CHAPTER 7
Reprimand
"Mr. Fox, Mr. Crane is expecting you at the library in 5 minutes."
"I didn't even have breakfast yet. If he in a good mood?"
"I'm afraid not, sir."
The maid left and got up from his bed and headed to the shower.
"Julian can wait."
He stood under the water for a long time, thinking about the night before, thinking about Teresa and how he had hurt her. He decided that he had enough and got out of the shower, got dressed casual and headed down to the library.
"When I sent the maid up, I told her to tell you 5 minutes, not an hour."
"It hasn't been an hour, Father."
"Yes, it has been, Foxworth. What kind of game are you playing?"
He felt a cold chill going down his spine when he recognized the voice.
"I'm not playing any games, Grandfather."
"What happened with Sarah last night?"
"Nothing worth mentioning."
He heard Alistair slam his fist on his desk.
"How could you threat that girl like that, like yesterday's trash."
"She came on to me and I pushed her away."
"Since when do you refuse a woman's advances?"
"Father, you should know that not everything they put in a tabloid is true."
"This is beside the point, you cost us a deal that was worth tens of millions."
"I'm sorry, Father if I don't want to date that woman, sorry that I didn't want to sleep with her. I don't care that you lost all that money."
He started to walk to the door.
"Foxworth, I forbid you to see the Lopez-Fitzgerald girl. You will suffer the consequences if you do and I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Don't worry, after what happened last night, I doubt she'll ever speak to me."
"Good, she has more sense than you do."
"I will be leaving for Europe tomorrow. I don't think I'll ever come back to Harmony."
"That's fine, as long as you stay out of the news. I will contact you if there is another merger in the works. Next time, don't blow it."
"Glad to know that this is the only thing I'm needed and liked for in this family, business mergers."
"Don't be so melodramatic, Foxworth."
"I'm not been melodramatic, Grandfather. I'm just telling it like it is."
"Ethan is marrying Gwen Hotchkiss and I don't see him complain."
"Maybe it's because he acts like a robot."
Fox made his way to the door and looked at his father.
"I guess this is a good bye, Father."
"You're leaving only tomorrow."
"Maybe, but I'm still going to try to avoid you. Grandfather, it was a pleasure as usual."
"Cut the sarcasm, Foxworth."
He didn't hear what he said. He was already out of the library and out of the mansion. He walked on the grounds, hoping that maybe he would run into Teresa, but nothing.
"Maybe it's better this way, if we don't run into each other. She's probably still upset with me anyway."
He walked back to the mansion and decided that he didn't want to set foot outside.
************************
"I heard what happened last night."
"Ethan, I think I had enough of two lectures for today."
"Come on Fox, you can just sit there and not listen as you usually do."
"Why do you want to waste your time, don't you have something important to do like, I don't know, kill yourself?"
"You think you're funny, don't you?"
"No, I don't. I'm just tired to be part of a family that doesn't give a flying fuck what I want."
"I'd watch my language if I were you, Fox."
"Did I offend your virgin ears, Ethan?"
Ethan sat on the chair across Fox's bed.
"I'm trying to understand you, that's all."
"There's nothing to understand. I love Teresa, but I hurt her. I didn't want to take Sarah out, but they made me. I don't understand why all of a sudden they are paying attention to me, why they want me to think about marriage."
"Because you're a Crane, Fox."
"I'm nothing more than a business deal for them. Someone who can bring them more money. That's not what I want. Look at Mother and Father, is this a marriage they have? They hate each other."
"Maybe so, but Mother loves us."
"No, Ethan. Mother loves you, she doesn't care about her other children."
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
"Can't change that. Are you happy to marry Gwen?"
"Of course, I love her." "You are more delusional than I thought."
"I will not listen to your remarks, Fox."
He got up and was about to leave, but then he turned to his brother.
"Teresa is better off without you hanging around her. You are self- destructive Fox and you would only drag her down with you."
"Why don't you just go to hell Ethan. I'm sure you'll find some nice company down there. And by the way, don't think I haven't seen the way you look at Teresa. She is off limits to you."
Ethan left the room angry at Fox's last remark. Fox watched him go.
"I hope you rot in hell, Ethan."
"Mr. Fox, Mr. Crane is expecting you at the library in 5 minutes."
"I didn't even have breakfast yet. If he in a good mood?"
"I'm afraid not, sir."
The maid left and got up from his bed and headed to the shower.
"Julian can wait."
He stood under the water for a long time, thinking about the night before, thinking about Teresa and how he had hurt her. He decided that he had enough and got out of the shower, got dressed casual and headed down to the library.
"When I sent the maid up, I told her to tell you 5 minutes, not an hour."
"It hasn't been an hour, Father."
"Yes, it has been, Foxworth. What kind of game are you playing?"
He felt a cold chill going down his spine when he recognized the voice.
"I'm not playing any games, Grandfather."
"What happened with Sarah last night?"
"Nothing worth mentioning."
He heard Alistair slam his fist on his desk.
"How could you threat that girl like that, like yesterday's trash."
"She came on to me and I pushed her away."
"Since when do you refuse a woman's advances?"
"Father, you should know that not everything they put in a tabloid is true."
"This is beside the point, you cost us a deal that was worth tens of millions."
"I'm sorry, Father if I don't want to date that woman, sorry that I didn't want to sleep with her. I don't care that you lost all that money."
He started to walk to the door.
"Foxworth, I forbid you to see the Lopez-Fitzgerald girl. You will suffer the consequences if you do and I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Don't worry, after what happened last night, I doubt she'll ever speak to me."
"Good, she has more sense than you do."
"I will be leaving for Europe tomorrow. I don't think I'll ever come back to Harmony."
"That's fine, as long as you stay out of the news. I will contact you if there is another merger in the works. Next time, don't blow it."
"Glad to know that this is the only thing I'm needed and liked for in this family, business mergers."
"Don't be so melodramatic, Foxworth."
"I'm not been melodramatic, Grandfather. I'm just telling it like it is."
"Ethan is marrying Gwen Hotchkiss and I don't see him complain."
"Maybe it's because he acts like a robot."
Fox made his way to the door and looked at his father.
"I guess this is a good bye, Father."
"You're leaving only tomorrow."
"Maybe, but I'm still going to try to avoid you. Grandfather, it was a pleasure as usual."
"Cut the sarcasm, Foxworth."
He didn't hear what he said. He was already out of the library and out of the mansion. He walked on the grounds, hoping that maybe he would run into Teresa, but nothing.
"Maybe it's better this way, if we don't run into each other. She's probably still upset with me anyway."
He walked back to the mansion and decided that he didn't want to set foot outside.
************************
"I heard what happened last night."
"Ethan, I think I had enough of two lectures for today."
"Come on Fox, you can just sit there and not listen as you usually do."
"Why do you want to waste your time, don't you have something important to do like, I don't know, kill yourself?"
"You think you're funny, don't you?"
"No, I don't. I'm just tired to be part of a family that doesn't give a flying fuck what I want."
"I'd watch my language if I were you, Fox."
"Did I offend your virgin ears, Ethan?"
Ethan sat on the chair across Fox's bed.
"I'm trying to understand you, that's all."
"There's nothing to understand. I love Teresa, but I hurt her. I didn't want to take Sarah out, but they made me. I don't understand why all of a sudden they are paying attention to me, why they want me to think about marriage."
"Because you're a Crane, Fox."
"I'm nothing more than a business deal for them. Someone who can bring them more money. That's not what I want. Look at Mother and Father, is this a marriage they have? They hate each other."
"Maybe so, but Mother loves us."
"No, Ethan. Mother loves you, she doesn't care about her other children."
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
"Can't change that. Are you happy to marry Gwen?"
"Of course, I love her." "You are more delusional than I thought."
"I will not listen to your remarks, Fox."
He got up and was about to leave, but then he turned to his brother.
"Teresa is better off without you hanging around her. You are self- destructive Fox and you would only drag her down with you."
"Why don't you just go to hell Ethan. I'm sure you'll find some nice company down there. And by the way, don't think I haven't seen the way you look at Teresa. She is off limits to you."
Ethan left the room angry at Fox's last remark. Fox watched him go.
"I hope you rot in hell, Ethan."