Chapter 11
Dorian:
I sit for a long minute with my hands clasped in an attempt to stop them from shaking as I worry about how this latest scandal will affect Bree, Ryder and Liam.
I'll never forget how Echo Savoy and Viki's then-husband Charles Banks had that torrid affair and it became public.
As a result, Echo's poor son had been bullied relentlessly in school.
One of my dearest wishes is that Bree, Ryder and Liam won't suffer that same fate.
"Gran...are you all right?" Risa's voice pulls me back to the present. I jump a bit and look up.
"Sure..." I hasten to reassure her. "I'm-I'm...all right. Do you want something to eat?" I stand up, indicating pancake mix, bread rolls and fruit on the counter.
"Okay..." Risa goes over and toasts a roll for herself, pours an orange juice, then sits. "You look a bit pale, Gran...I saw your hands shaking when I came in. Another bad dream?"
"No," I say.
Risa sits back, eyeballing me as she eats. I can tell that I'm not doing a good job hiding my anxiety from her.
"Just something I saw a few moments ago that reminded me of Llanview," I add.
"Not surprising," Risa muses. "When I woke up, I had texts from Starr and Langston...looks like Viki's DID is back again."
"Yes, it does," I say.
I wonder if Jessica's DID will re-surface again and am full of fear for Bree, who is almost a teenager now and for Ryder, who is school age now.
"Viki and Roxy were both arrested last night," Risa continues. "A huge brawl at a formal bash a bunch of that elite group was having...Jessica and Natalie were in on it too...Gran, I'm glad we don't live there anymore."
"Me too, Risa," I say. "Me too."
•••••••••••••
Risa and I learn more about the latest Llanview mess via postings all over social media, even in a couple of national newspapers and through texts and e-mails from Cassie, Blair and Starr.
Even Sarah Roberts, who has kept in touch with all of us fills us in with the details.
Seeing these details makes me relieved than ever that I did not allow myself to be roped into Tina's scheme.
It seems as though Viki...who is now married to a wealthy banker Monroe Spencer from Port Charles...had been cozying up to Roxy, especially since her nail salon took off.
Viki is seldom satisfied with the money she has, even if it is through a rich husband.
And since Roxy has established herself as Llanview's town gossip, Viki now frequents Roxy's salon to catch up on the gossip.
And naturally having to put in her opinion about everyone and everything, Viki is free to put in her two cents worth of "advice," which Roxy loves for her clientele, especially Marcy.
Cord, who laps up everything Viki says to this day, even has taken to dropping by.
Tina, who has been on the outs with her sister, was fuming at this, so that is when she decided to start her own business in a spa.
And since Natalie has never forgiven Tina for collaborating in Jess' nasty plot to lock her up, then kill her, Natalie sidled up to Roxy and Viki to irk Tina, who then has buttered up Jessica to side with her and even join her in business.
Tina with Aubrey and Lindsay's help, even loaned Jessica and her latest husband a wad of money on credit.
This is where Tina bandied about my name not only to piss off Viki, Roxy and Natalie, but to try to make herself look "important," which Aubrey, Lindsay and Jessica fell for.
I guess they thought that Tina would succeed in dragging me into their little scheme, would bring themselves money and fame and maybe would ruin Roxy, Viki, Cord and Natalie's camp.
I smile wryly, thinking about how Tina's nasty little plan with me failed.
It also turns out that the scum Cain Rogan and Natalie had a secret tryst behind Tina and Viki's backs with Natalie selling some of the business secrets to Cain, who had been secretly carrying on with Tina and Natalie.
Cain then repeated confidences and secrets Natalie had told them to Tina.
And it all came avalanching out all over everyone at that huge party.
•••••••••••••
A fine parade of terrific nightmares in three-D technicolor follows in the coming week as a result of this latest drama from Llanview that still haunts me.
I am beginning to fear that the demons of my past in Llanview may never let me free, especially when I read that Viki was released from jail, but placed once again in a mental hospital.
It also reaches Hope and Starr even in New York because Starr texts me that Hope, like me, has had more nightmares.
Let Hope know that her great-aunt had a few nightmares this week also, I text back that week. So I know how scary they are, so she won't feel alone.
It's early November now and two birthdays in my family are coming up within days...Hope's and mine. Hope's is on Friday while mine is on Monday.
Risa and I decide to invite Starr and Hope to DC for the weekend starting Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.
What will make it even better is that this weekend the clocks turn back an hour ending daylight saving time for the year and giving us an extra hour.
•••••••••••••
It feels so good to hold my great nieces in my arms again when Risa and I pick them up at the airport.
It also lifts my spirits and warms my heart to see Risa and Starr hug a long minute, then walk arm-in-arm as we exit the airport.
They truly are cousins, I think. I feel my fears and inner demons fade. Perhaps this weekend together will help both Hope and me.
On the way back to my place, we decide to stop for dinner.
When I ask where they want to eat, Risa and Starr chime, "Cheesecake Factory!" I have to smile as I nod.
I have heard of the place, but have never eaten there...one wonderful thing about the DC metro area is the intriguing names of various restaurants.
I've read reviews in newspapers and online about a place in northeast DC called the Purple Onion.
A Cheesecake Factory is nestled in a sort of town center in a bustling part of Arlington.
The restaurant itself is crowded, so we must wait almost half hour for a seat, but we do catching up. Hope looks about in wonderment, especially at the cheesecake display case.
I take her over and while Risa and Starr hold down the forte near the host's table, Hope and I look over the multitude of various cheesecakes. Some of them remind me of Italy.
"What do you want for your birthday, darling?" I ask Hope as we walk back to the host table.
"Mmm...maybe a city lego set, books about DC and a chocolate cheesecake for dessert tonight," she says.
We're finally seated at a booth near the back, which is a relief for me since I've never liked being crammed with strangers in a small space. Neither do Starr and Hope.
"Aunt Dorian, did Tina try to extort money out of you?" Starr asks after we order our dinners.
"In a way..." I tell her. "And I told her no...it would have been a big mess for all of us if I'd been involved in her scheme."
"So that was behind Viki's claim that Tina supposedly collaborated with you," Starr nods.
"Viki sounds crazy now," Risa puts in. "I think she's lost her mind for real this time."
"Is Viki in jail now?" Hope asks. "And why did she hate you so much, Aunt Dori?"
"Honey, it's a long story," I tell her. "It goes way back and we both made mistakes."
Our food arrives and we spend the next half hour eating. The food platters are huge...they remind me of some of the functions I attended as an ambassador in Mendorra years ago.
We're just finishing up when a group of waitstaff arrive at our table with two slices of chocolate cheesecake with candles on them.
Hope squeals happily as her eyes widen and my hand flutters to my mouth then my heart as I breathe Ohh. A mixture of being touched and actually slightly shy washes over me.
The waitstaff sing a rather cheesy, but sweet happy birthday song for my great-niece and me.
Hope claps afterward. Then I put an arm around my great-niece as we blow out the candles.
Hope nestles in my lap as Starr cuts the cake and Risa distributes the pieces to the four of us.
I feel good...better than I have in a while...having a family member cuddled in my lap again.
Once Starr and her siblings grew up and moved away I had missed holding them in my arms.
As we eat, I reflect on how much I had missed being able to hold Cassie and Adriana in my lap when they were small.
•••••••••••••
Fortunately Saturday is a mostly relaxing day spent with my great-nieces and my granddaughter.
Addie, Blair, Adriana, Cassie, David, Sarah and a few others have sent me cards and gifts, so I spend most of the morning texting or ringing them to thank them, then spend most of the afternoon with Hope.
It's a lovely, cool, crisp mostly sunny afternoon with a deep blue sky that seems more prominent at this time of the year, so the four of us walk around our neighborhood, then rake the leaves in my backyard, letting Hope jump in the pile.
To my amusement, Starr and Risa join her. I sit next to them, feeling glad that they are living free of the drama and entanglements of Llanview, although I know Starr occasionally visits Llanview to see Viki.
I know that physically I'm free, but wonder if I will ever be emotionally and psychologically free of the Buchanans' tentacles.
I really hope Addie, Cassie, Adriana, Blair and Kelly are free as well. I also am reminded of Joe Buchanan who now lives in Chicago and married Rachel Gannon last April
Smiling softly, I remember the romance I shared with him, then later Kelly shared with him.
I'm glad Kelly and Joe are on good terms and amiably share their son Zane today.
Remembering Viki's wrath when she found out about Joey's and my fling brings a brief shudder over me and I try to put it out of my mind, especially my face actually reddening in anxiety as Viki screamed and called me vile names.
My mind also wanders to this latest breakdown earlier this week...I'm glad I wasn't there for it.
This weekend, I'd hired a cook to make our dinner, so after it's dark, she calls us in.
I'm glad I have a place with a large eat-in kitchen, so we eat there, then head into the living room where Risa and Starr have presents for Hope and me.
Risa picks up the lighter and lights the fireplace...the wind has picked up outside and it's a chilly night, so tonight's perfect for a fire.
Addie, Blair, Kelly, Cassie and Langston have sent the two of us gifts too.
Joe and Rachel have sent us each a present and birthday wishes as well.
One really sweet gift that Carlotta has sent me brings tears to my eyes...it's a beautiful mug that she had custom-made with a design intermingling Latino and Russian artwork and proclaims, True friends like you are rare.
They are, I think as I let the others look at it. I try not to wipe my eyes, but it's hard.
•••••••••••••
Later that night after the others have gone to sleep, with Starr and Hope sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms, I send thank you e-mails and texts to people who sent me the birthday gifts and wishes.
I also receive an e-mail from Nora...she tells me that John McBain, Cord and Bo are trying to rope her into defending Viki if Viki goes to trial, but she is growing tired of the endless Buchanan drama.
Reading between the lines, I suspect that Bo and Nora's marriage is in trouble again.
In addition, Lindsay has been badmouthing Nora, Viki, Natalie, John, Cord and me all over social media.
E-mailing back, I encourage her to not be pressured and that maybe she needs to move out of Llanview if that's what it takes.
In the last few years before I left Llanview, Nora often seemed drained and lifeless.
As I get ready for bed, I recall the mess of a non-wedding that hit the news...that February 2011, a lot of lies Brody Lovett and Natalie had told were exposed and John had been fuming, although he had a few lies of his own.
•••••••••••••
I'm lying on a floor of a prison cell, but can't move. Bo, Cord, John and several police officers come in and lift me up and lay me in a casket and to my horror, I realize that I am dead...they've killed me by lethal injection.
I try to get out a sound but since I'm dead, I can't. I desperately wonder where my family is as they carry me down a corridor.
We'll take her to the courtroom, let the judge know that she's dead, then we'll take the witch down to the town square, so all of Llanview will see what happens to gold-digging killers, Cord declares.
My horror mounts as a smirking Viki leans over me...Natalie also is there as my body is carried into the courtroom where a judge bangs a gavel.
I sense that there are many people gawking in the courtroom, but since I can't move to see over the rim of the casket, I can't know who is going to come attack me.
My body is lifted again and carried toward the outside where a long row of green trees line up and the weather is hot, yet I hear cheering that's growing louder.
Diiing dooong, the witch is dead! Tina's voice shrills outside among the crowd...
And I jolt awake with a yelping howl, trembling so violently that my blankets vibrate with me.
Almost knocking over a bedside lamp to turn it on, I am so relieved to hear the November wind rattling the windows and swooshing around my house here in the safety of DC that I start to cry, really sobbing, my weeping almost one with the wind.
I don't know how long I cry, my face buried in my pillow...it could be minutes or it could be an hour before I hear a soft knock on my door.
"Gran...?" Risa asks softly.
Leaning over, I grab tissues to blow my nose and wipe my face. My door opens slowly and Risa looks worried as she pokes her head in.
"Another nightmare?" she asks gently.
I nod and wave her in. Risa comes over and hugs me...I'm so thankful I have her. I hug her back and weep a bit more.
"Bad, wasn't it?" Risa says.
I nod again. "Oh, Risa, I'm so glad you're here...you've been so wonderful..."
"Want to talk about it?" Risa asks. "Perhaps if you talked, it would lose its power over you."
So, I tell her a bit about it. Risa's own eyes are a bit damp and another bout of weeping overtakes me.
We hold each other for at least five minutes, listening to the wind outside.
We then hear a wailing sound, then realize that Hope is crying. We hear Starr whispering to her. Hope seems to cry out a couple of more times.
"I'm going over to make sure they're all right," I say, pulling back my sheets and blanket.
"Are you sure you're...?" Risa asks.
"I'm calmer now...thanks for being there..." My own tears have slowed to a few trickles down my face.
Risa and I go over to find Starr holding Hope in her lap and rocking her, Hope clinging to her.
"Oh, sorry if we woke you," Starr looks up.
"It's all right," I reassure her. "We were awake anyway...I was having a nightmare myself."
We sit on Starr's bed, the four of us. Hope's crying has slowed and she tells us that she had a dream about being trapped in an exploding car.
"And Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Dorian and Risa were running up, but they couldn't save me," Hope says, tears still streaking her face.
"How scary," I tell my great-niece. "I've had lots of terrible dreams too."
"What happened in your nightmare, Aunt Dorian?" Starr asks and I tell her, which makes my hands shake a bit again.
"How about we go down for hot tea or chocolate?" Risa suggests. "I have the feeling that none of us are going to fall back asleep easily for a few hours."
I have that same feeling also, the four of us head to the kitchen, where I have a warm milk, Starr and Risa have hot tea and Hope has a warm cocoa.
It's five in the morning before we are able to go back to bed...the only sleep I get for the rest of the night is a light short doze at around sunrise.