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Kingsport #48

“Jill… What a pleasant surprise.”

Jill Stanhope Montgomery pushed her way into Dr. Connor Windsor’s house with her black alligator purse clutched tight to her body. “You can’t marry Will.”

“Why? You’re jealous, aren’t you, Jill?”

“Me?!? I have Warren. I’m not jealous of Will!”

Connor sidled up to her, his eyes colored with raw passion. “Don’t lie, Jill.” He ran his hand across her soft arms. “You’ve always had a thing for me. I gave you a few wild nights of passion before you met Warren and…well, it looks like you haven’t been able to forget them.”

Jill held her breath until she almost passed out. She turned to Connor just enough that he couldn’t read the torn expression on her face. “I love Warren.”

“And yet… You deny nothing, yet admit everything.”

“Connor, if you marry Billy… I’ll tell him about our past.”

“Okay. Do it.”

“What???” stammered Jill.

“Tell Will. I don’t care. He loves me. He’ll forgive me for something I did…multiple times…before I started seeing him.” Connor deftly rubbed Jill’s inner right thigh as she tried to suppress a moan of utter delight. “You’ll never say anything… You don’t want the Montgomerys to know about our…little past…”

“They would if they knew what you were really like,” shot back Jill.

Connor let out a humored grunt. “Oh, yeah? What am I really like, Jill? Go on. Tell me.”

“You use people. You used me for sex and then tossed me aside.”

“Wow. Okay. So, that’s what it’s like when someone re-writes history. The minute Warren Montgomery showed the slightest interest in you, you dropped me, Jill. You wanted to lock down the local billionaire’s son and you did it! You’re nothing but a common gold digger with some pedigree behind her name.”

“You’re doing the same thing with Will!”

Connor nearly slammed his hand into the wall as he screamed, “Don’t you ever say that again!”

“It’s true, Connor! We both know it! You couldn’t get India, so you went after her brother! We both know you’re not even gay!”

“I’m warning you, Jill…!”

“Warn me all you want, Connor, but I have nothing left to lose. My husband can’t stand me. His family merely tolerates me. And you… You can’t stand that I can see right through you. You pretend to be upright, moral, and loveable, but you’re just as deplorable as the rest of us!”

Connor raised his hand to strike Jill when something inside of him forced him to step back. “Get out of my house,” he roared.

“Not until you call of this wedding.”

“Get out of my house, Jill!!!”

“No!” She grabbed Connor by the shoulder and turned him towards her. Jill looked into his wild eyes when something came over her. In that moment, their lips met, her hands found his penis, and his hands removed her panties. Before they knew it, they were having raw, passionate, unbridled sex in the foyer of Connor’s house. Because, they both knew, it was exactly what they needed, wanted, and desired.

“Thank you for not throwing me a bachelor party, Warren.” Will polished off his steak as he and his brother clinked their wine glasses together in the dining room of the Kingsport Country Club. “Dinner was nice.”

“It’s nice to spend some time with you, Billy. I know I haven’t been very present…”

“I don’t mind…”

“I know, but you’re my baby brother and you’re getting married. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bad brother.”

“You haven’t,” insisted Will. “I’m kind of glad the family office and the wedding planners handled everything. It’s been nice to sit back…for the most part.”

“Then you’re happy?”

Will chewed on this for a moment before saying, “Yes. I am. For the first time in a long time, I am happy. I was having doubts, but Nicholas…”

“Wait,” interjected Warren. “Back up. Nicholas Davenport?”

Will nodded innocently. “I ran into him a few days ago. He’s thinking about moving back to town.”

Warren listened dutifully. He knew all too well how much Will and Nicholas meant to each other when they first started dating the summer they graduated from high school. They were lovestruck, moonstruck, and thunderstruck in such a way that everyone assumed they would marry after college and unite the Montgomery and Davenport families. However, fate intervened and their happily ever after ended due to events Warren still didn’t know were true. “Billy, do you think it’s such a good idea to talk about Connor to Nicholas? You two have a lot of history.”

Will shifted in his seat uncomfortable. He knew his brother was looking out for him, but sometimes his concern bordered on oppressive. “Warren, I’m not nineteen anymore. Nicholas and I, well, we haven’t stayed in touch. There’s no animus between us. I mean, he’s invited to my wedding for crying out loud. Nicholas is happy for me.”

“As long as you two are strictly friends…”

“Yes. Warren, I’m getting married in a few days! I never thought this day would come! After all of the men over so many years, I’m marring the man I love without nary a worry in the world. I must be the luckiest man in the world, Warren. Seriously. Come September 8th, my life will be perfect with my husband by my side…and no one will be able to stop us. No one, Warren.”

 

In our next installment, it’s Labor Day at the country club…

 

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Kingsport #47

Eli Davenport closed the report on his desk with a slightly bemused smile. Had he known it would be this easy, he would have enacted this plan years ago. Moreover, he never would have involved Charles Montgomery, IV or tried to get his family to act in unison in order to take Davenport Technology private. It seemed that in Meredith’s endless bouts of hubris as the CEO of the company, she and the board had initiated several bond issuances which hadn’t made so much as a blip outside of the board room. Eli hadn’t heard anyone talk about it, but now a source had given him the names of all fifty bondholders along with the size of their debt in Davenport Technology. If Eli could manage to buy each of these bonds, he could, in effect, takeover Davenport by virtue of being its only debt holder. It was a risky proposition, but it was something he needed to explore. The price tag alone was staggering: $1.1 billion. However, if it’s one thing Eli knew how to do it was to raise money quietly before pouncing on his unsuspecting target. His family had rebuffed him as had Charles, but this time, Eli was intent to prove to them that he was the one in charge. Once he took over Davenport Technology, they’d all have to bow to him.

From the darkness of Eli’s bedroom, he thought about what to do next. He quickly dialed a familiar phone number of a contact in Hong Kong to begin raising the financing he would need to buy Davenport’s bonds. In this heady moment, Eli knew his future was all but secure. He could feel his life changing in ways he couldn’t yet imagine… And change his life it would because, in the lives of all great people, hubris proceeds every demise…

“Charles, we need to talk about India.”

Charles Montgomery, IV sat in his bedroom, a scarlet robe draped across his aging, yet firm body. He placed a thick financial report on the end table as he said, “What is it now?”

Alison Farrell Montgomery quietly padded across the room before resting on the edge of the bed. “She’s out of control. She… Charles, while India was in Paris, she accused the man I was seeing of…well…the most horrible things. He denied it. She insisted she was telling the truth. The night of my birthday party, he showed up at the estate with an invitation…which had been sent by India. Charles, I’m terrified about what she’ll do next.”

Charles eyed his wife with grave concern. “Well,” he said after a long moment, “India is mostly harmless…”

“She most certainly is not! Don’t you remember when she set fire to the cottage with Billy inside?”

“India said that was an accident.”

“I’m not surprised she would say that! Charles, the things she accused my former lover of doing almost exactly mirrored what she accused Connor of all those years ago.” Alison took a deep breath before adding, “I don’t think two men who’ve never met each other could possibly conspire to treat India the same way. It’s impossible.”

“We have to believe our daughter.”

“India is dangerous,” snapped Alison. “She’s always been volatile, Charles. For some unfathomable reason, you refuse to see it.”

“She’s our little girl…”

“She’s unhinged. We need to get her help. Real help. We can’t keep enabling her, Charles.”

“I’m not sending India to a funny farm. She’s merely high-spirited, if not just a little high strung.”

Alison gave Charles a look of unwavering disbelief. “You refuse to face the truth about her.”

“Alison, you’re bordering on the histrionic. India is not a threat to anyone. She likes to play games with people.”

“India is not a saint. What she does is not good-natured sportsmanship. It’s menacing. It’s planned. It’s… Someone will get hurt one day, Charles. The way she behaves…it’s a given.”

Charles shook his head with firm disbelief. “She’s been on her best behavior since she returned to Kingsport. Why, she hasn’t interfered with Billy and Connor’s wedding, has she?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” said Alison, coolly. “That doesn’t mean she hasn’t tried.”

“Billy and Connor are getting married in a matter of days. Let’s put our energies behind their wedding day instead of worrying about India.” Charles removed his glasses, took a sip of aged whisky, and stared dolefully at Alison. “You need to have a little faith, Alison.”

Alison rose with a heavy heart. “I don’t have any faith left. I’ve seen what India can do, Charles. I’m scared. For the first time in my life, I’m scared of her. I just hope… No, I pray…that she can resist causing a scene at Billy’s wedding because…knowing her…she’ll make sure their wedding never happens…”

 

In our next installment, Jill makes a plea to Connor…

 

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Kingsport #46

The ballroom on the Montgomery Estate was a feast for the senses. On this, the occasion of Alison Farrell Montgomery’s birthday, only people from the most salubrious backgrounds and carefully crafted lineages were invited to share in the festivities. Dignitaries the world over chatted with royals, aristocrats, and the great and good of Kingsport. Although Alison never liked to make a fuss about anything, she always allowed others to create a fuss about her birthday. This was the first time in years Alison had celebrated her birthday in Kingsport. Unbeknownst to everyone else, she was secretly happy to have her family around her during this wonderful time.

“I see India and Will are keeping their distance from each other,” said Sheila Davenport over the rim of her champagne flute.

Alison fiddled with the ruby and diamond bracelet, a birthday present from Charles, on her wrist. “I spoke to them this morning. I don’t want a scene in front of a prince or an ambassador.”

Sheila let out a small laugh. “Charles has really outdone himself this year, hasn’t he?”

“It’s the least he can do,” teased Alison. “He managed to invite the right people, fly in my favorite chefs, and ensure nothing but restrained elegance filled our ballroom.”

Sheila took note of Alison’s choice of words. “Our?”

“Yes,” bristled Alison, brightly. “It’s our family home.”

“You needn’t get defensive. I think… Darling, you know how I hate to intercede, but maybe it’s time you and the old coot called a truce.”

“We have. We have our lives…”

“That’s not what I mean,” insisted Sheila. She quickly stopped talking as one of the Princesses of Andover came over to wish Alison a happy birthday before being whisked away for a dance by a certain nobleman. “No matter how much I visiting you in Paris, I would love it even more if my best friend came home.”

Alison nodded at Sheila’s words. “Sometimes… Sheila, you cannot repeat this to anyone!” She waited for Sheila to swear her silence before stating, “Sometimes I miss Kingsport. I miss the estate. Yes, it’s very easy for me to visit or have the children visit me, but it’s not the same. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paris. It is my home, but Kingsport…” Alison’s voice drifted off into the ether. “I suppose I’m simply being an old nostalgic,” laughed Alison.

“Mrs. Montgomery!” Barbara Wilkes deftly made her way through the throngs of the rich and the good as her formal maid’s outfit tried to cut off her circulation.

“What?” said Alison, evenly.

“There’s a man here to see you.”

“Which one?” goaded Alison. “There are far too many men here to know…”

“Count Andre du Renault,” Barbara replied in badly broken Franco English.

Alison felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. She caught Sheila’s eye as she said, “I didn’t invite him!”

“Where is he?” Sheila asked Barbara, crisply.

“In the Morning Room,” answered Barbara.

“You may go,” Sheila told Barbara. Once Sheila saw that the little maid had faded into the background, Sheila looked at Alison’s ashen face. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Alison shook her head as she quietly glided out of the ballroom and into the long corridor which led to the Morning Room. She hadn’t seen Andre in months and, quite frankly, she doubted if she would ever see him again after their last confrontation. He was the first man in years who made her feel alive in a personal and sexual way, but India had come between them as she had done to so many people in the past. As Alison pushed open the door to the Morning Room, she saw Andre leaning against the fireplace with a tumbler of whisky in his hand. Before she would speak, he turned to her and said, “Thank you for inviting me, ma chérie.”

“I didn’t invite you,” snapped Alison as she closed the door to the Morning Room. “I told you I never wanted to see you again, Andre.”

“My love, you don’t mean that! If you did, you wouldn’t’ve invited me to celebrate the occasion of your birth.”

Even though she vowed to loathe this man for the rest of her life, his sweet words always made her wet with desire mixed with hot, ripe passion.

“Andre,” Alison said after a moment, “I promise you I didn’t invite you to my home. You must be mistaken.”

Count Andre du Renault procured a gilded invitation from the breast pocket of his tuxedo and handed it to Alison. She studied it with great care. Yes, the invitation came from the Montgomery family office with all of the details concerning tonight’s event. “My love, I came here to be with you.”

“I don’t want to be with you. Not after you were with my daughter!”

“But I wasn’t! She pursued me. She…mixes things up so I don’t know what’s right or sideways. That woman is evil, ma chérie.”

“Just go, Andre. If you love me, leave. I don’t want my husband or my children to see you.”

Crestfallen, Andre placed a small box on an end table before gracefully walking to the door, kissing Alison on the cheek, and leaving the Morning Room.

Confused and shaken, Alison knew she had to regain her composure before she returned to the ballroom. After a few brief moments, Alison screwed up her nerves, checked herself in the mirror, and opened the door of the morning room when she gasped. There, standing in the shadows was India, leaning against the wall. “India! You scared me to death.”

“I wanted to be sure you got your birthday present,” sneered India.

Alison’s eyes went wide at the callous tone her daughter directed towards her. “You…” stammered Alison, quickly. “Why would you do something that like that, India?”

India slowly walked over to her mother, grabbed her by the shoulders, kissed her cheek, and whispered into Alison’s ear, “Because I can.”

As Alison stood frozen in horror, she watched India glide down the corridor like a figment of her imagination. It was in that moment that Alison finally understood something she’d denied for years: India was capable for anything. Anything.

 

In our next installment, Eli puts his plan in motion…

 

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Kingsport #45

“Barbara, ya got a minute?”

Barbara Wilkes spun around in the staff room in the bowels of the Montgomery Estate to find Ada Burke glaring at her. She forced a tight smile onto her face as she said, “Sure. How are you, Ada?”

Ada hated it when Barbara put on that fake-nice voice. Ever since Barbara had gone upstairs to work for Mrs. Montgomery, she’d become a little faker. “Oh, I’m just fine. Ya know, things are still the same down here. Washin’, foldin’, runnin’ meals and whatnot…”

“I remember. Well, if you don’t mind, I should get back to sorting Mrs. Montgomery’s mail. My break is almost over.”

“Before you do,” said Ada, quickly. “Mind if I ask you somethin’?”

“Of course not,” replied Barbara, carefully.

Ada sat across from Barbara, her mind racing a thousand miles a minute. “Seems that a friend of mine lives in your building.”

“So?”

“Said there’s some man stayin’ with you.”

Barbara could feel her throat tighten as her stomach began to churn. She knew she’d been careful about keeping her private life to herself, so how in the world did the likes of Ada Burke know that someone was living with her. Thinking as quickly as she could, Barbara replied, “Ada, I really don’t like to discuss my private life…”

“Just thought we were friends…at least friendly, ya know? Didn’t you know had a fella.”

“Ada, I think…this conversation is really inappropriate. If you’ll excuse me…”

“It’s all right. Just thought I’d ask. Makin’ sure you’re all right and all that.”

Barbara forced a half-hearted smile on her face which hid the frantic fury inside of her. “Well, I don’t make inquiries into your home life and I would appreciate it if you didn’t into mine!”

Before Barbara knew it, she was out of the staff room and into the corridors beneath the Montgomery Estate. She couldn’t believe that someone in Kingsport knew about Kenny. Barbara had given him crushed enough pills in his food to keep him lethargic until she figured out how to get rid of him. And now, that nosey busybody, Ada Burke, knew about that man. She wanted nothing more than to scream, but Barbara gathered her composure. No, she thought, quietly, she had to keep playing the long game. In time, Barbara knew she would move upstairs forever. Once that happened, she would get rid of all of the people who knew anything about her past…and that included one Ada Burke.

“Yes, Steven. That’ll be fine. Call every single white shoe law firm in Connecticut, New York, Paris, and London. I want cut Charles off at the knees should he decide to divorce me,” said Alison Farrell Montgomery in a hushed voice. “Thank you. Set up the calls and we’ll take it from there.” Alison placed the phone on the receiver just as her youngest child, Will, wandered into her private sitting room. “Please tell me that you and Connor have made up, Billy.”

He let out a soft sigh before saying, “We have. The wedding will go ahead as planned.”

“Thank goodness,” said Alison, lightly. “After the story in the Kingsport Press…”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“If India was behind it…”

“India is always behind everything bad that happens in my life. She’s hated me since the minute I was born.”

Alison kept quiet because she, of all people, knew that her son was right. “Then onto brighter news: My fittings for my wedding outfits went off without a hitch. Oh, I meant to tell you that I’m re-opening my homes in Paris and Cannes once I return to Europe after your wedding.”

“You’re leaving?” asked Will, his voice quivering with sadness.

“Yes,” replied, Alison flippantly. “Billy, my life is in France. I can’t sit around Kingsport for months on end. I’ll lose my mind.”

Will sullenly bit his bottom lip. “I’ve enjoyed having you in town. I wish you would stay.”

“You have access to the Montgomery jets. If you ever feel lonely, book one and come see me. It’s not as if we don’t have the time and the resources to see each other on a whim!”

“I know, but… Mom, I do think Connor has a problem with our lifestyle…our money.”

“He’ll get used to it,” sniffed Alison. “Besides, he should be happy that he doesn’t have to support you on a surgeon’s salary. Sorry, Billy. I didn’t mean it the way it sounds.” Alison walked over to her son and touched his face. “Billy, Connor will adapt. If he loves you for who you are, then the rest of it doesn’t matter.”

“But what if the rest of it does matter…to him…?”

“That’s what divorce lawyers are for,” said Alison, honestly. “If this marriage doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean the next one won’t.”

“I love Connor,” said Will, plainly.

“Oh, Billy, you’ve loved a lot of men.”

“Mom!”

“There was Lord Sam Duncaster, Brian Hepworth-Walton, and, let’s not forget the very first one, Nicholas Davenport. Actually,” said Alison in a low, private tone, “I thought you got together with Connor to get back at India.”

Will met his mother’s eye with shock and contempt. “That’s something she would do to me! I’d never do that to India…or anyone else!”

“I know that now, Billy.” Alison’s checked her phone which emitted an alert before saying, “I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay married to Connor, especially if it doesn’t work. There are other men out there who will love you for who you are, not for who they want you to be. A cliché, yes, but it’s true. Now, off with you. I have to change for lunch at the country club.”

As Will left his mother’s suite and considered her words, he knew then and there he was going to marry Connor and they would stay married forever. He couldn’t prove his mother right. He just couldn’t…

In our next installment, the Montgomery family celebrates Alison’s birthday…

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Kingsport #44

“Nicholas?”

Nicholas Davenport turned around to see Will Montgomery standing behind him at Tiffany & Jo, Kingsport’s favorite coffee shop for those who could afford to sit in a café all day, every day and order ten nine-dollar cappuccinos. “Hey, stranger,” smiled Nicholas as he gave Will a tight hug. It had been years since they’d seen each other, despite the fact that they shared a niece in Faren. “Your big day is coming up, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Will in a low, voice. “Happiest day of my life.”

Nicholas gave Will a curious look because Will’s tone as one he knew all too well. “I have a few minutes…if you want to talk.”

“No. Nicholas, I can’t…” Will jammed his hands into his bespoke jeans. “You’re my ex-boyfriend…”

Nicholas gave Will a playful punch on his arm. “That’s why you can talk to me. I know your bullshit better than most people.”

Will placed their order with a passing waiter as they sequestered themselves into the back booth of Tiffany & Jo. “I guess you haven’t heard.”

“Heard what? I got back to town this morning. I’m staying with Dylan.”

“Are you moving back to Kingsport?”

Nicholas shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’ll see. Anyway, what should I have heard about, Will?”

“India leaked a story to the Kingsport Press about the issues and fights Connor and I have been having about the wedding. It was an absolute mess. My parents are livid, Connor is furious, and the whole thing is just one big minefield.” Will clamed up as the waiter dropped off their oat milk cappuccinos and two croissants with extra butter on the side. “Everything was going fine until India came back from Paris and now my life feels like it’s going to implode if I go through with my wedding to Connor.”

“You love Connor, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you letting India goad you, Will? She’s always been this way. No matter what you have, she wants it. I don’t think doubting your love for Connor is the wisest thing to do.”

“But he’s changed so much, Nicholas. With India back in town, Connor has been morose, sullen, quick to temper, and just…prickly… I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“Well, India has done her best to ruin his life, too. Maybe you two should close ranks where India is concerned and forget she exists.”

Will mulled over Nicholas’ words for a long while. He knew his ex-boyfriend had a point. Will also knew that Nicholas only wanted what was best for him without the veil of a hidden agenda lurking in the shadows. “You don’t have to be so nice to me,” teased Will.

“You’re not that bad, Monty.” Nicholas gave Will a wink as he said the nickname he’d bestowed on Will so many years ago. “Look, for what it’s worth, I want you to be happy. From what I’ve heard about you and Connor, you guys are pretty solid. Letting India ruin your happily ever after won’t solve anything. We both know if it’s not Connor, it’ll be someone else who’s the object of India’s obsession. You can’t let her win, Will.”

“I’m not,” protested Will.

“You are,” insisted Nicholas. “If you call off your wedding to Connor, India has won. I promise you that, Monty.”

“Then what should I do?”

“I can’t tell you that,” said Nicholas, carefully. While he loved Will for more years than he could count, he knew better than to give too much of himself to this man. “I think you know what to do.”

Will nodded in agreement. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his ex-boyfriend, the first man he’d ever loved, was now the only person who made him face the reality of the situation. Despite what India said or did, Will loved Connor and he was determined to make him his husband, no matter what.

“Jill, we need to talk.”

Jill Stanhope Montgomery rolled her eyes as she smoothed the invisible wrinkles from her sun dress in the expansive master suite in the mansion she shared with Warren and their daughters. “I’m meeting Lisa for a late breakfast at the country club. We can talk later.”

“No, we’re going to talk now,” Warren said in a firm, unyielding voice.

Jill turned to her husband with a curious look in her eye. “Don’t take that tone with me, Warren. I don’t work for you.”

“I spoke with India the other day. She told me something very intriguing.”

“God. I don’t know why you bother listening to her. We all know what she’s like.”

“You see, that’s the curious thing. I know exactly what she’s like, Jill. I also know when she’s lying to me.” Warren walked behind his wife and placed his strong hands on her trembling waist. “I know you told India about Billy and Connor’s fight,” Warren whispered into her ear.

Jill did everything in her power to stop from screaming out of sheer astonishment. “That’s a lie,” stammered Jill. “I never…”

“You were at the estate that day. My mother confirmed you were there. I also know that you were in the vicinity of the English garden where my mother and Sheila were having a private conversation.” Warren’s eyes flashed with heated fury. “I want the truth out of you, Jill, and I want it now.”

Jill turned to her husband with fear in her heart. She couldn’t believe that Warren would trust anything India told him, but she had to correct this situation before she lost everything she’d worked so hard to keep. “It…India threatened me. I…only told her about the fight because she was going on and on about the wedding,” lied Jill. “I thought she might want to know that Will and Connor weren’t very in love that day.”

“Do you understand what you’ve done?!? Billy and India have always had a horrible relationship. She’s been after Connor for years and she’s the one who leaked the story to the press because of you! My family has been humiliated! Billy’s been in bits! People are gossiping about my family like we’re some common reality TV trash!”

“Warren, I didn’t know…”

“You knew exactly what you were doing, Jill! Do not insult my intelligence by stating otherwise. You know how unstable India can be and yet you weaponized her mental health because you disapprove of Billy’s marriage to Connor!”

“That’s not true,” cried Jill. “Warren, please! You have to believe me!” She fell into his arms with heavy sobs before he pushed her away from him. “You disgust me. What you’ve done… It’s vile, Jill. I can’t stand to look at you right now,” spat Warren.

“What are you going to do?” asked Jill in a small, pensive voice.

Warren glared at her with vicious contempt. “You don’t deserve my mercy, but you will do two things in return for me not telling my family that you told India about Billy’s private life.”

Jill looked up at Warren, her red eyes on display. “What?”

“You will attend Billy and Connor’s wedding. Hannah and Kate will be flower girls in the wedding, too. End of. We will not have this conversation again.” Warren grabbed his car keys from the dressing table before turning to his wife, who sat motionless on their handcrafted bed. “Oh, and Jill, if you keep playing games with my family, you will lose. I will see to it.”

Jill waited for the sound of her husband’s car to disappear before she rose from the bed, dried her eyes, and began to reapply her make-up. Yes, she knew exactly what she had done when she gossiped to India. And, for a brief while, her plan had worked. However, one thing Jill knew for sure was that anything could happen between now and that infernal wedding. In that moment, Jill resolved to do whatever she could to ensure Will’s wedding never happened…even if her history with Connor proved to be the final salvo in this deadly game.

 

In our next installment, Ada confronts Barbara as Alison prepares for the future…

 

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Kingsport #43

“Engagement of the Century Called Off: Behind the fights, battles, and brawls which ruined Will Montgomery’s chance for happiness!”

The headline blared across the front page of the Kingsport Press with such immediacy no one could tell if the headline was a cruel joke or a vindictive attempt at the truth. From the confines of the country club to well-appointed breakfast rooms to the docks of Kingsport, everyone (even those who claimed they had no vested interest in society) was shocked by the headline which assaulted their mundane breakfast and morning commutes. Even the most intrepid gossipmongers couldn’t believe their eyes which made them call the Kingsport Press only to find that their telephone lines were jam packed with reporters from around the world wanting an exclusive of one sort or another.

There was one person who knew all too well that while the headline dripped of truth, it didn’t represent the facts of Will’s engagement to Connor. Yes, he knew that Will could be terribly passive and wholly difficult, while Connor liked to have things his own way, lest everyone else suffer the repercussions. However, this person also knew a hit job when he saw one. He could feel…sense…that there was one person behind this story…and as he stood on the precipice of confrontation, Warren Montgomery knew that if he didn’t confront the culprit behind this story once and for all, there would never be peace in his family.

“Thank you for meeting with me.” Warren Montgomery let out a jagged cough before saying, “I take it you’ve seen this dreck?”

India Montgomery watched as Warren dropped the Kingsport Press on a marble coffee table in the Morning Room of the Montgomery Estate. Her eyes flickered over the overwrought headline before she said, “Oh. No. I haven’t.”

Warren eyed his sister with intense scrutiny. His sister was someone most people couldn’t bear to be around due to her unpredictable nature. He, however, knew her for exactly who she was. After all, he’d known her since the day of her birth in a way no one, not even their parents could claim. “India, please tell me you didn’t go to the press with this…gossip…”

“Warren, please don’t look at me like that! I… I didn’t do… This isn’t my fault!”

“Then you admit it?!? You always say that it isn’t your fault before you reveal that you’re behind it.” Warren let out a furious growl. “I can’t believe you would do this to Billy!”

“I didn’t mean to do it! I… Warren,” India began, desperately, “it wasn’t my fault. I promise.” Her dark eyes flickered with unknown mystery. “I don’t know what happened. One minute I was…and the next…” Her voice cracked with hopeless resignation as the tears began to flow. “Warren, you have to believe me!! Everyone else has written me off…but you…you’re the only person I can trust!”

“I can’t believe you would do this to Billy! He’s getting married in two weeks!”

“But Connor doesn’t love him, Warren!” stated India with grave intensity. “Connor’s a very bad man!”

“Not this again,” groaned Warren. “Connor has been far too patient with you over the last decade. You’re lucky that Mom and Dad have the resources to keep you away from legal action, India. If you were from some trailer park or something, you’d be in jail right now.”

“Warren, please, listen to me. I only…the reason I told the newspaper about Billy and Connor’s fight and the drama surrounding their wedding is…well, it’s true!”

“He’s our brother,” thundered Warren. “You’ve betrayed him in the worst way!”

“But I didn’t!”

“You just admitted…”

“I told the papers, but I only told them what I heard!”

“What?”

“Warren, I didn’t… Jill was the one who told me about the big fight Connor and Will had the other week. She told me.” India lowered his eyes as she said in a low, dark voice, “I’m sorry, Warren.”

“You’re lying,” seethed Warren. “Jill would never…”

“She did!” interjected India. “And she did it without any help from me. She gladly told me about the fight Connor and Billy had when they were looking at centerpieces or whatever. If you want to blame someone, blame your wife,” spat India, viciously.

Warren stared at his sister with dumbfounded disbelief. He knew Jill didn’t approve of Will’s marriage to Connor, but he never would have guessed that his wife would have told India about their ongoing problems. “Jill… India, you must be mistaken. You’ve always had a tenuous grasp on the truth.”

India let out a frustrated chuckle. “Me?? Oh, that’s right. I’m the crazy one. I’m the one who can’t tell her elbow from her ass. No matter what this family thinks of me, I’m not crazy, Warren. Jill told me what she knew and I told the press. Either way, Connor has no business marrying Billy when he’s already told me that he doesn’t love Billy.”

“He told you that?”

India nodded with satisfied glee. “Connor wants to be with me…and as soon as this article renders his marriage to Billy moot, then he’ll come back to me.”

“You really will do anything to feed your delusional dreams, won’t you, India?”

“Warren,” gasped India, “I’m telling you the truth!”

“No! You’re telling me what I want to hear. I pray to God that Billy and Connor are smart enough not to let this story ruin their wedding day.”

“You’re not going to tell them that it was me, are you? If you do, I’d just die, Warren!” India’s eyes flashed with shades of horror and fear. “I don’t know what I’d do… I… Please, Warren,” pleaded India, basely, “don’t tell them it was me!” Her eyes filled with cold, salty tears. “Oh, god! If Jill hadn’t told me then none of this would’ve happened. I hate myself, Warren. Please…please…”

Warren cast a disgusted eye on his sister, who was sobbing on her knees in the Morning Room of their family’s estate. He didn’t know what to say to her, but he’d seen this act many times before. In that moment, Warren knew that the only thing he could do was walk away from his sister. He had to ensure that Billy was all right and that Connor wasn’t taking him for a ride. Moreover, Warren had to confront Jill about her alleged role in India leaking this story to the press. If his wife was behind it, then Warren had no idea what to do next. However, he knew all too well that India lived in a world of fantasy and delusion, but, on occasion, that world collided with that of truth and reality…

 

In our next installment, Will makes a decision as Nicholas returns to Kingsport…

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