CHAPTER 2
First Encounter
"Welcome home Fox."
He looked at the mansion as the car pulled in the alley. He hadn't been there in over 10 years.
"Everything looks the same as usual."
He got off the car and took his luggage to the front door. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.
"They key still works at least."
He went in and a maid came up to him.
"Take my luggage up to my room."
"Who are you?"
"Fox Crane and take my luggage to my room."
"Your room is currently taken by Mrs. Crane."
"I said take the luggage up to my room."
"Yes, Mr. Crane."
She picked up the suitcases and was arrived at the stairs.
"I don't want anyone to know that I am back. You're job will be on the line if you as much breathe a word to anyone."
"Yes, Mr. Crane."
He looked around him. Really, nothing had changed. Everything was as he remembered it. He wandered around the mansion. Everyone it seemed was sleeping. He stood under the solarium door. This was his favorite room in the entire house. He looked around, and he saw a woman, dressed in a silky night gown sitting down on one of the couches. Her back was resting on the its arm, her legs pulled close to her. A child asleep on her stomach. She was stroking his back and humming a lullaby with her eyes closed. He started at her for a long time. She got up and went to the window and stared at the sky.
"Star light, star bright, first start I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."
She closed her eyes for a few minutes, then opened them again.
"What might a beautiful lady such as you wish on this starry night?"
She jumped and took a few steps back.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Who-who are you?"
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is Nicholas Foxworth Crane."
He extended his hand. She looked at him puzzled. He lowered his hand.
"And you are?"
"Teresa.my name is Teresa. Did you say your last name was Crane?"
"Yes, I'm Ivy and Julian's son. And you lovely Teresa are?"
"I'm Julian's wife."
"That would make you my step mother, then."
"Yes, I guess it would."
"My friends are going to have a field day with this one, my stop mother is younger than the Crane heir. Only in this God forsaken family would this happen."
She was looking at him. What a strange fellow she was thinking.
"I would stay and chat some more, but I have to put my son down for the night."
"He does kind of look like me, doesn't he?"
For the first time, she smiled at him.
"Would you like to go with me to the nursery?"
"We still have that?"
She looked at him.
"I never heard of you, I knew Julian and Ivy had another son, but I." "They aren't exactly parent material if you know what I mean. You seem to be a devoted mother, your son is lucky."
"There isn't anything in the world that I wouldn't do for him."
They were inside the nursery and she was tucking the little boy in, she then leaned and kissed him on his hair.
"Sweet dreams darling."
He looked at her and wondered what Alistair's plan was really about.
"I wish I could sit and chat, but I'm really tired."
"So am I. Flying from Europe isn't exactly a vacation."
They walked in the same hallway and headed to the same room. She looked at him puzzled.
"Where are you going?"
"To my room."
"But this is my room."
"No it's not."
"But yes it is. I've been living in this room for almost a year."
She felt bad.
"Look I'm sorry, I."
"Don't worry about it."
"The adjoining room is empty if you want to take it."
"Sounds good."
He picked up his things and went into the other room.
"That Teresa is going to be hard to crack. I'm going to have to turn it up a notch."
"Welcome home Fox."
He looked at the mansion as the car pulled in the alley. He hadn't been there in over 10 years.
"Everything looks the same as usual."
He got off the car and took his luggage to the front door. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.
"They key still works at least."
He went in and a maid came up to him.
"Take my luggage up to my room."
"Who are you?"
"Fox Crane and take my luggage to my room."
"Your room is currently taken by Mrs. Crane."
"I said take the luggage up to my room."
"Yes, Mr. Crane."
She picked up the suitcases and was arrived at the stairs.
"I don't want anyone to know that I am back. You're job will be on the line if you as much breathe a word to anyone."
"Yes, Mr. Crane."
He looked around him. Really, nothing had changed. Everything was as he remembered it. He wandered around the mansion. Everyone it seemed was sleeping. He stood under the solarium door. This was his favorite room in the entire house. He looked around, and he saw a woman, dressed in a silky night gown sitting down on one of the couches. Her back was resting on the its arm, her legs pulled close to her. A child asleep on her stomach. She was stroking his back and humming a lullaby with her eyes closed. He started at her for a long time. She got up and went to the window and stared at the sky.
"Star light, star bright, first start I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."
She closed her eyes for a few minutes, then opened them again.
"What might a beautiful lady such as you wish on this starry night?"
She jumped and took a few steps back.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Who-who are you?"
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is Nicholas Foxworth Crane."
He extended his hand. She looked at him puzzled. He lowered his hand.
"And you are?"
"Teresa.my name is Teresa. Did you say your last name was Crane?"
"Yes, I'm Ivy and Julian's son. And you lovely Teresa are?"
"I'm Julian's wife."
"That would make you my step mother, then."
"Yes, I guess it would."
"My friends are going to have a field day with this one, my stop mother is younger than the Crane heir. Only in this God forsaken family would this happen."
She was looking at him. What a strange fellow she was thinking.
"I would stay and chat some more, but I have to put my son down for the night."
"He does kind of look like me, doesn't he?"
For the first time, she smiled at him.
"Would you like to go with me to the nursery?"
"We still have that?"
She looked at him.
"I never heard of you, I knew Julian and Ivy had another son, but I." "They aren't exactly parent material if you know what I mean. You seem to be a devoted mother, your son is lucky."
"There isn't anything in the world that I wouldn't do for him."
They were inside the nursery and she was tucking the little boy in, she then leaned and kissed him on his hair.
"Sweet dreams darling."
He looked at her and wondered what Alistair's plan was really about.
"I wish I could sit and chat, but I'm really tired."
"So am I. Flying from Europe isn't exactly a vacation."
They walked in the same hallway and headed to the same room. She looked at him puzzled.
"Where are you going?"
"To my room."
"But this is my room."
"No it's not."
"But yes it is. I've been living in this room for almost a year."
She felt bad.
"Look I'm sorry, I."
"Don't worry about it."
"The adjoining room is empty if you want to take it."
"Sounds good."
He picked up his things and went into the other room.
"That Teresa is going to be hard to crack. I'm going to have to turn it up a notch."