At thirty-five, Nicholas Davenport was the baby of his family as well as its black sheep. While Dylan had run the family company, Lisa had the auction house, and Eli had his own investment firm, Nicholas lived a slightly rudderless existence in Manhattan…or wherever the moment took him. He had had some success as a playwright, followed by two years writing for a procedural cop show, but he had yet to find his bliss. He drifted from relationship to relationship, party to party, dream to dream in such a way that his mother, Sheila, took umbrage with the way he lived his life. If it weren’t for the fact that his mother was still a trustee on his trust fund, Nicholas would have politely declined her request to meet in Kingsport today. As he sat in the Breakfast Room of the Kingsport Country Club, Nicholas felt instantly at home in a world he had cut himself off from years ago. It’s not that he didn’t take pride in his family, he did. The thing that always bothered him was the way they lived with such ostentatious disregard for those less fortunate.
“Nicky?” Lisa walked over to her baby brother and gave him a big hug. “I didn’t know Mom summoned you here as well!”
“Yeah, she’s full of surprises. How’ve you been?”
Lisa sat at the perfectly laid table with a muted sigh. “I’ve been fine. Mom and Dylan have been going at it over the company. To be honest, it’s starting to get on my nerves.”
“This is why I live in Manhattan,” laughed Nicholas.
“It would be nice if you moved back to Kingsport. Living in New York is fine in your twenties, but you should have a nice house, not that loft you call home.” Lisa let out a slight yelp. “Oh, no! I sound like Mom!”
“Just a little bit,” nodded Nicholas. “I’m happy in New York, Lisa. Trust me. I’d rather be there than under a microscope here.”
Lisa knew her brother was right. Although she loved Kingsport as well as the trappings that came from her social position, Lisa knew that Kingsport could be stifling, no matter how much money you had in your trust fund. “Mom wanted us here by ten. It’s not like her to be late.”
Nicholas looked up just as his oldest brother, Dylan Davenport, joined them at the table. “Hey, Dyl.”
“Nicholas! This is a surprise,” said Dylan, coolly. “I thought Mom was still voting your shares in Davenport.”
“Not as of last year. I’m finally free. She’s still the trustee on my trust, though. It’s so unfair,” sighed Nicholas.
“Wait,” said Lisa, suddenly. “This table is set for six people.”
“Sorry, I’m late.” Sheila Davenport approached the table with a heavy sigh. “My driver is out sick, so I had to have someone call the company to send another one. It’s as if people merely exist to inconvenience me.”
Nicholas shook his head with a sigh. “I doubt it.”
“Nicholas, you should have worn a tie,” tutted Sheila. “You look like you work in Idaho or something.”
“I look just fine,” he replied through gritted teeth.
“If you say so.” Sheila sat at the head of the table. “I’ve asked you all here because I’m worried about Davenport Technology. It’s our legacy. I fear that Meredith is trying to run it into the ground. You know I am against stock buybacks and she’s received board approval to do it. I want to stop her. If we…”
“You started without me. My plane was delayed. Fog and all.”
Sheila felt the color drain from her face. She slowly turned to see her son, Elijah Davenport, standing behind her dressed in a form fitting black suit with a perfectly matched tie. “How did you…”
“I called him,” Dylan chimed in. “I told you before, I’m not voting Eli’s proxy anymore. He has a right to be here.”
Eli smiled smugly as he sat at the end of the table next to Nicholas. “Mom, I wish you would have told me about this sooner, but Dylan filled me in.”
“I’m sure he did. Elijah, it would be…easier…if you simply gave Lisa or Nicholas the proxy to vote your shares. It’s not as if you’re even…interested in the company,” surmised Sheila.
Eli cleared his throat. “Please don’t speak for me. Actually, I agree with you, Mother. From what Dylan has told me, Meredith seems to be angling the company for a possible sale to bigger corporation. I still own stock in the company… Despite our feelings, I’d prefer if Davenport remained an independent company.” Eli looked at Sheila with a curious gaze. “I’d rather play nice. I want the company to succeed. However, if you’re intent on shutting me out, I’ll work around you. It’s up to you, Mommy.”
Barbara Wilkes re-read the Kingsport Post edition which revealed Will Montgomery’s engagement to Dr. Connor Windsor with unbridled glee. She felt as if she were a part of the story because she had served Connor an iced tea on the afternoon he proposed and she did work at the Montgomery Estate. As she soaked up the remaining details in the newspaper, Barbara wondered if she would be allowed to work the wedding and reception. Or, at the very least, maybe the staff would be invited as guests as they were in England. Barbara smiled broadly at the thought of being among the invited guests at a Montgomery wedding. She’d have to buy a new dress from the finest store in Kingsport called Abington’s or take the train to Manhattan in order to purchase a dress from a Madison Avenue department store. The thought filled her with so much joy she felt like she was doing to burst. For the first time in weeks, she felt alive again. If Dane or Mrs. Taplin put her upstairs again, she knew she could stay there. So far, that hadn’t happened. As Ada’s words rang through her head, Barbara decided to ignore them. What did Ada know? She was a servant who was content being a servant. Barbara wouldn’t be content until she reached her ultimate goal. She was close… She was so close… But little did she know that her past was catching up with her and it wouldn’t be long until her carefully constructed lie unraveled for all the world to see…
In our next installment, India asks Eli for a life changing favor…
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