Chapter 3- The Long Car Ride Home
She stepped off the stairs of the private jet that had just taken her from Europe to the small town of Harmony. She walked towards the limousine that was waiting for her. A chauffeur opened the door and she got inside. She was startled when she realized she was not alone in the car.
Her grandfather, Alistair Crane was sitting across from her, smoking a cigar calmly. She waited for him to speak. It was not normal for him to take time out of his day to wait for anyone, and it surprised her that he was bothering to wait for her.
"Marguerite Katherine Constance Crane, what are you doing here?" He asked with a stern tone. "Why are you not in school, the last time I checked, I was still paying for Oxford."
"Grandfather, why do you smoke those? You know that they are bad for your health." She stated calmly, not revealing anything.
"I asked you a question Kate, answer me."
"Fine. I miss my brother, and I heard that father got married again, from a tabloid, no less. I came to congratulate he and his new wife on their marriage. I am surprised, though, I never thought that he would marry again." She relented, still not telling him everything, but of course he already knew that. Her Grandfather always knew everything. She was not sure how, or why, but he seemed to know what she was doing at every moment. It was a little unnerving at times.
"That is not all, I know it. Why don't you just make it easy and tell me, so I don't have to waste any of my time figuring it out?" He said, narrowing his eyes. He knew his granddaughter too well to think that she would ever come home to wish someone well. She was too like him, although she looked so startlingly similar to his late wife, Katherine, with her long blonde hair and shining blue eyes.
"Well," Kate started, thinking that she might as well get this over with now, rather than later. "I want a job. At Crane Industries. A good one too. I will not get someone's coffee or bring memos to Ethan, who I might remind you, has no business working in the position that he does, considering he is not a Crane."
Alistair leaned back on the seat. He thought for a moment. She was probably the smartest and most devious of his grandchildren. She had proven this fact over and over again in school. She would employ any means necessary to get exactly what she wanted, no matter what the cost. He could use her in the company. He may even be able to groom her to be the next in line to head up his empire. Her father, Julian, was too soft to take over. He had hoped to give the company to Ethan, but he was no longer a Crane, so he was off the list. She was the oldest of all of his grandchildren, and the next in line.
"Alright, my dear. I will give you a job." He said. "I will give you this job that you want so badly. Come in on Monday at nine o'clock sharp."
She smiled. He had actually given her what she wanted, and she hadn't even had to do anything. Now for the second part of her plan. "Grandfather?" She said tentatively, "how fond of you are of Father's new wife?"
"Not Very." He answered, narrowing his eyes. "Why?"
"I may or may not want to have a bit of fun with her while I am at home. I just wanted to know if it would make a difference to you." She said casually with a sly smile. "I vaguely remember my new stepmother from when she was friends with mother. And after all, I am going to need some sort of entertainment while I'm here. What could be better than making my parents miserable?"
Alistair smiled. She really was his granddaughter.
~A few hours later~
"I don't know, Theresa, that seems a bit risky." Fox told his girlfriend. She had asked him to sneak her into the Crane Mansion again. She was desperate to see her son, Little Ethan. That was what was worrying him. She was getting desperate. If she wasn't careful, she would end up in jail again. "Ethan and Gwen are about to adopt him. We have to be a lot more careful. You are about to lose all your rights to him."
The look in her eyes made him hug her close. It killed him that she was hurting like this. Somehow, Rebecca was going to pay for what she was doing to her. He just wished that he had some ammunition against her. It was too bad that his twin sister was not here. She was extremely good at getting people to do whatever she wanted them to do, even when they didn't want to. He missed Meg. He missed being able to call her that. He was the only one who was allowed to. It was his special name for her. Everyone else called her Kate.
"I know Fox. And that is why you have to get me in there. He needs to know that I still love him, and that I didn't abandon him. He has to know that I haven't given up fighting to get him back." She pleaded, tears threatening to spill over.
Fox kissed her forehead, and sighed. "Theresa, I will help you, but not today. Tomorrow Rebecca and Gwen are going shopping, and it will be easier to get you in and out if they aren't there. I promise." Taking her hand, he lead her towards the garage, where his BMW was, so he could drive her home.
As they got closer to the house, they saw a limousine pull up. Confused, they continued on their way. When Fox saw who stepped out of the limo, he gasped. It was the last person that he had ever expected to see here in Harmony.
She stepped off the stairs of the private jet that had just taken her from Europe to the small town of Harmony. She walked towards the limousine that was waiting for her. A chauffeur opened the door and she got inside. She was startled when she realized she was not alone in the car.
Her grandfather, Alistair Crane was sitting across from her, smoking a cigar calmly. She waited for him to speak. It was not normal for him to take time out of his day to wait for anyone, and it surprised her that he was bothering to wait for her.
"Marguerite Katherine Constance Crane, what are you doing here?" He asked with a stern tone. "Why are you not in school, the last time I checked, I was still paying for Oxford."
"Grandfather, why do you smoke those? You know that they are bad for your health." She stated calmly, not revealing anything.
"I asked you a question Kate, answer me."
"Fine. I miss my brother, and I heard that father got married again, from a tabloid, no less. I came to congratulate he and his new wife on their marriage. I am surprised, though, I never thought that he would marry again." She relented, still not telling him everything, but of course he already knew that. Her Grandfather always knew everything. She was not sure how, or why, but he seemed to know what she was doing at every moment. It was a little unnerving at times.
"That is not all, I know it. Why don't you just make it easy and tell me, so I don't have to waste any of my time figuring it out?" He said, narrowing his eyes. He knew his granddaughter too well to think that she would ever come home to wish someone well. She was too like him, although she looked so startlingly similar to his late wife, Katherine, with her long blonde hair and shining blue eyes.
"Well," Kate started, thinking that she might as well get this over with now, rather than later. "I want a job. At Crane Industries. A good one too. I will not get someone's coffee or bring memos to Ethan, who I might remind you, has no business working in the position that he does, considering he is not a Crane."
Alistair leaned back on the seat. He thought for a moment. She was probably the smartest and most devious of his grandchildren. She had proven this fact over and over again in school. She would employ any means necessary to get exactly what she wanted, no matter what the cost. He could use her in the company. He may even be able to groom her to be the next in line to head up his empire. Her father, Julian, was too soft to take over. He had hoped to give the company to Ethan, but he was no longer a Crane, so he was off the list. She was the oldest of all of his grandchildren, and the next in line.
"Alright, my dear. I will give you a job." He said. "I will give you this job that you want so badly. Come in on Monday at nine o'clock sharp."
She smiled. He had actually given her what she wanted, and she hadn't even had to do anything. Now for the second part of her plan. "Grandfather?" She said tentatively, "how fond of you are of Father's new wife?"
"Not Very." He answered, narrowing his eyes. "Why?"
"I may or may not want to have a bit of fun with her while I am at home. I just wanted to know if it would make a difference to you." She said casually with a sly smile. "I vaguely remember my new stepmother from when she was friends with mother. And after all, I am going to need some sort of entertainment while I'm here. What could be better than making my parents miserable?"
Alistair smiled. She really was his granddaughter.
~A few hours later~
"I don't know, Theresa, that seems a bit risky." Fox told his girlfriend. She had asked him to sneak her into the Crane Mansion again. She was desperate to see her son, Little Ethan. That was what was worrying him. She was getting desperate. If she wasn't careful, she would end up in jail again. "Ethan and Gwen are about to adopt him. We have to be a lot more careful. You are about to lose all your rights to him."
The look in her eyes made him hug her close. It killed him that she was hurting like this. Somehow, Rebecca was going to pay for what she was doing to her. He just wished that he had some ammunition against her. It was too bad that his twin sister was not here. She was extremely good at getting people to do whatever she wanted them to do, even when they didn't want to. He missed Meg. He missed being able to call her that. He was the only one who was allowed to. It was his special name for her. Everyone else called her Kate.
"I know Fox. And that is why you have to get me in there. He needs to know that I still love him, and that I didn't abandon him. He has to know that I haven't given up fighting to get him back." She pleaded, tears threatening to spill over.
Fox kissed her forehead, and sighed. "Theresa, I will help you, but not today. Tomorrow Rebecca and Gwen are going shopping, and it will be easier to get you in and out if they aren't there. I promise." Taking her hand, he lead her towards the garage, where his BMW was, so he could drive her home.
As they got closer to the house, they saw a limousine pull up. Confused, they continued on their way. When Fox saw who stepped out of the limo, he gasped. It was the last person that he had ever expected to see here in Harmony.