Tag: Dylan Davenport

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Kingsport #19

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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Kingsport #17

Lisa Davenport Collins thumbed through the worn auction catalog as a little yawn made its way across her lips. Today had been a very trying day. One client insisted his Rembrandt was authentic (it wasn’t), while another insisted her collection of dog paintings could fetch top dollar in an upcoming evening sale (they wouldn’t). Although Lisa didn’t need to work, she loved the feeling of having something to do unlike everyone else she knew who pretended to work once they earned enough money to ensure they could stay in cashmere and diamonds for the rest of their lives. Lisa tucked the catalog into the desk of her home office when her son, Oliver, bounded down the hall followed by her brother, Dylan.

“Uncle Dylan is here to see you,” announced Oliver.

“Thanks, little man.” Dylan handed his nephew a crisp ten-dollar bill.

“Awesome!” Oliver squealed as he ran down the corridor.

Lisa saved the document she was working on as she said, “Mom is furious with you.”

Dylan let out an irritated sigh. “I’m aware of that, Lisa. I thought you wanted me to come by to talk about something important.”

“You know how much she relies on you, Dylan.” Lisa removed the silver tennis watch from her left wrist. “Instead of being understanding…sometimes you can be a little harsh. Now, I know Mom probably worked your last nerve, but she didn’t mean any harm.”

“Lisa, you sound like she coached you into saying that.”

“Hardly. I’m not a fool where Mom is concerned, but I do think you could stand to be more understanding and less…volcanic.” Lisa moved closer to her brother, who sat on the love seat in her home office. “We’re one of the few wealthy, old black families in America. Most of our wealth is tied up in Davenport Technology. If Meredith does do something to harm the company, there goes our whole way of life. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I don’t want to see that happen to us, Dylan.”

Dylan thought about his sister’s words for a moment. While she rarely interfered when it came to the family company, he knew all too well that her concern was well placed, unlike Sheila’s. “Lisa, there’s nothing I can do about Meredith. None of us are on the Board of Directors. We’re just owners. Unless we vote in unison, then there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“I don’t see why we can’t vote in unison, Dylan. You always have Eli’s proxy…”

“I did.” Dylan shrugged. “I told Mom that I’m not going to be her go-between when it comes to Eli anymore.”

“Dylan,” Lisa said with unbridled shock. “Why would you do something like that?!?”

“Because I’m literally not my brother’s keeper!”

“This is different. We all know… Mom and Eli are best kept apart.”

“Lisa, my mind is made up. I’ve already told Mom. If she wants to call a family meeting to agree on how to vote our shares, then she’s going to have to speak to Eli and get him to fly in from San Francisco. Or, you can get Eli’s proxy from him.”

Lisa shuddered at the thought. While she was on good terms with Eli (for the most part), she didn’t feel like it was her responsibility to be put in the middle of his epic battle of contrition with Sheila. “I’d rather not,” whispered Lisa. “Sometimes I wish that whatever happened with Dad hadn’t happened and we could…” Her voice trailed off. “I don’t know…”

“There’s no use in wondering, Lisa. It’s all in the past. It’s up to Mom to let things go, which she’s incapable of doing. I’ve told her many times that I’m not going back to Davenport. I’ve told her I will not vote Eli’s shares by proxy. She doesn’t want to listen. She wants to get mad and let you do her bidding. I’m sick of it, Lisa. I really am.”

 

 

“Barbara, come with me.” Mrs. Taplin summoned Barbara with her long, bony finger. “We need you to welcome a guest to the estate. Louise is at lunch. Normally, we’d never have a maid do it, but we cannot simply have a guest show themselves around the estate. The guest will be in the Sun Room.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Barbara, quietly. “I only want to do a good job.”

“That’s all anyone wants you to do,” snapped Mrs. Taplin. “There’s no need to work so hard.” Mrs. Taplin showed Barbara into the main servant’s corridor. She handed her a sheet of paper. “Read this. Everything on here tells you how to greet a visitor, how to show them to a room, and how to wait on them until a member of the family comes to greet them. The butler will show in the guest in a little less than an hour. I suggest you absorb everything on that page!”

Barbara found a chair in the hall as she read through the withering manifesto. “You are to say hello to the guest without giving your name when they enter the room. Simply ask if they would like a refreshment, alcohol, tea, or coffee. Take the order. Do not write it down. You must rely on your memory. Relay the order to the kitchen. You will then retreat to the staff area until called upon again,” Barbara read quietly. While she loved being on the Montgomery Estate, she was quickly growing tired of being rendered invisible all of the time.

“I just saw Old Taps marching around like she wanted to kick a puppy. You okay?” asked Ada.

Barbara stood up as she checked her watch. “Yes, I’m fine, Ada. If you’ll excuse me, I have to welcome a guest to the Sun Room.”

“The Sun Room! Look at you movin’ on up!” laughed Ada.

Yes, I am moving on up, Barbara thought, ruefully. There was no way in the world Barbara would allow herself to become trapped in the hell that was being a maid on the Montgomery Estate. She was moving up…and she wouldn’t let anyone stop her.

 

 

“Good afternoon, Dr. Windsor.”

Connor tapped away on his phone without looking at the lowly maid standing in the corner. “Hi,” he grumbled.

“Would you like a refreshment? Coffee, tea…”

“No,” snapped Connor. “Just have someone bring me an iced tea.” With a wave of his hand, he went back to his phone.

Barbara stood there for a moment. Whether she was stunned or insulted, she didn’t know. What she did know was that she had a job to do. She’d come this far…she’d made it upstairs…and she would do whatever it took to stay upstairs in these plush, sun dappled rooms. Without a word, Barbara turned, walked to a door in the corridor, and returned to the servant’s area.

“Will,” said Connor as Will walked into the Sun Room. “Thanks for calling me.”

Will walked towards Connor, stared into his gunmetal blue eyes, and kissed him. He kissed him as if his life depended on it. Here, in this moment, Will felt safer and more complete than he had in his entire life. “I’m sorry,” sighed Will. “I reacted impetuously.”

“Hey,” whispered Connor. “It’s okay. Let’s leave it in the past.”

“I do love you, Connor.”

“I love you, too, Will.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t visit you in Maine…”

“It’s all right. We’re here now.” Connor took Will in his arms. He smothered his boyfriend’s neck in raw, passionate kisses. “I had a lot of time to think.”

“About what?”

“Us.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Without a word, Connor dropped to one knee and pulled a small ring box from his blazer pocket. “William Harrison Montgomery, will you marry me?”

 

In our next installment, India’s world is rocked…

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Kingsport #16

“You need to talk to him.” Warren kicked off his riding boots across Will’s office. “You’ve been miserable all weekend, Billy. The way you sulked through mine and Dad’s Father’s Day dinner was embarrassing.”

Will glared at Warren over his computer monitor. “Warren, I’m busy,” snapped Will. “I don’t have time to talk about Connor.”

Warren suppressed an exasperated eyeroll. He loved his baby brother, but he knew Will could hide behind the pretense of being hurt and shocked to avoid dealing with issues which bothered him. “Billy, stop it. You love Warren. I haven’t seen you this happy in years.”

“I’m not happy with him now.”

“So?”

“He slept with India!”

“Years ago! Everyone has a past. If you expect him to be pure without a hint of a past, you’re delusional.” Warren plopped down on the sofa near the windows in Will’s office. “When you lived in New York and Amsterdam, I know you weren’t celibate. I doubt Connor holds it against you.”

“That’s different,” insisted Will.

“How?!”

“I didn’t sleep with Connor’s sister!”

“Billy, grow up. You can’t allow India to rule your life. We all know she’s obsessed with Connor. That’s old news. If they had an affair or whatever years ago, it’s none of your business.”

Will bit his bottom lip. “It is my business…”

“Billy. Come on.” Warren shook his head with annoyed love. “Let it go. Don’t throw away your relationship with Connor because of India. She’s not going anywhere. If you two can’t ignore her, then you don’t deserve each other.”

“When I was in Paris, Mother seemed to believe that the only reason India came back to Kingsport was to cause trouble with me and Connor.” Will eyed Warren carefully. “Do you think she’s right?”

Warren nodded in agreement. “It’s classic India.”

“Our parents should have had her committed when they had the chance,” Will muttered under his breath. “She’s always looking for ways to ruin my life.”

“Then stop letting her ruin your life, Billy. Right now, you’re choosing to be India’s victim. Grow a pair and fight her head on. Or, better yet, ignore her. The less power you give her, the more she’ll fade away,” reasoned Warren. “When is Connor getting back from Maine?”

“Today,” sighed Will. “But I don’t know, Warren…”

“You need to see him. Forgive him. Move on. Why don’t you make dinner for him and apologize?”

“I haven’t done anything wrong!” exclaimed Will.

“Billy, I love you, but you’re acting like Dad right now. It’s time you admitted that you overreacted and move on. Be happy with Connor. Forget about India. If you can’t do that, then you don’t deserve to be happy.”

 

 

“Why has the board approved a stock buyback?” Sheila Davenport handed her son, Dylan, a copy of an internal email that she had procured through an ally at Davenport Technology.

Dylan put on his reading glasses as he skimmed the email. “Mom, this is a matter for the board of Davenport. It has nothing to do with me.”

Sheila let out an exasperated sigh. Without Dylan in control of Davenport Technology, she felt shutout from the real decision-making process of the company. While Sheila enjoyed the dividends that came from Davenport Technology’s position as a publicly traded company, she did not enjoy having little to no say like she did when it was controlled by Larry. “Dylan,” began Sheila, “the stock price is too high. Meredith should have received board approval when the stock was trading around thirty dollars a share.” She pulled up the stock symbol of Davenport Technology’s current price. “See,” she thrust the phone into Dylan’s face. “The stock is at eighty-two dollars a share right now. This is madness!”

“Mom,” said Dylan, softly, “this isn’t my problem anymore.”

“This is about protecting the family’s legacy…”

Dylan let out a long, irritated sigh. His plan for today was to go to the gym, have lunch with Lisa’s husband, Jackson, and make dinner for a woman he’d been seeing for the last month. However, his mother’s unexpected visit to his six-bedroom, eight-bathroom, ten-room mansion in one of the few gated communities in Kingsport, had waylaid his plans. “I don’t want to hear about the family legacy,” snapped Dylan. “You only talk to me when you want to complain about how Meredith McCarthy is ruining the company, or when the stock price isn’t where you want it, or how if they didn’t ask your opinion about what type of paper on which to print the annual report! I can’t remember the last time you asked me about my personal life. Quite frankly, I’m sick of it.”

Sheila sat in her son’s Drawing Room with marked silence. She knew her eldest child could be volatile, but he’d never deigned to be so abrupt with her. “Had you not quit as the CEO of Davenport, none of this would be an issue. You abandoned the company.”

“I’ve given most of my life to the company. I’m forty-nine years old. I want more from life. I want to enjoy myself. Travel. Have a second act.”

Sheila shook her head. “Go and find yourself. Travel the world. Have your second act, Dylan. But when you’re doing all of those wonderful things, remember that it’s the company stock sitting in your trust fund which allows you to live a carefree, self-indulgent life. You were supposed to live up to your father’s legacy, not runaway because the job was too hard. I’ve never been more ashamed of you than the day you announced your resignation. Just pitiful.” Sheila stood up, collected her alligator purse, and glared at Dylan with marked contempt. “I’m calling a family meeting to discuss the company. We may not own the company outright anymore, but through our trusts, we do control thirty percent of the company. What we say goes. I want Davenport Technology to last another hundred years. You may have abandoned the company, but I most certainly have not.”

Despite his mother’s harsh words, Dylan refused to waver. “You are entitled to your opinion. Just one thing: If you do call this family meeting, you’ll have to invite Eli.”

Sheila turned to Dylan with fire in his eyes. “He normally gives you his proxy.”

“I did that to keep the peace. Eli understood. I’m not doing it anymore, Mom. If you want to wage this war with Meredith and the board, then Eli will have to be a part of that conversation.”

“I can’t believe you’d do that to me,” hissed Sheila. “I do not want to see Elijah!”

“Tough. I’ve made up my mind. I’m done being your whipping boy…your unpaid therapist. Call a meeting. Invite Eli back into our lives. Or let Meredith run the company. The choice is yours. Either way, I will not do your bidding anymore.” Dylan walked to the door of the Drawing Room and opened it without looking at Sheila. “Have a nice day, Mother.”

In our next installment, Dylan confides in Lisa…

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Kingsport #13

Dylan Davenport paced throughout the library of the Davenport Mansion while he sipped a glass of iced tea. He hadn’t intended on visiting his mother today, but now that he was no longer the Chief Executive Officer of Davenport Technology, he had all the time in the world. As Dylan surveyed the first editions of tomes by Morrison, Fitzgerald, and Walker carefully displayed on perfectly decorated bookshelves, he lost himself in the moment.

“I am sorry I’m late,” Sheila stated as she walked into the library. She placed her alligator handbag on an ottoman as she gave Dylan a hug. “You look good, Dylan. I’m glad to see you’ve lost those pesky fifteen pounds. An athletic form suits you.”

Dylan smiled through his mother’s backhanded compliment. She provided these toxic bon mots so regularly he rarely noticed them anymore. “It’s nice to see you, too, Mom.” He cleared his throat. “You said you wanted to talk about something important…”

Sheila pursed her lips. “I’m not happy with the way Meredith is running Davenport Technology.”

“The Board of Directors selected her as the new CEO of Davenport. She’s just started her three-year contract. Give her time.”

“In theory that sounds lovely, but I’m concerned, Dylan. The stock price rose from thirty-eight dollars a share to one hundred and fifty dollars a share thanks to the pandemic, but now it’s languishing around eighty-four dollars a share.”

Dylan eyed his mother carefully. While Sheila claimed to be the steward of Davenport Technology, she was more concerned about a steady stock price and quarterly dividends more than anything else. “Mom, the company is in fine shape. It’s better than when I left it.”

“You provided the groundwork for Meredith. I fear that once she’s done coasting on your strategy, she’ll be adrift and take the company down with her.” Sheila wrung her hands together as she often did when she was forming a plan. “Dylan, I think you should come back to Davenport as the Chairman of the Board.”

Dylan shot his mother an incredulous stare. “No!” he exclaimed. “My days at Davenport are well and truly behind me!”

“Dylan, be serious. This is your legacy! It’s Faren and Oliver’s legacy, too!”

“Mom, don’t talk to me about legacies. My marriage fell apart because I spent four years trying to save the company from hostile takeovers, bad business deals, and rapacious investors. I’m not willing to give up my life for Davenport. Not this time.”

Sheila narrowed her eyes on Dylan. She knew he was right, but for Sheila, the good of the company always outweighed the family’s personal lives. “I think your father would want you to be the guiding force at the company…”

“Mom, don’t even…”

“Larry always wanted you to be the steward of Davenport Technology. We knew it may not be easy once we took the company public, but you exceled in the role. I think it may be time for you to, well, reclaim your birthright.”

“No, Mom. I’m out. Lisa, Nicholas, or Eli can assume the position!”

“Lisa is busy at the auction house. Nicholas has a life – if you can call it that – of his own in Manhattan. As for Elijah, I’d rather sell the company before he had any role in it.”

Dylan shook his head with great disappointment. “Eli is smarter than all of us put together. He’s proven himself as a Silicon Valley investor. He’s been on the covers of Forbes and Fortune on his merit and acumen alone. If you want one of us to become the Chairman of the Board, then call Eli.”

“That’s out of the question,” snapped Sheila, hotly.

“But it’s perfectly fine to call him when you want someone to persuade India Montgomery to stay out of town.”

Sheila’s eyes went wide. “Did he tell you that?!?”

“No, Lisa told me.” Dylan placed the crystal glass on a coaster. “Mom, you can’t use Eli for your personal use on one hand and shun him with the other. It’s cruel.”

“I don’t want to talk about Elijah, Dylan.” Sheila turned her back to Dylan as her eyes searched the grounds of her ten-acre estate.

“Fine. I need to get going anyway… I have a conference call in an hour.” Dylan reached for his keys and started for the doorway of the library when he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to his mother and said, “You and I both know that whatever happened when Dad disappeared may never be solved. Whether or not Eli had anything to do with it is beside the point. It’s been thirty years. He’s your son. He’s my brother. You can keep shutting him out, but one day, you may need him and he won’t be there.” Dylan took a deep breath as Sheila kept her back to him. “Have a nice day, Mom,” he said with a sigh.

When Sheila heard the door to the library close, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She wasn’t sure if the tear was for her, Larry, or Eli, but for some reason on that oddly lonely Monday afternoon, Sheila Davenport allowed herself to feel emotions she had suppressed for a very, very long time.

Dr. Connor Windsor climbed down from Will’s horse, Sir Galahad, with a heavy sigh. The blinding afternoon sunlight combined with the heavy humidity made Connor more irritable than he’d been in days. He removed his riding helmet, handed it to the groom, and made his way across the fields of the King’s Polo Club. When Will was in town, they often rode together providing Connor had time in his schedule. Now that Will was in Paris for an undetermined amount of time, Connor agreed to ride Sir Galahad as often as he could. However, being at the club and away from Will made Connor’s heart heavy with sorrow. While Connor hadn’t truly loved anyone before, he had loved Will from the moment of their first kiss. It was something Connor couldn’t describe, but he was truly, madly, deeply in love with William Montgomery.

Connor made his way into the locker room when he spotted Warren Montgomery putting on his riding boots. “Warren,” called Connor. “This is a nice surprise.”

Warren stood up, gave Connor a hug, and replied, “The big case I was working on settled out of court, so I decided to come for a ride before going home.” Warren surveyed Connor carefully. In all of their years of friendship, he’d never seen Connor so glum. “Are you doing all right?”

“I guess. Considering.” Connor removed his sweat soaked polo shirt, tossed it into the hamper, and wiped down his hairy chest with a towel. “I miss him.”

“Yeah. Billy’s missable.”

“I spoke to him on Saturday. He seems happy…like he’s calmed down a bit.”

Warren nodded politely. “If we give Billy space, he’ll come around. He’s just…in his feelings…or whatever they say now.”

Connor poured a glass of cucumber water. “I hope so. It’s such a mess. I didn’t want it to be this way.”

Warren gave Connor a curious stare. “Didn’t you?”

“What?”

“You had whatever relationship you had with India and then you date Billy. Going between a brother and a sister, Connor? That’s a little macabre, no matter the spin you put on it.”

Connor could feel the heat rising in his soul. “I didn’t have a relationship with India!”

“You have a history with her,” stressed Warren. “Everyone knows India’s fragile… But dating Billy? I know you two are serious, but you wouldn’t have kept it a secret for so long if you weren’t embarrassed by the whole thing, Connor.”

“Warren, I love Billy. Everything that happened in the past with India was a big mistake.”

“I guess.” Warren grabbed a towel as he started for the door of the locker room. “India and Billy have always had a fraught relationship. Always. You should’ve known that, Connor. If anyone is responsible for Billy going to Paris, it’s you.” With that, Warren strode out of the locker room leaving Connor to ponder his scathing words.

In our next installment, Barbara meets India…

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Kingsport #9

Barbara Wilkes pushed a laundry basket through the bowels of the Montgomery Estate as she followed the housekeeper, Mrs. Taplin, into the vast folding room. Although she was glad to have found work on the Montgomery Estate, Barbara hadn’t counted on feeling tired, achy, and old so fast. The one thing she couldn’t do was age fifteen years in six months because she was doing work for people that they could very well do these tasks for themselves. At least for this afternoon, she was being sent to the folding room to press, scent, and fold bed linen. It was a thankless job which is why she kept reminding herself that her plan superseded all else.

“Don’t be too long with folding everything,” snapped Mrs. Taplin. She was a stern birdlike woman who smiled with glee whenever a task seemed just miserable enough. “The family likes to have new sheets on their beds every night!”

“I’ll be as fast as I can.” Barbara watched as Mrs. Taplin marched off to leave Barbara to her task.

“Need some help?” asked Ada from the doorway. “Mark told me that Old Taps sent you in here and told me to help you out.”

“Old Taps?” laughed Barbara.

“Yeah. She’s like a drill sergeant or something. Thinks she’s big stuff because she once worked for the Viscount of Hornbly.” Ada helped Barbara dump the laundry bag onto a giant table. She quickly explained to Barbara how to get the linen just so before saying, “I saw you in town on Monday. Called out to you, but I don’t think you heard me. You were going into the Kingsport Arms.”

Barbara immediately smiled because she didn’t want to admit that she had heard Ada, but she couldn’t risk her ruining her plan. “Oh, Ada, I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you,” lied Barbara.

“Can’t believe you could afford to stay at the Arms. It’s so expensive.”

“I just went for breakfast,” said Barbara, kindly.

“I went for a Mother’s Day breakfast years ago. My kids saved all year to treat me. Those snobbish waiters were above themselves, but my Tony told one of them that his ma worked for the Montgomery family! Well, service got a whole lot better after that, let me tell you.” Ada swiftly handed a pillow case for Barbara to scent and fold.

“They were very nice to me,” lied Barbara. “The food was wonderful. I enjoyed it.”

Ada chuckled. “Don’t let the family find out that you’re dining where they eat. They don’t like it.”

“It’s a free town. I can eat where I please. Anyway, I haven’t even met the family. Well, the daughter, India, snapped at me when we were waiting on their dinner party. I doubt she remembered my face.”

“Still. Don’t be getting high above your station, Barbara…”

“I’m not!”

“Look, I know you’re a nice girl,” sighed Ada, “but there are a lot of nice girls who like to pretend they’re something more than what they are in this town and it blows up in their faces. Going to the Arms once is fun. Going all the time is dangerous. Just go to Zelda’s or the Rusty Nickle. Good honest places. Meet a nice boy who works at the docks or in an office. You’ll be much happier that way, Barbara.”

Barbara listened and nodded with a compliant smile. However, deep inside her soul, she wanted to scream. Ada sounded like every fish wife she’d known until the day she arrived in Kingsport. If she wanted to eat breakfast at the Arms, she would! If she wanted to better herself and not get locked down with some loser on an hourly wage, she would! The last thing Barbara wanted for herself was to work for the Montgomery family for twenty years, never meet them, and go to the Arms once after saving for a year like Ada and her little brats. No, thought Barbara, she would have to begin to quietly distance herself from everyone in order to ensure she could rise in the world. She knew it would take a little bit of time, but little did Barbara know, her luck would change in a way she couldn’t predict.

Dylan Davenport finished his beer while he contemplated how he would spend the rest of the day. Since he stepped down last year from the role of CEO at Davenport Technology, the publicly listed company still controlled by his family, his days were spent in idle contemplation instead of hurrying to get to the next challenge. As the oldest Davenport child, Dylan was told from birth that he had to be someone special…someone superior. Now, at forty-five, he had become special, but he didn’t think anyone noticed. His mother and siblings never thanked him once for keeping the stock price of the company stable which ensured quarterly dividends flowed into their trust funds. While he didn’t seek the approval of his family, he would have appreciated it. Dylan glanced at his watch when he saw his sister, Lisa, walking over to him. “I thought you were in New York.” Dylan stood up to greet his sister. “This is a nice surprise.”

Lisa took in the sight of the Kingsport Country Club’s grille restaurant with a slight smile. “I came back last Sunday for the Memorial Day party at the country club and Oliver started school on Tuesday. Jackson is still in New York on business.”

“Huh. I’m surprised you trust Jackson alone in New York City with his roving eye.”

Lisa took a deep sip of her brother’s beer. Everyone knew that her husband was a serial cheater, but it didn’t bother her. That was his issue. Their finances were separated which meant that none of his angry lovers could ever come after her money. “I’ve accepted Jackson for exactly who he is, Dylan. He’s a great father and a great provider for Oliver, so I have no complaints. He keeps his affairs a secret. I have someone I call upon when I need him and the world is a happier place.”

“You do you, Lisa.”

“Actually, I’m glad I ran into you. I went over to Mom’s house on Monday before I went to the country club and she was in a mood about Eli.”

“What’s he done now?”

“Mom is concerned because India is back in town. She thinks Eli will leave San Francisco and move back to Kingsport so India can spend time with Faren.”

Dylan shook his head. He knew all too well how much their mother loved to control every situation which came her way. It was part of the reason why Dylan had resigned as CEO of Davenport Technology. Sheila’s constant meddling was her biggest character flaw. “Eli will do whatever suits him. We know that. I don’t know why Mom gets herself into a bother over him.”

“She blames him for Daddy’s disappearance.”

Dylan took a long sip of his beer. “Still?”

“Yes. She hasn’t mentioned it in years, but she did the other day. Dylan, you remember more about that time than I do… Mom isn’t right, is she?”

The last thing Dylan wanted to think about were the events which transpired thirty years ago. Their father, Larry, vanished one day and no one had heard from him since. There were rumored sightings in Monaco and Manila, but nothing concrete. As far as Dylan was concerned, they were better off without Larry. “No, I don’t think Mom is right. Just because Eli was the last person seen with Dad doesn’t mean he was the last person with him.”

Lisa considered her brother’s statement. “I suppose… It’s always struck me as odd that Mom is so insistent that Eli stay away. She barely sees Faren because of this grudge. Oh, and she nearly jumped down my throat when I mentioned that I’d spent time with Eli in Switzerland.”

“Mom has her reasons, Lisa. It’s not for me to say. I will say that a lot did happen back then, but I think it’s best if we just let it go. Eli will stay in San Francisco. I doubt he wants Faren around India on a consistent basis. To be honest, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.” Even as Dylan said the words, he didn’t believe them. He knew all too well some of the things that had happened thirty years ago between the family and Larry. Dylan also knew that Eli was being blamed for something that anyone could have done because there was a darker reason why Eli stayed away. There always had been. Dylan thought he knew way… He thought he knew Sheila knew way, too. However, Dylan knew that the only person who could shine some light on the ugliest part of the Davenport family’s history was Eli. And Eli had kept his mouth shut since that fateful night thirty years ago. Dylan knew Eli held the answers they were seeking. But, Dylan also knew that keeping a secret buried is the only way to move on…

In our next installment, Barbara takes a risk…

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