Hello. My name is Benjamin Lucas."
Over the months everyone settled well. Ruby was herself again and Mulan more relaxed.
The girls were spending a couple of full moons with their pack. The Alpha giving them a little extra training, not that Mulan really needed it, as a wolf she was sharp as she was human.
The girls were inseparable.
Moreso after the incident 6 months back and Zachariah's suicide. The gossip in town spread like wildfire. Granny had sent him away and refused to let him see his daughter and grandchild. He was a wicked man who had repented and then been rejected by his family. Broken hearted he threw himself under a train.
Convenient gossip for Eugenia. She neither confirmed or denied it. She was used to being the centre of unpleasant gossip. Water off a ducks back.
Ruby thought granddad had regrets.
Mulan was just pleased he was out the picture.
Cora didn't give a shit. She basked in the fact that her new family were content. The canker cut out. Eugenia never did ask where she went that night.
Inconvenient for the sheriff. Paperwork and a check for extended family lead to a dead end.
It was over.
Or so they thought.
"Hello. My name is Benjamin Lucas."
Granny paled but kept her composure.
"How can I help?"
"I have just spoken to the sheriff and it seems you were once married to my father, Zachariah Lucas".
"Many, many years ago, yes. You have my deepest condolences young man".
Cora watched carefully, saying nothing.
Benjamin nodded and looked carefully around the diner as if he expected a revelation.
Eugenia wondered why she ever bothered to put the 'closed' up. Maybe she should turn the key more often.
Awkward silence.
"So, what can I do for you?"
Interrupted in his scrutiny of the diner, Benjamin realised Eugenia had spoken.
"Erm, pardon?"
"Can i help you?"
"Yes, please, I wondered if you were at home tonight. If it's convenient that is. I would like to talk about my father, know more about him and his past".
"Not tonight dear, we, that is Cora and I have a dinner date-"
"We DO?" Cora cringed, she hates social events.
"Yes remember, with the Charmings"
A stare from Eugenia that says don't argue.
Cora looked absolutely horrified.
"So how about tomorrow evening Benjamin, about 8 suit you?"
He nodded, smiled and abruptly left.
Cora whined. "Tell me it's not so, please Eugenia, I am not in the mood to incinerate people, and if that's the case why say it?"
"Trust me on this Cora. I could be wrong. Let's wait and see, I will explain later. Oh, no dinner date".
Cora visibly relaxed.
She knew better than to question her this soon, and she always trusted Eugenia's instincts.
11pm. Eugenia heard the familiar squeak from the diner door. So locking it was a waste of time.
She poked Cora in the arm and whispered.
"Get up dear, but be very quiet"
Cora groaned inwardly. "Ffs now what?"
"Quick into the closet with me"
Cora was still half asleep "I beg your pardon"
Eugenia pulled up the duvet, a quick smooth out.
"I don't know if you noticed dear Eugenia, I am stark naked"
Eugenia threw a towelling dressing gown at her.
"You expect me to wear this-"
"We are not on the Paris cat walk sweetie, just get into the bloody closet or freeze your butt off".
Sitting in the closet, huddled together like a couple of kids playing hide and seek, Eugenia with her nose at the slat. Cora yawning noisily and complaining under her breath.
"So my mysterious little butterfly, why are we back in the closet?" Cora cackles at her own joke.
"Ssshhhh woman. We have a visitor"
"Well, in that case why aren't you out there shooting arrows at their bad asses?"
"Because I am curious to see what Benjamin is looking for, by seeing where he looks"
Cora raises an eyebrow, and sings "My butt is going blue and there is nothing I can do"
Eugenia places a finger on Cora's mouth and ssshhhes again.
Benjamin tiptoes into the bedroom almost comically, he looks under the bed, opens most of the drawers and has a quick search. Then he notices the linen chest, opens it, looks, closes it. He stands in the middle of the bedroom with a lost look. Burglary is obviously not his forte. He suddenly notices the closet. Walks up and opens the doors.
Awkward seconds pass like hours.
The two women, huddled together, stare up at him.
Cora frowns at Eugenia and breaks the silence. "You didn't think this through dear"
Granny looks at Cora and lets out a guffaw.
Benjamin just stands there confused, embarrassed and fast a shade of red.
Granny now has gone from guffaws to hooting with laughter.
Cora gets up pulling the towelling dressing gown tighter around her trying to look dignified.
"Well well well, young man we have an excuse, you see, an intruder in the house, what can two helpless elderly women do? But hide? Now tell me, what is your excuse for scaring the shit out of us?"
This made Granny laugh even more. She wished she had peed earlier.
"I thought erm, you were out, I erm I wanted to see if my father had left anything here. To see if you were erm hiding something. He would never have killed himself without leaving me a letter. Never. I know this. I have prayed to the lord His Eminence for an answer. You hold the answer, erm you must!"
Granny tried to speak but spluttered more giggles with tears running down her face. It was obviously now contagious. Cora held on the best she could, tightening her mouth in a bizarre fashion as she spoke.
"Well you only had to ask. This is a bit drastic. Ahem. Someone could have got killed. . You should leave now before I call the sheriff"
Cora lost it.
Benjamin was pleased to get away as quick as possible. He could hear the two women laughing hysterically. He found their reaction rather strange. Everyone here was strange.
Ruby's forehead was in ripples. "Soooo he is my uncle?"
Mulan was too busy imagining the two women hiding in the closet.
"He claims that. I believe so, he looks like Zach, but don't plan a family reunion please Ruby, he is of 'His Eminence' followers. He must not know about you two. Ok?"
"But Granny"
"No buts Ru-"
"He might be open minded"
"I doubt-"
"He is a relative after all"
"Ruby, he's-"
"He might take after his mother"
"And she might be a bitc-"
"Tsk language Granny"
"Will you stop interrup-"
"Maybe we should invite him to dinner"
"Ting me girl. No-"
"Awwwww Granny"
Ruby liked to tease Granny. Mulan was stifling giggles.
Ruby pulled a face at Mulan. she wondered what Anita would think about this.
Mulan wanted Benjamin gone.
"How did it go earlier Granny?" Mulan was glad they missed that chat.
"It went" a smile.
Granny had spent a long drawn out two hours talking about the good ol' days. Benjamin was full of questions with a splashing of judgemental side comments. The previous night went unmentioned, she thought it best, but would have used it if he got too cocky.
'Yes I had an affair. Yes that's why your father left me. Yes I was a wicked woman. Yes I repented. (Yes you are a jumped up little twat)'. As for the 'why' suicide, shrugs. Never play poker with Granny.
Cora sat and filed her nails through this and only commented with an occasional raised eyebrow accompanied with an hmph from the back of her throat. She wanted to strangle him.
He seemed more content after the chat. Fortunately town gossip hadn't reached his ears otherwise he would never have left.
Granny could only hope there wasn't an abundance of Zachariah's offspring out there.