CHAPTER 5
A Crane Function
She was sitting on the bed, playing with her son when she heard knocking.
"Come in!"
"Mrs Crane, I'm here to take the baby to the nursery."
"Thank you, Phyllis. Keep an eye on him and me if there's anything."
The maid nodded and left. Teresa went inside her closet.
"Where are those damn shoes."
She heard her bedroom door open.
"Phyllis, have you seen my strappy baby blue sandals? You know, the ones that go with the dress I'm wearing?"
"Are you talking about these?"
She turned around.
"Fox, what are you doing here?"
"I knocked and you didn't answer, so I came in. You were supposed to be downstairs 10 minutes ago." "I'm sorry, I was playing with little Ethan and I didn't see the time."
She took the sandals from him.
"Where did you find them?"
"Beside the bed."
He looked at her. She was wearing the most exquisite baby blue dress strapped around her neck. Her beautiful neck. She got up and walked back to her closet. She took his breath away. Her back was completely bare, except for a very thin strap that went across.
"Fox, your mouth is open."
"Hmmm, what?"
"You're starring."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. You are a vision, Teresa. Truly."
She blushed at his complement. She went to him and arranged his collar.
"Thank you, we should go so we can get back."
The got inside the limousine and sat across from each other. He was looking at her while she was starring out the window.
"What are you thinking about, Teresa?"
"I'm thinking that I want the one thing that has eluded me."
"Ethan?"
"No. Happiness."
"I guess you and I have a lot more in common that I thought."
"Are you looking for happiness?"
"Who isn't, Teresa?"
"You're right, who isn't?"
He meant it. He hadn't known Teresa that long, but he felt a deep connection to her.
The car pulled at the Country Club and one of the valets opened the door. Fox came out of the car then he gave his hand to Teresa who took it. "Let's get this over with."
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
They walked inside and Julian came to them.
"About time you made it. Fox, I'll take it from here."
"No, Julian. I'm here with Fox."
"You want people to start gossiping?"
"Everyone is already gossiping, Julian. Everyone knows about Bermuda. The world knows that you are sleeping with Rebecca and God knows how many other women. We are way past gossip Julian."
"Keep your voice down woman."
He grabbed her by the arm.
"Let go of me Julian. Oh, I see a woman who's breasts are practically popping out of her dress. Why don't you run along and see her like the dog you are?"
"This isn't over Teresa, you will pay for this."
"I've already paid Julian."
She turned her heels and went outside. She sat down in the grass, behind a tree.
"Is it always like this?"
She had a bitter laugh.
"I think it's always been like this."
"Why do you let him? I mean, why don't you just divorce him and be done with it?"
"I am doing this for my son, but I don't know how much of this I can take."
Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"Come here."
He took her in his arms.
"Don't let them do this to you, Teresa. You have a wonderful spirit, don't let them destroy it." "All I did was try to repair my mistakes. I was never after the Crane fortune. I didn't care that Ethan wasn't the heir. All I wanted was him. They destroyed my life, Ethan, Gwen, Julian, Rebecca, Ivy. Every single one of them."
"Let's go back to the mansion. I don't think it will do you any good to stay here. For what it's worth, I think Ethan is an idiot for ever letting you go."
She was sitting on the bed, playing with her son when she heard knocking.
"Come in!"
"Mrs Crane, I'm here to take the baby to the nursery."
"Thank you, Phyllis. Keep an eye on him and me if there's anything."
The maid nodded and left. Teresa went inside her closet.
"Where are those damn shoes."
She heard her bedroom door open.
"Phyllis, have you seen my strappy baby blue sandals? You know, the ones that go with the dress I'm wearing?"
"Are you talking about these?"
She turned around.
"Fox, what are you doing here?"
"I knocked and you didn't answer, so I came in. You were supposed to be downstairs 10 minutes ago." "I'm sorry, I was playing with little Ethan and I didn't see the time."
She took the sandals from him.
"Where did you find them?"
"Beside the bed."
He looked at her. She was wearing the most exquisite baby blue dress strapped around her neck. Her beautiful neck. She got up and walked back to her closet. She took his breath away. Her back was completely bare, except for a very thin strap that went across.
"Fox, your mouth is open."
"Hmmm, what?"
"You're starring."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. You are a vision, Teresa. Truly."
She blushed at his complement. She went to him and arranged his collar.
"Thank you, we should go so we can get back."
The got inside the limousine and sat across from each other. He was looking at her while she was starring out the window.
"What are you thinking about, Teresa?"
"I'm thinking that I want the one thing that has eluded me."
"Ethan?"
"No. Happiness."
"I guess you and I have a lot more in common that I thought."
"Are you looking for happiness?"
"Who isn't, Teresa?"
"You're right, who isn't?"
He meant it. He hadn't known Teresa that long, but he felt a deep connection to her.
The car pulled at the Country Club and one of the valets opened the door. Fox came out of the car then he gave his hand to Teresa who took it. "Let's get this over with."
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
They walked inside and Julian came to them.
"About time you made it. Fox, I'll take it from here."
"No, Julian. I'm here with Fox."
"You want people to start gossiping?"
"Everyone is already gossiping, Julian. Everyone knows about Bermuda. The world knows that you are sleeping with Rebecca and God knows how many other women. We are way past gossip Julian."
"Keep your voice down woman."
He grabbed her by the arm.
"Let go of me Julian. Oh, I see a woman who's breasts are practically popping out of her dress. Why don't you run along and see her like the dog you are?"
"This isn't over Teresa, you will pay for this."
"I've already paid Julian."
She turned her heels and went outside. She sat down in the grass, behind a tree.
"Is it always like this?"
She had a bitter laugh.
"I think it's always been like this."
"Why do you let him? I mean, why don't you just divorce him and be done with it?"
"I am doing this for my son, but I don't know how much of this I can take."
Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"Come here."
He took her in his arms.
"Don't let them do this to you, Teresa. You have a wonderful spirit, don't let them destroy it." "All I did was try to repair my mistakes. I was never after the Crane fortune. I didn't care that Ethan wasn't the heir. All I wanted was him. They destroyed my life, Ethan, Gwen, Julian, Rebecca, Ivy. Every single one of them."
"Let's go back to the mansion. I don't think it will do you any good to stay here. For what it's worth, I think Ethan is an idiot for ever letting you go."