CHAPTER 27
Back to the Crane Mansion
"So you won't tell me why we're here?"
"You'll see."
They walked in the mansion and Fox led her to the library.
"Father, I need to speak to you and Grandfather."
"What about?"
Julian stood up and walked to him and Teresa. He looked at his granddaughter who was wide awake. Teresa took a step back.
"Don't worry, Teresa I won't take her away from you I just want to see my granddaughter."
Fox came between them.
"As I was saying, I wanted to speak to you and Alistair. Do you want to contact him or shall I?"
"I'll do it."
Julian went back behind his desk and pressed one of the dial buttons on his phone. A voice was heard.
"This better be good Julian."
"Actually, Father, Fox is the one who wanted to speak to you."
"What is it Foxworth?"
"I just thought I'd let you know that I am giving up my right to be a Crane. I don't want to be part of this family anymore."
"Fox, are you serious about this?"
He turned to Teresa.
"Yes, I've never been more serious about anything. I want to be my own man and I'm tired of them holding this over my head like a sword."
He looked at Julian.
"This is what I had to say. Before you find out in the papers, I would also like to say that I'm going to propose to Teresa and that I will marry her and have more kids with her."
"Over my dead body."
All heads turned to where the voice had come from. Ethan and Ivy were both standing there.
"Well, well, well..if it isn't the kidnapper and his bitch of a mother. Mother, weren't you supposed to leave the mansion yesterday and yet you're still here. You know we can have you arrested for trespassing."
"Don't ever talk to her this way, Fox. Do you hear me?"
"If I were you Ethan, I would shut that big mouth. You are going down for kidnapping."
"Like hell I am and like hell Teresa is marrying you."
"I will marry whoever I want, Ethan. And Fox happens to be the man I love and the father of my daughter."
She stepped out of the library for a few seconds and came back without Emma.
"Where's Emma?"
"She is with Phyllis. I didn't want to risk anything."
She turned to Ethan and looked at him with hatred in her eyes.
"How could you take my daughter away from me? It wasn't enough that you took my son, you had to deprive me of my daughter also?"
"I was angry..."
"Angry? That doesn't justify the rotten things you did."
"Don't speak to my son that way, Teresa. You tramp destroy everything you touch."
Ivy looked at Fox.
"Fox, you can't give up you title as Crane heir. You can't."
"And why is that Mother. You never cared what I did, what do you care if I give up my title?"
"I spent my life in this sham of a marriage because of you and your siblings."
"No one is keeping you here Ivy."
"Shut up Julian."
"No, Ivy you shut up. I'm sure Ethan and Fox will be interested in a little tid bit of information."
"What are you talking about Alistair?"
"You know how you framed Teresa to take the fall for Julian's murder. How you had her sent to the death chamber. Or how you wanted to push her down the stairs while she was pregnant with her son. A Crane heir. Or how you tried to frame her at the Bennett house when you pushed yourself down the stairs."
Both Fox and Ethan looked at their mother.
"Is this true, Mother?"
"Honestly. Ethan. Do you even need to ask her. Look at her face. If this isn't a guilty look, then I don't know what is."
"Ethan, Fox..you can't listen to him. You know how he lies, how he manipulates."
"Maybe, Mother. But Teresa said that she overheard you and Rebecca talking near her coffin about framing her. She also said that you released the breaks on your wheelchair before you came crashing down the stairs."
"Fox, you are my son, please."
"No, Mother. I've never been your son. Ethan always was your son and from the looks of it, I think you might have lost the only person who actually gave a damn about you."
Ethan was looking at Teresa who was standing beside his brother. He walked up to her and she took a step back. Fox stood between Ethan and Teresa.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I just wanted to apologize."
"I think we're passed the apologies Ethan."
"Why don't you let her speak for herself, Fox."
Teresa stepped forward and stood beside Fox, holding his hand.
"Fox is right. I tried so many times to tell you what happened but you dismissed me every time. You even said that you hated me. It's my turn to say this. You preferred listening to your sainted mother. You went ahead and married Gwen who probably hates you as much as I do. You brought all of this on yourself and I will never forgive you or forget what you've put me through."
She was shaking violently. Fox took her in his arms.
"Don't do this to yourself. Take a deep breath, ok?"
"I want to leave this place forever and never come back. Let's get out of here."
"Yes, but just a second."
He turned to his father.
"So, before we were interrupted I was saying that I wanted to leave the family and I really don't need your permission to do it. I just wanted to give you the heads up."
"If you give it up, Teresa's son because the one and only heir."
"Yes, Mother. You catch on quickly. It's a win win situation. I don't want any of it. I have everything I want with me."
He turned to his father again.
"Good bye Father. I hope you do right by the little guy."
He turned to Ethan.
"If I were you Ethan, I wouldn't move too quickly the police is waiting for you in the foyer. And there's Crane security on the grounds. You can't escape. Enjoy your time in prison and don't let anyone mess up that pretty face of yours."
Fox took Teresa's hand, he took his daughter from the maid and they walked out of the Crane mansion.
"Are you ready for a new life, Teresa?"
"I am when you are."
"Let's go then."
"So you won't tell me why we're here?"
"You'll see."
They walked in the mansion and Fox led her to the library.
"Father, I need to speak to you and Grandfather."
"What about?"
Julian stood up and walked to him and Teresa. He looked at his granddaughter who was wide awake. Teresa took a step back.
"Don't worry, Teresa I won't take her away from you I just want to see my granddaughter."
Fox came between them.
"As I was saying, I wanted to speak to you and Alistair. Do you want to contact him or shall I?"
"I'll do it."
Julian went back behind his desk and pressed one of the dial buttons on his phone. A voice was heard.
"This better be good Julian."
"Actually, Father, Fox is the one who wanted to speak to you."
"What is it Foxworth?"
"I just thought I'd let you know that I am giving up my right to be a Crane. I don't want to be part of this family anymore."
"Fox, are you serious about this?"
He turned to Teresa.
"Yes, I've never been more serious about anything. I want to be my own man and I'm tired of them holding this over my head like a sword."
He looked at Julian.
"This is what I had to say. Before you find out in the papers, I would also like to say that I'm going to propose to Teresa and that I will marry her and have more kids with her."
"Over my dead body."
All heads turned to where the voice had come from. Ethan and Ivy were both standing there.
"Well, well, well..if it isn't the kidnapper and his bitch of a mother. Mother, weren't you supposed to leave the mansion yesterday and yet you're still here. You know we can have you arrested for trespassing."
"Don't ever talk to her this way, Fox. Do you hear me?"
"If I were you Ethan, I would shut that big mouth. You are going down for kidnapping."
"Like hell I am and like hell Teresa is marrying you."
"I will marry whoever I want, Ethan. And Fox happens to be the man I love and the father of my daughter."
She stepped out of the library for a few seconds and came back without Emma.
"Where's Emma?"
"She is with Phyllis. I didn't want to risk anything."
She turned to Ethan and looked at him with hatred in her eyes.
"How could you take my daughter away from me? It wasn't enough that you took my son, you had to deprive me of my daughter also?"
"I was angry..."
"Angry? That doesn't justify the rotten things you did."
"Don't speak to my son that way, Teresa. You tramp destroy everything you touch."
Ivy looked at Fox.
"Fox, you can't give up you title as Crane heir. You can't."
"And why is that Mother. You never cared what I did, what do you care if I give up my title?"
"I spent my life in this sham of a marriage because of you and your siblings."
"No one is keeping you here Ivy."
"Shut up Julian."
"No, Ivy you shut up. I'm sure Ethan and Fox will be interested in a little tid bit of information."
"What are you talking about Alistair?"
"You know how you framed Teresa to take the fall for Julian's murder. How you had her sent to the death chamber. Or how you wanted to push her down the stairs while she was pregnant with her son. A Crane heir. Or how you tried to frame her at the Bennett house when you pushed yourself down the stairs."
Both Fox and Ethan looked at their mother.
"Is this true, Mother?"
"Honestly. Ethan. Do you even need to ask her. Look at her face. If this isn't a guilty look, then I don't know what is."
"Ethan, Fox..you can't listen to him. You know how he lies, how he manipulates."
"Maybe, Mother. But Teresa said that she overheard you and Rebecca talking near her coffin about framing her. She also said that you released the breaks on your wheelchair before you came crashing down the stairs."
"Fox, you are my son, please."
"No, Mother. I've never been your son. Ethan always was your son and from the looks of it, I think you might have lost the only person who actually gave a damn about you."
Ethan was looking at Teresa who was standing beside his brother. He walked up to her and she took a step back. Fox stood between Ethan and Teresa.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I just wanted to apologize."
"I think we're passed the apologies Ethan."
"Why don't you let her speak for herself, Fox."
Teresa stepped forward and stood beside Fox, holding his hand.
"Fox is right. I tried so many times to tell you what happened but you dismissed me every time. You even said that you hated me. It's my turn to say this. You preferred listening to your sainted mother. You went ahead and married Gwen who probably hates you as much as I do. You brought all of this on yourself and I will never forgive you or forget what you've put me through."
She was shaking violently. Fox took her in his arms.
"Don't do this to yourself. Take a deep breath, ok?"
"I want to leave this place forever and never come back. Let's get out of here."
"Yes, but just a second."
He turned to his father.
"So, before we were interrupted I was saying that I wanted to leave the family and I really don't need your permission to do it. I just wanted to give you the heads up."
"If you give it up, Teresa's son because the one and only heir."
"Yes, Mother. You catch on quickly. It's a win win situation. I don't want any of it. I have everything I want with me."
He turned to his father again.
"Good bye Father. I hope you do right by the little guy."
He turned to Ethan.
"If I were you Ethan, I wouldn't move too quickly the police is waiting for you in the foyer. And there's Crane security on the grounds. You can't escape. Enjoy your time in prison and don't let anyone mess up that pretty face of yours."
Fox took Teresa's hand, he took his daughter from the maid and they walked out of the Crane mansion.
"Are you ready for a new life, Teresa?"
"I am when you are."
"Let's go then."