Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Based on the characters created by Stephanie Meyer, in her Twilight Saga series of books
WARNING: This story will contains scenes of domestic violence, strong language and other forms of physical violence, up to, and including death.
Chapter 5
A Taste of Death
Alison slept for several hours. It was early afternoon when Mary Alice became inconsolable, and the crying woke her. She dressed, and entered the parlor to find Callie rocking Mary Alice, with little success. Molly was sitting near the door watching helplessly as Callie struggled with the squirming, screaming child. She stood when Alison entered the room.
"Miss Alison?" Molly began, as Alison started to approach Callie and reached for Mary Alice. "Miss Savannah told me to wait until you woke, but then I was to bring you to her right away."
"What is wrong, Molly?" Alison noticed that Callie sat quietly with her head down, as if she were concentrating on Mary Alice.
"Please, Miss Alison. We should go now." Molly seemed agitated, so Alison nodded to Callie and followed Molly out the door. "Miss Savannah is in her rooms, with Mister Orin."
Molly led Alison down the hall to the elder Brandon's rooms. She silently held the door to Orin's room open, so Alison could enter. There she saw Savannah sitting next to the bed, holding the hand of the very pale Orin Brandon. Alison caught her breath as she advanced slowly into the room. Her usually vibrantly active father-in-law was lying in the bed, propped up with pillows, breathing shallow and looking to be at death's door. Alison stood next to Savannah and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"What happened?" Alison whispered. "He seemed fine when the doctor left."
Savannah shook her head slowly, glancing up at Alison, then back to the face of her husband. "Doctor Wilton will be back later. He sais it is just a matter of time." Savannah took a deep shuddering breath and leaned her head onto Alison's hand.
"Where is Vernon?" Alison whispered.
Savannah straightened her back and spoke in a tight lipped whisper. "He said he must continue to supervise the workmen. He refuses to come to his father's bedside."
Just then Orin's eyes opened and he looked from Savannah to Alison. "Ali, my dear child," he forced out. "I have spoken to Matthew," he took a small breath, "Connelly. You must divorce Vernon. You must!" He tried to sit up but his strength had abandoned him and Savannah was easily able to push him back down into his pillows. He lay there for a moment before he continued. "There is a fund being set up for you and Mary Alice." He closed his eyes and a tear began to roll down his cheek. "You must escape this..." His voice trailed off and his body went limp.
Savannah rose to check his breathing. "He's still alive," she breathed, and resumed her seat.
"Divorce?" Alison could hardly believe what her father-in-law had not only suggested, but had asked his lawyer to begin processing. She looked to Savannah, shock and fear in her eyes. "Divorce? Savannah, I can't. What would people say? Where would we go? How would we live?"
Savannah stood and guided Alison to her chair. She held her hand in hers and sat on the edge of Orin's bed, to talk to her.
"My husband has come to the realization that his son—our son," Savannah hung her head in shame, unable to meet Alison's eyes, "has not turned out the way he...we had hoped. Vernon has shown his true colors." She raised her head to see Alison's face. "He fears for your life. And for Mary Alice."
Alison caught her breath. "Vernon would not..." She couldn't finish, as she knew perfectly well that Vernon could, and if he was sure he could get away with it, would kill their daughter. "But divorce," Alison shook her head.
"Many women have done it. Left their husbands and started over somewhere else." Savannah's eyes pleaded with Alison.
"I don't know if I'm that strong." Alison looked at her hand, held snuggly by Savannah, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do." Alison looked at Savannah, her eyes pleading with her to understand.
"Decisions need to be made," Savannah glanced toward Orin, "and soon."
Alison nodded and rose to leave the room. "Mary Alice has been completely inconsolable," she told Savannah. "I should see if I can help Callie with her." She didn't look at Savannah, as she left the room, but she did look back at Orin before closing the door behind her.
Alison quickly returned to her rooms and found Mary Alice still crying weakly. Callie was in tears as well.
"I'm sorry, Miss Alison. I just don't know what's wrong. I've tried everything. She just won't stop." She stood at Alison's gesture, and waited for her to sit, before handing Mary Alice to her.
"Go get some rest while you can." Alison gave Callie a sad smile.
Callie nodded to Alison, and shuffled tiredly to her room and closed the door. Alison began to rock Mary Alice. She shushed her gently and wiped her wet, purple face with a corner of the soft blanket she was wrapped in.
"Hush now," she whispered into her forehead, as her lips brushed a kiss there. "Hush now, mommy's here." Mary Alice's sobs began to slow and dwindle down to quick shuddered breaths, as she began to calm. Her eyes opened wide, and she looked at her mother. "I see you, my beautiful sweetheart." Alison nuzzled her daughter, and held her close. "Things may be happening soon," Alison confided in her daughter, as she looked off into the empty space of the room. "Hard things...sad things. But you, my precious darling, you must be strong, and calm." Alison realized that she was talking to herself, not her daughter. "We must be strong. There will be hard times ahead, but we will face them together, you and I." She looked down, and into Mary Alice's wide open eyes. "But you," she smiled and nuzzled Mary Alice again, "you must stop this crying. You must eat, and sleep, and do all the things a good baby must do, to grow up strong and happy." Mary Alice turned her head into her mothers body, put her fist in her mouth and closed her eyes.
Alison leaned back against the back of the rocking chair, and relaxed as well as she could. She could not wrap her mind around the idea of a divorce. It simply wasn't done. Not in polite society. And Orin Brandon, so close to death. Tears began to fall slowly down her face. Mary Alice began to wake and fuss, but Alison shushed her and continued to rock. The last few days had been far to eventful for her. It was all more than she could even begin to process. She dozed as she rocked her daughter. She lapsed into a dreamless sleep, clinging tightly to Mary Alice.
It was much later in the evening when Mary Alice woke screaming. Alison woke with a start, looking around herself, to get her bearings. Then she heard crying from down the hall.
"Hush Mary Alice." Alison tried to sooth her daughter. "Hush, now," she whispered as she stood carefully and started toward the door. Just then Callie appeared from her room.
"I'll take her," Callie offered. "She's probably hungry." Then Callie heard it too. The crying. "Miss Savannah?" Callie inquired of Alison.
"Oh no," Alison breathed, as she handed Mary Alice to Callie. "No!" She felt her eyes begin to tear.
As she reached for the door to the hall, it flew open and crashed against the wall. Alison took a quick step back, as she saw Vernon standing in the doorway. The bruises and swelling of his face, gave his one good eye a maniacal look, as he leered at Alison. He winced with every breath as he clung to the door frame.
"I," he breathed, "am the man of this house, now."
Alison saw his cracked and broken lips turn up into a malicious smile.
"I, now run this house," and he turned and began to laugh.
Alison watched as he shuffled down the hall, in the direction of the east wing. She watched from the doorway as he continued to laugh, and used the wall of the hallway to support him as he slowly made his way back to his rooms. When he had moved far enough away, she slipped through the door and quietly made her way to Savannah. She kept her back to the wall, and frequently looked back, to make sure that Vernon had not turned around. When she slipped into Savannah's suite, she found Doctor Wilton standing over her mother-in-law, as she sat in an overstuffed chair crying. Alison stepped quickly to her and knelt in front of her.
"He's dead," Savannah sobbed to Alison. She reached down to grab hold of Alison. "Alison," Savannah held the younger woman at arms length, "Mathew Connelly did not return in time. Orin did not sign the papers." Alison could only stare at her mother-in-law with a questioning look. "Nothing was changed. Vernon has control of everything." Fear covered Savannah's face. Fear for Alison. Fear for Mary Alice. Even fear for herself.
"Surely you, as his wife..."
"Nothing," Savannah told her. "There was no time." Then she pulled Alison close to her, and hugged her with all her strength. "There was no time," she whispered again as her tears began to flow again.
The two women held each other until Savannah had cried herself out. Doctor Wilton had stood by patiently, until they finally separated.
"I can help you see to the arrangements." he offered.
"Thank you, doctor," Savannah said, and nodded in agreement.
"I'll be back tomorrow, to escort you to the necessary vendors." Doctor Wilton nodded to them both, walked to Orin's bedroom door and closed it before leaving them alone.
As he was leaving, Molly knocked on the still open door.
"Yes, Molly." Savannah said. "What is it?"
"Mister Vernon requested the presence of you and Miss Alison, for dinner." Molly looked frightened, as her eyes darted to the closed door then back to the women.
"Would you tell Mister Vernon that I will take my dinner in my rooms." Savannah glanced at Alison, and she nodded. "And Miss Alison will be joining me."
"I'm sorry," Molly started, scarcely above a whisper. Her head was down and she refused to look at either woman. "Mister Vernon thought you might say that. He said to say... "You tell those two bitches that they will eat with me, or starve." I'm so sorry..." Molly began to cry.
"Tell Mister Vernon that we will be down shortly." Savannah amended.
"Miss Alison," Molly began again, "Mister Vernon said not to bring Mary Alice to the table. He said that Miss Callie can eat on your rooms."
"Thank goodness for that," Alison whispered to herself as she nodded to Molly. "See that Miss Callie is informed," she said for Molly to hear. Molly quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.
"We have been summoned for dinner," Savannah said to Alison, as she stood. "We might as well get it over with." She pulled Alison to her feet, and locked her arm with hers. "Shall we?"
Savannah wiped away her tears and turned Alison toward the door. She felt the reluctance in her daughter-in-law, and drew her closer.
"Hold your head up, dear." Savannah told her. "And pretend. Use your imagination, and, for just a little while, pretend that you are happily married to the man of your dreams. It's all a game of make-believe. Just hold your head up and smile." And they walked down to the dinning room together.
Savannah whispered to Alison the entire way, encouraging her to smile and pretend she was happy. By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Alison had plastered a believable smile on her face. And by the time they had reached the dinning room, Alison was relaxing into the role that Savannah was coaching her for. When Savannah saw Vernon in Orin's chair, she nearly stumbled, but Alison caught her and helped to steady her, and they continued into the room.
"There will be a change in the seating," Vernon announced. "Alison, you will sit at the other end on the table." He extended his hand to indicate the appropriate chair. "In the seat of the mistress of the house." He then turned to his mother, with a frightening smile on his face. "Mother, you will sit to my right, for now." He gave her a stern look. "Should you prove unworthy of my right hand, I shall use it against you and move you to the left. Then Callie shall take her place on my right."
Once the two women were seated, Vernon called for dinner to be served. As they ate, Vernon began to inform them of the changes he planned to make, in the way the house was run.
"In a few days, the seating arrangement shall change again. Alison, you will sit to my right. Mother, you shall sit next to her. Callie will continue here, and shall sit to my left. Rita will be the new mistress of the house." Vernon called for the second course. "You, Mother, will teach Alison how to run the house, and she will eventually take over your duties." He cut his meat with zeal, as he told them how their lives would be changing, with the death of his father. "Rita will be moving into the east wing over the next week. There will be some furniture changes. She likes the bedroom suite you have." He glared at Alison. "We thought it would be nice for our son."
"That furniture belongs to me," Savannah spoke up. She continued to eat and held her head high, as she spoke. "It belonged to my mother. It is the one thing that came with me, when your father and I married."
"Very well, if you choose not to have it used for your grandson, then it will make wonderful firewood, to keep him warm on cool nights." He smiled at his mother as he chewed his dinner.
Savannah refused to look at her son. She would prefer that it be burned, rather than allow his mistress to touch a single piece of her furniture. "As you wish," she replied to him, still maintaining her socially perfect smile.
Alison felt her smile begin to slip, but caught herself and plastered it back into place, as Vernon turned to face her. She was glad that the seating was going to change. She wanted someone else, anyone else, to sit at the head of the table and stare at Vernon while eating. The view was beginning to turn her stomach.
"So many issues to discuss tonight," Vernon mumbled to them. "Father's burial arrangements will be taken care of tomorrow. By me." Vernon was adamant about this point. "I will not have you wasting my money on the dead."
Savannah slammed her fork down on the table, and looked at Vernon, the smile finally gone. "Doctor Wilton will be escorting me in the morning, to the appropriate places, to see to the funeral. And wake. I know your father's wishes. I will see to the arrangements." Savannah's eyes bored into her son, but Vernon just smiled an evil smile.
"No, mother. Doctor Wilton will not be escorting you anywhere. Have you forgotten that father cut you out of the will?" He began to laugh again, as his eyes darted from his mother to Alison, and back. "Father left everything to me. His investments, his bank accounts, even this house." He raised his arms, fork and knife still in his hands. "It's all mine." His arms fell to the table with a crash. "And you will live as I see fit, as long as you wish to remain under my roof."
Vernon continued eating again, calling for his dessert. "You still have your black dress from grandfather's funeral, mother. You shall wear that for all services. Find another in your vast wardrobe, to alter for Alison. I expect you both dressed appropriately by morning." He took a large slice of the cake that was served as dessert, and began to stuff huge forkfuls into his mouth.
Alison and Savannah finished their meal in silence. Vernon allowed them to refuse the cake, and excused them from the table. They helped each other up the staircase and retreated to Savannah's rooms. Once there, Savannah searched her wardrobe and found the dress Vernon ordered her to wear, then a further search produced another dress, suitable for altering. The women worked in silence, both afraid to utter a sound for fear that they would fall into uncontrollable sobs. They hung Savannah's dress on the door of the wardrobe and began to brush it out for wearing the next day. Alison took the other dress to her rooms, to begin to alter it to fit her. Savannah soon followed.
Callie had finished her dinner, and was rocking Mary Alice when they arrived. She watched as the two women moved around the room gathering what they would need, in complete silence. Alison removed her dress and allowed Savannah to lower the black fabric over her head, wrong side out. Savannah then began to pin the dress where it was needed, then helped Alison out of it.
"Let me do this," Savannah whispered. "You see to Mary Alice."
Callie surrendered the rocker to Alison, then placed Mary Alice in her arms. As Alison held her daughter, the tears that had filled her eyes began to fall. She looked down into Mary Alice's eyes and, for a moment, thought she saw fear in them.
"There is nothing for you to fear, Mary Alice." Alison whispered to her. "We will see to your safety. Callie will always keep you safe," she looked up at the young wet-nurse, and friend. "You will, won't you? If need be, you will take her to a safe place, won't you?"
"Of course I will," Callie promised, confused and becoming frightened by both Alison and Savannah's behavior.
"See, Mary Alice. Callie will always be there for you." Alison nuzzled her daughter.
The three women worked through the night, altering and hemming the dress. Alison spent as much time as possible with Mary Alice, sure that her time with her daughter was going to be limited. Alison would murmur to Mary Alice when she was awake, but other than that, they worked quietly, talking only when necessary. Alison prepared Callie for the changes in the household, and suggested that she remain in the rooms as much as possible, with Mary Alice. When the work was done, they all retired to their rooms, and tried to sleep for what little was left of the night.
Savannah lay in her bed, knowing that the body of her husband was in the next room. Her mind replayed the past, both good and bad, and refused to allow her to sleep. Alison lay in her bed, worrying about her future. She was sure that it was only a matter of time before her husband demanded she perform her wifely duties, and supply him with a legitimate son. Callie listened as Alison tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She too was thinking about the future, and Mary Alice. Alison's words had frightened her. She was sure that Alison was trying to say good-bye to both her and Mary Alice.
All three women feared for the future, but Mary Alice slept through most of it. Her thoughts were too scattered and infantile for her to understand what they meant, but she felt the fear emanating from the three most important women in her life. She felt and understood that something was happening to change everything in her life. And she was sure that the man that hated her was the cause. But she was a baby, and could do nothing about the things she felt.
Mary Alice woke for a short time during the night. She saw the man looking down at her, and she was afraid, too afraid to make a sound, and then he was gone. Images flashed through her mind. Frightening images, but she didn't understand them. She lay quietly until she fell back to sleep, the images forgotten.
Still not getting many review. Thank you Brenda, for reading and sending me an email and telling me what you think of my story. It means a lot.
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