Chapter 121 – The Last Chance (long)
Lee and Elizabeth got downstairs. Lee led Elizabeth over to the sitting area as far from the stairs as they could get. He knew that it wasn't fair the way that Charlotte was treating Elizabeth and he felt bad for her.
"Jack will be okay." Lee said. "He doesn't ask for space a lot, but when he does, he needs it. He used to ask more when he was jumping, especially the night before a competition. I knew earlier that Jack needed time and space. I know that I haven't been here all week, but what I have been, I am not surprised. I am sorry that Thomas and Charlotte are treating you this way. It is not right of them."
"Thank you for saying so." Elizabeth said. "Gran explained to me that Jack doesn't ask for alone time a lot, but to give it to him when he asks. She also reminded me that for all that I am going through, Jack is also going through a lot, including dealing with memories of Laura that she felt he never really dealt with."
"I would agree with that." Lee said. "When Laura got hurt, Chief Burke arranged for a helicopter for Jack, Doug and I to come up here. Thomas and Charlotte were on some trip and arrived three days later. Anyway, as we were heading up here, we learned that Laura had been airlifted to Albany, so we landed there. John had a car meet us and take us to the hospital. James and Gran met us there. Father Mark came shortly after we got there. Chris and Molly arrived that night. John had sent the jet for them as they had been in Montana with David. Jack went in and sat with Laura for a bit. Jack cried for about ten minutes, then he came out and sat with us. Jack didn't cry again, at least that we saw.
We stayed with John for a week before we learned that Laura would live. Jack would sit with her every day and talk to her about the latest FEI news or event. Once we knew that she would survive, Jack looked at us and said that he wanted to go back to the city. John arranged for us to go back to the city. Thomas came back with us and Charlotte stayed up in Albany/Saratoga for a few more days. When we got back to the city, Jack dove into everything school with a vengeance. Even though Chief Burke had arranged for our homework to be sent up to Albany, we had an extra week to turn everything in. Jack finished his homework and then helped us to catch up. It took four days and all three of us were completely caught up. Jack then worked ahead and took on several extra projects. I think that might have been when he started researching moving the horses to more natural and limiting the meds they were given.
Other than Doug and I, I don't think that Jack spoke to anyone other than to answer a direct question for more than a month. There were times that Doug and I were scared during that month. Jack was so withdrawn. Once he left the hospital, he wouldn't talk about Laura, jumping, horses or even what happened. The only time he talked about the horses was in connection to the project he was doing, nothing else. Slowly as it got closer to Christmas, Jack started to be a little better. He still refused to talk about what happened. It was the new year before he would talk about his horses, jumping or even riding. It was March before he got on a horse again. So he didn't ride for over six months. It was then in March, that he fought with James and Charlotte about jumping that season. Jack wanted to outright quit. Charlotte was pushing for him to pick up where Laura had left off and James just wanted him to jump. From what I understand there were several yelling matches about it before Jack said he would try. Jack wasn't happy, but as he had poured himself into school right after we got back to the city, he did the same with riding. Within a week, he was back up here and training full-time along with finishing school. We came up after spring break that year with a tutor that we would meet with for two or three hours in the afternoon.
During that time, Jack was up at six am to do chores and ride. He would also usually get a workout done in the morning. Most of the time both Doug and I joined him working out. A lot of the time, Doug would ride with him, just so he wasn't alone. After lunch, we would have school for a few hours. Then Jack would spend another couple hours with the horses. James or Marco would then massage his legs and Jack would eat supper and collapse in bed. We tried to talk to him, but he said that if he was going to jump, he was going to be the best. We tried to be a buffer between him and everyone else. Things got even more tense when Charlotte came up here for the summer."
"Wow, that was a lot." Elizabeth said. "I guess I didn't realize all that Jack had been through that year. No wonder everything came back to him. I would agree with you that he never dealt with all the emotions that happened back then. I feel bad that I brought all of that back up."
"No." Lee said. "It would have come back up, whether you were here or not. Doug and I have said for a long time that Jack was going to have to deal with everything before it came back to bite him."
"I guess." Elizabeth said. "I still feel bad about all the discord that I have created."
"You haven't created discord," Lee said. "Thomas and Charlotte were the ones that created that."
Elizabeth shrugged. She heard what Lee had said, but she wasn't sure that she totally believed it.
"So what do you want to do?" Lee asked.
"Can we just watch TV or something?" Elizabeth said. "I don't care if you want to check the scores or whatever."
"Sounds good." Lee said.
Lee turned the TV on and after checking the scores quickly, they found a rerun that they didn't mind watching.
… … … …
Gran looked around the table one more time. She wanted to end this discussion and make sure that JP was okay. She also wanted to finish up the kitchen and make sure that things for the next day were ready. She was sick of having to play referee around her table.
"Then this matter is closed for the next two weeks." Gran said. "Tommy is being dealt with and we will talk again after Nicholas and Blaine have had some time to work with him. For right now, I am going to defer to them as far as Tommy leaving the property, even for Church."
"I agree." James said. "He had an attitude last Sunday and I had to flick his ear a couple of times to get him to pay attention."
"What about the family dinner on Sunday?" Charlotte said. "It is not fair to exclude Tommy, especially since he already knows about it."
John stopped for a moment and let out a slow breath.
"As much as I want to see my grandson." John said. "I am not sure it would be good. Is it going to be more disruptive to have him up here? What is going to happen if he loses his temper?"
"Can I say something?" Nathan said.
"Go ahead." Gran said.
"You told me that the Averys are coming." Nathan said. "After getting to know Bill a little bit, I don't think that he will allow anything to happen. On the other hand, it could also look like a reward to be able to come up here."
"You're right." James said. "Bill wouldn't allow Tommy to act up."
"How about this?" Nathan said. "You set very clear rules for tomorrow. If Tommy can follow them and get everything done on the list you give him, then maybe allow him up here for lunch as long as Nicholas and/or Blaine agree with it."
"I think that is more than reasonable." James said.
"Then you and I will come up with a list of chores that need to be completed tomorrow." John said. "If that can be done to Ed's satisfaction and Tommy has listened to Nicholas and Blaine, then I think he can come up here for lunch and some family time. He will not be allowed to stay in the house and if he doesn't follow the rules, then he will immediately be removed again."
"I am okay with that." Gran said.
"It sounds unfair." Charlotte said. "Tommy is a member of this family and shouldn't be treated like a common employee."
"Tommy may be a member of the family." John said. "But until he learns that what we have takes some work, he doesn't deserve the benefits that I have provided. He has treated people horribly. He needs to learn that whether the person is a family member, friend or employee they all should be treated with respect."
"I agree." Doug said. "Tommy thinks that everything will be handed to him and he can treat people however he wants. Unfortunately, Thomas and Charlotte have reinforced that behavior to the point that Tommy has lashed out several times when he doesn't get his way."
"Doug is right." Nathan said. "How many times has Tommy given me attitude or lashed out at me in the last week? How many times has he pouted, huffed, stomped his feet and yelled when he hasn't gotten his way. Like I said, my two and half year old niece behaves better."
"Even Cody was better behaved today then Tommy was." Doug said.
"They have a point." Gran said.
"I think that the clear rules and expectations for tomorrow are more than fair." Peter said. "If Tommy can't do that, then he shouldn't be allowed to have a fun afternoon with everyone."
"Then it is settled." John said. "When we are done here, James and I will sit down and come up with a list of chores that will need to be completed tomorrow."
"Then this is a closed matter as well." Gran said. "It will be Tommy's choice whether he can join us on Sunday or not."
Gran looked around the table and no one said anything else, so she nodded that it was a closed matter.
… … … …
After sitting on the couch outside for several more minutes, Jack turned and looked at Father Mark.
"Let's go upstairs." Jack said. "I need some music to clear my head."
"Alright." Father Mark said. "Can we still get there from the outside?"
Jack nodded and stood up. He led the two of them up the outside stairs and into the music room. Jack made sure that the door was closed and then looked at Father Mark.
"So what do you want to play?" Father Mark asked.
"How about some praise and worship." Jack said. "I know that I need to calm down and talk about things, but right now I want to get lost in some music."
"Yes, you need to talk." Father Mark said. "But I am not going to push you to talk, at least not tonight. Maybe later this week, but with you jumping tomorrow I won't push. It sounded like you were really upset when Nathan called me when you were all down at the stable. He said that you were upset and wanted some space."
"Thank you." Jack said. "Yes, I was upset. We had another intense lunch and then a long afternoon. Nathan's friend Gabe was supposed to come stay for a few days and help keep me and Elizabeth safe. However when he got here, he had a chip on his shoulder and a serious attitude. Gran sent all of us boys to the library to talk things out. Some of the things that Gabe said were beyond crossing the line. Not only about me and Elizabeth, but Doug and Nathan as well. I got so angry that Doug had to physically restrain me. I sent Gabe away because he refused to tell us the truth. It turned out that Gabe's twin sister is engaged to Trip Steele and also has a baby with him. Trip Steele is the cousin of Lacy Pennybaker and Charlie Kensington."
"Aww." Father Mark said. "Things make a little more sense. Did you know before he came about his connection?"
"I knew shortly before he arrived." Jack said. "It would have been different if he would have just admitted it. Not only did he come in here looking for a fight, but he crossed a line that was unforgivable."
Unforgivable?" Father Mark said.
"Yes, unforgivable in my book." Jack said. "He accused me of sleeping around, forcing myself on Elizabeth and that either I had a bunch of little brats running around that I didn't care about or I forced the girls to get rid of them."
"I can see that would upset you." Father Mark said. "Even if you don't forgive Gabe to his face, you need to let it go. Forgiveness isn't always for the person who did you wrong. More often than not, it is about not letting that person live rent free in your head. Just think about that."
"Okay." Jack said. "But how about we play. We can talk later."
Jack grabbed one guitar and Father Mark set up the keyboard. Jack also grabbed two copies of the praise and worship song books that he had obtained. Jack took one and looked at it and Father Mark took the other. After a little back and forth, they decided which songs to start with.
… … … …
"Okay." Gran said. "We have one more thing to deal with."
"Are you really going to kick us out?" Charlotte grumbled.
"That depends." Gran said. "I mean it when I say this is the last straw. There will not be any more discord in my house. If you can't act like a civil human being, then you need to leave. JP and Elizabeth, along with their friends are going to be staying here for the better part of the rest of the summer. Because of the agreement that we signed with JP for the future of Coal Creek, I will not ask him to leave. Nor will I ask him to kick out his intended or his friends."
Charlotte huffed.
"Charlotte." Gran said with a warning tone. "Like I have said, just because you don't like it doesn't make it less real. JP is an adult and is free to choose who he wants to spend his life with."
"Char." James said. "Your mother is right. We could have stayed angry at Christopher and not accepted Molly, but then we would have missed out on knowing our grandchildren and getting to know our great-grandchildren. By not accepting JP's choices, you will be the only one that loses. Your refusal is not going to change his mind. JP and Elizabeth are going to be married sooner or later. If you keep it up, you won't be there to see it. I have warned you about pushing JP. I told you that if you kept pushing he was going to push back one day and you weren't going to like what happened, but you didn't listen and now look where we are."
"There are better girls out there for JP." Charlotte retorted.
"Charlotte Lucille." Gran snapped.
"Like it or not." John said. "JP has made his choice."
"So you are okay with him marrying that girl?" Charlotte sneered.
"I don't care who JP marries." John said. "As long as he loves her and takes care of her. I have just met Elizabeth, but I can see that they love each other. The fact that JP went to the trouble of having special rings made for them, says all I need to know. I look forward to getting to know her better. Maybe you can quit acting like a high class snob and actually get to know her, it would be different. If you really care about JP, you would get to know her. Like it or not she will be your daughter-in-law."
"Elizabeth is a lovely girl." Doug said. "From what I have seen and what Jack has told me, you have made no attempt to actually get to know her. From what I hear, you have looked down your nose at her from the moment that you found out about her."
"Charlotte." John said. "Where does this superior attitude with you come from? Don't forget, I have seen all the financial documents in regards to you. When you married Thomas, you had very little money of your own. You got a stipend from Coal Creek and then after you were married Thomas petitioned to allow you to receive a monthly allowance from the Thornton trust. Other than money given to you by your parents or myself, you have no real wealth. You have never really worked and the little that you have done hasn't made much money. Which doesn't make sense to me, especially since you insisted on finishing college. Why would you go to school and get a graphic design degree and never really ever use it.
Despite you not having much of anything to your name, I didn't object when Thomas told me that he wanted to marry you. I saw that he loved you, so that was enough for me. Then you went back and forth for over a year and half before he felt that you would say yes to his proposal. It took another year to plan the wedding that at times I thought would never happen. Part of the reason that I thought the wedding would never happen is because you acted like a spoiled brat and wanted things to be your way and only your way. You insisted on having an over the top wedding because of my connections. If you hadn't married Thomas, I doubt that you would have the place that you have in the upper circle of society in the city. You have lived off of my name and my money since you were married over twenty-four years ago. Everything that you have has been given to you by others. There are no real assets in your name other than some jewelry and art. Everything that you have is because of Thomas, and in turn from me. At least I can see where Tommy's entitled attitude comes from."
"That is just cruel." Charlotte said.
"Cruel or not." John said. "It is true. Without talking numbers and/or breaking JP's confidential information, he wasn't wrong when he said that his total wealth is more than either of you. I haven't looked at his documents in a few months, but it might even be more than both of you combined. When I say that, I am not including anything that JP will receive from Coal Creek or Thornton Inc. In just over a week, when all of Coal Creek's assets will be listed as JP's assets, I know for a fact that he will have more than either of you will ever have."
"How can that be?" Charlotte huffed.
"JP was given his shares of Thornton Thoroughbreds when he was fourteen." John said. "When he took an active role, he was given more shares."
"What do you mean?" Thomas said. "Don't you own fifty-five percent of the company and the other forty-five is split evenly between JP, Tommy and myself?"
"No." Peter said. "John does own fifty-five percent of the business. You, Thomas, own fourteen percent of the company. Tommy owns two percent of the company. There is two percent that goes to everyone else who John deemed will get money from the company. That leaves twenty-seven percent for JP."
"That means JP doesn't need my help to buy either of you out." John said. "He would need my approval, but he doesn't need my permission. If he presented me with a reasonable offer, I would approve it. Especially for Tommy's shares. Tommy has no interest in the business. If he doesn't change his ways, I will have no problem allowing JP to buy out his shares."
"You would really shut me out of a family business?" Thomas asked incredulously.
"Yes." John said. "In the last two years, you have been more interested in the profits than the actual work of Thornton Thoroughbreds. JP is the one that has done research into the bloodlines. He is the one that has shown me the need to expand into other high end performance horses. Why do you think I was so willing to back him on the plan to take over Coal Creek? JP's vision for the future of Coal Creek and Thornton Thoroughbreds is going to be revolutionary."
"From the little that I have seen." Nathan said. "Jack could change the way that high performance horses are bred and raised. Wanting to go as natural as possible, well that is going to be a major change. As far as I know, there is no horse breeding operation the size of Coal Creek or larger that is trying this or even willing to try this."
"Nathan is right." James said. "It will take several years for the results to be fully known, but I am confident that JP's plan will put us on the cutting edge of high performance horses. If JP is right, the horses that we breed, raise and train will be in a much higher demand then others. Not that we need the money, but it will make the price of our horses soar. The things that JP wants to do are amazing. The only thing that he wished we had closer was a vet school as that would make everything perfect for what he wants to do. He tossed the idea around of setting up a surgical and rehab facility, but without a vet school close it would be hard."
"I know that he has talked to his uncle Martin in Ithaca about something over there." John said. "But that is several years away. I think it would be a wonderful thing if he could do it. I just hope I live to see his dreams become a reality."
"I have seen the results of going natural with performance horses when I was doing rodeo with some friends in Pennsylvania." Nathan said. "I mean it was only a dozen horses or so, but I think that their results in rodeos speaks for itself."
"As much as I want to hear about this." Gran said. "I want to bring this conversation back to what we need to talk about. We have all had a long day and a long week. The issue that we were talking about was whether Thomas and Charlotte are going to be allowed to stay. Even during this conversation, Charlotte has not been able to follow the rules that I laid out. I said the issue of JP and Elizabeth was closed and Charlotte went there."
"Margaret." James said.
"I don't know about this one." Gran said. "What are you thinking?"
"I am sick of the discord." James said. "Like we reached a limit with Tommy's behavior, I have reached my limit with your behavior Charlotte. You have basically done nothing but gripe about JP and/or Elizabeth since you arrived a week ago. I have too much going on to deal with discord every time I step in this house with you."
"Dad!" Charlotte said.
"No, I am serious." James said. "You know I never tolerated this type of behavior growing up, why do you think I would tolerate it now? From either you, your husband or your son. You have refused to acknowledge that there was a problem until it blew up in your face. This is the last time that I am going to tell you that there are rules in this house and they will be followed by you and everyone else that is staying in this house."
"I agree." Gran said. "If either your father or I see or hear you violating the rules that I have set forth, then I won't even say anything. I will just call security and have you removed. If you continue to think you can do what you want, I will restrict your access to the farm. This goes for both of you, Thomas and Charlotte. If all you are going to do is pick fights and attempt to tear JP down, then I am sorry, but you will not be here."
"I agree with your mother, Charlotte." James said. "We have given you plenty of chances and I am done. Also if you can't follow the rules, I would suggest that you get a hotel room if you are coming back for Sugar Creek, the show here or the races."
"Is there anything else that we need to cover?" John said.
"No." Gran said. "If there are other things that you need to know, we can talk later."
"Then Peter, Andrew and Chris." John said. "I will see you all tomorrow."
"Night, Sir." Peter said. "Thank you Margaret and James for everything."
"Night and thank you." Andrew said.
"Night and thank you." Chris echoed.
The three of them got up, left the table and the house.
"I still have a few things that I need to do." John said. "But don't wait on my account."
"I have some things I need to finish in the kitchen." Gran said.
"I am going to double check that my things are ready for tomorrow." James said.
"Abigail steamed your dress shirt, vest and kilt." Gran said. "They are hanging in our room."
"Thank you, dear." James said. "I will thank Abigail when I see her."
"Do you know if the boys liked the vests that I sent?" John asked.
"As far as I know." Gran said. "Abigail steamed all of them for them to wear."
John nodded.
… … … …
Hearing people moving around upstairs, Lee got up and was planning to head up.
"Where are you going?" Elizabeth asked when she realized that Lee had stood up.
"They are moving around upstairs." Lee said. "I heard the door open and close. They are done and I am sure a few people left, probably security."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I will go with you."
Lee grabbed the remote and turned the TV off and they headed upstairs. Lee wasn't sure if Father Mark was still there, but he at least hoped that if he wasn't that he had been able to get through to Jack. Lee understood why Nathan had been worried about Jack. Lee had also been worried about Jack for a while. He knew that what happened with Elizabeth had probably brought a lot of stuff up and he was pushing it away and not dealing with things again. Lee was also sure that the things that Charlotte had said were affecting Jack more than he was willing to admit.