CHAPTER 13
Pandora's Box
"No, I've changed my mind. I'm not going to Ethan's wedding."
"Why not?"
"Because Fox isn't going. He told his parents that he wasn't going to show up because he didn't want to be a Crane anymore."
"Yeah, but Ethan invited you."
"I know, but it's not like we know each other super well. Besides, I don't think Ivy and Julian will miss me there."
"I doubt they will."
She was sitting outside with Whitney on a beautiful summer day when a man showed up out of nowhere.
"Hi, my name is Randolph. Do you live here?"
"Yes, I do."
"I'm with the Inquisitor. Do you have any comments on the piece that appeared in one of the tabloids about Ethan Crane's paternity?"
"I'm sorry, did you just say Ethan's paternity? Ethan is a Crane."
"Apparently, he isn't. He is Sam Bennett's son, you know the chief of police."
"That's impossible. Besides, how would you know something like that?"
"One of the maids found a letter written by Ivy Crane years ago, after her son was born. She admits to him that he is not Julian Crane's son."
Both Teresa and Whitney looked at each other shocked by what they had just learned. Finally Whitney spoke.
"But Ethan is supposed to get married today."
"The wedding has been cancelled."
"You're joking, right?"
"No beautiful miss. This is not a joke."
Teresa got up.
"I have to go to Nicholas."
"Who is Nicholas."
"No one. Who let you in?"
She looked at Whitney.
"I'm calling security. Reporters are not admitted here. If Mr. Crane finds out, he'll have your job."
"I'm going. No need to call the Crane goons."
He left and Teresa marched to the mansion after she hugged Whitney good bye. She rang the door bell and Pilar answered it.
"What are you doing here, Teresa?"
"I'm here to see Fox, mama. Is it true what I heard?"
"What did you hear?"
"This reporter was on the grounds and said that someone tipped them off that Ethan wasn't a Crane but a Bennett."
"It's true."
"Is Fox around?"
"He is in the library with Ivy, Julian and Ethan. They are on the phone with Alistair."
"I feel so bad for Ethan."
"I know. You should go back to the cottage. I'll let Fox know that you dropped by to see him."
"Thank you, mama."
"And a little word of advice for you Teresa. Stay as far away from the mansion. Fox dropped a bomb on them last night about you two, and now with Ethan's paternity been revealed. All hell is going to break loose and I don't want you anywhere near when that happens."
Teresa nodded and went back to the cottage waiting for Fox to come.
************************
Fox, Ivy, Julian and Ethan were in the library. Alistair was on the phone in a fit of rage. They could hear him throwing things.
"Grandfather, you'll have a heart attack if you don't stop this."
"Shut up, Foxworth."
Julian was looking at Ivy while he was chugging one glass of brandy after the other.
"You lying, deceiving bitch. How could you take my son away from me?"
Ivy wasn't speaking. Her body was numb.
"You've done it Ivy. Our lives are splashed on tabloids across the damn planet. Everyone knows that Alistair Crane had a Bennett bastard under his roof. Got to hand it to you, I didn't even realize that he wasn't a Crane. You kept your secret well. I knew he hadn't inherited those smarts from Julian."
"Father, this is hardly the time to be insulting me. I just lost my son."
"But you have me."
"Shut up, Fox."
Fox sighed.
"So what am I? Always second best to Ethan, even if he isn't a Crane."
"Foxworth, do as your father said and shut up."
"Why am I even here?"
"You'll see, your turn will come."
Fox didn't feel reassured by what his grandfather had just said. He knew he was up to something and that didn't sit well with him at all.
"Alistair, you cannot disown Ethan."
"Thanks to you not been able to keep you legs closed, Ethan is not a Crane. He's not blood."
"I was young when it happened, I realized that I was nothing but a deal between you and my father. I went back to Sam, I loved him. Don't take it out on Ethan. He always did what you wanted him to do. He made you proud so often."
"What part of he's not a Crane didn't you understand Ivy?"
She didn't answer him.
"Grandfather, thank you for having given me all those amazing opportunities..."
"I want you out of the mansion, Ethan."
"No, you can't throw him out just like that. I'm still married to Julian and Ethan is my son and he staying."
"Be that as it may, Ivy. Julian I want you to divorce her."
"It will be with pleasure Father."
"Would you put that bottle of brandy down and for God's sake, straighten up and act like a Crane."
All the people present in the library looked around to see if they could spot the cameras but without any results.
"I want both Ivy and Ethan out of the library. I need to speak to Julian and Fox, alone." Fox got up and walked to the desk but as Ethan was getting passing by, he put his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm really sorry for what happened to you today, Ethan. On the bright side, you don't have to marry Gwen."
"Shut up, Fox."
"Just trying to be nice."
"Go to hell."
"I don't need to, I'm already there brother. Oh, no, wait I guess it's half brother now."
"That's enough out of you, Fox."
"No Mother, I'm just warming up. I understand better why you treated me and my sisters like we were worthless when we were growing up. We weren't Sam Bennett's children."
Ivy raised her hand and was about to slap him but he cut her just in time.
"You are such a hypocrite. You were stuck in a loveless marriage and you wanted the same for your children. It's real nice to know that you have our best interest at heart, Mother." "I don't need to listen to this."
"Yes, you do. No one told you the truth before."
"Foxworth, you have all the time to make her life more miserable that it already is. We need to talk."
"What about Grandfather?"
"You'll see once the outsiders leave the library."
Julian and Fox watched as Ethan and Ivy left the library and closed the door behind them.
"Foxworth my boy, let's chat."
Fox felt a knot in his stomach. This wasn't a conversation he was going to like. Alistair was far too nice and he didn't like the tone he was taking with him.
"No, I've changed my mind. I'm not going to Ethan's wedding."
"Why not?"
"Because Fox isn't going. He told his parents that he wasn't going to show up because he didn't want to be a Crane anymore."
"Yeah, but Ethan invited you."
"I know, but it's not like we know each other super well. Besides, I don't think Ivy and Julian will miss me there."
"I doubt they will."
She was sitting outside with Whitney on a beautiful summer day when a man showed up out of nowhere.
"Hi, my name is Randolph. Do you live here?"
"Yes, I do."
"I'm with the Inquisitor. Do you have any comments on the piece that appeared in one of the tabloids about Ethan Crane's paternity?"
"I'm sorry, did you just say Ethan's paternity? Ethan is a Crane."
"Apparently, he isn't. He is Sam Bennett's son, you know the chief of police."
"That's impossible. Besides, how would you know something like that?"
"One of the maids found a letter written by Ivy Crane years ago, after her son was born. She admits to him that he is not Julian Crane's son."
Both Teresa and Whitney looked at each other shocked by what they had just learned. Finally Whitney spoke.
"But Ethan is supposed to get married today."
"The wedding has been cancelled."
"You're joking, right?"
"No beautiful miss. This is not a joke."
Teresa got up.
"I have to go to Nicholas."
"Who is Nicholas."
"No one. Who let you in?"
She looked at Whitney.
"I'm calling security. Reporters are not admitted here. If Mr. Crane finds out, he'll have your job."
"I'm going. No need to call the Crane goons."
He left and Teresa marched to the mansion after she hugged Whitney good bye. She rang the door bell and Pilar answered it.
"What are you doing here, Teresa?"
"I'm here to see Fox, mama. Is it true what I heard?"
"What did you hear?"
"This reporter was on the grounds and said that someone tipped them off that Ethan wasn't a Crane but a Bennett."
"It's true."
"Is Fox around?"
"He is in the library with Ivy, Julian and Ethan. They are on the phone with Alistair."
"I feel so bad for Ethan."
"I know. You should go back to the cottage. I'll let Fox know that you dropped by to see him."
"Thank you, mama."
"And a little word of advice for you Teresa. Stay as far away from the mansion. Fox dropped a bomb on them last night about you two, and now with Ethan's paternity been revealed. All hell is going to break loose and I don't want you anywhere near when that happens."
Teresa nodded and went back to the cottage waiting for Fox to come.
************************
Fox, Ivy, Julian and Ethan were in the library. Alistair was on the phone in a fit of rage. They could hear him throwing things.
"Grandfather, you'll have a heart attack if you don't stop this."
"Shut up, Foxworth."
Julian was looking at Ivy while he was chugging one glass of brandy after the other.
"You lying, deceiving bitch. How could you take my son away from me?"
Ivy wasn't speaking. Her body was numb.
"You've done it Ivy. Our lives are splashed on tabloids across the damn planet. Everyone knows that Alistair Crane had a Bennett bastard under his roof. Got to hand it to you, I didn't even realize that he wasn't a Crane. You kept your secret well. I knew he hadn't inherited those smarts from Julian."
"Father, this is hardly the time to be insulting me. I just lost my son."
"But you have me."
"Shut up, Fox."
Fox sighed.
"So what am I? Always second best to Ethan, even if he isn't a Crane."
"Foxworth, do as your father said and shut up."
"Why am I even here?"
"You'll see, your turn will come."
Fox didn't feel reassured by what his grandfather had just said. He knew he was up to something and that didn't sit well with him at all.
"Alistair, you cannot disown Ethan."
"Thanks to you not been able to keep you legs closed, Ethan is not a Crane. He's not blood."
"I was young when it happened, I realized that I was nothing but a deal between you and my father. I went back to Sam, I loved him. Don't take it out on Ethan. He always did what you wanted him to do. He made you proud so often."
"What part of he's not a Crane didn't you understand Ivy?"
She didn't answer him.
"Grandfather, thank you for having given me all those amazing opportunities..."
"I want you out of the mansion, Ethan."
"No, you can't throw him out just like that. I'm still married to Julian and Ethan is my son and he staying."
"Be that as it may, Ivy. Julian I want you to divorce her."
"It will be with pleasure Father."
"Would you put that bottle of brandy down and for God's sake, straighten up and act like a Crane."
All the people present in the library looked around to see if they could spot the cameras but without any results.
"I want both Ivy and Ethan out of the library. I need to speak to Julian and Fox, alone." Fox got up and walked to the desk but as Ethan was getting passing by, he put his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm really sorry for what happened to you today, Ethan. On the bright side, you don't have to marry Gwen."
"Shut up, Fox."
"Just trying to be nice."
"Go to hell."
"I don't need to, I'm already there brother. Oh, no, wait I guess it's half brother now."
"That's enough out of you, Fox."
"No Mother, I'm just warming up. I understand better why you treated me and my sisters like we were worthless when we were growing up. We weren't Sam Bennett's children."
Ivy raised her hand and was about to slap him but he cut her just in time.
"You are such a hypocrite. You were stuck in a loveless marriage and you wanted the same for your children. It's real nice to know that you have our best interest at heart, Mother." "I don't need to listen to this."
"Yes, you do. No one told you the truth before."
"Foxworth, you have all the time to make her life more miserable that it already is. We need to talk."
"What about Grandfather?"
"You'll see once the outsiders leave the library."
Julian and Fox watched as Ethan and Ivy left the library and closed the door behind them.
"Foxworth my boy, let's chat."
Fox felt a knot in his stomach. This wasn't a conversation he was going to like. Alistair was far too nice and he didn't like the tone he was taking with him.