D/C: "Nothin's changed at all..."
***********
Theresa's POV
Lyn, Mattie, Little Ethan and I went to pick up Ethan and Miguel at the airport.
"Theresa!" Miguel called out above the crowd, dragging a suitcase along with him. He scooped me up in a tight hug. Ethan was following him, and took Little Ethan from my arms.
"Who's this?" he asked.
"Well, Ethan and Miguel, meet Lyn Black, and her daughter, Mattie. Lyn, this is my brother Miguel and Ethan," I introduced them.
"It's nice to finally meet you both. I've heard so much about you both," she shook their hands.
"Pleasures' all ours," Miguel said as she shook her hand.
***********
Miguel, Ethan, Lyn and I went out to eat that night, leaving Mattie and Little Ethan with Livia.
"Charity's starting to drive me nuts. She doesn't seem to want to get it through her head that I'm seeing Kay now," he complained.
Ethan spoke up after a long silence.
"Julian was murdered two days after you left Harmony," he told me.
"What?" I asked.
"My mom and Rebecca finally fought over him enough, that they decided that neither of them could be with him, so they're in jail back home," he added.
"Julian's really dead this time?" I asked skeptically.
"He was in Crane manor and Chief Bennett and Hank found him while they were investigating gunshots someone reported. Gun was issued to Julian, and the only people with access to it were Ivy, Rebecca, and Alastair. Alastair was out of town, and Ivy and Rebecca signed a confession," Miguel said,
"Alastair's getting upset, and part of the reason we're here, is that he wants you to come back with us. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind if Lyn came with you," Ethan said.
I looked at Lyn and she seemed to agree.
"How long does he want me there?" I asked.
"Just long enough to be the grieving widow, in his words," Ethan said.
***********
I really didn't want to go back, but I had to. I made that promise to Alastair, and I did want to keep it.
***********
Mama met us at the airport this time.
"Mama, meet Lyn Black and Mattie, Lyn, meet Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald," I introduced them.
"Please, call me Pilar, everyone does," she said, warmly inviting them.
We pulled into Crane Manor, and were met by several of the workers, who gave me instructions to go right in to Alastair.
I handed Little Ethan to Ethan and followed the orders.
As usual, he was surrounded by the smoke of a large cigar, making it impossible to see his face. In fact, all you could see was a cigar in the right hand, and a large brandy in the other.
"Theresa, I appreciate you keeping your end of the bargain in this. It's been a tradition in this family that a widow is present at the burial, and seeing that both Rebecca and Ivy are in jail, awaiting trial, you were the alternative. To make your trip worthwhile, I had Julian sign this form for an annulment. After the funeral, you may sign it and be freed of all of this," he said, shaking his hands around in pantomine.
"Thank you, Mr. Crane. And why may I ask is Whitney's mother so upset about them getting married?" I asked.
"It will all come out in time, at the reading of Julian's will. You may leave," he said, coldly.
I left and met everyone downstairs in the parlor. Lyn was looking around and taking in her surroundings.
"Like it here, Lyn?" I asked.
"It's nice, but to tell you the truth, I'd miss being home, you know?" she answered.
"Tell me about it," I told her.
Just then, Whitney and Chad; Kay, Sam, Jessica and Hank Bennett; Charity Standish, and Reese came into the parlor, following Gwen Hotchkiss.
"Theresa!" Whitney practically screamed, while she was coming over to give me a hug.
"Whitney!" I cried. We hugged each other for a moment, before we gave everyone introductions.
"Lyn Black, meet my best friend, Whitney, and her boyfriend, Chad. Whit, Chad, meet Lyn," I introduced.
"And that's Kay, Sam, Jessica and Hank Bennett; Sam's niece, Charity; Jessica's boyfriend, Reese; and Gwen," I gave more introductions.
The rest of the evening went by like that, and everyone got settled into rooms for the night. Mattie shared Little Ethan's nursery; Lyn got the room next to mine, and Ethan bunked with Gwen, of course. Everyone else went home for the night.
***********
The funeral was the next morning. Everyone dressed up in black, as was the tradition. Me, being the supposed widow, had to wear a shroud, which wasn't very becoming. Sheridan, Julian's little sister, gave the eulogy, and didn't look very happy about it. As always, Alastair stayed away from the mourners. I was in a simple black dress, wearing my long, dark hair pulled back in a tight bun to hold the shroud on.
No one could wait to get out of the Crane burial grounds, but Sheridan. She stopped on the way out at her mother's grave, and it was only then that she shed tears. My older brother's Antonio and Luis both comforted her, but it only sparked another fight between them. Luckily, Chad and Ethan were able to hold them off of each other, and Sheridan ran back to her cottage alone.
The long-awaited reading of the will commenced in the parlor. One of the favorite lawyers read it.
" 'To any children I may have, my inheritance will be passed to them, the oldest to be named Crane heir, and if any others, they will get a lump sum of one million dollars at their twenty-first birthday, if it is yet to come. If it has, then upon my death they will receive a check in the above amount. To my widow, the sum of one million dollars at the reading of the will. To my sister, Sheridan, this letter. Read it and take it to the Crane vault. It contains instructions to our mother's diaries, which were supposed to go to you on her death, but never did. Ivy Winthrop-Crane, is to receive only medical benefits, and adequate placement to assist her handicap. The only way this will can be contested is with a document stating that they were responsible somehow for my death, or if genetic testing is done on a person, finding them as another heir. To those of you present, I wish to thank you for attending, and to apologize for anything offensive I've done to them. I find that this is my only way of changing any misdeeds around. And the Crane heir, Chad Crane, is to be informed that his mother is Mrs. Eve Russell. That is all,' " the lawyer read, stopping only when the loud gasp was heard throught the room.
Everyone gasped at the thought of Chad's real parentage. TC stormed out of the room and Eve ran after him. Whitney cried uncontrollably and I tried to control her.
"I knew Dad didn't like Chad, but Mom? It's her son?" she sobbed.
"It's okay..." I tried to soothe her.
"Okay?! He's my brother! That means we'd be living in sin!" she exclaimed.
"Whitney, I really didn't know about it," Chad tried to explain.
"I've been sleeping with my brother for the past year and a half?" she cried.
"A year and a half? You mean that you were together when I was going out with you? Whitney, I'm never going to forgive you for this!" Simone cried, running to her parents.
Finally she calmed down and Miguel and Kay drove her home.
Chad looked bewildered. "How could everyone keep this from me for so long? I mean, sure, even I wasn't sure if I wanted to know, and now I know why I didn't want to," he cried. Ethan took him out of the room and into his. This would be a very long week.
***********
Here's a nice little cliffie for ya.
***********
Theresa's POV
Lyn, Mattie, Little Ethan and I went to pick up Ethan and Miguel at the airport.
"Theresa!" Miguel called out above the crowd, dragging a suitcase along with him. He scooped me up in a tight hug. Ethan was following him, and took Little Ethan from my arms.
"Who's this?" he asked.
"Well, Ethan and Miguel, meet Lyn Black, and her daughter, Mattie. Lyn, this is my brother Miguel and Ethan," I introduced them.
"It's nice to finally meet you both. I've heard so much about you both," she shook their hands.
"Pleasures' all ours," Miguel said as she shook her hand.
***********
Miguel, Ethan, Lyn and I went out to eat that night, leaving Mattie and Little Ethan with Livia.
"Charity's starting to drive me nuts. She doesn't seem to want to get it through her head that I'm seeing Kay now," he complained.
Ethan spoke up after a long silence.
"Julian was murdered two days after you left Harmony," he told me.
"What?" I asked.
"My mom and Rebecca finally fought over him enough, that they decided that neither of them could be with him, so they're in jail back home," he added.
"Julian's really dead this time?" I asked skeptically.
"He was in Crane manor and Chief Bennett and Hank found him while they were investigating gunshots someone reported. Gun was issued to Julian, and the only people with access to it were Ivy, Rebecca, and Alastair. Alastair was out of town, and Ivy and Rebecca signed a confession," Miguel said,
"Alastair's getting upset, and part of the reason we're here, is that he wants you to come back with us. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind if Lyn came with you," Ethan said.
I looked at Lyn and she seemed to agree.
"How long does he want me there?" I asked.
"Just long enough to be the grieving widow, in his words," Ethan said.
***********
I really didn't want to go back, but I had to. I made that promise to Alastair, and I did want to keep it.
***********
Mama met us at the airport this time.
"Mama, meet Lyn Black and Mattie, Lyn, meet Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald," I introduced them.
"Please, call me Pilar, everyone does," she said, warmly inviting them.
We pulled into Crane Manor, and were met by several of the workers, who gave me instructions to go right in to Alastair.
I handed Little Ethan to Ethan and followed the orders.
As usual, he was surrounded by the smoke of a large cigar, making it impossible to see his face. In fact, all you could see was a cigar in the right hand, and a large brandy in the other.
"Theresa, I appreciate you keeping your end of the bargain in this. It's been a tradition in this family that a widow is present at the burial, and seeing that both Rebecca and Ivy are in jail, awaiting trial, you were the alternative. To make your trip worthwhile, I had Julian sign this form for an annulment. After the funeral, you may sign it and be freed of all of this," he said, shaking his hands around in pantomine.
"Thank you, Mr. Crane. And why may I ask is Whitney's mother so upset about them getting married?" I asked.
"It will all come out in time, at the reading of Julian's will. You may leave," he said, coldly.
I left and met everyone downstairs in the parlor. Lyn was looking around and taking in her surroundings.
"Like it here, Lyn?" I asked.
"It's nice, but to tell you the truth, I'd miss being home, you know?" she answered.
"Tell me about it," I told her.
Just then, Whitney and Chad; Kay, Sam, Jessica and Hank Bennett; Charity Standish, and Reese came into the parlor, following Gwen Hotchkiss.
"Theresa!" Whitney practically screamed, while she was coming over to give me a hug.
"Whitney!" I cried. We hugged each other for a moment, before we gave everyone introductions.
"Lyn Black, meet my best friend, Whitney, and her boyfriend, Chad. Whit, Chad, meet Lyn," I introduced.
"And that's Kay, Sam, Jessica and Hank Bennett; Sam's niece, Charity; Jessica's boyfriend, Reese; and Gwen," I gave more introductions.
The rest of the evening went by like that, and everyone got settled into rooms for the night. Mattie shared Little Ethan's nursery; Lyn got the room next to mine, and Ethan bunked with Gwen, of course. Everyone else went home for the night.
***********
The funeral was the next morning. Everyone dressed up in black, as was the tradition. Me, being the supposed widow, had to wear a shroud, which wasn't very becoming. Sheridan, Julian's little sister, gave the eulogy, and didn't look very happy about it. As always, Alastair stayed away from the mourners. I was in a simple black dress, wearing my long, dark hair pulled back in a tight bun to hold the shroud on.
No one could wait to get out of the Crane burial grounds, but Sheridan. She stopped on the way out at her mother's grave, and it was only then that she shed tears. My older brother's Antonio and Luis both comforted her, but it only sparked another fight between them. Luckily, Chad and Ethan were able to hold them off of each other, and Sheridan ran back to her cottage alone.
The long-awaited reading of the will commenced in the parlor. One of the favorite lawyers read it.
" 'To any children I may have, my inheritance will be passed to them, the oldest to be named Crane heir, and if any others, they will get a lump sum of one million dollars at their twenty-first birthday, if it is yet to come. If it has, then upon my death they will receive a check in the above amount. To my widow, the sum of one million dollars at the reading of the will. To my sister, Sheridan, this letter. Read it and take it to the Crane vault. It contains instructions to our mother's diaries, which were supposed to go to you on her death, but never did. Ivy Winthrop-Crane, is to receive only medical benefits, and adequate placement to assist her handicap. The only way this will can be contested is with a document stating that they were responsible somehow for my death, or if genetic testing is done on a person, finding them as another heir. To those of you present, I wish to thank you for attending, and to apologize for anything offensive I've done to them. I find that this is my only way of changing any misdeeds around. And the Crane heir, Chad Crane, is to be informed that his mother is Mrs. Eve Russell. That is all,' " the lawyer read, stopping only when the loud gasp was heard throught the room.
Everyone gasped at the thought of Chad's real parentage. TC stormed out of the room and Eve ran after him. Whitney cried uncontrollably and I tried to control her.
"I knew Dad didn't like Chad, but Mom? It's her son?" she sobbed.
"It's okay..." I tried to soothe her.
"Okay?! He's my brother! That means we'd be living in sin!" she exclaimed.
"Whitney, I really didn't know about it," Chad tried to explain.
"I've been sleeping with my brother for the past year and a half?" she cried.
"A year and a half? You mean that you were together when I was going out with you? Whitney, I'm never going to forgive you for this!" Simone cried, running to her parents.
Finally she calmed down and Miguel and Kay drove her home.
Chad looked bewildered. "How could everyone keep this from me for so long? I mean, sure, even I wasn't sure if I wanted to know, and now I know why I didn't want to," he cried. Ethan took him out of the room and into his. This would be a very long week.
***********
Here's a nice little cliffie for ya.