Chapter 36
The guests were all gone, the great halls were quiet, and Gwen felt an odd sense of abandonment. She glanced at Ethan by her side. He was angry. More angry than she had ever seen him. He may not have shown it always, but Ethan loved both of his parents. And to think his father was keeping a momentous secret from his mother, his brother and sisters, himself.it angered him and brought out a fierce desire to protect his loved ones. "Ethan," she whispered consolingly, propping her chin on his shoulder. "Maybe it's not what you think. Maybe it's nothing serious at all. Maybe." she racked her brain to think of something plausible. "Maybe it's a surprise he doesn't want you to know about." "A surprise?" he scoffed, ignoring her somewhat hurt expression and plodding forward. "I know my father's not a 'good' man by ordinary standards, Gwen. But after Sh.after she died," he paused to take a calming breath. "He seemed to change. But now I find out it's all been some big lie."
"Ethan," Gwen sighed. "Be sensible. Think about what he said.I know the whole 'I can't tell my wife and children' bit is kind of.incriminating to say the least. I still don't think he was talking to some secret lover, though. I mean.when has your father ever kept his affairs secret in the past? I think he really has changed. For the better." Ethan tensed beside her, and she looked up to see Julian, Ivy, and her mother making their way across the empty room with Alistair. "If he's changed so much, he won't have anything to hide when I confront him," Ethan said astutely. "Ethan.Ethan, no," she pleaded, pulling at his hand as he rose to his feet. A feeling she couldn't explain swept through her at the prospect of involving Ethan's grandfather. The expression in Alistair's cold blue eyes made her shiver. They were devoid of human emotion.
"Father, I wish to speak with you," Ethan stood tall, looking Julian in the eye. Her mother and Ivy exchanged curious glances, and Alistair.he waited and watched silently. "Certainly," Julian smiled pleasantly, reaching a hand out to his son's shoulder. The smile faded slowly, and the hand dropped to his side when Ethan pulled away. "Ethan? What's bothering you?" "Ethan?" Ivy inquired gently, noticing her son's clenched jaw and conflicted blue eyes. "Who were you talking to?" Julian's dark eyes widened in momentary surprise. Gwen saw it, and she knew Ethan had seen it as well. "Ethan, what are you talking about?" "In the solarium. You were talking to someone, and you said no one could know. Your wife and children couldn't know. What's going on, Father?" Gwen groaned inwardly when she glanced at her mother, openly hanging on every word of a conversation that concerned her in no way. "The boy's right to be suspicious," Alistair spoke for the first time. "What's going on, Julian?"
Julian closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh, and when he opened his eyes again and began speaking, Gwen was certain he was lying when he trotted out the old surprise excuse. It was obvious his weak explanation had everyone else's suspicions raised, too. His eyes pleaded with them to let it go. Just for the time being. She said a silent prayer of thanks when her mother chose that precise moment to demonstrate her true lack of propriety. "That's right, Julian," her voice had a leer to it as she cozied up to Julian in a farewell gesture. "We should always keep our affairs secret." "Mother," she grumbled, disgust plain in her voice. "Ivy, I apologize.Ethan.I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Mother," she said, taking her mother's arm and steadying her. "I think it's time we went home. Daddy left hours ago." "Gwen.wait," Ethan spoke hurriedly. "I'll see you out," he offered, taking Rebecca's other arm. Gwen felt Alistair's eyes following them out of the Mansion and was enormously relieved when the front door closed behind them.
Her mother passed out, halfway in and halfway out of the limosine, and it took great effort to shove her inside. "He was lying," she said matter-of- factly, wrapping her arms around her waist in an effort to keep warm. Ethan moved in front of her, shielding her from the cold, and she cupped a tentative hand around his cheek. "I still don't think it's an affair. It's something else, Ethan. Why else would your grandfather be so interested? Did you see the way he was looking at your father? Something's going on. Something big. Your father actually looked scared there for a moment. I'm almost sorry you said anything." "Me, too," Ethan murmured guiltily. "Whatever it is, it must be something big to have Grandfather so intrigued," he agreed with her earlier statement. "Things are too weird around here, Gwen. I'm starting to think."
"What?" Gwen questioned curiously. "Nothing," Ethan shrugged her question off. "Ethan, don't just drop." "I'm not. Not completely. We'll talk about it more tomorrow. I promise." "Okay," she muttered disappointedly, leaning forward to brush her lips against his cold cheek. "Now.get inside. It's cold out here," she ordered, stepping into the limo. Ethan did as he was told, walking past his parents and grandfather with only a cursory glance, unaware of the precarious position he had just placed two people very near and dear to him in with the awakening of his grandfather's suspicions.
The guests were all gone, the great halls were quiet, and Gwen felt an odd sense of abandonment. She glanced at Ethan by her side. He was angry. More angry than she had ever seen him. He may not have shown it always, but Ethan loved both of his parents. And to think his father was keeping a momentous secret from his mother, his brother and sisters, himself.it angered him and brought out a fierce desire to protect his loved ones. "Ethan," she whispered consolingly, propping her chin on his shoulder. "Maybe it's not what you think. Maybe it's nothing serious at all. Maybe." she racked her brain to think of something plausible. "Maybe it's a surprise he doesn't want you to know about." "A surprise?" he scoffed, ignoring her somewhat hurt expression and plodding forward. "I know my father's not a 'good' man by ordinary standards, Gwen. But after Sh.after she died," he paused to take a calming breath. "He seemed to change. But now I find out it's all been some big lie."
"Ethan," Gwen sighed. "Be sensible. Think about what he said.I know the whole 'I can't tell my wife and children' bit is kind of.incriminating to say the least. I still don't think he was talking to some secret lover, though. I mean.when has your father ever kept his affairs secret in the past? I think he really has changed. For the better." Ethan tensed beside her, and she looked up to see Julian, Ivy, and her mother making their way across the empty room with Alistair. "If he's changed so much, he won't have anything to hide when I confront him," Ethan said astutely. "Ethan.Ethan, no," she pleaded, pulling at his hand as he rose to his feet. A feeling she couldn't explain swept through her at the prospect of involving Ethan's grandfather. The expression in Alistair's cold blue eyes made her shiver. They were devoid of human emotion.
"Father, I wish to speak with you," Ethan stood tall, looking Julian in the eye. Her mother and Ivy exchanged curious glances, and Alistair.he waited and watched silently. "Certainly," Julian smiled pleasantly, reaching a hand out to his son's shoulder. The smile faded slowly, and the hand dropped to his side when Ethan pulled away. "Ethan? What's bothering you?" "Ethan?" Ivy inquired gently, noticing her son's clenched jaw and conflicted blue eyes. "Who were you talking to?" Julian's dark eyes widened in momentary surprise. Gwen saw it, and she knew Ethan had seen it as well. "Ethan, what are you talking about?" "In the solarium. You were talking to someone, and you said no one could know. Your wife and children couldn't know. What's going on, Father?" Gwen groaned inwardly when she glanced at her mother, openly hanging on every word of a conversation that concerned her in no way. "The boy's right to be suspicious," Alistair spoke for the first time. "What's going on, Julian?"
Julian closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh, and when he opened his eyes again and began speaking, Gwen was certain he was lying when he trotted out the old surprise excuse. It was obvious his weak explanation had everyone else's suspicions raised, too. His eyes pleaded with them to let it go. Just for the time being. She said a silent prayer of thanks when her mother chose that precise moment to demonstrate her true lack of propriety. "That's right, Julian," her voice had a leer to it as she cozied up to Julian in a farewell gesture. "We should always keep our affairs secret." "Mother," she grumbled, disgust plain in her voice. "Ivy, I apologize.Ethan.I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Mother," she said, taking her mother's arm and steadying her. "I think it's time we went home. Daddy left hours ago." "Gwen.wait," Ethan spoke hurriedly. "I'll see you out," he offered, taking Rebecca's other arm. Gwen felt Alistair's eyes following them out of the Mansion and was enormously relieved when the front door closed behind them.
Her mother passed out, halfway in and halfway out of the limosine, and it took great effort to shove her inside. "He was lying," she said matter-of- factly, wrapping her arms around her waist in an effort to keep warm. Ethan moved in front of her, shielding her from the cold, and she cupped a tentative hand around his cheek. "I still don't think it's an affair. It's something else, Ethan. Why else would your grandfather be so interested? Did you see the way he was looking at your father? Something's going on. Something big. Your father actually looked scared there for a moment. I'm almost sorry you said anything." "Me, too," Ethan murmured guiltily. "Whatever it is, it must be something big to have Grandfather so intrigued," he agreed with her earlier statement. "Things are too weird around here, Gwen. I'm starting to think."
"What?" Gwen questioned curiously. "Nothing," Ethan shrugged her question off. "Ethan, don't just drop." "I'm not. Not completely. We'll talk about it more tomorrow. I promise." "Okay," she muttered disappointedly, leaning forward to brush her lips against his cold cheek. "Now.get inside. It's cold out here," she ordered, stepping into the limo. Ethan did as he was told, walking past his parents and grandfather with only a cursory glance, unaware of the precarious position he had just placed two people very near and dear to him in with the awakening of his grandfather's suspicions.