Chapter 4: Party Time

That night as the moon began to peek out from beneath the many clouds the party had gotten underway. People were coming from all over to help celebrate Richards's homecoming, even if it was for a short while. Toasts were made while people chatted happily. Vivien greeted the many people with a smile on her face as cheerfulness filled her voice.

People couldn't help but tell Vivien how lovely she looked in her sleek formfitting black dress. That lay just off the shoulders as the hemline fell to her knees. People thought she couldn't be lovelier. However there was more than just the dress. A lovely string of pearls hung from her slender neck, while a pair of pearl earrings, that her father had given here, were the finishing touches on her jewelry. To complete the look her dark hair was down and had a soft wave to it. Vivien was the most beautiful or should we say the fairest of them all in London.

Catherine would just have to take a back seat while she grew older and Vivien grew lovelier. Regardless of how many people told Vivien how radiant she looked there was still great sadness within that beauty.

The cracks and stains were slowly showing their heads as Vivien stayed strong. While Richard and his friends remained blind Max, the towns people and of course Catherine could see the impact Catherine had been having on the fragile Vivien.

"You must be very proud of your father?" Sir Ernest Barrington asked as he stood next to Vivien. Ernest knew Richard from way back. They had been great friends for many years ever since her parents had moved into Notley Abbey all those years ago.

Ernest was a shorter man. He wore a blue tailored suit that matched his light blue eyes, while his grey hair and grey mustaches blended with his apparel. Ernest along with everyone else was very concerned about Vivien and what she was going to do when her father departed for the second time.

"Yes, I've always been proud of him." Vivien said with a smile as she looked at him from across the room. Taking a drink of her small glass of champagne she saw her father and Catherine chatting away to a younger couple. Richard looked in Vivien's direction and he smiled at her. Smiling back she could feel her heart growing warmer. He truly did love her, but when it came between Catherine and herself Richard sided more with Catherine.

"If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call on Lady Barrington or myself." Ernest told Vivien as he pulled out a cigar. Placing it in his mouth he lit it. Smoke began coming from the cigar as it filled that small area. Vivien slowly wrinkled her nose. She hated the smell of cigars and cigarettes.

"Of course, thank you very much." Vivien said as she still looked at her father and Catherine. "If only I could tell them what was going on. But they wouldn't understand." Vivien told herself as a sigh escaped her lips. Looking at them from across the room made her sick to her stomach. How could Catherine pretend like she was? Of course Vivien could see it. The only reason why others couldn't was because Catherine put on a great show for their friends and others. Walking away Ernest went to talk to more of his friends and stood with his wife Suzanne.

While watching the scene before her Vivien saw Jonathan Randall across the room. At one point in her young life she had a small crush on Johnny. Summer after summer Vivien and Johnny would hangout quite often and before Vivien knew it she was really starting to like him. He was kind, gentle and sweet. They had some good times together. But then Johnny went off to oxford to become a great lawyer. While thinking back on this Johnny approached her with a scowl on his face.

"How dare you do such a thing?" Johnny accused taking Vivien to the side.

"Why whatever do you mean dear Johnny?" Vivien asks all sweetly. Johnny was normally in a rather good mood. This was the first time she had seen him in six months. Why did he have to be so hard for? What had she done?

"Don't you dare try to hide such a thing? You know what you did." Johnny whispered in a low hissing voice. Vivien looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "How you cheated on me with David Lewis." That name rang in Vivien's ears and through the rest of the sitting room.

Vivien was stunned at what he was talking about. "It's all a lie. Where did you get this information from?" Vivien demanded as her hands shook with rage while holding her glass. Feeling the pressure on the glass Vivien started to release her grip.

"Catherine told me everything. From the big romantic evening to the running away part," Johnny's look hardened as he looked Vivien straight in the eyes.

Vivien was bewildered at his words. She never once did such a thing. She didn't even know who this David Lewis was. "I tell you that I don't know who this David Lewis is." Vivien tried to keep calm, but her face was starting to get red from anger. "Johnny we haven't seen each other in six months and this is how you want to start things?"

"No, this is how you want to start things. You should have thought about it before you went off gallivanting with that toff."

"Johnny please I-"Vivien tried to defend herself, but it did no good. Johnny stormed off not letting her defended herself from Catherine's evil plan.

Standing there with rage and confusion messing with her mind Vivien tried everything to control such feelings. Catching a glimpse of her stepdaughter out of the corner of her eye Catherine smiled wickedly. "Is everything alright dear?" Richard asked her.

"Oh, yes, everything is fine. Perfectly fine." Catherine brushed a piece of her blond hair from her face and went back to her guest. While she stood there her red evening gown flowed behind her as her pearls hung around her neck, up her arm and hung from her ears. Her fine blond hair was up in a perfect, fashionable bun. Her ruby red lips pushed together as she laughed and smiled. She acted as if the world revolved around her.

Vivien bit her lip as she tried to keep herself together. She mustn't cry. Stay strong. Be the solider that her father thought she was. After all she was part hostess in this affair. "Is everything alright dear?" Suzanne asked leaving her husband's side and coming to be nosey "You look as if something is troubling you." Suzanne looked as if she was the queen of England. She was dressed to the nines. Dressed in a dark royal blue dress that went to the floor. While she was dripping in diamonds. Her lush blond hair was pinned back with two silver diamond hair pins. She looked like a walking jewelry store.

Was she fine? How could she be fine when Catherine was there to ruin everything? Everything! Vivien had never gotten one up on her stepmother. It was always the other way around. "Oh, yes, I'm fine." Vivien lied as she took the last drink of her champagne. Lowering the cup she saw Catherine all over her father. Yes, they were husband and wife, but why did she have to throw herself all over him like that for? Here of all places. Vivien didn't want her family to be made fools at their own party. "Will you excuse me?" Vivien told the Barrington's as she knew she had to get away.

"Certainly," Suzanne said as she smiled.

Vivien left swiftly from the room and headed upstairs. "How can people not see what I see?" Vivien asked herself as she sat the glass on a nearby table. Leaning up against her bedroom door frame she sank to her knees. A pool of tears began to take over Vivien's dark blue eyes. "I'm sorry father, but I can't." she whispered as the tears came and ran down the tip of her nose and down her chin. She found out the hard way that she couldn't be the little solider she told her father she would be.

If only she could tell them. All of them. How horrid Catherine was. How she deceives her father. How she was made a slave in her very home. How she just wished she could just run away. Runaway, get a job and live far from her stepmother. Start a new life. Start all over from what had been. Then maybe things would be-what was she thinking? She couldn't? She couldn't do such a crazy thing. Jobs were scares now and Nazi's were probably walking around those very streets. No, she had to stay there. Which meant there was no means of escape. Shutting her eyes she took a deep and shallow breath. She wished that she could die. If she was dread then there would be no more sorrow, no more hurt, no more stains and strains put on her life by her wicked stepmother.

While her body began to shake from all the pain that was conflicted on, she began to wonder if things would ever change. Would her father ever stay home for more than a few days? Would he ever see Catherine for what she really was? Would things ever go back to the way things used to be? But the question that lingered on her lips the most was. Would she ever find happiness?

Standing up slowly Vivien made her way into her room. It was dark just as her mood was. The moon light reflected through the window giving the room some light. Everything within her room appeared dark, cold and lonely, just as she had become over the past several months. Her mood would only continue to darken as the days progressed.

Turning on a small lamp Vivien went and sulked in her window seat. Looking out she looked up at the big white moon. The stars sparkled one by one, but this did nothing to cheer her. They looked so perfect every single one of them. Why couldn't she be perfect? She asked herself as she drew her knees towards her chest.

"What would mother think of me? She would be so disappointed in me." Vivien said as her eyes drifted down towards the ground as she spotted people walking about. All of them were probably talking about war and nothing except the war. As moments passed more people came to see Richard before he was shipped off. Once more.

But on the other hand Vivien wondered what her mother would do if she had been in the same place her own daughter was in. "What would mother do?" Vivien asked aloud as if asking it in her head wasn't good enough.

Shutting her eyes she drew in a deep breath. "Mother, I don't know what to do. Catherine has gone way too far, but I don't know how to stop her. With every passing day things get worse. I'm the only one that seems to see how she truly is. Every time someone is around Catherine always puts on a front to fool everyone. And father doesn't seem to care nor does he seem to notice. I tried talking to him and he thought I was lying about the whole thing. I thought I meant more to him then what he leads on. I feel as though I'm no longer a part of this family. Mother, I wish you were still here and maybe there would be a happy family within this house." Saying the last of her prayers a tear seeped from the corner of her eye causing it to roll down her cheek and onto her hands.

While the guest were having fun and talking Richard saw all that was happening "I will be right back dear." Richard told Catherine as he touched her shoulder.

"Alright, but don't be gone too long. After all this party is for you." Catherine said as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Leaving his wife and guest he went to go to talk to Vivien. What could be the matter now? Walking up the staircase his tails began moving. Adjusting his tie as he passed a mirror he continued along his way.

While her husband was away a few other couples came up and began talking with her. "You know Catherine, Richard and you have just the prettiest daughter." Kay said with a smile. "She looks so much like Natalie."

Catherine could feel her blood rise within her. "Thank you," Catherine forced herself to say. She wanted to be the most beautiful in all of London not Vivien. Thinking Mrs. Alexander was out of ear shot Catherine lost it. "AH!" Catherine began to throw a fit while she stomped her foot and clinched her hands into fist as rage went through her.

Turning back around Mrs. Alexander along with many other people looked at her. "A spider. There was a big spider. But it's gone now. "Catherine answered as she pointed to the floor. That was the best Catherine could do right now. However People knew that wasn't the case. Smiling at her daughter-in-law Mrs. Alexander departed and began talking with some friends.

Within a few short moments Richard had approached at his daughter's door. He intended to get to the bottom of all of this, whatever it may be. He knocked seconds later. "Viv let me come in."

Looking up as she lifted her head from her knees she called back. "No, go away." Hearing her master's voice Callie came over with her toy already for play. "Not now Callie," Vivien told her kitten as she turned her head and looked back out the window.

Why was it that she felt like she wasn't wanted in this house? She could feel her father's love slipping through her finger tips and maybe out of her life forever. This wasn't the worst of it. No, her father didn't even act as if he cared.

Another knock came. "Go away," Vivien yelled back for the second time. She didn't feel like talking to anyone not now not ever again. She just wanted to be left alone. After all why should her father care? He had Catherine now her love was more important than his daughter so it would seem.

Vivien once again lowered her head to her knees. Her worn, exhausted eyes landed on the scar. "You are worthless. Nothing will ever become of you." Those horrible words from her stepmother so long ago rolled around her head. Time, after time, after time! The tears fell and Vivien didn't even bother to stop them.

Opening the door a little Vivien wiped her eyes free of the tears and looked in that direction. "Vivien, we need to talk." Richard said as he came over to the window seat. "What has gotten into you, young lady?"

Vivien wasn't about to answer her father. Why should she talk to him? After all she had lost being his little girl. What else could she lose besides that? Vivien knew that answer and she didn't want to think of such a thing. "Vivien," Richard tried again. Hoping this time he would get a response.

"Haven't you believed anything that I've told you?" Vivien blurted out before she could catch herself. She often did this. Blurting things out before she thought about what the consequences were. This was just part of her personality.

"Vivien, I've had so much going on it's hard to keep things straight at the moment." Richard answered. "What exactly do you mean?"

"You didn't believe anything that I told you when you came home. You wouldn't believe anymore if I told you." Vivien spoke. She knew this to be true. Someone just had to believe her, but who? Little did Vivien know there were seven sisters that would believe her story along with her prince charming?

Taking a deep breath Vivien continued "Catherine is so mean to me. You can't seem to get past how pretty she is to see that. To make matters worse, you're away all the time to even take notice."

This hurt Richard very deeply. Could his daughter be telling the truth? Or could she possibly be dragging it out worse then what it seemed to be? After all she was a little bit of a drama queen. "I can reassure you that she loves you with all her heart. She just has a hard time showing it sometimes."

"Threatening to throw Callie into the river is her way of showing that she loves me?" Vivien asked pointing over at her kitten that was playing with a ball of yarn. "Let's not forget about how she doesn't love you. All she wants is money and power. She's never loved you father. I'm the one that's always loved you, not her." Hearing her name Callie's head came up and looked at Vivien. "If that's showing me that she loves me then I hate to see what she's like when she dislikes me." Richard was about to defend his wife when Vivien continued on. "And let's not forget this!" Vivien flashed her scar in front of her father's face.

"Vivien, that's enough!" Richards's voice rose as he had heard enough of Vivien's wild stories. "What I think is that you're trying to get your way, because you've always gotten your way with everything. From your grandmother giving you what she wants and all the way down to me. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. Maybe I should have told you no a few times. Then maybe we wouldn't be in this right now." "As for the burn you know you shouldn't have been getting the cookie by yourself."

A gasp escaped Vivien's lips. How could her father say that? Maybe when she's not around, but right in front of her? "I suppose you think I should have never been born either." Vivien cried as she got up from her window seat and headed toward the door.

"That's not what I said and you know it." Richard yelled as he turned toward his daughter. He had never yelled at her before. Richard was very surprised at what he had just done.

This put a pain in Vivien's heart. This was the very first time her father had ever yelled at her. "I'm leaving," Vivien said as she stormed from her room. "If you didn't want me here all you had to do was say so." Heading down the stairs she could hear her father's voice and feel all eyes on her as she approached the front door. Throwing it open Vivien could feel the nightly breeze as it welcomed her. Never looking back she departed from the house.

"Vivien, come back here!" Richard yelled as he ran down the stairs. Getting to the door Richard looked out. "Vivien!" he yelled once more. But he sadly was ignored. Richard could see her running down the walkway of Notley Abbey. "What have I done?" he asked aloud as he put a hand to his forehead. Shutting the door he turned toward his guest who had all eyes on him. "Please carry on."

"She will come back. Just give her some time." Kay said as she went and comforted her son. She knew it was hard on him to be away from home. Being away for a while really had done him in.

Kay knew after the first time he left for the front should have been the first and the last. At such an age Vivien needed her father. Being left alone in the aid of her stepmother wasn't the best idea. Especially since Catherine didn't really approve of her stepdaughter. Oh yes Kay knew a great deal of things and that was just one of many.

"You know dear, it's not too late to send her to a boarding school." Catherine said as she proceeded to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"That maybe for the better," Richard agreed as he could hear a gasp from his mother. "Will discuss it later,"

A/N: Oh, no, will Vivien be sent to school? Or will her father save her from going? I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed. Thanks:) What did you think of this chapter? Like I've said before this is my children's lit final project.