8

First of all an edit on last post… you see I did know about Lucia and Alice, but COW did not know that I knew about her. Jack does not talk about it and part of his agreement with his mother on the matter is that she never mention them either, especially after the horrific way COW tried to ruin Lucia's reputation as a mother and human being. Really… it should have been my early warning system right? Just… when it all kicked off I think I went a little Diva too. What I meant about my reaction to her mentioning Alice is that clearly the COW is seeing Alice somehow to know about her temperament. Another thing that should be a warning. She was telling me in a 'you don't know' fashion. I think I was sort of mirroring her or something. I don't know.

Sorry if that was not made clear, I guess I am not thinking clearly at all.

I actually think I need to let Lucia know COW is talking about her and seems to know a lot about Alice whom she is supposed to be no contact with… but is that my place?

.

..

We went for a lovely weekend jaunt to the country estate. Sounds posh right? It is a lovely little four bedroom cottage with a grand big garden all around it and a veranda to match. I spend a lot of my summers there enjoying the peace and quiet.

Imagine my shock when I found COW waiting there for us.

Yeah. Apparently she is feeling much better and she and Gray were sitting there like they owned the place and I felt such a rush of anger that I could not contain it, heading to the kitchen to calm down and this is where I discovered the most horrible of horrible shocks.

I screamed.

Jack came running and found me going through the cupboards like a mad thing as I found everything changed, moved or completely gone.

"Huh?" came the Caveman grunt he usually gives when confused and it really annoyed me.

"Someone has been in here fucking with my things" I found myself snarling.

"Oh that was me" COW said with such a smug look "I have a bit of a clean and change around, it makes so much more sense now."

"And where are the willow pattern plates from that cupboard" I pointed, my hand shaking with rage. She laughed as she waved a hand dismissively and told me they were old so she chucked them out. Chucked. Them. Out. My Grandmother's plates.

Then another thought occurred "How did you get in?"

"Jackie gave us a key" she replied like I was thick.

I found myself looking at Jack and considering gutting him with the nearest sharp instrument as he hastily told me he was only trying to help things and knew his mother wanted to make amends by meeting up.

"Amends. Those plates have been in my family for four generations… they are heirloom which is why they are only used for special occasions. Chucking out my things like that, rearranging the place when it has been this way for almost fifty years… making amends?" I spluttered, my rage now about to go supernova.

"It is my boy's house, I can do what I want in it!" she was getting snotty now.

"Excuse me?" I was now to that stage where the red hot anger had gone cold. This dull… slow and deliberate cold.

"We came here today to make amends for the past, to get the post-nup sorted and move on as a family" she said like I was just side dressing, talking to Jack as she then waved a hand "come on darling. Let's get this paper signed so everyone is protected and then it's all good, right? I can forgive you."

A post-nup. What? Where did this come from? Jack looked uncomfortable as he admitted that he had not spoke to me about it yet and we had never discussed our money. Yet? So mummy dearest has been in your ear?

"We have a joint account that we put an equal amount in for bills. Our own money remains our own, separate to one another" I pointed out "there is nothing else we own jointly."

She folded her arms and said "Exactly and we need to keep it that way."

I looked to Jack for help, even said the code word and he just stood there, torn and confused by the entire thing. OK. I read it and hid amusement, there was nothing about kids or the joint account. It only stated that Harkness money is only Harkness money and I cannot get any of it in the event of a divorce.

She walked to another room and a man entered behind her, making Jack look beyond horrified and then he started to go off. Like… he had been one of those programs on the computer with the slow circle of thought process going and suddenly he fully loaded the situation to his limited brain. This was the family lawyer.

"OK, let me get this straight. My money remains mine. Jack's remains his and the joint account would be used to finalize any joint bills and the rest left over split equally?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Don't sign it" Jack demanded "It's not needed."

"And kids… I want it added that any children we have will be jointly…."

"Harkness blood stays in Harkness hands" she roared over top of me, slamming her hand on the table.

Jack had gone silent again. I was so angry now and I was not going to back down. This is the new me.

Horns…. Meet horns!

"OK. Fine. Type it out, I will sign that. Blood stays with blood!" I said softly, making Jack whelp a bit that I didn't have to, it was good of me to do so and he was sorry. He asked it be added that any gifts given be retained by the recipient and not needed to be handed back, including my engagement ring.

She spluttered a bit, then gave in. I almost spluttered too… like… where did that come from. Clearly COW had been spouting a lot behind my back and Jack knew more than he let on. If he was not my very oxygen I might smother him with a pillow… ya know? I sat with the lawyer and worked on the wording.

I sat and signed it with a flourish, watched everyone else sign and then the lawyer sent a copy to my lawyer. It was legal and down. I rose from the seat "Right. I am leaving. I want HER out of MY house and as it is MY car out there, I am riving back in it, you can get a ride back with your mother or someone"

"YOUR House?" she spluttered with shock.

"Yes, I own this place. It was my Grandmother's and she left it to me when she died."

She looked so shocked and confused as she looked around "but… but… this is Jack's place."

"No… read the piece of paper there" I took delight in tapping the paperwork I had just photographed and sent to my own lawyer for our records.

She doesn't know. I mean I never made a point of it as I am from old money and we don't make a thing of it. She makes a thing of it as she married into money, new money at that and so is brash, brassy and loud about it but if she really knew me she would know that I am of old money.

And she just made sure Jack can't touch any of it.

LOL