~Chapter 2~
Fox pushed Teresa into the bathroom. "Run along now, little one. You are in much need of a hot shower."
"Fox, come on, I just want to take a little nap." Teresa whined.
"You've been sleeping for three days. Now, I'm only going to tell you this one more time. Get in there and take you a hot, relaxing shower. If you don't do it yourself, I'll be forced to take matters into my own hands." Fox crossed his arms and stood firm.
Teresa held up her hands palms out, "Okay, okay! Geez, you're such a brute today!" She hurried into the bathroom.
Once she had the door shut behind her Fox surveyed the room. "I have got to get someone down here to clean this place. No wonder she so damned depressed." Fox walked over to the dresser and picked up the phone. The maid answered on the second ring, "Yes, this is Fox. I'm down at the cottage, and I would like someone to come sometime today and clean this place."
"Mr. Crane, I'm sorry, I don't think that can be arranged today."
"I'm sorry, I don't think I understood you. Did you just say that you couldn't do the job that I have just asked you nicely to do?"
"But Mr. Crane, we are understaffed today..."
"I don't care if your understaffed, my family pays you very well to do what you do." Fox took a deep breath, he had to calm himself. He was beginning to sound just like his father. "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name."
"My name is Claire, Mr. Crane." The young maid said timidly.
"Claire, call me Fox."
"Okay, Fox."
"Look, Claire, I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't very important. The young lady that lives in this house, needs some cheering up and I think you're just the person I need to help me. The cottage is a disaster area and I need you to come work your magic on it. If you will agree, there will be a hefty bonus in it for you."
The young maid sighed on the other end, such a charmer she thought, "Okay, Mr. Crane, I'll see what I can do. Will you and the young lady being leaving anytime soon?"
"Yes, in fact, we will. Hopefully within the hour. Oh, and by the way, like I said earlier, call me Fox."
She smiled, "Yes, Fox. I'll be down as soon as I can."
Fox hung up the phone just as there was a knock at the door. Fox was turning to head toward the front door when he heard Teresa coming out of the bathroom. "Just where to you think your going, little lady?"
"I'm getting certain unmentionable that this little lady needs." Fox blushed, unnoticed by him. "Wow, Fox, I think you're blushing." Teresa smiled.
Fox touched his cheek, "Am I?" Hmm, he thought, that's a first. There was a second knock at the door. "I'm getting that Teresa."
"Go on, then." She motioned with her hands for him to shoo. "Like I said, I need to get some personal things together."
"I'm going, I'm going!" Fox walked out and answered the door, just as Julian was getting ready to knock a third time.
"Father, what a pleasant surprise." Fox said sarcastically.
"Cut the crap, Fox. I don't have time for your little sarcastic remarks this morning."
"Well, come in, make yourself at home." Fox opened the door wider for him to come in.
Julian walked into the cottage and sneered, "Dear God, what happened to this place? It looks like a hurricane came through here."
"Don't you worry your wonderful self about that, Father, I'm working on it."
"Well, I should hope so! Sheridan may still own this cottage, but it's on my property. If Teresa doesn't clean her act up I will be forced to evict her."
"Come on, pops, don't you think you've done enough to torture the poor girl?"
Julian put a finger in Fox's face, "You, Fox, would do good to mind your own business. Teresa Lopez-Fitzgerald is just a charity case. She's living in this cottage, because unlike the rest of use Crane's, Sheridan has a kind heart. I, on the other hand, wish she would just fall off the face of the earth."
"Shut the hell up!" Fox yelled. "You're nothing but a cowardless, evil sonofabitch!"
"How dare you speak to your own father like that." Julian grabbed him by the collar.
Fox laughed, "You call yourself a father? You're nothing to me, do you hear me, nothing!" He pushed Julian off of him.
Teresa came running in at that moment, hair still soaking wet, robe wrapped tight around her. "What's going on out here?"
Julian came at Fox again, ready to strike at him, but Fox shoved him away. Julian lost his footing and fell back, when he did Julian's hand smacked against Teresa's face.
Teresa fell to the floor with Julian and grabbed her face. Fox ran to her side. "Oh, God, Teresa, I'm so sorry, I never meant for that to happen. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Fox." She rubbed the side of her face, "What's this all about?"
Julian picked himself up off of the ground and straightened his jacket. "Mind your own damned business woman." Julian chided Teresa for her curiousity.
Fox stood to his feet and stood directly in Julian's face. "Get the hell out of here!"
"Not unless you come with me." Julian said.
"What could you possibly want with me?"
"It's not what I want that matters, Fox. You should know that by now."
"Who is it? Grandfather? Well, you know what, Julian, both of you can kiss my ass."
"We are having a meeting, in half an hour, Fox, it would be in your best interest to be there." Julian turned and walked out of the cottage.
Fox directed his attention back on Teresa. "Teresa, are you sure you're okay?" He said helping her to her feet.
"I'm sure, just a little shaken I guess. Now are you going to tell me what that was all about?"
"Come on, Teresa. I don't think I have to fill you in on the fact that Julian and I do not get along."
"Fine, fine, if you don't want to talk. But one day, Fox Crane, you're going to break through all those walls that bind you." Teresa pushed a finger into this chest. "I'm going to go finished getting ready. Where going for a walk." Teresa disappeared back into her bedroom.
Fox sighed, "You, Teresa, are going to be the death of me."
Fox pushed Teresa into the bathroom. "Run along now, little one. You are in much need of a hot shower."
"Fox, come on, I just want to take a little nap." Teresa whined.
"You've been sleeping for three days. Now, I'm only going to tell you this one more time. Get in there and take you a hot, relaxing shower. If you don't do it yourself, I'll be forced to take matters into my own hands." Fox crossed his arms and stood firm.
Teresa held up her hands palms out, "Okay, okay! Geez, you're such a brute today!" She hurried into the bathroom.
Once she had the door shut behind her Fox surveyed the room. "I have got to get someone down here to clean this place. No wonder she so damned depressed." Fox walked over to the dresser and picked up the phone. The maid answered on the second ring, "Yes, this is Fox. I'm down at the cottage, and I would like someone to come sometime today and clean this place."
"Mr. Crane, I'm sorry, I don't think that can be arranged today."
"I'm sorry, I don't think I understood you. Did you just say that you couldn't do the job that I have just asked you nicely to do?"
"But Mr. Crane, we are understaffed today..."
"I don't care if your understaffed, my family pays you very well to do what you do." Fox took a deep breath, he had to calm himself. He was beginning to sound just like his father. "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name."
"My name is Claire, Mr. Crane." The young maid said timidly.
"Claire, call me Fox."
"Okay, Fox."
"Look, Claire, I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't very important. The young lady that lives in this house, needs some cheering up and I think you're just the person I need to help me. The cottage is a disaster area and I need you to come work your magic on it. If you will agree, there will be a hefty bonus in it for you."
The young maid sighed on the other end, such a charmer she thought, "Okay, Mr. Crane, I'll see what I can do. Will you and the young lady being leaving anytime soon?"
"Yes, in fact, we will. Hopefully within the hour. Oh, and by the way, like I said earlier, call me Fox."
She smiled, "Yes, Fox. I'll be down as soon as I can."
Fox hung up the phone just as there was a knock at the door. Fox was turning to head toward the front door when he heard Teresa coming out of the bathroom. "Just where to you think your going, little lady?"
"I'm getting certain unmentionable that this little lady needs." Fox blushed, unnoticed by him. "Wow, Fox, I think you're blushing." Teresa smiled.
Fox touched his cheek, "Am I?" Hmm, he thought, that's a first. There was a second knock at the door. "I'm getting that Teresa."
"Go on, then." She motioned with her hands for him to shoo. "Like I said, I need to get some personal things together."
"I'm going, I'm going!" Fox walked out and answered the door, just as Julian was getting ready to knock a third time.
"Father, what a pleasant surprise." Fox said sarcastically.
"Cut the crap, Fox. I don't have time for your little sarcastic remarks this morning."
"Well, come in, make yourself at home." Fox opened the door wider for him to come in.
Julian walked into the cottage and sneered, "Dear God, what happened to this place? It looks like a hurricane came through here."
"Don't you worry your wonderful self about that, Father, I'm working on it."
"Well, I should hope so! Sheridan may still own this cottage, but it's on my property. If Teresa doesn't clean her act up I will be forced to evict her."
"Come on, pops, don't you think you've done enough to torture the poor girl?"
Julian put a finger in Fox's face, "You, Fox, would do good to mind your own business. Teresa Lopez-Fitzgerald is just a charity case. She's living in this cottage, because unlike the rest of use Crane's, Sheridan has a kind heart. I, on the other hand, wish she would just fall off the face of the earth."
"Shut the hell up!" Fox yelled. "You're nothing but a cowardless, evil sonofabitch!"
"How dare you speak to your own father like that." Julian grabbed him by the collar.
Fox laughed, "You call yourself a father? You're nothing to me, do you hear me, nothing!" He pushed Julian off of him.
Teresa came running in at that moment, hair still soaking wet, robe wrapped tight around her. "What's going on out here?"
Julian came at Fox again, ready to strike at him, but Fox shoved him away. Julian lost his footing and fell back, when he did Julian's hand smacked against Teresa's face.
Teresa fell to the floor with Julian and grabbed her face. Fox ran to her side. "Oh, God, Teresa, I'm so sorry, I never meant for that to happen. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Fox." She rubbed the side of her face, "What's this all about?"
Julian picked himself up off of the ground and straightened his jacket. "Mind your own damned business woman." Julian chided Teresa for her curiousity.
Fox stood to his feet and stood directly in Julian's face. "Get the hell out of here!"
"Not unless you come with me." Julian said.
"What could you possibly want with me?"
"It's not what I want that matters, Fox. You should know that by now."
"Who is it? Grandfather? Well, you know what, Julian, both of you can kiss my ass."
"We are having a meeting, in half an hour, Fox, it would be in your best interest to be there." Julian turned and walked out of the cottage.
Fox directed his attention back on Teresa. "Teresa, are you sure you're okay?" He said helping her to her feet.
"I'm sure, just a little shaken I guess. Now are you going to tell me what that was all about?"
"Come on, Teresa. I don't think I have to fill you in on the fact that Julian and I do not get along."
"Fine, fine, if you don't want to talk. But one day, Fox Crane, you're going to break through all those walls that bind you." Teresa pushed a finger into this chest. "I'm going to go finished getting ready. Where going for a walk." Teresa disappeared back into her bedroom.
Fox sighed, "You, Teresa, are going to be the death of me."