Tag: Lisa Davenport Collins

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Kingsport #29

“Jackson?” Lisa Davenport Collins stepped into the library of her home with a look of concern on her face. “I need to talk to you.”

Jackson Collins looked up from the newspaper with a grave concern. It was unlike to his wife to look so drawn and careworn; this was a woman who took life by the throat and never let go. He patted the seat next to him on the sofa. “Lisa, what’s the matter?”

She sat next to him and let her head fall on his shoulder. “I haven’t had my period yet…”

Jackson felt like the world was going to lurch to a stop. “Are you pregnant?”

Lisa shrugged as a look of worry crossed her face. “I don’t know… I’ve purchased six pregnancy tests and… I…just can’t bring myself to take them.” She closed her eyes as if to block out a horrific memory. “I can’t go through this again, Jackson.”

“I know, my baby.” He grasped her trembling body with all of his might. Although they had separate lives when they traveled, they were still in love, and were still very much devoted to one another. “Maybe this time will be different,” offered Jackson.

“It always ends the same way. Four miscarriages in the last eight years. We weren’t even trying this time… I think that’s why I’m terrified.” Lisa could feel the tears fall from her eyes. “I don’t want to know either way,” she began to sob. “I just…”

Jackson took his wife in his strong arms for what seemed to be a lifetime. “We have Oliver. He’s more than enough,” offered Jackson, quietly.

“I know,” whispered Lisa. “I know.” She dried her eyes with a linen handkerchief. “I should take the test, so we know what to do.”

“Do you… If you are pregnant, do you want to keep it?”

Lisa lowered her head as if in shame. “I don’t know.” It was the truth and the only answer she could muster. “I’ve dreamed about having more children, but now…I’ve become accustomed to being happy with you and Oliver, especially after so many disappointments…”

“I understand,” he told his Lisa.

“And with our careers…our lifestyle… I don’t know if it’s conducive for another child…”

“Oliver will be away at college before we know it. Starting over is a big ask right now.”

Lisa nodded knowingly. “I’m going to call Dr. Shearer for an appointment. I want to know exactly what we’re dealing with and if it’s even viable for me to carry this pregnancy to term…if I am pregnant. Don’t worry about being in town, Jackson. I’ll ask my mother to come with me to the appointment.”

“Don’t be silly, Lisa. I’m coming with you. No matter what happens, you’re not going through this alone.”

“Papa. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Jill Stanhope Montgomery opened the door to the luxurious summer cottage on the coast of Maine she and Warren had rented for the last ten years. She wanted to buy it, but Warren thought it was an extravagance which didn’t make financial sense to him.

Charles Montgomery, IV stepped into the foyer of the cottage, barked his martini order at no one in particular, and made his way to the covered terrace. He sat down in a chair facing the ocean without saying a word to Jill until a member of her staff placed his martini beside him. “I understand,” he said after a small sip, “that you have an issue concerning Hannah and Kate being flower girls in Billy and Connor’s wedding.”

Jill could feel her throat tighten. Charles was the last person she wanted to have this conversation with because she knew he would never cede any ground to her. “I… I think… Papa, it’s a personal matter,” she smiled, tightly. “Warren is making a big deal out of nothing.”

“We both know that Warren isn’t one for tales, Jill. He’s quiet. Measured. Thoughtful. He’s not like India or Billy.”

“Papa, this is really between me and Warren.” Jill wanted nothing more than to run screaming for the hills, but she knew that she would have to endure whatever Charles threw her way.

“It ceased being between you and Warren when my son came to me in outright distress over the way you are behaving when it comes to his children being in his brother’s wedding,” snapped Charles. He took another sip of his martini before adding, “I do hope that your reticence isn’t because Billy’s gay.”

“I am not homophobic! Just because I don’t want to fall in line with what Billy wants doesn’t make me a bad person, Papa.”

Charles shook his head with marked irritation. “You’re a young fool. It’s impossible to separate one from the other. Regardless, Billy is my son. He will always have my unyielding loyalty and devotion.”

“It’s a shame you can’t offer that same loyalty and devotion to India,” snapped Jill. “The way you and your family fawn over Billy when he’s marrying the man who tormented India is sickening.”

“Watch your mouth…”

“Why should I??” snarled Jill. “I will not fall in line when this whole wedding is wrong on a thousand different levels! You people have never believed India when she accused Connor of raping her. Never. You people have instantly welcomed Connor into your inner sanctum just because Billy is in love. It’s sickening, Papa!”

Charles narrowed his gaze on his daughter-in-law. In all of the years she’d been married to Warren, Charles had never seen this side of her. Yes, it had been hinted at once or twice, but seeing it in the flesh was another experience unto itself. “Now, you listen to me, Jill. I will choose to forget how you have slandered my family. You should count yourself very lucky that you are Warren’s wife. However, it would behoove you to remember that you are only a member of this family in name only. And that, my dear, can be taken away from you.”

Jill recoiled at Charles’ threat. She felt like she was going to be sick and die at the same time. “Don’t threaten me…”

“I’m not,” Charles said, coolly. “I’m reminding you that it would be in your best interest to leave your personal feelings to one side while performing your duties as Warren’s wife and the mother of my grandchildren. You may think yourself free to do whatever you like, but all of this…” Charles waved his hands at the expensive cottage without a care in the world. “Well, all of this is by virtue of you being Mrs. Warren Montgomery, not Jill Stanhope.” With that, Charles stood up, admired the view, and turned to his ashen daughter-in-law. “I like you, Jill. Really. I do. However, I love my family, of which you are a part, much more. I’d be very careful before you decide to die on your sword because of a deeply held belief.”

Jill screwed up as much courage as she could muster. “I won’t…be threatened, Papa.”

“I’m giving you the lay of the land. It’s up to you to decide how to move forward, my dear.” Charles took in the view once more. “I wonder if you could get a timeshare like this when if you’re no longer Mrs. Warren Montgomery. It would be a lovely memory to have, Jill. Well, I have to catch my plane back to Kingsport. Do have a nice day.”

In the hours that followed Jill after Charles’ departure, a feeling of dread coursed through her body. It wasn’t that Charles had flown from Connecticut to Maine in order to put her in her place, but the fact that he did it without ever threatening her. She could die on her sword or swallow her pride in order to keep her life the way it was. Jill tried to recall her old life. That life was filled with shabby furniture, pity lunches, and well-worn clothes in need of more mending than they could take. This life was one of excess and quiet abundance. The thought of losing it all made her sick, while the thought of having her daughters in Will’s wedding made her just as ill. She was in a no-win situation. If she wanted to win, she had to think fast. Time was running out. And, in that moment, Jill Stanhope Montgomery pulled the trigger.

In our next installment, Alison confronts India about what happened in Paris…

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Kingsport #25

“Eli, I don’t want to do this.” Nicholas Davenport paced around the living room of his Manhattan co-op apartment as his heart raced a million miles a minute. “I don’t want to join the board of Davenport. I’m not qualified!”

“You don’t have to be qualified because you’re a Davenport. Dylan and I will help you.” Eli gently sipped the ice-cold martini in his left hand. “I know all of this may seem out of left field, but with you on the board, we’ll have intel and more leverage when we take the company private.”

Nicholas turned to face his brother with angst written all over his face. For all of his life, Nicholas had been an after-thought, especially in the light of his father’s disappearance thirty years ago. Nicholas’ childhood had been marred by sadness and grief; no one took an interest in him, so he took an interest in everyone else. After flitting from career to career and failed venture to failed venture, the last thing Nicholas wanted was the burden of sitting on the board of a publicly listed technology company. “You can take the company private without me. Our family owns a majority of the stock. Eli, please drop this plan. I don’t want to do it.”

Eli stared at his brother carefully. He knew Nicholas could be a little wimp, but this was entirely unbecoming. “Nick, you need to understand that I’ve always tried to help you.”

“When?” asked Nicholas, incredulously. “We’ve barely spoken in… What? Three years?”

“I’ve been busy.” Eli cleared his throat. “Regardless, I’ve always kept an eye on you. Always. Ever since you were a baby.”

“You were barely around! After Dad vanished, you went away to boarding school. So much for being a brother.”

“I was sent to boarding school,” corrected Eli. “Mom couldn’t stand to be around me and she still hates the sight of me. I’ve learned how to live with it. But you have to know, Nick, that I always tried to protect you when you were little. Always.”

Nicholas gave Eli a quizzical stare. This was the first time in their relationship that Eli had shown a modicum of love or concern for him, let alone said it out loud. “I appreciate that, Eli. However, I don’t want to sit on the board of Davenport.”

“You’ll do what’s good for you,” whispered Eli. “You need to put your family first.”

“Like you have?” countered Nicholas, hotly. “You live in San Francisco and do whatever you please. All I want is to be in control of my money without having to go to Mom whenever I want access to my trust fund. I want nothing to do with Davenport Technology.”

“You’re such an entitled brat,” bit Eli. “It’s time for you to step-up and be a man for your family. You’ve had everything handed to you your entire life, Nick. Everything. You can’t want the rewards without doing any of the work. Maybe that’s why all of your careers and ventures fail.” Eli walked over to Nicholas and stared at him in the eye. “I’m putting your name forward to take Patrick Petersen’s seat on the board. End of. This isn’t up for discussion. The family will vote you in and that will help us take back control of the company.” Eli patted Nicholas on the arm as he walked towards the entry of the living room. “I’ve done more for you than you’ll ever know, Nick. It’s time for you to do this for me.”

Nicholas thought about Eli’s words long after he left. He couldn’t understand or fathom what Eli meant, especially when Eli had been a non-factor for so many years in his life. Nicholas wanted to call Lisa or Dylan for more information, but when it came to Eli, everyone went silent. Hell, when it came to the disappearance of their father, Larry, everyone went mum. The only facts Nicholas knew about his father were culled from the press and the collective memories of his mother. Outside of that, Nicholas couldn’t remember the man who had once loved him. In that moment, Nicholas had a thought: Maybe if he sat on the board of Davenport, it might be a way to honor the father he couldn’t remember and never knew. That thought alone filled Nicholas with joy. Maybe, thought Nicholas, sitting on the board of Davenport Technology could be just the thing for the rest of the family to take him seriously…and for him to take control over all aspects of his life…

“I think all of this is a big pipe dream,” Lisa Davenport Collins whispered to her brother, Dylan, by his pool. “Where is Eli going to get four billion dollars to take Davenport Technology private?”

Dylan took a long sip of his Tom Collins. “First of all, Eli will have to pay a premium for Davenport. With fifty million shares outstanding and a twenty percent premium on the eighty dollar a share price, he’d have to pay $4.8 billion to feasibly take the company private without upsetting the other shareholders.” Dylan took a small bite of his club sandwich before adding, “Actually, I’d expect the board to force him to pay five or six billion dollars to take the company private. They may not go for it.”

Lisa laid back on the lounge chair as she let the hot July weather sweep over her. “We control the majority of the shares, Dylan. Isn’t this our decision?”

“In theory, but we can’t make a unilateral decision such as this without bringing it to the board and the shareholders.” Dylan finished his sandwich as he turned to Lisa. “I actually think it’s a smart idea.”

“You do?!?” Lisa gulped down the rest of her white wine. “I thought you were against it!”

Dylan shrugged. “I don’t want to run the company… I’ve given enough of my life to Davenport Technology, but having the family own the company again outright while ensuring its long-term future is exciting to me. The only downside is having to work so closely with Eli.”

Lisa sighed heavily. “He’s not that bad,” she said, firmly.

“He’s always up to something, Lisa. I bet he didn’t even ask Nick if he wanted to be nominated for the board. Eli works in an underhanded way to get what he wants. Nothing he does is out of the goodness of his heart.” Dylan exhaled sharply. “I think we should all be on our guard where Eli is concerned.”

“I think you’re holding onto the past, Dylan. I’m the only one who has even been in touch with Eli over the years and he’s changed. We all have,” Lisa added, quietly. “I’ve made mistakes. You’ve made mistakes. However, I don’t think it’s prudent or wise, for that matter, to judge someone by who they used to be rather than who they are now.”

Dylan stood up, walked to the outside bar, and poured himself a tumbler of water. “Believe what you like, Lisa.”

Lisa shook her head with annoyance. As much as she loved her big brother, she hated the way he held a grudge and refused to see the good in people. She knew that Dylan could be ridged, firm, and unmoving. She also knew that Dylan had a big heart and had been hurt time and again by the women in his life. The only thing Lisa wanted for Dylan was for him to learn how to love…how to forgive…and how to let go. “Dylan, if we do vote to take the company private, you’re going to have to find a way to repair your relationship with Eli…so will Mom.” Just then, Lisa’s smartphone began to ring. She looked at the screen to see it was Oliver’s nanny. “Tanya,” she said as she moved to the pool house, “is everything all right?”

Dylan watched his sister walk off as memories of the past flooded his mind. Along with Eli and Sheila, Dylan was the only other person who could possibly remember the events which transpired on the night that Larry disappeared from the face of the earth. He could vividly recall Eli shouting at Larry as Nick cried upstairs… Sheila and Eli got into a fight… Eli chased Larry out of the house… Dylan tried to stop him, but Sheila ordered him to stay in the house… After what seemed like days, Eli returned, wet, cold, and covered in mud. Larry was never seen again. The memories proved to be too potent. Dylan quickly grabbed a clean crystal tumbler and filled it with ten-year-old whisky. He downed the soothing liquid as he tried to erase those memories from his mind. However, the only thing that raced through Dylan’s mind were the words Eli said when he walked into the house, “I tried to stop him… I tried…” Dylan didn’t know what he meant. Eli never offered up any more than that. It had altered the course of their lives. Dylan knew Eli held the missing piece of Larry’s disappearance and until his brother spilled his guts, Dylan refused to trust him ever again.

In our next installment, Alison confronts Charles…

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Kingsport #24

Barbara Wilkes approached the door to Alison Farrell Montgomery’s bedroom suite with great trepidation. She had been warned by Mrs. Taplin to knock twice, count to five, enter the suite, turn right, walk to the last door at the end of the hall, knock twice, count to five, and enter the sitting room where she would find Mrs. Montgomery. After that, Barbara would be at the whim of the lady of the house before going down into the staff room where the staff answered calls, collected mail, and handled the day-to-day scheduling for members of the family. Barbara was assigned to Mrs. Montgomery for the duration of her trip to Kingsport. Every bone in Barbara’s body told her that she had to excel with Mrs. Montgomery while ensuring she never put a foot wrong. This was her moment.

When Barbara stepped into the bedroom suite, her mouth fell open. She stood into a corridor which seemed to go on forever with doors leading to one room or another. Had she not been told exactly what to do by Mrs. Taplin, Barbara would have been terrified about what to do next. She took a deep breath, screwed up all of the courage inside of her, and approached the door to the sitting room.

Barbara knocked twice on the door and waited for what seemed like hours. Finally, a firm voice said, “Come.” With that, Barbara deftly opened the door to the sitting room to find Alison Farrell Montgomery sitting on a love seat with a spread of newspapers in front of her. “Good morning, Mrs. Montgomery,” Barbara said, softly.

Alison extended a finger towards a table which had already been set for breakfast. Fresh flowers, silver salt and pepper shakers, and sterling silver cutlery sat on a linen tablecloth she had no doubt pressed weeks ago. “There will do,” said Alison, evenly.

Barbara took a quiet breath as she placed the tray on the perfectly laid table. “Enjoy your breakfast,” Barbara said, quietly.

“What is your name?” Alison snapped as she watched this unknown maid walk across the room like someone who’d just shoplifted.

“Oh, I’m Barbara.”

Alison eyed this young woman carefully. What she saw didn’t frighten her or intrigue her. Alison found her to be a perfectly unassuming woman who seemed to try too hard to be just right. “Barbara.” Alison let the name linger in the cherry blossom scented air. “I suppose Mr. Hurley has informed you that you’ll be assisting me as needed while I’m in town for my son’s wedding. Please call Mrs. Davenport’s office to arrange a cocktail hour with her at the estate or her mansion at six o’clock this evening. The location isn’t important to me. Also, call my house in Paris and tell Marianne to arrange with my dressmaker to be flown out by next week for the initial designs for my outfits for my son’s wedding. Tell Mr. Hurley to inform the family office that flights and accommodation will need to be made for this trip. I’d like my car brought around by ten o’clock; I will not need a driver. Lastly, I’ll need a copy of my schedule and my husband’s schedule emailed and printed out for me every morning. Oh, and Barbara, do bring a pen and notepad as I do not repeat myself.” Alison rose from the loveseat, a vision in an expertly tailored dress, and sat at the breakfast table. “You may go.”

Barbara nodded, walked quickly towards the door, and stepped into the corridor as she tried to fight back tears. While Alison hadn’t been horrible to her, she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of demands from this intimidating woman. Barbara tried to recall everything Alison had told her. She had to remember it all because if she didn’t, she’d be back in the bowels of the mansion folding linen with Ada. The more Barbara thought about it, the more she swore something like that would never happen to her again. She made it upstairs. She wasn’t going anywhere.

“What is the point of this meeting?” asked Dylan Davenport to no one in particular. He crossed his legs while removing his sunglasses. Dylan had plans to leave for Greece this morning, but due to Eli calling an emergency meeting with the family, he was now seated in the conference room of the Davenport’s family office in Kingsport. “Eli, I do not appreciate being summoned.”

“Neither do I,” sniffed Lisa. “Mom, do you know anything about this?”

Sheila Davenport sat at the far end of the table, her gaze averted from Eli’s. “No,” she said, quietly.

Eli Davenport glanced at his family with mounting irritation. For all of their education, money, status, and power, they weren’t the brightest people. “I called this meeting because of Nick.”

Nicholas felt his stomach do a triple flip. “I didn’t ask for a family meeting,” he huffed. “I’m supposed to be in the Hamptons right now, Eli.”

“I’m aware everyone has plans, but this is important,” began Eli. He stood before his family, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stared at them. “Nick came to see me in San Francisco on Wednesday. He wanted me to buy his stock in Davenport Technology in order to free himself from the family.”

“How could you?!?” shrieked Sheila. She turned to her youngest child with fury in her eyes. “This is why you aren’t in control of your trust fund!” hissed Sheila.

“I’m not having this fight with you again, Mom!” Nicholas said, hotly. “It’s my stock!”

“I didn’t want that to start a fight,” said Eli, calmly. “Mom, you’re upset with Meredith about the way she’s running the company. I don’t blame you. Luckily for us, she didn’t go ahead with the stock buyback, but she still has the board’s approval to do so which gives her an immense amount of leverage. Ever since Dylan quit as the CEO of Davenport, we’ve all been a little anxious about the future of the company.”

Dylan shot Eli a terse look. “Thanks, bro.”

“He has a point,” added Lisa. “None of us have been overly thrilled with Meredith’s vision for the company. She seems to have big ideas without the team to execute them.”

Eli nodded in agreement. “Exactly. The dividend is what keeps us from making a ruckus, but I think it is time to make a lot of noise. Davenport Technology is our legacy. Jeremiah Davenport founded the company one hundred years ago with a hope and a dream. I think it’s time for the company to return to its roots.”

Sheila looked at Eli with a mixture of anger and intrigue. While she and her son had a rocky history, she didn’t trust him; however, she respected the fact that he was a brilliant businessman. “What are you suggesting, Elijah?”

“I think the first thing we need to do is nominate Nicholas to the Davenport Technology’s Board of Directors. Patrick Petersen is stepping down at the end of August. The search to replace him has yielded subpar results. Nick is a Davenport, he has some media cache, and it’ll get us press. ‘Davenport Scion Sits on the Board’! It’ll boost the stock price,” Eli said without missing a beat.

Nicholas shifted uncomfortably as all eyes turned to him. “I don’t want to sit on the board,” he whined, listlessly.

“You do need something to do,” reasoned Dylan. “It’s not like you have a real job or anything.”

“I think it’s a very good idea,” Sheila added. “Nicholas, it will be good for you. It will be good for the family.”

“I’ll mentor you as best as I can.” Eli took another deep breath. “Actually, having Nicholas on the board will give us an ‘in’ we haven’t had since Dylan quit the company.” Eli took in a sharp breath as he eyed his family carefully. In a low voice, Eli added, “I want to take the company private again. We can assume control, ditch our shareholders, and make Davenport a company of the future. We can invest in the future while doing what we do best. No more stock buybacks. We won’t have to fight with a CEO we hate. The Davenports will be in control of their company and future once again. Who’s with me?”

The Davenports looked at each other with masked faces. Each of them knew that Eli’s proposal was a risk, yet the reward it entailed could transform their lives. On the other hand, if Eli’s proposal failed, it could destroy the Davenport fortune along with the legacy of a great American family. No one knew what to say, yet everyone knew whatever was said next would change their lives forever.

 

In our next installment, Dylan remembers the past…

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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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Posted on

Kingsport #15

India Montgomery closed her eyes to consider the next move in her plan to get Connor to herself. Yes, he had rejected her outright the other week, but he had become aroused at the sight of her naked body. For India, that meant more than any string of meaningless words Connor could hurl at her. She knew that he loved her. After everything they’d been through over the last few years, India knew in her heart that Connor’s love for her was real. He may have protested and even claimed to be in love with Will to avoid his true feelings, but, luckily for him, India knew his true feelings. She and Connor had a connection that no one in this world, not even Will, could destroy. As India opened her eyes in the confines of her bedroom at the Montgomery Estate, she checked the time. According to her source at the hospital, Connor would be leaving in twenty minutes. India climbed off her bed, checked herself in the mirror, and headed off to complete her mission for the day.

Lisa Davenport Collins and Jill Stanhope Montgomery clinked their wine glasses together in the dining room of the Kingsport Arms Hotel. While a lot of women from their set chose to have breakfast and dinner at the Kingsport Country Club, it was considered terribly modern to be seen lunching at the Arms in full view of the world. Women from their set often wore new ensembles from Paris, New York, and Tokyo for lunch while being gawked at by those who swore that one day would be in their set. Everyone knew that would never happen, but it was the dream which kept towns like Kingsport running at full speed.

“I can’t keep up anymore,” sniffed Jill. “Billy runs around like the world owes him something. He acts like a child, Lisa. Warren always gets involved and then I have to hear about it.” Jill sipped her ice-cold glass of white wine. “To be honest, I don’t know why Charles and the rest of the family indulge him. Now that he’s with Connor, it’s all anyone can talk about.”

Lisa looked at her friend with a combination of concern and pity. She knew that Jill always felt ill at ease with the Montgomery family. No one in polite society talked about it, but while Jill had the pedigree of being a Stanhope, her family money had long dried up. They relied on the generosity of a third cousin in Colorado to provide them with the essentials to simply exist in a town like Kingsport. Everyone always said that Jill’s marriage to Warren was the smartest thing she had ever done. Lisa agreed. “Jill, I don’t see why everyone is up in arms about Will and Connor. It’s none of our business.”

“It’s family business, that’s why it matters,” insisted Jill. “You should have seen how self-satisfied Connor was at the family dinner the other week. He was holding onto Will like he’d claimed a great prize. It was sickening.”

Lisa eyed Jill carefully. “Be careful, Jill. Someone who doesn’t know you may think you’re a tad homophobic.”

Before Jill could respond, she and Lisa saw the same sight: Charles Montgomery, IV coming out of the private dining room with a pretty young woman of no one more twenty-five on his arm. The woman looked pleased with herself; Charles looked satisfied. Before Jill could command her mouth to speak, Charles and the young woman left in a hurry.

“Well,” Lisa said, quietly. “I thought Charles was more discrete than that.”

Jill took a long sip of wine. She loathed the fact that Charles could be so brazen in his little affair. “Lisa, if you wouldn’t mind…” Her voice trailed off.

“I won’t say a word.” Lisa meant it. She had little time for her own family, let alone the high drama of the Montgomery clan. “I’ve never been a great fan of Charles, but I’ve always liked Alison. She’s a wonderful woman.”

Jill chortled. “She’s not as wonderful as you think,” replied Jill. “Heaven forbid she doesn’t think you’re good enough for her family.”

“Who are we talking about, Jill?”

Jill cast her eyes down to her salad. She was well aware that Alison didn’t want her to marry Warren, but Jill had prevailed against the odds. “Alison and I have had our differences. It’s in the past, Lisa. Tell me all about life at the auction house.”

Lisa sighed. “Oh, it’s wonderful. It’s great to have something to do other than volunteer at Oliver’s school and plan Jackson’s business dinners. I love having a career which is rewarding, fun, and intellectually stimulating. I really am very lucky, Jill.”

In that moment, Jill couldn’t help but feel envious of her friend. There were times when her life was so empty she wanted to cry. Jill had accepted her life as it was, but she wanted more than anything to have a life – a marriage – of meaning, not quiet desperation.

Dr. Connor Windsor turned off the alarm to his house with deft precision. He carefully walked through each room to ensure he was alone. The last thing Connor wanted was a repeat of the day India had broken into his home and accosted him in the nude. He wasn’t in the mood for her games, nor was he in the mood to deal with anyone else. Connor had the next three days off which he intended to spend at his cabin in Maine. With Will missing in action, Connor decided that the best thing for him to do was to get out of town, get away from India, and relax. Just as Connor walked into his bedroom, a knock at the door sent shivers down his spine.

Connor carefully walked towards the front door, pulled it open, and was shocked to see Will standing in front of him. He pulled Will into his arms and gave him a deeply passionate kiss. “Don’t you ever do that to me again, you bastard,” Connor mumbled into Will’s ear.

Will hugged Connor tight. “I’m sorry. My mother made me see sense. She may not be very maternal, but she is great at being forthright. I missed you, Connor.”

Connor pulled Will into the house as he closed the door behind him. “I’ve missed you so much Will. You should’ve told me you were coming back to town.”

“I didn’t want India to know. Had I used one of the family planes, someone would have told her. I flew first class for the first time ever. I won’t be doing that again,” laughed Will. He turned his head and saw a large weekend bag sitting in the foyer. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Maine,” said Connor. “I have three days off. I wanted to clear my head.”

“Because of me,” asked Will.

“A little,” teased Connor. “Come with me.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Will exclaimed, “Yes, I’ll go!”

A moment later, the sound of shattering glass ricocheted through the air.

Connor ran into the sitting room with Will behind him. There on of the floor, was a large brick which sat in the middle of piles of shattered glass. From their vantage point, they could both see an envelope wrapped around the brick. Connor eased towards it, picked up the brick, and brought it to Will. He removed the rubber band, opened the envelope, and let out a cry of agony. There, staring back at him, were photos of Connor and India having sex from years and years ago. Will spied the photographs which made him want to vomit.

“Will, I can explain!” cried Connor.

“No… You…you told me that it was all in her head!”

“It is!”

“You had sex with my sister!”

“It’s not what it looks like, Will!”

“You told me time after time that it was all in her head. That she was crazy! But… You had sex with her!”

Connor dropped the brick on the carpeted floor. He seized Will by the shoulders. “Will, listen to me. Those pictures are old. Yes, India and I had sex a few times, but it was years and years ago. That’s all! Everything else she’s said is a lie!”

Will glared at Connor with heartbreak in his eyes. “If you lied about sleeping with her, I can’t believe anything you’ve said, Connor.” Will wrenched himself from Connor’s grasp. “Have a nice time in Maine,” he said, coldly.

Connor chased Will to the front door and cut him off before he could leave. “Will, please. Let me explain.”

Will pushed his way past Connor. “No, Connor. No. You’re a liar. — I don’t think I can ever trust you again.”

From the cover of hedges, India watched as Will stormed out of Connor’s house and sped away. She couldn’t have planned it any better if she tried. And she didn’t try. That’s what made this moment so much sweeter.

 

In our next installment, Warren gets tough with Will…

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