Disclaimer: All of the characters in this story belong to Warener Bros. Studios, with the exceptions of Monty's family.
Chapter 2
The Arrangement
25th Nov
Monty could not remember having a longer afternoon. Time seemed to pass infernally slow, as if it were an old man, burdened by ages and slowly dragging his feet across the neat living room floor. However, none of Monty's family members seemed to notice him, except for the boy. He would constantly glance at the golden pendulum clock on the wall facing him, hoping that, somehow, its longer hand would have moved at least a five minute interval. But, each time, it had barely shifted an inch forward. It was agonizing. He had stopped paying attention to what they were saying for a while now. It was just the old, boring adult-chat that all grown-ups engaged in and he had no interest in listening to their topics of discussion. They were the same as always, anyway.
First, Angelina would ask Charles and Celestine how was their journey from England and if they were comfortable in the car they had sent to pick them up. The couple would smile and say it was "absolutely marvelous!", then go into details about how their traveling was. Like anyone cares, was Monty's annual thought. Then, Richard would ask Charles how their companies in Great Britain and the rest of Europe were doing, since those were in his sphere of influence. The chubby, short man would answer "Very well!" and start speaking about all the great deals he had made that year and how much money he had brought into the corporation. Then, it was Charles' turn to ask his cousin how everything was going in America, to which Richard would answer in the same manner, with Nigel and Lydia adding something every now and then. The only difference this year was that Gabriel was more involved in the conversation, since everybody wanted to know about his and Olympia's relationship. Enjoying the much wanted attention, Gabriel responded to all of their questions and rambled on about their engagement. Though he didn't notice, all of the adults (minus Olympia, who looked a tad uncomfortable) had a sort of ridiculing smirk on their lips, as if they were just trying to mess with him.
After what seemed like an eternity, Grovely came in with a tray of cookies and biscuits, which he placed on the coffee table in the middle of the salon. Monty's face brightened. Finally, something that could distract him from his misery. He stretched his arm forward, with the intent of grabbing some of the sweets. But, when he felt someone's eyes on him and turned to meet his father's glare, he immediately sat back in his chair, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Please, help yourselves." Angelina said to the guests.
Everyone did so, especially Charles, who immediately started filling his large mouth with all of the goodies in such a way that reminded Monty of a pig. Glancing at his Dad, who hadn't even touched the food, he slowly leaned forward and took a small biscuit from one of the plates. Seeing as his father didn't even look at him, Monty took it as a sign that he could eat as well.
"Oh, dear!" Olympia exclaimed. "These are wonderful! Who made them?"
"Our cook, Eliza." Said Angelina, with a proud smile. "She's the most skilled chef in all California and knows how to cook absolutely anything. You should wait until you taste her other foods!"
After almost all the cookies were finished, Grovely came to pick up the trays. Charles leaned back on his chair, took out a buck cigar and lit it up. Monty had to push his groan back in his throat. Not Charles and his smoking! He would die if he felt that awful smell again!
"So, Monty," Charles began, probably out of subjects to talk about. "How's school?"
Great. Now he's also talking to me.
"Uh, well, you know..." he trailed off a bit as he felt the smoke finally reaching his nostrils. "Homework, tests, anvils falling from the ceiling, the usual." He forced the best smile he could do at the moment, while he tried not to gag.
"And how are your grades?" Celestine chimed in.
"Pretty good. Just before this vacation, actually, I received an A in – ."
"Well, my Zachary also has very high grades." She interrupted him. "Last year, he was a prizewinning pupil and he might be this year, too. Also, his teachers are strict and the school's curriculum is very hard, but he still manages to pull through it." She looked down at her son proudly, but he simply rolled his eyes.
Out of the corner of his eye, Monty saw his mother's expression flicker with fury for a split second. But, quickly recomposing herself, she added. "Oh, Celi, dear, that's fabulous! But don't think that the Looniversity doesn't take studying seriously. You can actually get expelled if your grades aren't high enough, and Monty has never even been close to that! His teachers are all so satisfied of him."
Monty almost faced-palmed. Why did they choose to talk about this? He wanted nothing more at that moment than for the floor to open and swallow him.
Celestine looked at him and, for a moment, Monty thought he saw a spiteful flame ignite in her sapphire eyes. "How dare you not be a total academic disaster, so I can flaunt my son's achievements in front of everyone and make your mother squirm with envy?!", she seemed to tell him through that glare. Although he knew "Aunt Celi" had never liked him much and she absolutely despised his mother, the hateful glance still took him by surprise, sending a shiver down his spine. Then, just as fast as she had looked at him, she turned back to Angelina and opened her mouth to reply. However, a masculine voice cut her off.
"Monty, go to the kitchen and ask when lunch will be ready, will you?" Richard said.
The boy nodded frantically, thankful beyond everything that someone had put an end to his suffering. Without another word, he dashed towards the kitchen, leaving behind only a trail of dust. He didn't stop until he was standing in front of the kitchen door. Breathing heavily, he opened it and stepped inside.
As soon as he set foot in there, a wonderful, almost hypnotizing, aroma greeted him. He closed his eyes for a second and savored it. Just the smell alone was delicious! After the nauseous odor of Charles' cigarettes, this was like a breath of fresh air. He opened his eyes again and found Grovely sitting at the table with the other butler, snacking on some unfinished biscuits. Eliza, the one he was looking for, was washing the dishes. The plump woman, with a moon-like face and delicate features, turned around the moment she heard the boy enter.
"They want to know when lunch is ready." Monty said.
"Well, it should be in around half an hour or so, Master Monty." Eliza said in a soft voice, matching her appearance.
"It's gonna take that long?" Groaning, Monty sat down on a chair, near the counter. He had absolutely no intention in returning at that moment. He needed a break.
"But why the sourpuss, sir?" Asked the woman. "You should be happy. You're on vacation, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, your whole family is here – "
"That's the problem! I hate these family reunions. Just boring talk and adults bragging about stupid stuff. If we had at least went to a party!" He finished with a whine.
"Oh, come on, sir. It's not so bad." Eliza said, putting a glass of water in front of the boy, which he wearily drank.
"And who are you to talk?" He snapped. "You don't have a big family to know what it's like."
"It's true, I don't. But look on the bright side, sir." He gave her a skeptical look, to which she responded. "It will be over soon! And to make things easier for you, Master Monty, I'll bring lunch earlier. In about ten minutes. How's that?"
Much calmer than before Monty, nodded. "Yeah, I... guess that would be fine."
"Well, then I better go set the table earlier than usual." Grovely said, tiredly, also sending Eliza a subtle, annoyed glance. Giggling, the woman went back to her dishes.
Monty got up as well and headed back to his family, walking way slower this time.
"Lunch will be ready in about five minutes." He said, once he entered the living room.
Hearing this everyone started getting up and making their way to the dining room, guided by Richard, who always talked, keeping them all attentive to what he had to say. One, however, did not follow them.
"Ma? What are you doing?" Asked Monty once everyone was out of sight. For whatever reason, Angelina had walked straight to their giant living room window and was now smelling the expensive curtains.
"I'm checking to see if that awful cigar smell has gotten into my beautiful drapes." Taking one more sniff, she scrunched her nose and added angrily. "That pig! Look how he smokes inside my wonderful home and spreads this nauseous odor everywhere! This is beyond rude at this point! He and his wife are starting to really get on my nerves."
"What's new about that?"Monty asked sarcastically.
"Nothing." His Mom admitted. "But I think I'm really losing my patience with them. I mean, have you seen how she bragged about her son?!"
"So? You brag about me all the time." The boy said matter of factly.
"That's not the point." Angelina hissed. "And, she also insinuated that Acme Loo is a no-good school, which is basically saying I'm a bad mother for sending you there and she's a fabulous mother because, oh!, look at how wonderful her son's school is and-"
"Ma, sorry to interrupt you, but I gotta ask... who cares?! She thinks she and her son are the best. So what?"
"What do you mean who cares?! If that cow thinks she is better than me, then I'll never know the end of it! I mean, she already thinks Zachary is smarter than you because I didn't know all of your grades and she thought I was too embarrassed to say them out loud! Dammit, Monty, why didn't you come back quicker to back me up!"
"Now, hold on, why are you scolding me?" Monty retorted. "How was I supposed to know you needed my help?"
Angelina looked like she was about to scream at him again, but, with a great deal of self-control, she decided against it. Taking a few deep breaths, she continued, calmer this time. "You know what? It's fine. Everything is okay. We'll just have to find a way to clap back." Suddenly, with a gasp, as if something just dawned on her, she turned to him. "I know! After lunch, you can play the piano!"
Monty stared at her. "Yeah... I'm not gonna do that."
Angelina's smile faded. "What do you mean? I spent a lot of money on your lessons and now you say you don't even want to play?!" She shouted exasperated.
"You're forgetting, Ma, that I never liked playing the piano and I still don't!" He yelled back.
And didn't his mother know it? After all, he had never lost a chance to say (or rather scream at the top of his lungs) that he hated the piano lessons with all his heart. And, when his parents could take it anymore, they finally put an end to them. Since his last piano class had finished he had sworn that he will never press a key again, and he was definitely not doing it now, for his family's entertainment. Plus, he hadn't played in a while and he wasn't exactly keen in embarrassing himself in front of them.
Just then, Richard came in.
"Why are you two still in here and not in the dining room? Do you have any idea how loud your shouts are?! I heard you from the hallway!" He said, with rebuke. Then, turning to Monty he added. "After lunch, you come with me, Nigel and Lydia in my office, understood?"
"Yes, Dad." The boy said, knowing that causing another scene would lead only to more problems.
"But he can't!" Angelina quickly joined in. "He's supposed to play the piano after lunch. Think how great it would be to have our son blow the others away!"
But Richard didn't look at all impressed. "Angie, this is serious. We don't have time for nonsense. Monty will go with me immediately after lunch and that's that. End of story."
From his Mom's expression, the teenage boy guessed she didn't like it at all. But, since Richard had been so firm with his words, she had made the good choice of not continuing the argument. The man exited the salon and walked towards the dining room, followed by his wife and son.
Meanwhile, Monty wondered how he should feel about all that: grateful that he didn't have to play the piano in front of everyone, or anxious about the approaching conversation.
XXX
Lunch went without any major incidents. The food was great, delicious even, and everyone at the table appreciated it. The topics of the conversations had also remained the same for the most part, although Monty did not find them as torturous as he did earlier that day. Maybe that was thanks to the fact that now he had some turkey and sweet potatoes to keep his mind preoccupied and was able to ignore them pretty well.
After they all had finished eating, Grovely brought the delicious-looking sponge cake. Monty's mouth watered as he gazed upon the fluffy texture and white cream, imagining how it would taste. Unfortunately, that was when Richard got up and excused himself, saying that he, along with Nigel, Lydia and his son, had some "very important business" to talk about.
Pushing a frustrated scream back in his throat, Monty got up as well and followed the three adults to his Dad's office. On his way out, he heard some of his relatives whispering to each other, but he didn't really care.
None of them said a word until they arrived in the study room. When they got there, Richard sat down at his desk and then gestured for his siblings to sit on the chairs across him.
"Monty, close the door, then go over there." Richard said, pointing to the sofa nearby.
The boy did as he was told, then slumped on the sofa, his arms crossed and a frown on his face. He knew what was going to happen and he still didn't like it one bit.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"So," Richard finally said. "I suppose you two are wondering what I want to talk about."
The two nodded, Nigel's face gleaming with interest, while Lydia looking very serious.
"Well, it concerns Monty, like I told you before, and his... ways of doing business." Seeing their confused faces, he added. "Let me explain. Two months ago, Monty bought the Acme Acres Park, because he heard that his two rabbit classmates wanted to built a tree clubhouse, or whatever, there. So, my son thought it would be funny to ruin that for them. Now, I normally wouldn't care about Monty doing this sort of thing, since I have other things to worry about. But, here I do care because, after he became the owner of this park, he didn't take proper care of it, which caused the ACME Association for Nature Protection and other anti-pollution groups to sue him. Because of this he lost a total of 1.6 million dollars."
Getting up from his desk, he continued talking, while pacing around the room. "Then, a month ago, if I'm correct, Monty decided to open another business. A coffee shop to be precise. This was, again, because he saw those two rabbits trying to make some money by opening a hot chocolate stand. He tried to put them out of business by taking all of their clients away with his new shop. However, in his desperation to beat them, he raised the prices so high that no one wanted to buy from him anymore and actually saw his classmates' offers much more promising. This caused Monty to go bankrupt instead, and again, lose around 1 million dollars."
He stopped in front of his chair and looked at his siblings. "Do you see where I'm going with this? Monty has become very irresponsible and driven by his emotions, not by his brain, when doing business. Not to mention he spends money like it grows on trees, runs the factories I put him in charge of as if this is some sort of game and doesn't take anything seriously."
As his Dad was saying all this, Monty tried his best to remain calm and not shout at his father (something which would definitely earn him a harsh punishment), but it proved to get more difficult with every passing second.
"Therefore," Richard concluded. "I think it would be very beneficial if my son would have a mentor. Someone to guide him, show him how to be a good businessman, what to do and not to do and prepare him for when he will be in complete charge of the company. And who would be better for this job if not one of you two?"
Both Nigel and Lydia paled.
"O-One of us." Lydia stammered.
Her oldest brother nodded. "You two are my most trusted employees and relatives. That's why one of you will mentor my son, while the other one will remain my right hand. So," He said, sitting down again. "Which one of you would be up for the job?"
The two still stared in shock.
"Let me get this, Rich." Nigel said after recomposing a bit. "You want one of us to give up on our position within this company in order to mentor your son?"
"Exactly."
Looking as if he was about to lose himself again, Nigel did his best to smile. "Brother," He said in a smooth tone. "Have you really considered that maybe none of us has the, um, necessary qualities for doing such a thing?"
Monty's face lit up. His suspicions have just been confirmed! From their expressions to their voices, it was clear that neither his uncle nor his aunt wanted to do it. Maybe there would be none of this nonsense after all! He watched the dispute go on, a little more hopeful this time.
"Don't be a fool, Nigel. It really doesn't suit you." Richard retorted sharply. "Of course you have the qualities. Otherwise I wouldn't have chosen you. Now tell me, which one of you will do it?" He asked again, impatiently.
"Lydia will." Nigel answered quickly.
The woman jumped on her feet. "And why should I?" She asked her brother venomously.
"Because you're a woman and women are good with children. They're nurturing and kind, and these are qualities you absolutely posses." He said, a note of irony in his voice.
Meanwhile, Monty's smile continued to grow. By now he was sure Lydia will jump on the man and try strangling him. Then, his Dad will realize what a complete mistake this was, break them apart and tell them he changed his mind. However, in that moment of happiness, Monty forgot a crucial aspect about his father: he always had a backup plan.
Lydia, red in the face by now, was about to give Nigel a piece of her mind, but Richard's slick voice cut her off.
"Guys, guys, calm down. There's no need to fight. I understand. It doesn't sound too promising and you don't want to do it. I get it."
Both of them calmed down after hearing that.
"So you are not going to make us do it?" Asked Lydia.
"Well, no. If you don't want to do it, then I can't force you. However, I was oping that one of you would have taken the job. If not to help a family member, then at least for the money." He said with emphasis. "But, if you really don't want to, then-"
"Wait, hold on, Rich." Nigel cut him off. "What do you mean 'for the money'?"
Richard smirked. "Well, I thought that doing something as big as mentoring the future owner of the family corporation is something very respectable. After all, a position in the company is just a position. But helping family. Ha!" He exclaimed. "Now that's true honor! And, someone capable of teaching and shaping a spoiled child into a true businessman deserves an appropriate reward."
All three stared at the man, the adults with curiosity and anticipation and Monty with horror, as he realized that his last spark of faith was about to fade.
And so, Richard went on. "I was going to leave the one that offers to help my son half of my fortune as inheritance."
Both Lydia's and Nigel's jaws dropped as the words sank in.
"H-Half..." Lydia began, but couldn't end her sentence.
"Of the fortune." Nigel finished hazily.
Their oldest brother nodded. "Now, who wants to do it?"
"Me!" They both said at the same time. Looking at each other, they opened their mouths to argue, but Richard stopped them again.
"Tell you what. Let's not decide right now. He told them. I see that things are a bit tense. So, let's wait a few weeks, maybe even a month or so. During this time try to do your best within the company, do your tasks and what else I ask of you, and after we see who has the best results, we can make a decision. How's that?"
"Wait." Nigel said. "Our performances within the corporation will determine if we are... suited, so to say, for this job?"
"Well, they certainly play a very big part, yes." Richard answered him.
At this response, Nigel's expression turned smug, even more than it usually was. "In that case, I think I am the correct choice. I mean, I was your right hand man since the beginning and I still am. I also have more experience in the area, which gives me an advantage over Lydia."
"You have nothing of the kind!" His sister shouted furiously. "You're you forgetting that I started out as a nothing more than a secretary, then made my way to the top and got where I am right now? I have way more experience than you, considering I had to work my head off for this position and didn't just get it because mommy and daddy gave it to me. I am your equal now."
Nigel laughed mockingly. "Sis, you are not my equal, under no circumstance. Mom and Dad put me here because they knew I could handle it and they left you behind because she knew you couldn't even compa-"
"Nigel, that's enough!" Richard cut him off, raising a hand. "Lydia is just as fit for the position as you are. If she wouldn't have been, then I wouldn't have even considered her to begin with."
Nigel, who always seemed to have his words with him, for once seemed speechless. "Rich... you can't p-possibly... But I'm your right hand man! I should get to do this, not her!"
"And I never said she was going to. All I said was that she is also a fit candidate. She has proven herself, despite our doubts, and has truly earned her reputation of a hard worker and a serious woman. You, too, are very valuable for the company and an excellent negotiator. That is why I had trouble deciding and I called both of you in. And, since neither you can't decide either, I think this competition, if I can call it that, of who does things better at work will settle it. Richard finished, and something in his tone made it clear that this decision was final."
Doing his best to hide his hurt ego, Nigel looked at Lydia. His sister had a proud expression, something that he didn't often see on her face. It made his blood boil.
Swallowing his anger, he asked one more question. "And what if even after those weeks, months, whatever, you still can't decide? What then?"
Richard thought for a second before responding. "If it is a tie, then I'll let Monty decide. He's the one you'll mentor after all."
All three heads turned to face the boy. Monty seemed as if he was going to faint.
"Now, if anyone doesn't have any questions, I think we're done here. You two," He said to his siblings, "you're going to stay here. I need some help with some papers. Monty, you're free to leave."
And with that said, the adults started their work, as Monty slowly got up and went towards the exit, his mouth slightly opened in shock and his eyes hollow.
What just happened? He thought as he closed the door behind him. A few minutes ago it looked like things would be going his way, as usual. And now... everything hat turned upside down so fast and so horribly.
But, his pondering was cut off by his collision with something. Or rather, someone.
"Ow! Hey, watch where you're going!" He yelled. As he looked up, a wrinkled face with a big nose and a patch of white hair greeted him.
"My apologies, good sir. I was trying to find Master Gabriel's and Miss Olympia's bedroom, so I can deposit their luggage there." The butler whose name Monty did not know, said.
Then, he made his way past the teenager and down the hallway, pulling two immense portmanteaus that for sure weighed more than a cow.
Monty watched him go, wondering if the man had been there for longer than it seemed. But, shaking his head, he told himself that he was being silly and that he had bigger problems to worry about, anyway.
However, as he dragged his feet towards his room, overwhelmed by what had happened in the office and by his own misery, Monty didn't realize just how right he was. The butler had indeed been there for longer than it seemed.
