Chapter 7

Hello people! Here is chapter 7. I have no clue when i will update next so read the chapter slowly and savor it. haha! anyways, R&R (seriously i need to know what you people think!) enjoy! =)

One bored rich girl can ruin everything. Btw... i know you might already know this but for those who don't OC means Original Charector. (i just spelled that wrong.) sry!

New York, The Mondego Estate

OC Pov

Sometimes it was hard being an heiress. All the pressure from family and friends. To be this. To dress like that. When did anyone stop and have some fun? No matter. The heiresses' mouth pulled up at the corners. Positioning herself upright on her velvet couch she watched as her servants went about their activities. Smoothing out her one of a kind dress and checking her hair, she cleared her throat.

"Oh Davis." she called sweetly to her older half bother, the family black sheep. It was times like this that she was thankful for his little gossip column. Even though everybody else was less than supportive.

The young man walked into the room, ignoring the glares that he got from the silent servants. "What is it Octavia?"

She smiled sweetly ignoring his sour tone, "What would make you think that I wanted something?"

He shook his head, "What is it? I am very busy."

She didn't say anything, only scooting over and making room beside her on the couch. Davis took this as an invitation to sit.

Finally seated next to him the heiress looked up in expectancy. "Tell me something that your working on. I am bored out of my mind."

The journalist thought for a long moment, "Why can't you go to a friends and gossip like every other woman in the city of New York?"

The heiress rolled her dark chocolate brown eyes, "That's no fun. They won't have the story right anyway. Now tell me. Is it scandalous?"

Davis laughed, "You could say that."

"So it's about someone we all know. Must be very juicy. On the verge of blackmail, perhaps?" the heiress grinned like an evil cat.

Davis sighed in defeat, "I will tell you this. However, it is not to leave this room. Understood?"

The heiress pulled back, " That's for me to decide once it's over."

"Your not the only person who has heard about this. People will know if you decide to change it up a bit for your own selfish benefit." he argued.

"Me?" the heiress looked around in mock innocence, "Never."

He rolled his eyes and began. " At the funeral of Louisa Holland a few days ago there was a mysterious figure in a black cloak. The figure was not a threat to anyone until there was a loud bang heard at the back of the church in the middle of the service….."

"Was it a gun? Was the figure holding someone hostage?" the heiress interrupted. The girl was only still a late teenager of nineteen. Who could blame her for interrupting?

Davis gave her a pointed look to silence her and then continued, " No, there wasn't a hostage situation. The figure simply swept out of the church without a word. Then Henry Schoonmaker got up and decided to follow after the being. The funeral went on as scheduled. Then the guests heard yelling and fighting. Curious a few others left the church to see what was going on. Then when service concluded the people spilled out of the church doors to see Henry Schoonmaker holding Diana Holland, who was wearing a mans jacket and boots in an embrace that wasn't to church appropriate."

The heiress rolled her eyes, " I always knew that those two had a thing for each other."

Davis nodded in agreement, "The only problem is….. He's married to Penelope Haynes no less."

Octavia chuckled, " That's' not a problem at all if you know how to work around it. And from the rumors that were floating around about the two of them a few years ago…. This hasn't been a one or two time deal."

The journalist's eyes grew wide, "You don't think that they could have been lovers do you?"

The heiress shrugged, "I wouldn't put it past them. He is a Schoonmaker and she is the rebellious Holland."

Davis looked down at his hands, "I can't print that in my column. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's reputation permanently."

The heiress made a sound of disgust from her throat, "Not hurt anyone's reputation? You work for a gossip column for heaven sakes! People should be bribing you to not ruin their reputations!"

" I don't play that game with people." he snapped.

"Maybe you should! Mother and Father might let you back into the house again if you do. Then things can go back to the way they were. You wouldn't have to sneak in and get glaring ovations from everybody. You would be accepted. We could be a family again." the heiresses' eyes had turned to a serious brown. Her tone light and persuading.

She was preying on her brothers fears of being rejected by the family. Also, in his acceptance to get back in and be the son that he was meant to be.

Davis looked at the rug at his feet for a long moment, "Maybe….."

The heiress' hand fluttered to his shoulder, " I know brother. You will be coming back. And I know just the way to help you get the best information for your story. Leave it all to me."

Penelope's Pov.

Penelope had been invited to important peoples houses before. It wasn't as if she was scared. She wouldn't say the wrong thing or do a faux pas. Penelope Schoonmaker was above that kind of thing. Besides, it wasn't like the heiress was an enemy . They were friends, known to make conversation at social occasions. No, Penelope was worried. The heiress had called her up unexpectedly wanting to have a visit. Penny could only guess what it was about.

She twisted her wedding ring furiously, once again overcome by rage from Henry's antics. How could he have been so plain out stupid? At least she had had a few days to cool off.

"Ah, Mrs. Schoonmaker. Right on time." the butler smiled as he took her coat in the foyer.

Penelope smiled shrugging out of her coat. She was then led to a sitting area filled with the finest of furnishings. The Schoonmakers could afford such things. However, they didn't want to be to lavish.

The Mondego's didn't worry about being lavish. They wanted everyone to know of their billion dollar fortune.

"Penelope! How nice to see you!'"

Penny's eyes were met with the sight of Heiress Octavia Laura Mondego.

She was wearing a gown that must have come off a runway in Paris.

"It is nice seeing you again too, Heiress." Penelope replied politely.

"Please come in and sit. Shall I call for some tea?" the heiress asked.

Penny nodded, "Tea would be lovely, thank you."

With a gesture of her hand the heiress instructed her to sit.

"So Penny, I feel like we haven't spoken in ages." Octavia rattled off.

Penelope sighed, "I know what you mean. It seems like there has been a long passage of time since everyone's last get together."

"I am thinking about holding a ball here at Mondego Estate. I think it would be fabulous." her eyes sparkled as she finished.

Silence ensued. Luckily the tea arrived saving them from any awkward conversation.

The heiress picked up her tea and took a delicate sip, "How are you and Henry these days?"

Penelopes' eyes turned hard and cold. So that is what the heiress wanted to talk about. But why Henry? "We are alright as married couples go."

Octavia arched an eyebrow in suspicion, "Just alright? What could destroy such happiness as the one between you and Henry?"

Ah, so she was cutting to the chase. Penelope straightened up, "Nothing destroyed it. Its still there."

The heiress smirked, "Are you sure? You seem a bit on edge my dear."

"What is it that your getting at, Octavia?" Penelope asked in a snappy tone. Her tea making her stomach unsettled.

"Nothing. I just want to see you happy. Now tell me. What's the matter?" her almost hypnotic tone pulled Penny under.

"Its not a thing. Its more of a who." Penny took a nervous sip of her tea without really tasting it. Then regretted it.

"Who?" the prying tone of the heiress sounded all throughout the sitting room.

Penelope sighed, "Your going to hear anyway so I might as well tell you. Its Diana Holland."

Octavia's tone turned to one of innocence, "Elizabeth's little sister? Isn't she gone somewhere over seas?"

"She was in Paris and for some reason she's back. That little brat is trying to get her claws into Henry again." the brown haired beauty seethed.

"Again? This has happened more than once?" the heiress was a very good actress.

"Right after Elizabeth was supposedly dead they started the affair. It didn't end. It went on and on. Even after we were married." Penelope laughed darkly, "It's not as if Henry even wanted to marry me in the first place anyway. I blackmailed him after he and Diana…" she stopped leaving the rest unsaid.

"You mean?" The heiress was completely shocked. Her tea cup which was going to her mouth stopped midair.

She only nodded, realizing that she felt a weight lifting off of her. It wasn't good keeping all of this too herself. Now she could tell somebody trustworthy.

"That's horrible. I could not believe that he did such a thing. It sickens me." Octavia clutched her stomach.

Penny noticed that a stray tear rolled down her cheek, "I didn't think that our marriage would ever work. Then she left and things got better. But now she's back and the whole city is talking about the two of them being together."

The heiress reached over patting her softly on the arm, "Penny I am so glad that you are finally letting this go. Thank you for trusting me with your story."

Penny nodded, wiping her tears away. "I just don't know what I am going to do."

"Why don't I get her out of the way for you?" Octavia offered a sympathetic grin on her face.

"How are you going to do that?" Penelope asked, suddenly curious.

"Don't worry about that. All you worry about is what the Schoonmaker Mansion is going to look like for the next few decades. Along with the names of your future children."

She reached over and hugged the heiress, "Thank you. I would be forever in your debt. And you promise that she will never come near Henry again?"

Another arch of the eyebrow, "Are you doubting me?"

Penny became serious, "Never."

"Then trust me when I say that Diana Holland will never go after your husband again when I get through with her." she promised.

Penelope smiled, "Good."

The rest of the visit was uneventful and soon Penelope was on her way home to a bright and better future.

The Heiress Pov

Lies were something that the heiress told often. The newest one, the one she had just told Penelope Schoonmaker was by far the best. It was also going to be the hardest to pull off. What in the world was going to make Diana Holland leave the handsome Henry Schoonmaker…..

Sometimes she didn't know how she got herself in these kinds of messes. It was really all in the name of entertainment and fun. She still had a long way to go from being entertained however.

"So how is Mrs. Schoonmaker?" Davis asked, taking a seat on the couch on the far side of the sitting room.

Octavia smiled, "More heartbroken and pathetic than ever."

Davis raised an eyebrow, "We are talking about Penelope Schoonmaker, right?"

She shook her head, "Yes. The poor thing. She spilled the whole story without much on my part at all."

Davis looked confused, "What story?"

The heiress smiled at his naïve ness, " The story that is going to get you your life back. All I have to do is take care of one teeny thing and then we will be set."

"And what might that be?" the journalist smiled.

"Diana Holland." she stated.

Davis' eyes grew wide, "What about her?"

Octavia finally made eye contact with him, "She is the key to this whole thing. If I get her out of the way then you get your story and your life back."

Davis said nothing.

"No unless…" she started, "You like her or something…."

He cleared his throat louder than necessary. "No it's nothing like that. We are just very good friends….."

"Davis this is everything that you ever wanted. You had to change your last name to even be a writer. A dream that no one approved of other than me. I am not about to let you jeopardize everything for some girl." the heiress made her tone final.

He sighed, "Fine. But don't do anything that might make me come after you later."

She smiled walking over to him and hugging him, "Never. Dear Brother."

"Ms. Mondego, there is a gentleman here to see you." A voice called at the door, interrupting the hug.

The heiress sighed frustrated, "Fine." she followed the servant to the front foyer. This had better be good.

As soon as she saw the stranger her eyes lit up, "Oh lord. I though I would never see you again."

The gentleman smiled, "I thought that I would come and see an old friend."

The heiress laughed, "The only one who is old is you."

"Only by a year." the gentleman protested, causing them bother to laugh.

"My, you have grown taller, stronger and more handsome since I saw you last." the heiress commented.

The gentleman picked up his bags and followed her to the sitting room, "Its only been three years, Octavia."

Octavia smiled, "I see your personality hasn't changed much."

The gentleman shrugged.

Octavia's smile wavered, "Are you alright?"

He perked up, "Fine actually. Ready to see what New York has to offer in friends and relationships."

The heiress smiled, the wheels in her head turning, "What do you say that we get you rested and settled and then launch you on New York?"

He smiled, "I would like that."

Who is the mysterious stranger? i would love to hear who you think he is. However, his identity will be revealed in a few chapters.