Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created by L.J. Smith, as portrayed in the TV series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. The plot is based on the novel The Cardoss Luck (1974) by Janet Louise Roberts. All rights to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BRAVE

~ IV ~

"Not alone?" Elena frowned.

"No, ma'am. The man said Mr. Salvatore is bringing a large party from Atlanta with him."

"To do what, exactly?"

"Hunting, dining, riding, playing cards…"

"Entertaining… well, this is his home. We shall make sure he and his guests feel welcome in it. Thank you, Emily. Will you please see to it that the rooms that have not yet been completed are cleaned properly?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, Emily."

Elena sat down on her window seat, looking out over the moonlit garden and shivered in the draft from the window. After all this time, he was returning – with guests.

Well, if he wanted her to play hostess, she would. She would play the role of perfect wife and perhaps her Uncle John would see that she loved her husband dearly and would leave her alone. Then Damon could go back to Atlanta and they could live out this year on separate… Elena didn't realize she was crying until a tear drop fell on the window sill and splattered.

"There are carriages approaching, miss Elena!" David called out to her from his seat at the window. Ever since he heard the news of his uncle's return, he had been scanning the horizon for signs of movement. "And Uncle Damon is on his horse!"

Elena forced herself to stay away from the window. She would not be caught staring. Instead, she made her way towards the front door to greet her guests when they arrived. She was the mistress of this house, and these were her guests as much as Damon's.

He was the first to arrive.

"My dear Elena, how good it is to see you again," he smiled and pecked her cheek.

"I trust you had a nice time in Atlanta, Mr. Salvatore?" she said coolly.

"I did, thank you," he said, slightly taken aback by her frosty greeting.

"And you have brought guests?"

"I hope that is all right?" he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yes, of course. This is your home."

"Yours too…"

"I am merely a guest myself," Elena shrugged.

"No, you're…"

"Mr. Salvatore!" a voice boomed.

Damon looked over Elena's shoulder to find a bony man with rodent-like features observing them. "Elena?" he gave her a puzzled look.

"This is my uncle John," she gestured toward the man in the hallway. "Surely your paths have crossed in the past?"

"Not to my recollection," Damon said stiffly.

"We have mutual connections, Mr. Salvatore," John said. "I recently made the acquaintance of your cousin, Mr. Stefan Salvatore."

"Is that so?" Damon narrowed his eyes.

"Indeed."

"Well, then you will be pleased to know you will be seeing him again shortly. He is among the guests I have invited."

"Splendid."

"Elena, my dear, could I discuss something with you in private?" Damon said, grasping her hands and ignoring John.

"We have guests, Damon," she said between clenched teeth.

"It will only take a minute, dear."

"Very well," Elena conceded and they entered the sitting room. Elena took a seat on the settee and waited for Damon to start.

"I must apologize. I did not intend to stay away for so long," Damon said sincerely.

"You owe me nothing, Damon. I would ask, though, that you be more discrete when you are in public."

"What do you mean?"

"John was more than happy to share with me his observations of your behavior in Atlanta."

"I see…" Damon started pacing, his hands behind his back. "You should know there is a reason for my actions…"

"I am sure there is. But like I said, you owe me nothing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a household to tend to," she said and rose from her seat.

"Elena…"

"Yes?" she turned, her hand still on the door knob.

"Thank you."

"You're most welcome, Mr. Salvatore."

The guests Damon had invited were loud and rambunctious. Elena let the ladies – Katherine Pierce, Caroline Forbes and Andrea Starr – have the guest rooms in the best condition, and had the gentlemen – Stefan Salvatore, Mason Lockwood and Tyler Lockwood – stay in the other rooms.

Entertaining the Atlanta guests was tiresome indeed. Elena found herself doing damage control for the most part of her days. They rode the horses too hard, they drank and ate at all hours of the day, and of course, there was the incessant card playing and smoking.

Elena was horrified to find David growing increasingly withdrawn by each day their guests were there. She tried to spend as much time as possible with him, but Damon required her presence at dinners. She could not let John think she was not fully devoted to her husband, so she endured. She hid behind her façade where the insinuations could not reach her and she fulfilled all of her hostess duties.

One night, she went upstairs to read David his story and found him sniffling softly.

"David?" she frowned and stepped inside. "What is the matter?"

"Nothing," the boy said and turned away, furiously swiping at his face to rid himself of the tears that refused to cease falling.

"Please tell me what has gotten you so upset, my darling," she pleaded and sat down on the bed.

"You are going to leave us, are you not?" he sobbed.

"David, I…"

"He said you would. He said you do not care for me, that I am but a stupid child."

"Who said such things to you?" Elena demanded, fury surging inside.

"John Gilbert. He said you could never love someone like me."

"That wretched man," Elena growled, clenching her fists before softening, taking the sobbing boy in her arms, stroking his hair soothingly. "You should not listen to a word that man says, my darling. He is a cruel and bitter man. He cannot have children of his own, and so he has decided he does not like them. I care very much for you, David."

"I don't like Uncle Damon's guests," he admitted after his tears had dried.

"Me neither," Elena confessed.

"Then why do you spend so much time with them?"

"Because it makes your uncle Damon happy. And we want him to be happy, no?"

"Yes."

"Besides, we want to leave a good impression on our guests, so that when they return to Atlanta, they will have only nice things to say about us."

"When are they going to leave?"

"I do not know, David."

"Will Uncle Damon go with them?"

"I don't know that either."

David sighed and lowered his eyes.

"Hey," Elena said softly, raising his chin with her index finger. "I will not be leaving with them."

"You will stay with me?"

"There is no place I would rather be."

"What's wrong with him?" Damon asked as Elena closed the door to David's room.

She jumped in fright at the sound of his voice out of the darkness. "Damon, you scared me," she breathed.

"What is wrong?" he repeated.

"I am not having this conversation with you in the hallway," she hissed.

"Well, then let us go to your room," he suggested.

"The study will suffice," Elena said decisively.

"Very well…"

"Now, will you tell me why David was crying?" Damon asked as he closed the door behind them.

"Are you certain you care?"

"How dare you?"

"No, Mr. Salvatore. How dare you? The boy lost his father less than a year ago and you hand him over to a perfect stranger the first chance you get!"

"I lost my brother! You think I don't see him in David? It hurts, Elena. And I'm doing this for him. He deserves better."

"He deserves to know his uncle loves him!"

"I do."

"Well, you are doing a splendid job at proving it," Elena said sourly.

"Was this why he was crying?"

"No. John told him I was going to leave because I could never love a boy like him."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him I care for him very much."

"You didn't promise him you would stay, did you?"

"No. I do intend to stay the year, in accordance with our agreement."

"He has grown attached to you."

"And I to him."

"Elena, I…"

"Oh, is this where you have been hiding?" Caroline cooed, opening the door to the study. "Come, Damon, another game is starting and Katherine will surely be standing by your dear cousin's side should you not appear soon," she pouted. "Oh," she frowned upon seeing Elena. "Miss Gilbert…. I mean, Mrs. Salvatore. You could join us as well, I suppose."

"My wife is very tired…" Damon began.

"I would be delighted to join you for a little while," Elena said sweetly, earning surprised looks from both Damon and Caroline as she swept past them and down the stairs.

There was indeed a game about to start, and the men sat waiting to be dealt their cards. The ladies were, for now, reclining on the settee and sipping their wine. It was fortunate that Elena had ordered a second shipment of wine and spirits as the guests were avid drinkers. The gentlemen around the table rose upon her arrival. Katherine and Andrea fell silent, observing the young Mrs. Salvatore.

"Miss Elena," Mason approached her with a pleasant smile. "How good of you to join us this evening," he said smoothly and kissed her hand.

"I apologize I have been so absent as of late, Mr. Lockwood. I am afraid I have been rather busy."

"And we appreciate all your efforts," he said sincerely. "Will you participate in our little game?"

"I do not know how to play, Mr. Lockwood."

"Oh, but it is fairly simple. I can teach you, Miss Elena," he said, offering her the seat next to him at the table.

"It's 'Mrs. Salvatore', Mason," Damon said coldly.

Elena looked over to see a stern look on his face and Caroline on his arm.

"Oh, come now, old friend," Mason said, "are we not all friends here? I do not see the need for such formalities – especially in our group."

"Drop the 'miss', then," Damon said in a low, harsh voice.

"May I?" Mason turned to Elena.

"Pardon?"

"May I call you 'Elena', Mrs. Salvatore?"

"Yes, Mason. You may," Elena smiled.

"Good. Now that that's settled, let us play cards!" Stefan announced.

Elena paid attention to the game and its players with growing interest. She began to realize a few things about them. Little tics – or mannerisms – gave away what cards they held. The only players who were truly inscrutable were Damon and Stefan.

She could see the piles increase and decrease in equal measure. She could also see how the attention from the ladies varied with respect to which gentlemen who currently had accumulated the greatest winnings. She, however, stayed with Mason, glancing up now and then to catch Damon observing them. Like a skilled poker player, he gave nothing away in his expression.

As time progressed, Elena felt her eyelids grow heavy and she realized it was time to retreat to her bedchambers. She was just about to excuse herself when the current round came to an end and Stefan announced he had had enough for one night.

The group decided to disband and Elena rose from her seat to find Mason's arm being offered to her. With a glance at Damon, who had gained the largest pile and thus Katherine's favor, Elena accepted and let Mason guide her upstairs.

"You are an excellent student, Elena," he commended her.

"Thank you, Mason. I must admit, I had not understood the appeal of card games, but it is fascinating."

"I hope you will join us again."

"Perhaps. But I fear my duties as hostess must take priority."

"And a gracious hostess you are, Elena," he said and kissed her hand as he delivered her to her door. "I wish you a good night."

"Same to you," she inclined her head and entered her bedroom.

Elena loathed to ring for Emily at this late hour to help her undress, so she began to untie her corset strings herself.

"Here, let me…" a velvety voice drawled and sent shivers down her spine. When his fingers brushed against hers as he reached for the strings, it sent an electric shock through her entire body.

"I can manage on my own, thank you," she said coolly and moved out of his reach. "What are you doing here, Mr. Salvatore?"

"You can call Mason by his first name but not your own husband?" he growled.

"I apologize. I'll rephrase. What are you doing here, Damon?"

"What game were you playing downstairs?"

"Cards," Elena said casually.

"Don't play coy with me, Elena. You know perfectly well what I am referring to," he growled.

"I'm afraid I do not."

"You were flirting with Mason!"

"I was not! I was being polite. And even if I was, how does that differ from your actions? Have you not been flirting with Katherine Pierce all this time?"

"Are you jealous, then?"

"I do not appreciate being made a mockery out of. Did you ever stop to think what being seen with your… mistress… would do to my reputation?"

"She is not my mistress!"

"It does not matter how you label your relationship. There was nothing in our agreement that said you could not take a mistress – as could I, for the record. All I ask is that you be discrete."

"You wish to take a mistress, Elena?" Damon couldn't help teasing her, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Well, whatever you call the male equivalent," she huffed.

"Like Mason?" his teasing smirk turned into a frown and his silky smooth voice hard as stone.

"Yes, why not Mason?"

"He is infatuated with you."

"Mason Lockwood is an honorable man."

"Unlike me, you mean."

"I do not know you. I really couldn't say."

"Stay away from Mason," he said in a low voice and returned to his bedroom as quietly as he had entered hers.

Elena sat down on the edge of her bed, collecting herself. So it had bothered him, seeing her with Mason. Why should it when he was so clearly enjoying Katherine's company? Maybe it was detrimental to his male pride. He was expected to court other women, but no wife of his could so much as speak to another man. Oh, how she loathed the hypocrisy of it all. She could not wait to be free of him – free of all men. But then she would also be free of David, and that thought was far less appealing.

Elena entered the kitchen to find her cook slumped in a chair, her feet resting on a crate and her hands on her stomach.

"Bonnie?"

The curly brunette leaped out of her chair, embarrassed to have been caught in such a fatigued state.

"Ma'am?"

"Are you not well?"

"I apologize, ma'am, I…"

"No, do not apologize. I simply ask out of concern."

"It's these guests, ma'am. They are slaying me with their demands. I have not cooked for this many people for such an extended period of time in ages."

"You are not so old as to refer to your years as 'ages'," Elena laughed. "But I understand your plight. I must confess, I find them tiring myself."

"Have you any knowledge of when they might be on their way, ma'am?"

"I fear I do not. But I had a thought, which was why I came to find you."

"I am all ears, ma'am, even if my feet fail me on occasion."

"Glad to hear it," Elena smiled. "I was thinking we might throw a grand party and invite the townspeople – a form of welcome and farewell party all in one. What say you to that?"

"Would I need to cook, ma'am?"

Elena laughed. "I would prefer it, yes. But if I hire some extra help, will you tell them all what to do?"

"You are appointing me head chef, ma'am?"

"Indeed I am. Is it agreeable to you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Then it's settled. I shall have invitations sent out at once and if all goes well, we shall be rid of our guests within a fortnight."