Tag: Barbara Wilkes

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Kingsport #53

Barbara Wilkes sat in the waiting room of the emergency room when Dr. Brooks came up to her with a woeful look. “Is he all right, doctor?” asked Barbara in a soft, hushed tone. “He seemed fine last night…”

Dr. Brooks glanced at the chart in her hands. “Mr. Wilkes seems to have Landry-Guillain-Barré syndrome. It’s either that or abdominal pain brought on by a hernia.”

“Oh.” Barbara wiped away a few stray tears. “I didn’t know what do when he collapsed.”

“It’s good you brought him in when you did. It could be an intestinal issue as well, but if the stomach cramps continue, bring him back. He should be all right in a couple of days.”

Barbara thanked the doctor for her help as a dark cloud covered her tear streaked face. She had done everything in her power to ensure Kenny would be out of her life forever and now the doctor was sending him home. Maybe she hadn’t used enough pills or used them quickly enough, but in that moment, Barbara knew she would have to alter her plan to rid Kenny from her life. Screwing up all of the false compassion inside of her, Barbara walked through the thin curtain to find Kenny on a gurney.

“Still feel like crap,” groaned Kenny. “Why’re they sendin’ me home?”

“You don’t have insurance and I can’t pay for you to stay here for six weeks.” Barbara drummed her fingers against her purse. “If you went back home, I’m sure someone would…”

“This is my home now,” sneered Kenny. “Can’t believe my gut’s betrayin’ me.”

“You’re not healthy. You spend my money on beer and pork rinds. Enough to make me sick just be watching you.”

Kenny reached out for Barbara’s hand, but she ignored him. “I’m sick. I need ya, girlie.”

Barbara took a sharp breath. “I have to pay the bill. You’re lucky I make decent money.” With that, Barbara spun around and left Kenny on the gurney. As she quickly walked into the restroom, Barbara knew she had to rid herself of his man once and for all. If the pills didn’t work, what would? As she racked her brains for an answer, she had a brilliant thought: If everyone thinks he’s incompetent or crazy, then she could assume total control of his life…and get rid of Kenny Wilkes once and for all…

“We should drop by the estate to check on Billy before I leave for Los Angeles.” Warren Montgomery finished his second martini of the night as he relaxed into his favorite leather chair.

Jill Stanhope Montgomery bit her lip with quiet resignation. “I don’t see why we should check on Billy. He’s fine.”

“He’s been humiliated,” corrected Warren. “I could kill Connor.”

“Warren, I know Connor is supposed to be your best friend, but…”

“But what, Jill? After Connor’s little stunt, he’s no friend of mine.”

Jill could feel her blood begin to boil at the mention of Connor’s name. She had been a fool to have sex with him days before his wedding to Will, but it wasn’t her fault because she needed to have a real man inside of her. To Jill’s surprise, the guilt she should have felt had yet to surface. “I don’t think it’s worth throwing away your friendship with Connor because of what happened to Will.”

Warren shook his head with grave resignation. “I wouldn’t expect to you have any compassion for my brother, Jill. I know you hate him because he’s gay.”

“That’s not true,” Jill protested hollowly. “It’s just…”

Warren raised a defiant hand. “Don’t even brother.” He rose from his chair, closed the large French doors, and said, “No one deserves that kind of public humiliation.”

Jill let out a frustrated sigh. “Have you talked to your parents?”

“I talked to my dad. He said that Billy is still locked away in his bedroom suite, but he’s eating and will leave the estate to ride Sir Galahad, but that’s it. Billy won’t speak to anyone right now.”

“Then us going over there won’t do any good. Warren, if you want to see Will, then go without me. Me being there will only make matters worse.”

“I suppose you’re right,” reasoned Warren. “Anyway, it’s late. I should get to bed. Good night, Jill.”

Jill watched her husband walk upstairs before she let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been subjected to Will and Connor’s wedding, her daughters hadn’t been in their wedding party, she’d been able to sleep with Connor, and he’d left town. Everything was working out in Jill’s world. A small smile crossed her lips as Jill realized she could get away with anything… Little did she know, but her world was close to imploding in a way she never could have dreamed…

 

In our next installment, Dylan sounds the alarm…

 

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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 #42

“Charles, we need to discuss how much money we’re settling on Billy upon his marriage to Connor.” Alison Farrell Montgomery peered over the rim of her glasses as Barbara Wilkes walked into the Morning Room with her mail. “Thank you,” Alison replied, crisply.

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Montgomery,” smiled Barbara. While she loved being upstairs, Barbara still hadn’t been able to crack the mystery of Alison Farrell Montgomery. She was a woman Barbara wanted to be, yet she had no idea how to formulate her life into one like Alison’s.

“Have the kitchen send up the coffee I prefer,” Charles said to Barbara.

Barbara waited for Charles to give her a smile or a wink, but his face was blank. Without a word, Barbara quickly exited the room.

“What do you think about that one?” asked Charles.

“Hmm? Which one?”

Charles cleared his throat. “Never mind.”

Alison took a long sip of tea before saying, “How much money are we settling on Billy upon his marriage to Connor? We put $20 million in trust for Warren, plus $5 million each for any children he had with Jill. I suppose we don’t need to worry about children where Billy and Connor are concerned.”

“They could surprise us,” noted Charles, quietly.

Alison raised a curious eyebrow. “Since when have you become the flag bearer for the gay rights?”

“He’s my son, Alison. I love him. What he does and who he does it with is none of my concern.” Charles wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. “Let’s settle the same amount onto Billy. If they have children, we’ll figure it out then.”

“Fine. Have the family office draw up the trust and I’ll have my bankers wire over my half of the money.” Alison checked her phone before adding, “I do hope Billy and Connor go through with this wedding. It would be a shame if we had to call it off.”

“It’ll happen. Connor Windsor knows he can’t do any better than Billy. Everyone else is terribly common.”

“From what Billy told Warren, their fights are only becoming more intense.”

“That’s marriage,” reasoned Charles, lightly. “Actually, Alison, I wanted to discuss something with you. How would you feel about us getting divorced?”

Alison looked at Charles carefully before she realized he had uttered the one word she thought he’d never say in her presence. “I think it’s ludicrous.”

“We hardly spend any time together…”

“By design. By choice. I don’t rely on you for money; nor do you me. Most marriages are based on a certain imbalance centered around money and that doesn’t concern us. We’re free to have our separate lives without the common ugliness of a divorce to mar our obituaries.”

Charles pondered this sentiment for a while. One of the best things about being married to Alison was that she had a fortune of her own which never made her rely on his. They were the same people from the same world with the same values. While it helped in the early years of their marriage, Charles was beginning to want something more…something fresh…something youthful… “I didn’t think you cared what society said about you.”

“I am society,” Alison corrected her husband. “Whose families are as old and as rich as the Farrells and the Montgomerys? Not many.” She took a small bite of gravlax before saying, “Charles, I am a bit…miffed…that you would mention divorce to me. May I ask what brought you to this point?”

“We have separate lives. You date other men in Paris; I sleep with women when it suits me. Other than tax purposes, there’s no reason for us to stay married. Our children are almost all middle aged, so staying together for India, Warren, and Billy isn’t a viable excuse anymore.”

“Then why change things now?”

“Why not?”

“There will be a divorce. The details of our private lives…the details we’ve both worked to keep quiet…may fall into the public sphere. I’m sorry, but I don’t want Raquel Windsor to know our household budget. Moreover,” added Alison, “someone may be able to unearth your actual net worth, not the number Forbes has gotten wrong for forty years.”

“Isn’t our freedom worth more than money?”

“I’d argue it’s the money that affords us freedom. We don’t have to worry about much of anything as long as it’s out of the public eye.” Alison rose, walked over to Charles, and kissed his cheek. “Even though we have separate lives, I’ll always love you, Charles. Do you remember the first time we met?”

“Of course. It was at the country club.”

“No, we met as children in Palm Beach.”

“Such a ghastly place.”

“Oh, I remember,” laughed Alison. “My governess and nanny brought we down there when I was nine. We played tag in the public park before trying to liberate the monkeys at the zoo. In that moment…before I knew what love was, I knew I loved you… The boy with the golden hair was how I remembered you.”

Charles pulled Alison close to him. He smelled her bespoke perfume as he caressed her soft, supple skin. “I remember the first time we had sex… The night I proposed to you…”

“I wanted to make a mockery of being forced to wear white,” whispered Alison. “That was the best night of my life.” She let her hand graze his growing erection. “Why don’t we go to my suite and…reconnect…my boy with the golden hair…”

Before he knew it, Charles grabbed Alison by the hand and whisked her away.

From the shadows of the servant’s door, Barbara Wilkes watched in envy as the man she’d come to Kingsport to seduce went upstairs to have sex with his wife. In that moment, Barbara resolved that she would be able to seduce Charles one day…but today, she had to live a life she hated in the hopes she would get the life she knew she deserved.

 

In our next installment, Warren confronts India…

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Kingsport #37

Kenny Wilkes chugged the last beer in Barbara’s refrigerator before devouring what was left of his sandwich. A mighty belch escaped his gut as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He rubbed his protruding belly with a heavy sigh and sank deeper into the sofa. While he missed his trailer back home, he did like the fact that his little wife made good money working as a maid for that rich family on the edge of town. He didn’t care if she liked it or not because she always had food, money, and now a good place to live by his standards. For Kenny, life was sweet. The sound of Barbara opening the front door prompted Kenny to remain seated as he flipped on the television. “Hope you got more beer,” he barked at her.

Barbara Wilkes glared at Kenny with marked contempt. How she hated this man. She hated everything about him from his yellowing teeth, unkempt toenails, and vile smell. Barbara wanted nothing more than for this waste of flesh to vanish from the face of the earth. She still couldn’t figure out how he’d been able to track her to Kingsport, but Barbara had a plan. No matter what, Kenny Wilkes wouldn’t stand in her way of obtaining her singular goal…the only reason she’d come to Kingsport. “You need to find yourself a job,” snapped Barbara.

“Why’d I do that?” Kenny glowered at her with seething contempt. “You’re my wife, girlie.”

“I am not a girl!”

“You’ll always be my sweet little girl… Sweet as the day I showed you how to have sex. So pure. So innocent.”

“I was a child!” retorted Barbara. “If my mother hadn’t been drugged out of her mind, she never would’ve allowed you to marry me.”

Kenny smiled cunningly. “Give ‘em pills, booze, cigarettes…and never stop. Perfect way to get someone to do whatever ya say.”

“I want you out of my apartment, Kenny. I mean it.”

“Ain’t for you to say. I’m your husband. It’s as much my place as yours. As a matter of fact, think it is time you started giving me your pay like you did before. You know you’re bad with money. Can’t be trusted. Probably go out and buy something fancy the likes of you don’t need. What ya got in your wallet?”

Barbara saw nothing but a flash of red as Kenny lunged for her purse. She quickly grabbed it, held it tight, and backed away from him. “No! I’m not giving you a cent!”

“You’d better do what’s right for you!”

“Or what?”

Kenny narrowed his beady eyes. “I’ll knock your ass into next year. You choose.”

Barbara held her ground as she stared into his blank eyes. “No.”

Before Kenny could strike her, Barbara pushed him with such force, he tripped over his feet before crashing into the coffee table. Stunned, Kenny touched his forehead to find it covered in blood. “You little bitch! I’m a kill you.”

“Go to hell!”

“Oh. I see. The little whore thinks she’s above herself now. You ain’t nothing, girlie…’cept my wife.” Kenny rose with a wobble, started for the bathroom, and said, “This ain’t over.”

As Kenny walked into the bathroom, Barbara felt a wave of relief wash over her. She knew that today was the day for her plan to come into effect. Barbara calmly walked to the kitchen, opened the bag from the pharmacy, and examined the little bottle. The cure to all of her problems resided in this anonymous plastic tube. Little did Kenny know, but his days of tormenting Barbara would soon come to an end…as would life as he knew it…

India Montgomery waited in the parking lot of the hospital until she spied Dr. Connor Windsor coming out of the building. She watched him for a moment as a wave of desire crushed her heart. Despite everything this man had done to her, she couldn’t let him go. She couldn’t. There was no way in the world she would lose him to Billy. “I need to talk to you,” called India as she raced over to him. “You can’t go through with the wedding!”

Connor glared at India with marked contempt. “Get out of my face, India.”

“No. I know about your fight with Billy.”

Connor shot India an incredulous look. “How on earth…”

“It’s okay,” whispered India. “You don’t have to marry him.” She stroked his beard with a small smile. “I can be everything he can’t be for you, Connor. Billy’s a fool to let you go.”

Connor swatted away her hand before saying, “You need to understand that I have never…and will never…love you, India.”

“Yes, you do! What we had…”

“We had nothing,” seethed Connor. “You’re crazy. Everyone says so.”

“Connor, don’t… Please don’t be mean to me,” India said as she battled back tears. “I know you love me!”

He took a step towards India, stared into her watery eyes, and deftly ran his hands down her thighs. “You like when I do that…” Connor leaned close to India as he exhaled on her swan like neck. “Remember when,” he said in a low, terrifying voice, “I would…well, you remember…”

India could feel herself begin to quake under his spell. “Don’t marry Billy. You…you can’t do that to me, Connor.”

“I can do whatever I want to you, India. I always have…and I always will.” Connor unlocked his car with a vicious laugh. “I love Billy. He believes it. The world believes it. No one will ever believe a word you say, India. I made sure of that a long time ago. Maybe one day…we can remember when…”

India watched Connor drive away, but in her heart of hearts she knew that he would keep his word. If Connor didn’t love Billy, then she would make sure that their wedding never happened. Yes, she didn’t have much time, but if it’s one thing India Montgomery knew how to do, it was how to ruin her brother’s life in order to get what was rightfully hers.

In our next installment, it’s Nicholas’ birthday…

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Kingsport #33

The sight of Kenny Wilkes in Kingsport scared Barbara to death. It had been two days since that man had darkened her door and she still didn’t know how he’d been able to track her down. She’d left him in the middle of the night while he was black out drunk. It was the first chance she’d had in years to escape him, so she took it. On her way to the bus depot, she happened to pick up a magazine which extolled the virtues of Kingsport along with its richest residents. Ever the chancer, Barbara knew that if she could work for the Montgomery family, she would be able to sleep with Charles Montgomery, IV, become his mistress, and bear his child. That was her plan. Everything was going to plan until Kenny Wilkes arrived with his dirty fingernails, unkempt hair, and breath smelling of cheap beer and even cheaper cigarettes. In another life, Kenny had been enough. In this life, he was everything Barbara loathed: He was free of ambition with no drive to better himself. On top of that, her mother had forced Barbara to marry Kenny when she was fifteen. Some people whispered Barbara’s mother (who was always in and out of jail) sold her daughter for six hundred dollars, a steady supply of pills, and a carton of cigarettes to a man who was forty years her senior. Barbara knew it was true; she wouldn’t admit it to anyone.

As Barbara sorted Alison Farrell Montgomery’s mail and invitations at her desk at the Montgomery Estate, Barbara did everything in her power to remain cool and collected. However, her thoughts kept going back to the man who was currently in her apartment and refusing to leave because he was her husband.

Husband.

The word alone made Barbara want to vomit. That man was her abuser. Her jailer. Her albatross. Barbara associated husbands with lithe, fit, beautiful men from romantic comedies, not extras from Deliverance.

“Barbara,” called Dane Hurley. “Ada is on her lunch break and I need for you to bring a lunch tray to the library.”

“But I’m…”

“Now,” Dane said firmly as he walked out of the room.

Barbara sighed, pulled herself together, collected the tray, and heaved it through the servant’s quarters to the glorious library. Even though she’d been forced to drop out of high school the semester before graduation by Kenny because “a woman’s place is two steps behind me”, Barbara loved books. Reading was her only escape from a world devoid of life, color, joy, and happiness. That was why she risked being in the library the day Ada warned her about getting above herself because she felt at peace for the first time in her life. First Kenny, now Ada. If it weren’t for other people, thought Barbara, she would be happy.

As she knocked on the door and walked into the library, Barbara nearly tripped when she saw Charles Montgomery, IV sitting near one of the large windows smoking a cigar. He looked up to see Barbara lingering in the doorway. “What do we have here?” he asked, quickly.

“Your lunch, Mr. Montgomery.” Barbara walked his lunch tray to the well-laid table near the fireplace.

Charles strode over to the table, picked up the silver dome, and eyed the lunch of grilled salmon, rustic vegetables, and a baked potato. “I don’t want this. Chef is losing his touch. Tell him I want a hamburger.”

Barbara quietly salivated at the luxurious meal as she placed the dome on the tray. “I’ll tell him, Mr. Montgomery.”

“Thank you.” Charles eyed Barbara carefully. “You’re new here.”

She stopped in her tracks. No one had ever spoken to her before. They barked orders at her, but they didn’t speak to her. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond, so she simply said, “Yes. I’ve been here for a few weeks.”

“Then I trust we’re treating you well.”

Barbara kept her head low. “Very well, sir.”

“Good.” Charles gave Barbara a low smile. Yes, he thought, this creature had something…interesting about her. “Do you have a name or did Dane strip it from you upon your employment here?”

“Barbara,” she said, lightly.

“You know who I am, so there’s no need for all of that. It’s been a pleasure to speak with you, Barbara.” With that, Charles turned his back to her as he continued to smoke his cigar.

Barbara couldn’t believe the twisted nature of her luck. First, Kenny had tracked her down to Kingsport for reasons he hadn’t told her and now she’d finally met Charles Montgomery, IV. Her heart raced with fury, coupled with excitement. Maybe, just maybe, thought Barbara, things would work out after all. They could have worked out before Kenny came to town and now…well, Barbara wasn’t too sure. After all of her hard work, Charles had taken notice of her. That meant more to her than anything. She knew that one day, she would reach her goal, but she had to get Kenny out of her life. Now.

As Barbara sat on her familiar stool as the chef prepared Charles’ hamburger, she began to think of how to get Kenny out of her life. She could divorce him, but that didn’t stop him from being a presence in her life. Barbara considered other options… Most were too extreme, but one…well, maybe that could work. Just maybe…

The chef called out for Barbara to take Charles his meal which only fueled her desire to finish the plan she’d crafted for herself months ago. However, once Barbara walked into the library, Charles was gone. It felt like an awful dream. She stood there unsure of what to do when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. Even though she wasn’t supposed to look at it, she did. Kenny was texting her demanding to know when she’d be back, how much money she had, and what was for dinner. And there, in the middle of what felt like the worst moment of her life, Barbara decided that the best thing to do was rid Kenny from her life. She couldn’t risk getting Charles and losing him all the same. No. It was time to ensure everything she’d worked so hard for would come true…someday soon…

In our next installment, Eli defends his plan to Dylan…

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