Except Fallon didn't come down for dinner that night. Nor did she apologise to her Mother. In fact Fallon seemed to go out of her way to avoid both of her parents entirely for the rest of her winter break. Not that Blake or Alexis didn't try to reach out to her, but Blake had to admit his daughter had a talent for disappearing…not that it was too difficult a feat living in a house of this size.
Steven by contrast was an unexpected joy…his son was bright and thoughtful and he had quite the sense of humour when he became comfortable enough around his father to relax enough and show it. In some ways Blake felt like he was getting to know his son for the first time.
Not the meek blonde haired boy who had previously drifted about the mansion during occasional weekends home and school holidays and who barely said boo to his father unless directly addressed. The Steven Blake was meeting now was still quiet but when he spoke Blake could see his son's quick mind thinking, he was well educated and quick to make connections.
He wasn't the bright shining star that his sister usually was but without her casting a shadow Blake was able to see his son burnt with a light of his own, dimmer but with a quiet steady determination. It was like comparing the sun with the stars. The sun burnt brighter and blotted everything else out but when the sun had gone to bed the stars sparkled in the heavens just as magically, they were just different that was all.
Still as wonderful as rediscovering his son was Blake's happiness couldn't be complete whilst Fallon was so distant and angry with him…with both of them. As despite Blake's confession of his involvement in her mother's exile Fallon still hadn't softened towards her mother, at least in no way that Blake could see.
Perhaps going back to school after New Years and gaining that small measure of distance would enable his daughter to gain the perspective she needed? Yet Blake couldn't help but worry that contrary to softening her resolve time away from the family would only strengthen her determination and god knows Fallon was already stubborn enough. That was one thing she had inherited from both her parents, a double dose of stubbornness.
Which was why he had come to his decision. It was going to be a new year, a fresh start for them all and that meant things needed to change, they couldn't fall back into old patterns.
Normally Fallon and Steven would spend most of the term at school. Oh Blake had occasionally picked them up and taken them off campus for day trips out…although in the last few years such spontaneous trips had dwindled in number. Other times, Fallon in particular, would go home with her friends for the weekends. Blake had been only too happy to grant his darling daughter permission for weekends skiing with friends or even trips to the coast if she so wanted.
This year things were going to be different Blake made that resolution even as he dressed himself smartly to welcome in the New Year. From now on Fallon and Steven would be picked up from school every Friday and barring any actual emergencies would spend the weekends at home with their parents.
All that remained now was to tell them.
The evening could be going better, yet Blake had to admit the fact that Fallon had condescended to join them for dinner to celebrate the new year as a family was a start. Of course that might have had more to do with the fact that Alexis had persuaded him to open a couple of bottles of vintage champagne and allow Fallon to have a glass along with the staff to toast the new year. It seemed a budding taste for champagne was yet another something Fallon shared with her mother, although knowing how stubborn his daughter was she would probably rather pull teeth than admit it out loud.
It seemed an uneasy truce had been declared for the evening. Well if not a truce then at least a ceasefire…well at least a cessation of open hostilities between certain people if not universally.
Moving from the dining room Blake allowed the rest of the family to filter through to the living room before attending to one other item on his list…one thing in truth he had been putting off in the hope that he wouldn't need to. He had hoped that leading by example would be enough and that as a grown man and a professional Joseph would realise which way the wind was blowing and fall into line.
Yet Blake hadn't been blind to the tension between Alexis and Joseph as he presided over the dinner. Oh Joseph hadn't come out and said anything that Blake could chastise him for but Blake wasn't blind to the sneering looks that were shot in Alexis's direction when Joseph thought he wasn't looking. Nor the way Joseph had made a point of commenting whilst delivering the first course that after discussion with Mrs Gunnerson they had decided to go with his original menu plan but he condescendingly thanked Mrs Carrington for her suggestions.
It seemed Blake had put this conversation off long enough.
"Oh Joseph could you wait a moment?" Blake asked politely as his mojodomo went to follow the waiting staff out of the room.
"Of course Mr Carrington." Joseph answered promptly nodding haughtily at Gerard who was weighed down with the remainder of the dinner service, not that Joseph would lower himself to help…carrying things that fell to lower servants after all. "Was there something in particular you wanted?"
"Yes actually there was." Blake replied closing the door once Gerard had vanished and turning back to his longest serving employee and a man he had until recently considered one of his most trusted confidents. "I would like to talk to you about Mrs Carrington actually."
Smiling smugly Joseph nodded knowingly. "I wondered when you would Mr Carrington, I mean I am sure you must have your reasons for inviting 'that' woman back here even after all the upset that she caused but I don't want you to worry I have already given the instructions to the staff."
"Oh really what instructions might that be?" Blake asked lightly feigning ignorance.
"Oh just the usual precautions, whenever Mrs Carrington gives them any instructions they are to report to me first before carrying them out. To keep an eye out and watch if she receives any visitors…to make a note of any phone calls she receives, what time and if possible from who. Oh and of course to never under any circumstances permit her to leave the house with either Miss Fallon or Master Steven." Joseph replied promptly, his chest puffed up expectantly for his employer's praise.
"And on whose authority did you issue these instructions?" Blake added his voice tight as he fought to keep his temper.
Frowning in confusion Joseph only paused for a moment before answering. "Why my own of course…My remit here is to run your household Mr Carrington, to ensure the comfort and wellbeing of all inhabitants and that woman has always unsettled the peaceful running of this house…"
"So you decided to spy on her." Blake spat back unable to keep the fire from his gaze. "A guest in this house at my invitation…and it seems not the first time. Tell me Joseph just how close a tab did you keep on Mrs Carrington whilst we were still married?"
Stuttering Joseph clearly wasn't sure what he had said wrong. "Well I…I was only looking out for your best interests sir, and I was right wasn't I? She was having an affair with that gauche estate manager Grimes…I mean as soon as I knew that I was obliged to ensure that you found out and it isn't like I could just come out and tell you, what if you didn't believe me?"
"So you set her up…you waited until you knew Grimes was here and then called me home from the office with an emergency." Blake muttered as the pieces from that day finally began to fall into place. At the time he had been so enraged with finding Alexis in bed with another man that he hadn't even remembered to ask just what the emergency was that Joseph had called him about. Of course now his servant's hand in all of this was all too clear.
"I didn't force her into bedding down with Grimes." Joseph sniffed petulantly.
"No." Blake grunted. That at least was true but that didn't mean his mojodomo hadn't meddled elsewhere. "However you have been sending back any letters or gifts Alexis has sent the children."
"You told me to deal with them." Joseph retorted defending himself. "You said you didn't want to be bothered or have any contact with her…Am I now to be chastised for doing my job Mr Carrington?"
"You overstepped your bounds Joseph and not merely once." Blake countered. "I can see now I have been far too lax, I should have taken a more hands on role within my home and my family. Well I have been trying to make amends with the latter and now it seems I need to deal with the former as well…"
"Are you dismissing me Mr Carrington?" Joseph demanding, pulling himself up to his full height so that he could stare down his aristocratic nose.
Yet Blake had been eyeballed by the best and a jumped up butler was not about to make him back down. "I hadn't planned to however I think your behaviour over the next few weeks will determine that. You are a damn good mojodomo Joseph but you tend to forget that I am the master of this house. If I invite someone to stay for whatever reason, no matter your own personal feelings you will make them feel welcome. You will receive their requests and recommendations with grace and try and incorporate them. Am I understood?"
Nodding curtly Joseph's tone was so clipped he could have cut himself. "Yes Mr Carrington. Is that all Mr Carrington or may I go and oversee the coffee now?"
"Very well you are dismissed." Blake replied before one final thought occurred to him. "Oh and Joseph pass along one other message to the staff, anyone caught spying on a member of my family or a guest in this house will be dismissed immediately, without severance pay and without a reference. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear Mr Carrington."
Glancing at the mantel clock Blake Carrington began counting down the seconds before glancing from his children to Alexis, who stood by Steven's side elegantly bedecked in a soft white silk gown.
"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…" Turning to his gathered family Blake raised his glass of champagne and toasted them. "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year Dad…Mum." Steven cheered abandoning his own glass in favour of hugging first his father and then turning to his mother and Alexis pulled him into a tight embrace pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Happy New Year Steven."
"Happy New Year Fallon." Blake approached his daughter cautiously, crouching down so he could meet her bright blue gaze.
"Happy New year…Daddy." Fallon replied sipping at her champagne with a sullen expression on her face yet Blake could tell from the way she couldn't completely avoid his gaze that Fallon was struggling to maintain her icy façade.
"I do want this to be a happy new year Fallon for all of us, especially you." Blake replied softly. "I love you sweetheart and I hate this distance between us…It would mean everything if you could find it in your heart to forgive me…I miss you."
Biting her lip Fallon gazed up at her father from beneath her lashes. "I miss you too Daddy."
Half smiling in relief Blake reached out and stroked Fallon's hair back from her forehead. "So can you please forgive me? Let us put past mistakes behind us and move forward together? A new year and new start?"
For a moment Fallon seemed to hesitate however Blake was relieved to see his daughter's resolve crack and a small smile creep across her face. He was even more relieved when a moment later Fallon all but launched herself into his arms, her hands surrounding his neck and Blake held her tightly.
"I love you Daddy. I hate fighting with you."
"I love you too Fallon." Blake replied stroking his daughter's soft hair. "You won't regret this I swear…This is going to be the best year ever…I promise…We're going to spend more time together, we'll go riding and skiing…we'll all come to Steven's football matches and your show jumping competitions. We'll make every weekend special I promise."
"We? You mean you and 'her'?"
"Well of course I am including your mother." Blake replied. "How can we move forward otherwise? But don't worry you'll see what I mean next weekend and then the weekend after that and so on…Your Mother is just as committed to making this work as I am."
"What you mean every weekend?" Fallon questioned pulling away slightly, her face clearly showing her true feelings.
"Of course every weekend. I've been thinking and I realised that it was wrong to leave you at school all term. I know you have both made the best of things but from now on every Friday a car will bring you both home here so we can all spend time together as a family."
"But Daddy I can't come home every weekend I have plans with my friends."
"Fallon I am sure they will understand." Blake began placatingly oblivious to the way his daughter bristled.
"But I don't want to cancel them…I'm looking forward to them." Fallon all but stamped her foot. "It's not fair!"
"Well of course I don't want you to miss out but I really think that until you have had time to rebuild your relationship with your mother…"
"So I am being punished then, because of her?"
This time there was no mistaking the disgust and hatred in Fallon's voice, especially as her raised volume easily carried across the room to where Alexis sat with Steven settled in next to her.
"Fallon that is enough I thought we had agreed to put the past behind us?" Blake asked flushing slightly with embarrassment at his daughter's childish behaviour.
"Yes behind us." Fallon countered before turning to glare at Alexis. "Not her…I will never forgive her."
"Then you can forget doing anything with your friends." Blake snapped testily without thinking and Fallon pulled away from her father, all but slamming her half empty champagne glass down on the table and storming off towards the door.
"Fallon wait…come back here young lady…"
"Blake no." Alexis chided him and it took her carefully manicured fingers gripping onto the jacket of his tuxedo to stop him from chasing after his stubborn daughter, instead Blake could only watch as Steven did so instead.
"What do you mean no?" Blake questioned whirling around to face Alexis. "You heard how rude and disrespectful she was and…"
"You cannot force her to forgive me." Alexis cut him off, her voice soft but firm. "You can expect obedience but you cannot tell Fallon how to feel."
"I am no..."
"Yes you are." Alexis retorted just as stubbornly. "I know you mean the best Blake but you cannot pressure her. You can punish Fallon for bad behaviour but not because she isn't ready to forgive and forget…that isn't right."
Biting his tongue Blake had to fight down his instinctive response and for once actually listen to what Alexis was trying to say. Calming down a little Blake admitted Alexis might have a point…a small point. The more he pushed Fallon the more likely she was to dig her heels in but…. "I just wanted everything to be perfect…I want the children to be happy and to try and make up for everything I put you all through and…"
Alexis's soft fingers pressed against his lips stopped Blake's rant mid flow and Blake all but started from the sudden intimate contact…her touch was like a sharp electric current.
"I know you do Blake…I believe you now when you say that you want to make amends but you can't force everyone else to adapt just as easily. From now on leave fixing my relationship with Fallon to me, I can handle her, and you wrecking your own won't do anything to help and will only make you both miserable and make her blame me more. Agreed?"
Struck dumb his lips still tingling from where Alexis had touched them Blake could only nod.
"Good boy…Now I'm going to try and talk to her…" Alexis added before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Good night Blake…oh and Happy New Year."
Watching as Alexis sashayed out of the room Blake could only watch her leave, staring after her long after Alexis had disappeared from his view. Reaching up Blake touched his cheek. Like his lips his cheek tingled where she had kissed him and Blake couldn't help but stroke the spot, whispering to the now empty room.
"Happy New Year Alexis."
