Chapter 23

January 24th, 2007, Tuesday

Jason

“Ya know, if I’d drank last night, I’d be hung-over as hell right now,” he said, settling in at the table.

“Instead of just still being a little stoned,” Abby said.

“Yeah, maybe a wee bit. Where’s everyone else?”

“I’m not sure, sir. ‘Llita, where’s everybody?“

Their curvaceous chef popped her head around the corner and replied, “At the beach, I believe, Milady. They all helped the staff with cleaning the common area before breakfast, ate, and then headed out.”

“How’d the house staff take that?” Jason chuckled.

“They were very resistant, sir, until Mistress Yan and Milady Donna ... explained things to them.”

“I am sorry I missed that,” Jason said.

“It was somewhat spectacular, yes sir. What would you like this afternoon?”

“Aside from more coffee,” he said, putting his empty cup down, “Prosciutto and mozzarella omelet, with chives and mushrooms. Fruit plate as an appetizer.”

“That sounds divine,” Abby said, “Two omelets, please, Estrellita.”

“Of course, Sir, Milady.”

One of the estate staff hurried out with a large carafe of coffee.

“Sorry, sir,” the young man said, his voice shaking, bowing deeply.

“Don’t be,” Jason said. “While coffee is very important, it’s not a reason to be afraid. Besides, the first cup took the edge off.”

“Sir, it’s just the large urn wasn’t ready yet, and...”

“Marvin ... it is Marvin, right?”

“Yessir.”

“Marvin, it really is completely and totally okay.”

Jason looked to Abby, seeing her give a slight shrug.

“Unless you’d like it not to be okay?” Jason finished.

“It was inexcusable,” Marvin replied, his face brightening just a bit.

“What time do you go off-duty, so to speak?”

“Six this evening,” Marvin replied, sounding more hopeful.

“I’ll schedule you for two hours of discipline, courtesy of Otter, beginning at eight. Now, worm, go do something useful.”

Marvin hit his knees.

“Oh, thank you sir, thank you.”

“Worm, evidently you misunderstood me. Since apparently you have nothing to do that’s too urgent, go fetch Otter. And if you’re not back with her in ten minutes or less, it will be three hours.”

Jason swore he could hear a doppler effect on Marvin’s “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” as the young man sprinted away.

“I’ll go tell ‘Llita she’s lost one of her minions,” Jason said. “See if the fruit plates are ready while I’m there.”

He pushed his plate away and poured Abby and himself another cup of coffee. Once he had added cream and sugar to his liking, he took a sip and leaned back.

“You want to go to the beach and play?” he asked.

“I want to do whatever you wish me to do, sir,”

“You could get spanked for that...”

“Or, sir, we could both spank Lizzy for it. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“It would indeed. Let’s wait til they come in, and then haul Lizzy into the bedroom and have at her.”

“I do love the way we think, sir.”

“In the interim, I’m going to go swim in the pool, and then hit the gym ... no, wait. Reverse that. Gym, shower, and then pool.”

“Very good, sir. I’ll join you.”

He looked at her, then down to her belly.

“You sure that’s safe?”

“For now, yes, but I’ll start the transition to low-impact aerobics, just to be safe, sir.”

Vincent, the major domo, walked in, leaned down, and said, “Sir, I am sorry to intrude, but someone wishes to see you in the common area.”

“Our common area? Send them in.”

“No, sir. I’ve long regretted having effectively the same name for multiple areas of the estate. In the common room between wings, sir.”

“Okay, curious what it looks like. C’mon, Abby.”

“Sir, they would prefer to see you alone.”

Jason’s lips tightened, as he thought twice about what he wanted to say.

“Vincent, what do you think? Do they have good reason to want to see me alone?”

“ ... Yes, sir. I feel so.”

“Jason, don’t worry, it’s fine. I shall go help in the kitchen, or something...”

“I favor ‘or something’ ... when I’m done, I want to find you in the bedroom, ready for a milking ... possibly more than milking, before exercise.”

“Oh, yes sir.”

Carol

Watching her husband drool was not, in the strictest sense, enjoyable.

It did mean he wasn’t losing his shit as they flew.

Carol and Kelly had been taking turns working on his leg, and the muscles were relaxing nicely. No doubt the sedation helped.

Carol was happy. She might be happier when they were back at the estate ... maybe. It didn’t really matter, as the oppressive feelings of imminent disaster she had suffered from during their visit were gone.

They would return to Hawaii, return to a proper honeymoon. Some evening next week they would join the children at supper in the common area, and that would be so fun.

While she knew she and her spouses and their retinues would be moving on at some point ... she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Yes, the assassin had found them, and others might as well ... but she felt safe at Hau’oli Mala. Safer than perhaps anywhere else ... other than Chorale South. Carol was sure she’d feel safe there ... but ‘there’ was far too close to so many unknown dangers.

She wondered how long Margo was going to be willing to run. With the recent problems at home, every hour away from Central Texas was costing them support, even from within their own House. Sandalwood had visited with them Monday evening ... and relations had been ... strained.

Everyone knew they had good reason to be away ... intellectually. Emotionally ... Society’s elected leadership was, for the most part, nowhere to be seen.

Carol was sure someone was going to challenge for the throne come Samhain.

And every day they were away made a victory harder to achieve.

She resolved to speak with Margo about it.

Gloria

She had occasionally indulged in watching “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” ... but seeing it on a TV screen didn’t compare to walking around in such luxury. She was in the huge, ornamented space between the wings, examining a series of Chinese paintings which the plaques beneath said were done in the ‘Shui-mo’ style. They were all fantastic landscapes, and she wondered if they were literal, or inspired by reality, or complete fantasy?

“Master Tanner-Grimes,” said Vincent from behind her.

“Mom?!”

Gloria turned to see her son, beginning to run across the room toward her. She prepared for the hug that was coming, and when it arrived, her life was complete.

They stood together, hugging each other, until finally Jason released her, and Gloria forced herself to take her arms from around him, stepping back.

“Would Master care to order refreshment?”

Jason looked to his mother.

“Coffee?”

“Juice,” she replied. “Whatever they got that isn’t grapefruit.”

“Yes, Vincent, juice ... is there any papaya?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Fine, papaya juice for two, and coffee for me.”

“Certainly, sir.”

He took his mother’s hand and they sat down at one of the tables.

“So ... I guess I know where the Grimes are honeymooning,” he said, smiling.

“Yes, although they’re not in residence at the moment. They’re flying back from Texas ... poor Mistress Turov lost a child, the youngest, Yuri.”

“The one who was in a ... home?”

“Yes ... they flew back for the funeral, just the four of them. They should be in later today.”

She filled him in on recent events, until their drinks were delivered.

“You are...”

“May, if it please you, sir,” the young woman with blonde curls replied.

“May, go find Abby, she should be in the master suite. Tell her I may be delayed, and she should order flowers and a catered meal, along with a note expressing all our condolences, to Mistress Turov on the death of her son, Yuri.”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

“So, I hear your trip to Hawaii wasn’t care-free fun-in-the-sun,” Gloria said.

As he told her about their trip, Gloria could see the changes in him. He was even more serious than he’d been before she ran across the Grimes at Dominique’s, and committed the wisest robbery in her life. For that matter, Jason was more serious than he’d been in San Francisco after the kidnapping.

There was still a fifteen year old in there ... but that part of his psyche seemed in the minority. When he spoke of Shelley’s betrayal, and its aftermath, she barely held her tears in.

And when he was finished, ending with Shelley’s fate after their arrival at the estate, Gloria allowed herself one emotion-charged question.

“Are all of you going to be okay?”

He wanted to give a flip answer, to shake off her concerns. She saw the impulse cross his face ... and then he pushed it down, answering honestly.

“I think so, Mom. May take a while. Donna’s still enraged over Shelley’s betrayal, and I can’t blame her. We’re all angry about it, but she’s ... she’s gone Mama Bear over it. If she’d had her way, I think she would have beaten Shelley to death right then and there.”

“How would you have handled that?”

Jason looked at her and there was no teenage boy in his eyes.

“I would have bathed her, then held her as long as she wanted me to. Same for all of us.”

Gloria smiled, unable to hide her pride, even if she had cared to.

“You are going to make a truly formidable Head of Chorale,” she said, wiping away her tears.

“Hopefully not for a long time,” Jason said, laughing.

“What, you’d like to have a life for a while?”

“Yeah, Mom. Oh ... did I tell you? Abby’s pretty sure she’s pregnant!”

And then there was nothing but hugs and happy tears for quite some time.

Gloria reminded Jason to keep the secret of the Grimes’ honeymoon just between the two of them.

“My lips are sealed, Mom.”

She hugged him, and watched her son leave. Nobody in residence on their side would have begrudged her the time.

May appeared, asking her if there was anything she required.

“Another glass of juice, and a do-over on the last fifteen years of my life.”

“Milady...”

“No, ‘slut’.”

“Slut, then. The juice I can do. The other...”

“I know, doesn’t stop me wishing though.”

“Your son is quite handsome ... slut.”

“Yes he is, and I am as sure as sunrise he’s only going to get better with age.”

May left on her errand, and Gloria sighed, thinking of what she hadn’t told her son.

Of the whirlwind visit of several people from Mistress Maxwell of House Tolliver. The measurements, the photos ... so many photos, the video footage.

Gloria knew her son had unresolved Oedipal issues ... her behavior had made that inevitable.

And she had a sneaking suspicion Mistress Maxwell was going to give him a very ... unusual ... present.

When May returned with her juice, Gloria said, “You find my son attractive?”

“Yes ... slut. A little young, but...”

“Let Milady Donna know you’re interested. You might well end up in bed with them at some point.”

“Thank you, Milady ... Milady Slut.”

“Go on, get back to work,” Gloria replied, laughing.

She sat and sipped her juice, and thought about sons, and grandchildren, and dynasties.

Andrew

“Okay, your step-mother Margo expressed some qualms about me asking certain questions, in an interview with you to be aired.

“To be truthful, I’m not sure I would want to do an interview now where I couldn’t explore what’s happened to you since you arrived in California.”

“It would be ... bad ... to discuss those things,” Jason said.

“At least until certain statute of limitations expire,” Yan said, “and certain minors have reached their maturity.”
“So ... I’m not going to record one of my standard interviews. In fact, the recording I’m doing is merely for my notes. I just ... wanted to talk with you, all of you, and get a feel for you.”

Jason, Abby, Donna, Lizzy, and Yan sat across from Andrew and Teuila, all of them looking disgruntled.

“I know, you just got to Hawaii yesterday, and here I am ruining your first chance at a real honeymoon ... but Margo wants us to talk, and I’ve got interviews backing up on the mainland. I am sorry...”

“To be honest,” Jason said, “I just got out of one meeting, I come back in to molest Abby, to find all of you sitting here.

“If this wasn’t at Mother’s request, I’d have you kicked out of the house.”

“And we’re off to a lovely start...” Andrew said. “Look, if you don’t want to talk right now I understand, completely. I cannot imagine what you’ve been through, the stress you’ve lived with.”

“Dear,” Donna said, “you’re fifteen ... we do this now, we won’t have to be interviewed for another three years...”

“At least, Milady Donna,” Andrew said.

He saw Jason force himself to calm, to think.

After a moment or two, Jason said, “How long do you think these other interviews will take?’

“Hell,” Andrew said, “six months, probably. Not that the interviews themselves will take that long, but the whole process of being wined and dined by people worried about what I’ll ask, waiting around for them to make time on their oh-so-busy schedules ... for an interview they requested, mind you ... it’s going to be wading through a lot of bullshit on someone else’s dime.”

“Would you mind making an appointment with us whenever you get through with what’s currently on your plate?” Jason said. “I understand, Mother has a job she wants you to do ... but, if need be, I’ll discuss this with her, get you off the hook.

“I don’t think any of us is in the mood to deal with this now – fuck, I know I’m not – and I’m really not sure I could remain civil.”

Andrew thought about it ... thought about not being the brick wall Margo Grimes ran into about his failure to get this done. The thought amused him, as he was sure Margo would not be as high-handed with Jason as she was with Andrew.

“You’ve got a deal,” he said. “Like I said, I understand. If you would be so kind, do speak with Margo, and smooth things out.

“Teuila ... pretty sure we can catch a flight out for Chicago sometime today ... or early tomorrow.

“Master Tanner-Grimes, Mistress, Miladies, and Concubine, thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to continuing our conversation in six months, give or take.”

Jason stood, and took Andrew’s hand.

“Thank you, really. I appreciate it, I know the ladies do as well...”

“We’ll tell him ourselves, thank you very much,” Yan said, stepping up and gently nudging Jason aside to hug first Andrew, then Teuila.

After good-byes were said, Andrew and Teuila took a golf cart back to the guest lodge.

“That didn’t go as expected,” Teuila said.

“No,” Andrew replied, “it went much better. I’m not kidding, if he’d thrown us out, if any of them had, I wouldn’t have held it against them at the least. This was a bad idea from day one.”

“And now I get to see a lot of snow!”