Chapter Twenty-seven
Joshua was enjoying a cup of tea, contemplating his next move. He could not wait for his bride-to-be to arrive.
He heard the sounds of some of his guards approaching, along with the sound of an extremely unhappy female.
A-ha. Here she is.
He turned, and ran a hand down the front of his shirt, smoothly an invisible wrinkle. His eyes were glittering in anticipation, a wicked grin on his face as they brought in the lady in question.
And he was severely disappointed.
"Livvie. What an unhappy surprise."
"Joshua, tell your cretins to let me go. I need to talk to you."
"So blunt and to the point. Precisely why I decided to take Alison instead of you. There's no mystery where you're envolved."
Livvie glared at him.
"Oh boys. Leave her be. She's harmless. At least she is now." He added as he played with the ring on his finger.
Livvie shrugged them off stood before Joshua.
"I want something from you, and I intend to do whatever I need to get it."
"Quite a little proposal. I must say, I'm a bit intrigued. Please continue."
"I need you to give me the antidote for whatever it is that my father gave Caleb."
"I'm sure that you do. And what do I get in return?"
"My services."
"Hmmm, this is getting more intriguing by the minute. In what way do you plan to service me?"
"Whatever way you want."
"Do you mean that?"
"I will do whatever it takes. I need to be able to turn Caleb again."
"Why would I want him with fangs? It's so much easier for me to go about my business without him flying around too."
"There must be something you want." She looked around the room. Her eyes hit one of the painting and knew what she had to do. "I can bring you the thing that you want most in the world. I can bring you Alison."
"I have someone on that, thank though, for volunteering."
"You mean Frank?" Livvie laughed.
"Yes, my dear. Frank. He's been very useful in that regard."
"Rafe will not allow Frank within 10 feet of Alison, after he was the one who brought her to you last. He thinks I'm working against you now. He doesn't trust me, but I'd have a better shot at Ali than Frank ever will."
Joshua pondered the thought. The little vixen did have a point. Of course, he'd send Frank as well. If he was successful he would not have to deal with handing over what Livvie requested.
Livvie knew she had him. She continued. "You give the antidote to me, and I'll bring Alison to you. An even trade."
"No my dear, Alison first, antidote when you get her here to me. Unharmed and unturned of course. You're sure you can do this?"
Livvie was sure. To be with Caleb again, she'd do anything.
"Deadly." She replied.
"Well then, talk is cheap, my dear. Go and fetch her."
***********
"Elizabeth! That's enough." Lucy shouted. "Get out!"
Abby stared at Elizabeth, unable to contain her anger. She was not sure what this woman was talking about be she'd be damned if she'd let her say anything about her mother.
Abby held her hand out telling Lucy to stop.
"NO. Lucy, that's fine. I can take care of myself here."
"I'm waiting for an answer." Elizabeth shot back.
"Well, don't hold your breath, because I will not respond to that."
"You don't have to. Maybe you don't take after her, you're still quite young. No, actually, that doesn't work because she was younger than you when she tried to steal mine."
Abby clenched her fists in anger, "Are you saying that my mother stole your husband?"
"No. She didn't. She tried, but she wasn't smart enough to keep him."
"Elizabeth. I'm warning you."Lucy began.
"Oh relax, Lucy. Frankly, I don't know why I even care anymore since I obviously got the better end of the deal. Malcolm may have had a fling with Abby's mommie dearest, but he came back to me."
Elizabeth's gaze returned to Abby. "This innocent act is quite sweet, but I know that you know the whole story. After all, that's why you're here, isn't it? You're after the Barrington money after all."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Abby replied looking in disbelief.
"Oh, sure you do. Though I am a bit surprised you've come to Lucy of all people. Actually, come to think of it, that was quite smart. She's close to Rafe, who is Alison's fiancé, and I'm sure your intention was to move in on them. Well, honey. Good luck. You'd better finish this fight with me. He's a pit bull when it comes to her."
Abby continued to stare, her face completely confused. Her head began to spin. What was going on here? Why was this woman so angry with her? Who was she talking about? How did she know my mother?
Elizabeth began to pace as she bitterly continued, "How did you hear that Malcolm had died anyway? It was kept very quiet. I guess your mother informed you before she died to keep an eye out, knowing that he had made a provision for you."
Lucy began to understand what was happening here. Abby, she was sure, had no idea. Because just then, Abby turned to look at her, confusion and fear evident in her eyes, silently asking for help.
"Elizabeth. I really don't think she knows." Lucy said softly.
"I doubt that." She shot back.
"Elizabeth, look at her. She's has no idea. She's here for another reason, she knows nothing of what you're talking about."
Abby sank on the couch and looked at both of the women in front of her. She asked, though it was almost like pleading. "Could you please explain to me? Without attacking me, I mean. I really need to know what you're talking about."
Elizabeth was trying to be stubborn, but something in what Lucy said rang true. If this girl was a true schemer, she was world class, because she looked completely devastated and broken at the moment.
Lucy decided to step in. She sat next to Abby on the couch. She took her hand and asked.
"Abby. What do you know about your father?"
"Not very much." Abby sighed. "I know that my mother was young, just about 21 when they met. He wasn't much older himself, but he came skiing for a while near our town and they met there."
"Anything else?"
"I know that she loved him. I know that he left her and then she had me. I know that she tried to reach him - one time when I was about five. I remember how she cried when she hung up the phone, and then a week or two later when she got some sort of letter. I decided then not to ask about him. Ever. It made her too sad."
Abby looked up at Elizabeth, her eyes full of tears as she asked, "Is that what you're saying? Was your husband - m-my father?"
"Yes." Elizabeth said finally.
"And you're saying he's gone too?" Abby asked.
"He died almost a year ago." She sat on the other side of Abby, now feeling guilty for her words earlier.
"So, I'll never get to know him?" Abby turned to Lucy then, tears racing down her cheeks.
"No. I'm sorry." Lucy said, running her hand down her hair, trying to soothe her.
Abby couldn't believe it. She bent over, holding her face in her hands. The last thing she ever expected when she came here was to finally find out who her father was.
"Abby. There is something you do know." Lucy said softly.
Abby didn't think she knew anything anymore, but responded anyway.
"What?" She said, her voice muffled by her hands.
"You know now why you've been so connected to everything here."
"You're right. I do. It's because it's where my father lived." Abby sat up and turned to look at Lucy again, trying to wipe her tears away.
"No." Lucy continued, taking Abby's hand and squeezing it gently. "It's because, Alison is your sister."
Joshua was enjoying a cup of tea, contemplating his next move. He could not wait for his bride-to-be to arrive.
He heard the sounds of some of his guards approaching, along with the sound of an extremely unhappy female.
A-ha. Here she is.
He turned, and ran a hand down the front of his shirt, smoothly an invisible wrinkle. His eyes were glittering in anticipation, a wicked grin on his face as they brought in the lady in question.
And he was severely disappointed.
"Livvie. What an unhappy surprise."
"Joshua, tell your cretins to let me go. I need to talk to you."
"So blunt and to the point. Precisely why I decided to take Alison instead of you. There's no mystery where you're envolved."
Livvie glared at him.
"Oh boys. Leave her be. She's harmless. At least she is now." He added as he played with the ring on his finger.
Livvie shrugged them off stood before Joshua.
"I want something from you, and I intend to do whatever I need to get it."
"Quite a little proposal. I must say, I'm a bit intrigued. Please continue."
"I need you to give me the antidote for whatever it is that my father gave Caleb."
"I'm sure that you do. And what do I get in return?"
"My services."
"Hmmm, this is getting more intriguing by the minute. In what way do you plan to service me?"
"Whatever way you want."
"Do you mean that?"
"I will do whatever it takes. I need to be able to turn Caleb again."
"Why would I want him with fangs? It's so much easier for me to go about my business without him flying around too."
"There must be something you want." She looked around the room. Her eyes hit one of the painting and knew what she had to do. "I can bring you the thing that you want most in the world. I can bring you Alison."
"I have someone on that, thank though, for volunteering."
"You mean Frank?" Livvie laughed.
"Yes, my dear. Frank. He's been very useful in that regard."
"Rafe will not allow Frank within 10 feet of Alison, after he was the one who brought her to you last. He thinks I'm working against you now. He doesn't trust me, but I'd have a better shot at Ali than Frank ever will."
Joshua pondered the thought. The little vixen did have a point. Of course, he'd send Frank as well. If he was successful he would not have to deal with handing over what Livvie requested.
Livvie knew she had him. She continued. "You give the antidote to me, and I'll bring Alison to you. An even trade."
"No my dear, Alison first, antidote when you get her here to me. Unharmed and unturned of course. You're sure you can do this?"
Livvie was sure. To be with Caleb again, she'd do anything.
"Deadly." She replied.
"Well then, talk is cheap, my dear. Go and fetch her."
***********
"Elizabeth! That's enough." Lucy shouted. "Get out!"
Abby stared at Elizabeth, unable to contain her anger. She was not sure what this woman was talking about be she'd be damned if she'd let her say anything about her mother.
Abby held her hand out telling Lucy to stop.
"NO. Lucy, that's fine. I can take care of myself here."
"I'm waiting for an answer." Elizabeth shot back.
"Well, don't hold your breath, because I will not respond to that."
"You don't have to. Maybe you don't take after her, you're still quite young. No, actually, that doesn't work because she was younger than you when she tried to steal mine."
Abby clenched her fists in anger, "Are you saying that my mother stole your husband?"
"No. She didn't. She tried, but she wasn't smart enough to keep him."
"Elizabeth. I'm warning you."Lucy began.
"Oh relax, Lucy. Frankly, I don't know why I even care anymore since I obviously got the better end of the deal. Malcolm may have had a fling with Abby's mommie dearest, but he came back to me."
Elizabeth's gaze returned to Abby. "This innocent act is quite sweet, but I know that you know the whole story. After all, that's why you're here, isn't it? You're after the Barrington money after all."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Abby replied looking in disbelief.
"Oh, sure you do. Though I am a bit surprised you've come to Lucy of all people. Actually, come to think of it, that was quite smart. She's close to Rafe, who is Alison's fiancé, and I'm sure your intention was to move in on them. Well, honey. Good luck. You'd better finish this fight with me. He's a pit bull when it comes to her."
Abby continued to stare, her face completely confused. Her head began to spin. What was going on here? Why was this woman so angry with her? Who was she talking about? How did she know my mother?
Elizabeth began to pace as she bitterly continued, "How did you hear that Malcolm had died anyway? It was kept very quiet. I guess your mother informed you before she died to keep an eye out, knowing that he had made a provision for you."
Lucy began to understand what was happening here. Abby, she was sure, had no idea. Because just then, Abby turned to look at her, confusion and fear evident in her eyes, silently asking for help.
"Elizabeth. I really don't think she knows." Lucy said softly.
"I doubt that." She shot back.
"Elizabeth, look at her. She's has no idea. She's here for another reason, she knows nothing of what you're talking about."
Abby sank on the couch and looked at both of the women in front of her. She asked, though it was almost like pleading. "Could you please explain to me? Without attacking me, I mean. I really need to know what you're talking about."
Elizabeth was trying to be stubborn, but something in what Lucy said rang true. If this girl was a true schemer, she was world class, because she looked completely devastated and broken at the moment.
Lucy decided to step in. She sat next to Abby on the couch. She took her hand and asked.
"Abby. What do you know about your father?"
"Not very much." Abby sighed. "I know that my mother was young, just about 21 when they met. He wasn't much older himself, but he came skiing for a while near our town and they met there."
"Anything else?"
"I know that she loved him. I know that he left her and then she had me. I know that she tried to reach him - one time when I was about five. I remember how she cried when she hung up the phone, and then a week or two later when she got some sort of letter. I decided then not to ask about him. Ever. It made her too sad."
Abby looked up at Elizabeth, her eyes full of tears as she asked, "Is that what you're saying? Was your husband - m-my father?"
"Yes." Elizabeth said finally.
"And you're saying he's gone too?" Abby asked.
"He died almost a year ago." She sat on the other side of Abby, now feeling guilty for her words earlier.
"So, I'll never get to know him?" Abby turned to Lucy then, tears racing down her cheeks.
"No. I'm sorry." Lucy said, running her hand down her hair, trying to soothe her.
Abby couldn't believe it. She bent over, holding her face in her hands. The last thing she ever expected when she came here was to finally find out who her father was.
"Abby. There is something you do know." Lucy said softly.
Abby didn't think she knew anything anymore, but responded anyway.
"What?" She said, her voice muffled by her hands.
"You know now why you've been so connected to everything here."
"You're right. I do. It's because it's where my father lived." Abby sat up and turned to look at Lucy again, trying to wipe her tears away.
"No." Lucy continued, taking Abby's hand and squeezing it gently. "It's because, Alison is your sister."