Chapter 3: GETTING READY TO MEET THE SUITOR

Okay to clear things up for some people here is a character list

Odette (Odie): The oldest sister. Is married to Paul and is a mostly maternal figure to the others. But is a big kid herself. 26

Harriet (Harry): middle child barely saw her parents until Tristan was born when her and her sister were sent back from boarding school 23

Tristan: Graduated from Oak Ridge Academy in North Carolina after his father intervened in his life and sent him away. Took on the role of a playboy prince when he was younger as a front to make his dad made but eventually the line between Acting like a jerk and being one was crossed. 19

Charlotte (Charlie): Youngest child her parents 'mistake'. Robert Dugrey swore that if this was not a boy it would their last child. So Lydia acquired a fake sonogram to make Robert stay. When Charlie was born it was clear that Lydia had lied. Robert was so disgusted that he left for France to Run the European End of Dugrey Enterprises. had 15

Prudence: Grandmother to Tristan considered the gatekeeper to society. Was Head of the DAR for a Number of years until Emily took it over.

Robert Dugrey: Robert grew up in a cold environment. The only Pleasure he had was with one woman but when he blew his chance with her she demanded better and he walked away. And out of spite accepted his Mothers Business Proposal of a merger with the Mayors of Connecticut's daughter. He always has done what was required of him. He regrets marrying Lydia and doesn't know his children. So he lives his life in Europe most the time. Running the business

Penny: Chef. Was trained in France now is a Personal Chef for the Dugrey's. A Bit disciplinarian she always comes running to the kid's aid. Even Stood in as their parent for parent teacher conference. And when ever the kids got into trouble.

Rosa: Strong mother figure. She is like the good cop to Penny's bad cop. Rosa has many children and Grandchildren, has children of her own and the Dugrey kids grew up with them is their family.

Lydia: The mother to Tristian and his three sisters.

Tristan awoke the next morning in his sister's guest room, Charlie and Harry were sprawled on the bed across from him. He chuckled and lay back down staring at the Ceiling with his arms folded behind his head.

He had an uneasy feeling in his Gut. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to get out of this ludicrous plan of his family…and he would not go down without a fight.

He decided to fight his family on this. He had made his plans for his future whilst in military school and he intended to stick to it.

But he felt an over whelming desire to know who he was up against.

He went into the dining room and could smell Penny making waffles the moment he entered. Penny was making breakfast. Penny was trained as a top chef at Le Cordon Bleu but quit in her fourth year when her father became ill so she ended up being a personal chef for the Dugrey family and had became so ingrained in the family that she never went back. She and Rosa the housekeeper were like Parents the kids never had. They raised them as there own. Being raised with Rosa's children gave the dugrey's a family aspect that few kids in Hartford high society would know.

Tristan sat down at the elegant breakfast table Penny turned around suddenly and once she realized it was Tristan exclaimed

"Oh my baby what have they put you though?" And enveloped him in a bone crushing yet motherly hug.

Tristan laughed at first then felt comforted by the motherly nature he missed for months. And sobbed a little at the Conflicting helplessness and burning curiosity he felt.

"Talk to me baby tell me what you feel." She let Tristan go and returned to her station cooking comfort food. Glancing over at him expectantly.

"I felt angry at first but now… I don't know… I mean we I was sitting there and they were talking about this girl they had apparently been looking at for a while. It was after they said that they wanted me to not only meet her but I would be marrying her because I had been away so long they wanted to snatch this prime candidate up." Tristan watched as she expertly slips the eggs. He used to sit on the kitchen floor and watch her cook. Now he just needed to return to that level of nostalgia.

"We left after that...But I don't know I mean they kept saying how perfect I was for her not the other way round. They used to talk about how hard it would be to find a girl good enough to marry into the Dugrey wealth." Tristan was having difficulty vocalising his feelings into words.

"I am so confused I don't know if they are just saying it to get me interested and to comply or if there really is this amazing girl out there waiting and I miss my chance with her because I was stubborn and it wasn't me who found her but Her."

Tristan had finally let all his thoughts pour out. After a moment pause, Penny calmly spoke, "My advice to you my dear is to meet her. If you both decide that you are not worth each others time, than you will find your own princess. There is someone out there suited for you."

Tristan hung his head and replied. "But what if its karma for me to be miserable for all the girls I hurt." Penny had always felt strongly about the way Tristan acted. And constantly scolded him for the act he had put on in public.

"Then good girls you hurt learned not to be stung by playboys like yourself Again. And as for the others, they just wanted the reputation you gave them, something they probably would have gotten elsewhere had it not been you." She turned around to look Tristan in the eyes and said whilst shaking her spatula "Do not think yourself as special as to have the influence of Adonis himself."

Tristan sheepishly grinned. "So I am just sitting here feeling the remorse for what I have done, and you tell me that I am not irresistible to women."

"Well child someone needs to bring you down to Earth." She gave him one last look then finished off the waffles and placed a large array of breakfast delights on the table.

In this time the Charlie and Paul had come down to breakfast. Paul in a suit Charlie in cookie monster pyjamas.

"See I look after my babies." Penny said while squeezing Charlies shoulder and smiling at Paul.

Paul grinned at the family he married into.

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Lorelai and Rory sat in the diner eating a healthy breakfast because Rory has told Luke about the three godfather movies after 2am so they had been giving some form of vegetable omelette.

"I have notified Sookie about your night of junk food and she is out raged and is cooking you a Healthy lunch." Luke informed Lorelai.

Lorelai groaned in response, "This is how you repay me, my god why don't you drive a steak through me Buffy."

After they got half way through their breakfast and third coffees of the morning

Lorelai got over her breakfast slump.

"Okay here is what I am thinking, because we got called for the exciting newsbreak last night that it should totally count as a Friday night dinner. For the next month." Lorelai looked toward her daughter

Who was studying her organizer. Now finals were over she had many things to oversee as vice president. She was starting to think that being Paris friend is worse than being her enemy.

"Huh?" Rory replied obviously not paying attention.

Rory had been avoiding her grandmother's calls all last night when they got back

Emily kept calling until midnight. Lorelai and Rory had been up all night having

An emergency movie night. And half listening and making fun of her calling.

Lorelai even picked up the phone held it up to the television set so she could

Hear how much her evil ways didn't effect there lifestyle. This only prompted for

Emily to call back and leave several messages about the vulgar nature of the

Film that she was subjecting her granddaughter to which then got the two

Lorelei's in a screaming match with the speakerphone.

"Did grandma even say when she wanted us to meet with the guy, no I think we can get off not being involved until he is at least told or wants to meet you."

Either way kid you are the girl in this situation and the way I heard it they want you.

"So does that mean I get some cast off?

"Hell yeah kid there is something that society deems bad about him or he has

Scarred his reputation somehow. I am hoping that there is an illegitimate heir

Involved. I mean how cool will that look on your CV queen of wedlock."

"Well I like to think my parentage is unique thank you very much."

Rory and Lorelai had now reached a point where they joked about last nights events.

Lorelai had spoken to Chris after Rory had fallen asleep.

He was outraged that the Gilmore's would try something like this.

They had both thought that because they got pregnant at sixteen all three of there we outcasts therefore immune to the Hartford rules.

If they had stayed in society Rory would have been aware of her suitors and would have three potentials by the time she was seventeen.

But instead when she was seventeen she had jess which sent Emily into a tailspin as to what to do.

Luckily for her Prudence Dugrey was watching the young Gilmore and decided that

Her parentage was still from a prominent line. Even if she was born out of wedlock. Her ambitions and achievements far out did that of any of her peers. Well any of her peers with her beauty.

But Lorelais confidence was brought up when Chris confirmed her queries about his Assistance in this matter.Rory didn't understand why her mother was so confident about this situation. But she trusted her mother above all else.

So if his people call tonight then I must go running to meet him and bask in this generous offer like some movie from the 40s.

"With a pretty ribbon of red of your hair." Rory giggled imagining just turning up to some high society event with a baby doll dress on like Courtney Love and a kid bow in her hair. The looks of ludicrous she would receive. She imagined Emily seeing her and dropping her glass it smashing on the floor her mother giggling the whole time the gasps of Outrage.

Rory giggled to herself out loud and saw Lorelai looking at her in amazement.

"You were so imagining that weren't you dirty girl." Lorelai stated proudly.

'What' Rory replied looking guilty.

"Turning up to meet this kid at Friday night dinners was nothing but the red ribbon." Lorelai said jumping up and down in her seat excitedly.

"Oh my god you're gross." Rory replied turning red and trying to just calm her mother down and end the conversation.

"What they would be funny." Lorelai defended, obviously not being detoured.

"Yeah I dare you to do that." Rory said sarcastically. Lorelai got a gleam of pleasure and hope in her eye that Rory saw and immediately tried to stop

Whatever thought was going through her crazy mothers head. "Oh no mom...Don't."

"You dared me." Lorelai stated triumphantly.

"I don't double or triple that is a risk I won't take. I am afraid of what they will think of you." Rory tried to calmly explain.

"What do we care your there first preference" Lorelai sank back in her chair.

"wait you don't think i would do it." Lorelai asked amused by her daughters fear.

"Im not saying you will chicken out. i'm saying that you will never go through with it." Rory tried unsuccessfully explaining.

"We will see missy." Lorelai sing songed back.

Rory's bus was going to pull up soon, and Lorelai had to get to the Inn.

"Yeah well see." Rory called out as she left Lukes, smiling to her and looking around.

She hadn't seen Jess in a while he was very distant lately; she just thought it was down to her being so busy they missed each other.

But she noticed his car had been missing each morning of that week and his school was across the road from the diner. So she was out of the loop as to where he was disappearing to. She would ask Lane later.

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"Oh Tristan this is so pleasing for me to know that you approve of the plans." Prudence exclaimed clasping her hands together.

"I do not approve I just want to meet the girl. That's all, just give me her name and number and I can do the rest." Tristan replied agitated.

He knew although he was not the same playboy prince he used to be he still had a little confidence with a woman. And he hadn't talked or really seen any woman in over a year, with the exception to his sisters and Penny.

He had only been back here a few times since he went away and each time he stayed away from everyone but his sisters. Due to the fact that no one knew that he was hear.

His grandmother sat calmly for a while.

"My goodness Tristan what did you think I was going to do. Just carelessly let you use this girl for your own needs." Tristan groaned he knew she would not make this easy for him

"This one is not dispensable. You my dear have another thing; I was taken aback by your behaviour last night. I was not under the impression that you had changed so drastically this last year. I would have thought with your history that you would be in a desperate situation to meet a fine society girl." Tristan sunk lower in the seat his grandmother getting louder and bearing over him. The maids had already made them selves scarce.

"But apparently I was wrong you will go through with this it may be your last chance to find a normal respectable girl. She is an extraordinary Young woman and will be a good match. Trust my boy is more than you have earned. If you are so eager to meet her than you will meet her under our watchful eyes. Private partying days are over. If you ruin this then I can't say what consequences you will have." Tristan didn't see any other option he had just dug himself in even further.

"...When"

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Rory got home from school her days were feeling longer it and graduation was on Tuesday. She stumbled through the front door and was going to drop her books in her room when she came across her mother in the kitchen just sitting drinking Coffee with the cordless phone in front of her. Lorelai looked up and then Proceed to press a button on the cordless phone.

Behind Rory the answering machine rang out with her grandmother's voice.

Grandmother's voice rang out.

"Lorelai, Rory I have excellent news…"

FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER …..GILMORE MANSION

The door opened Rory stepped in behind Lorelai and Chris.

Lorelai couldn't believe what her mother was doing. She felt a stabbing pain of nervous and the pain of stifling laughter when the maid had opened the door.

Lorelai was wearing a trench coat her fancy cowboy boots. And a red ribbon in her hair.

Emily had come out to the foyer to yell at them for being late

"You are determined to ruin this for us aren't you, anything to sabotage my efforts.

Your lucky Prudence has been occupied with the boy."

That got Rory's attention maybe he didn't want this either. She felt a tiny bit of relief now.

And of course the fact that Lorelai had actually gone through with the dare Rory thought she was kidding the whole way there just thinking Lorelai was hiding her clothes under there but her dad had assured her she was wrong.

Lorelai had pulled this same stunt when they were 14 and it would be worth the wait if Emily remembered.

Emily has been ranting about the impressions that you make last a life time in these situations, when she stopped suddenly looked Lorelai up and down and said "Lorelai, is there a special attachment you have to your coat?, here it seems the maid has taken her meal break i'll take your coat."

"Are you sure about that mother?" Lorelai replied just as slowly.

"Please it's no trouble." Emily stated, rolling her eyes and waiving her

Manicured hand.

"But we are about to leave are we not mother?" Lorelai again replied, as if truly concerned.

"Oh please why not stay for a quick drink. And what is with you saying mother like that?" Emily stated now annoyed.

"Oh but I insist on taking your coat"

"Let the maid press it after all we would not want to make a bad impression for your daughter." Emily now had a gleam in her eye.

"Well if you insist mother." Lorelai started unbuttoning her coat. Now wit her own gleam.

"NO LORELAI NO!" Emily covering her eyes elaborately with her arms.

Chris and Rory holding themselves up on the tables in the hall, they were

Laughing so hard.

"You had better of had brought clothes with you." Emily stated still looking

Away and shaking, she never dreamed of Lorelai doing something so malicious.

"Oh Mother don't worry, I am not going to ruin your precious evening."

Lorelai deadpanned rolling her eyes.

"Just go upstairs and change before your father gets back from the office."Emily now frustrated replied back.

"Ha we not the only ones late." Lorelai stated trying to get another fight out of Emily.

"I can't speak to you when you're dressed like a harlot". Emily huffed.

"Hand it over people." Rory and Chris each handed over a crisp 20.Lorelai Smiled, grabbing her money, "Who knew I could accumulate wealth by taking my clothes off? Lorelai stated while pocketing the money in her coat.

"UPSTAIRS! One more smart comment and I will make you were one of my outfits." Emily stated in low but serious tone.

Lorelai ran as fast as she could up the stairs. So she could indeed put on decent clothing.

Rory and Chris just sat in silence then Chris gave a reassuring squeeze To Rory's hand,

"Don't worry kid I know this will turn out fine. Just go along with tonight we will be there. Just give a signal and well rescue you if you get roped into choosing linens for the wedding" At this Rory drank more of her soda.

"Hey easy kiddo you have still got to sit though another drink before we go to where ever it is we are going for dinner." Chris whispered to her.

"How do you both no it's going to be okay?" Rory asked quietly.

"I just do kid; I think it is my job to know this bit." He told her

Reassuringly while giving her a side hug.

Lorelai descended the stairs with a scowl and hastily marched toward them she

Was dressed in an elegant Gucci sun dress with a Channel cardigan. "I may have made a smart comment."

Richard finally emerged from his office "shall we leave? Lorelai, you look as elegant as your mother."

She abruptly turned to Rory "I hope you remember my sacrifice."

Rory went to the Jaguar, as the Jeep was totally unacceptable to the people we are meeting. As Rory got into the car she saw her parents give a secret nod to each other.

Then Chris got into the front seat with Richard and they went to meet Rory's future suitor.

Hi Guys, thanks for reading.

I've been meaning to change the chapter for ages. I never meant to update this in frequently. The grammar and such was horrible I am pretty sure I have mastered the editing aspect. it's a bit tidier

- Ash