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.
Author's Note: I'm sorry if my plot is confusing… I'm having a hard time making it believable, too… I'm so disappointed in myself… But I hope the romance part will make up for the lame plot. Enjoy!
FORTUNE FAVORS THE BRAVE
~ IX ~
Elena would never be able to look at a bathtub in quite the same fashion ever again.
"The party is this weekend, correct?" Damon asked as he helped her dry off.
"Yes."
"What do you say to a surprise visitor?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"After you showed me the journals, I went through some old boxes of my father's. As you know, no-one had been here in years until we came."
"Did you find something?"
"My father had kept a journal of my grandfather's. My father died shortly after grandfather passed, and my mother boxed up all of his things. Grandfather had gifted the estate to my parents upon their marriage, and that is why I could not be included in the will."
"But Stefan said Dante lured the estate off Giuseppe in a game of cards."
"Pfft, nonsense," Damon huffed. "Father never gambled. And he would know better than to associate with Giuseppe."
"What was in the will?"
"The Salvatore fortune was left to Giuseppe, with the exception of the estate, since it was already my parents'."
"What did you find in your grandfather's journal?"
"Not much of importance. Mainly numbers and dates, keeping tabs on people in the town etcetera. But it's his handwriting. He wrote his name in the journal. If we can get a copy of the will and someone to verify that his signature is forged – as I suspect it is from what you told me of Mason's father and Giuseppe – then we can take Stefan down."
"How do we get a copy of the will? Or the original?"
"I shall go to Atlanta right away. Now that I know who the lawyer was, I should be able to get the will."
"You're leaving?"
"I will return as fast as my horse will carry me, but I need you to keep up appearances. I cannot afford Stefan coming after me."
"But…"
"They must stay for the party, no? Just… keep them occupied until I return."
"But they hate me. To them, I am the Ice Queen."
"I believe I said such a description of you is false," he said and cupped her face. "Except you are my queen."
"Where shall I say you have gone?"
"Say I am unwell. Have Emily bring up soup and tell her to not let anyone in. They should all be out riding at this time, except for Mason… oh… perhaps this is a bad idea…"
"Why?"
"I do not wish to leave you alone with him."
"Damon… just hurry back."
"Do not let him convince you to leave me while I am gone," Damon said, looking into her eyes with deep sincerity. "Promise me."
"I promise."
They sealed their deal with a lingering kiss, and then Damon snuck off to the stables. Elena called for Emily to help her dress and explained the situation. Emily was trustworthy and resourceful. Their secret would be kept safe with her.
Madeleine, on the other hand, was quite loose-tongued. Mason Lockwood asked her several questions about Elena, knowing she was new to the estate and therefore less loyal to her master and mistress. She told him of John Gilbert's bad manners, of Elena's strained relationship with the man, of her growing friendship with Stefan and how Damon was more often seen with Katherine than with his wife.
Armed with this information, Mason approached Elena in the garden, where she was enjoying the silence as her guests were occupied elsewhere.
"Elena!"
His voice brought her out of her reveries and she sat up straight in her seat in the gazebo. "Mason. Did you find the room to your liking?"
"I am very comfortable, thank you. I must apologize for my behavior earlier – I was out of line. I did not mean to offend you, or to cause strife."
"Apology accepted," she smiled. "Will you sit with me?" she gestured to the seat opposite her.
"Of course," he inclined his head and sat down. "This really is a beautiful garden," he noted, looking around.
"Indeed it is. I fell in love with it the second I arrived."
"But surely it was not in such fine condition then?"
"No, but I saw its potential. First impressions are all about perspective. Some find faults wherever they look, other see possibilities."
"Do you grant people the same favor as you do your surroundings?"
"I would like to think so, but…"
"Well, you certainly see something beneath the surface of Damon Salvatore, or else I cannot imagine you would remain with him."
"I believe we have already discussed this matter to its exhaustion, Mason," Elena said shortly.
"Very well," Mason said, dropping the subject. "I understand you have a strained relationship with your uncle…"
"It is a private matter."
"Of course. But I realized I did not know much about you at all."
"I am your friend's wife, Mason. That is really all you need to know about me."
"Come now, Elena. I know you do not think of yourself as wife first, woman second. Why could I not get to know the real Elena?"
"What is the point, Mason? What will you do with the information?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Unmarried men and married women are not close friends, Mason. At least they should not be."
"Such nonsense! Why not?"
"It is not proper."
"Tell me the truth, Elena. Do not hide behind social conventions or your own sense of propriety. You fear that if you let your walls come down you will find yourself every bit in love with me as I am in love with you."
"Mason!" she exclaimed, standing up. "Do not say such things."
"If I had known you would agree to marry Damon, I never would have introduced you. I thought you were not interested in marrying so quickly, or I would have proposed myself. Would you have accepted me, Elena?" he said, standing as well.
"There is no point in dwelling on the past," she said and walked out of the gazebo.
"Then let us discuss the future," he said and grabbed her arm.
"Unhand me, Mason. There is no future for us."
"I know you are not happy with Damon. He spends more time with Katherine than with you."
"At least he does not spawn illegitimate children," Elena spat out before she could contain herself.
"What… who…"
"I know, Mason. I know the reason you left in a hurry. False alarm, you said, or did you make sure Miss Julianne's child was no longer a problem for you? What did you do to cover up your indiscretion, Mason?"
"What exactly are you accusing me of, Elena?"
"I am not accusing you of anything, Mason. I am simply pointing out that you do not have the right to pass judgment on my relationship with Damon."
"Will you not hear the truth, then?"
"Are you prepared to give it? Otherwise I will do well without your lies."
"It was my brother's mistress," Mason said.
"Your brother? Richard Lockwood? Tyler's father?" Elena gawked.
"Yes. It was not a proud moment for our family. She was threatening to announce him as the father of her unborn child, and I had to go there to convince her otherwise."
"Why did he not go himself?"
"He did not wish for his wife to worry. Carol is not blind to his indiscretions, but she is more concerned with keeping up appearances. He could not have Tyler finding out, so he sent me."
"And how did you persuade her to…"
"As it turned out, she was not with child. I wrote her a check for any future concerns on the matter and I came right back here."
"Why did you come back, Mason?"
"For you."
Despite knowing the answer to her question even as she asked it, Elena still felt overwhelmed by his admission.
"Mason…"
"I know my affections are not one-sided, Elena. Why else would it bother you to think I had a mistress?"
"It does not… your life is your own, Mason. You do with it as you please."
"And if I wish to share it with you?"
"It is not a wish I am at liberty to grant."
"Of course it is."
"I am not leaving my husband, Mason."
"Why not?"
"My reasons are none of your concern," Elena said and turned away.
"Tell me why!" Mason grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"Because I love him!" Elena blurted out, instantly regretting her words. Not the words themselves, but that she had said them to Mason and not to Damon. He was the one who deserved to hear those words from her lips for the first time.
Mason let go of her and reeled back. "You do?"
"Is it so hard to believe I love my husband?" Elena said, having composed herself.
"No. But I find it difficult to believe you love Damon."
"Why?"
"What has he done to warrant such affection?"
"It is not about what he has done. It is about who he is."
"A gambler and a womanizer?"
"That is what he appears to be upon first encounter. It is not who he truly is."
"Did he seduce you, Elena? Did he touch your skin and tell you how perfect you are? Did he tell you he loved you?"
"I am not having this conversation with you, Mason," Elena said and picked up her skirts anew, heading back to the house.
"Do you think you are the first to hear those words? I know him, Elena. He is a master at seduction. He will cast you aside the second he is bored with you," he called out to her as she was walking away.
Tears were burning in Elena's eyes, but she refused to let him see her cry. Damon did love her, she was sure of it.
Elena instructed Bonnie to prepare dinner for when their guests returned, and told Madeleine to let them know she would be down later and that Damon had fallen ill but wished them a pleasant evening.
"Well, how fortunate that you have returned," Stefan said to Mason, "as we would otherwise be a man short for tonight's game."
"I am not sure I am in a gambling mood," Mason said with a glance at Elena.
"Nonsense," Stefan huffed.
"Perhaps he requires a good luck charm on his arm," Katherine said. "I'm sure Mrs. Salvatore would be happy to oblige."
Stefan glared at Katherine.
"Oh, do not look so glum, Stefan," she said. "We all know how Elena favors Mason. She only gave you the time of day when he was away. And where did you go, Mason?" she focused on him, her lips curved into a half-smile, half-frown.
"I had legal matters to attend to, Katherine."
"Oh, how could I forget? The big city lawyer Mason Lockwood," she rolled her eyes.
"Jealousy is unbecoming," Stefan said to Katherine.
"Jealous? Of Mason?"
"No, of the fact that he has no interest in you since he met Elena."
"She is married."
"Yes. To Damon. It does not stop him from pursuing you, now does it?"
"Now who is jealous?" Katherine winked at Stefan.
Elena was boiling inside. How dare that woman discuss her private affairs at the dinner table, right in front of her? If she had her way, Katherine would be tossed out on her nasty, manipulative behind. But, she told herself, she would only have to endure this humiliation for a few more days. Just until the party, until Damon returned with the proof needed to put an end to Stefan's good fortune. Then she would never have to see them ever again.
Elena had almost managed to calm herself down when he began to speak.
"Oh, Elena has always been a skilful temptress. That was how she came into her fortune, after all. Or should I say my fortune?"
Disgusted, Elena pushed back her chair and rose from the table. "If you will excuse me… Ladies. Gentlemen. Katherine. John." The last two received ice-cold glares which, in addition to the way she differentiated them from her other guests, made it perfectly clear what her opinion was of them. "I must return to my husband. I will be sure to bring him your wishes for a speedy recovery," she said sourly before exiting the dining room.
As she was heading up the stairs, she could hear laughter erupt among the women. Elena bit her lip and hurried up the stairs. She was almost at the top when a hand covered hers on the banister.
"Elena, wait."
"Leave me alone, Mason."
"Why do you put up with this?"
"I did not hear you come to my defense."
"I would rip the tongue out of John Gilbert's mouth if you asked me to," he said fiercely.
"As tempting an offer as that is, I fear I must decline."
"Let me take you away from all of this. We could go somewhere where you would never have to see these people again."
Elena was just about to reply when Emily appeared. "Forgive me, ma'am, but David is asking for you."
"I will be right there, Emily," Elena smiled, and turned back to Mason. "You do not understand, Mason. I am exactly where I need to be."
Elena turned away, a soft smile grazing her lips, and headed to David's room to read him his story.