Tag: Oliver Collins

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Kingsport #50

“All of Kingsport, Manhattan, London, Paris, and Hong Kong are a twitter with the news of today’s wedding of Montgomery scion, William Harrison Montgomery to Dr. Connor Lorenzo Windsor, both of Kingsport, Connecticut. The wedding ceremony will take place at a private chapel on the Montgomery Estate for close family and invited guests before the reception which is rumored to be hosted in the grand ballroom on the estate for three hundred and fifty people,” explained the Kingsport Press in breathless detail. “William Montgomery, the youngest child of Charles Montgomery, IV and Alison Farrell Montgomery, is the owner of the Kingsport Polo Club as well as the captain for the King’s Polo team. Dr. Connor Windsor, the eldest child of Alistair and Raquel Windsor, is a surgeon at Fairfield County Hospital…”

Jill Stanhope Montgomery tossed the newspaper aside as she took a deep, cleansing breath. Although she tried to block out the events of the other from her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about her moment of passion with Connor. Her body ached for him. He still knew everything that made her quiver, cry, moan, and melt. Warren hadn’t had sex with her in three months. To have a man inside of her…on top of her…and ravaging her made Jill want nothing more than to run off with the man who was due to marry her brother-in-law at eleven o’clock this morning.

“Are you ready?” Warren Montgomery walked into his wife’s dressing room as he fastened his nineteenth century cuff links.

“DeShawn will be here to do my hair in a few minutes. We won’t be late.”

Warren eyed Jill carefully. “We can’t be late for my brother’s wedding,” stressed Warren. “I’m his best man.”

Jill fastened an emerald and sapphire bracelet around her wrist. “We’ll be early,” smiled Jill, lightly.

“We should’ve stayed at the estate last night,” muttered Warren. “With all of the out of town guests coming in today, there may be traffic.”

“We’ll be fine,” sighed Jill. “Warren, I want to apologize.”

“For what?”

“Everything. I know I haven’t been myself recently and I am sorry. I should have put my personal beliefs and feelings aside when it came to Will’s wedding.”

Touched by his wife’s sudden about face, Warren kissed her forehead. “That means a lot. Thank you, Jill.”

Just then, the doorbell rang as Jill’s phone bleated to life. “That’s DeShawn. Showtime,” tittered Jill.

            “I don’t think we should be talking right now,” Nicholas said into his cell phone as he waited to climb into an idling black town car. “What we did the other night…”
“We didn’t do anything wrong. It was just a kiss,” whispered Will.

“You’re getting married today. I knew it was a bad idea letting myself get sucked into your orbit again,” snapped Nicholas.

“Please don’t be mad at me, Nicholas. I… I was in a weak state and I should’ve known better,” stammered Will. “I just… Help me make sense of what to do, Nicholas.”

“I can’t, Monty. You’re on your own.”

“Nicholas…”

“Monty, I can’t be your talk-to. If you want to marry Connor, marry him. If you don’t, call it off. Either way, the decision is yours. I can’t… No, I won’t be your consolation prize or back-up plan. Whatever you do next, you have to do it on your own.”

The chapel on the Montgomery Estate was last used on the occasion of Warren’s wedding to Jill. Outside of that, the chapel sat dormant except of weekly cleanings and the off times when the Montgomery family would use it to repent for sins of the past, present, and future. Sheila Davenport, Dylan Davenport, Lisa Davenport Collins, Jackson Collins, Oliver Collins, Elijah Davenport, Faren Davenport, and Nicholas Davenport made

their way into the chapel past the assembled press dressed in their finest wedding couture. Eli led Faren towards the holding area where she joined her cousins, Hannah and Kate Montgomery, the other flower girls in the wedding party.

“How tastefully done,” Sheila said to Dylan, who walked by her side.

“I suppose,” muttered Dylan. “I’m surprised Charles allowed the press to attend.”

Sheila pursed her lips. “Raquel Windsor begged for press coverage. People like Raquel think the Montgomerys are a royal family.”

“Aren’t they?” mused Dylan.

“Royalty doesn’t have this much money,” tutted Sheila.

“I didn’t think you’d come to your ex-boyfriend’s wedding,” Lisa whispered to Nicholas as they made their way to their pew.

Nicholas lowered his eyes before saying, “If I didn’t come, people would talk. I’m happy for them.”

Lisa gave Nicholas a curious stare. “All right. If that’s the story you want to tell…”

“Drop it,” Nicholas ordered his sister. “Let’s enjoy the wedding.”

In a small sun drenched waiting room, Will waited calmly as Warren finished tying his bow tie. “Is everyone here?” worried Will.

“Yes,” said Warren, calmly. “Uncle Walton and his brood just showed up.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“Jill texted me. Everything is going to be fine, Billy.”

Will forced a smile onto his face. Despite everything that had happened, he could feel the clouds lift. He was getting married today to the man he loved! Will couldn’t think of anything more wonderful. A second later, the clock stuck eleven. Without a word, Will drew a deep breath before leaving the room and walking towards the altar.

It had been agreed that Will would begin the processional with Alison and Charles followed by Connor and his parents. After what seemed like years of stress and worry, Will cast a confidant eye over the his wedding guests. They were dressed in their finest morning clothes just for the occasion. Even his sister, India, and his sister-in-law, Jill, looked good. Will smiled confidently at Nicholas Davenport because he knew his future was with Connor. As Will took his place at the altar with Warren by his side, they faced up the aisle to await Connor’s entrance. The music swelled and…

Nothing.

Silence.

Three seconds (which felt like six years) ticked by.

More silence.

Someone coughed.

Silence.

People looked at each other with mounting concern coupled with polite society smiles.

More people coughed.

Will turned to Warren with pensive dread in his eyes.

Alison grabbed Charles’ hand with a heavy squeeze. Their eyes locked ever so briefly before they both cast them to the stone floor.

Suddenly, the door to the chapel opened.

Everyone turned around with eager anticipation.

Alistair Windsor stepped into the chapel with a worn look on his face. “We… He’s gone. We don’t know where he is. Will…I’m so sorry.”

Will let out a scream so deafening, it sounded primal. His blood ran cold before he collapsed into Warren’s arms in front of the entire congregation. A second later, everything went black.

 

In our next installment, questions abound in Kingsport…

 

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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 #7

It should have been a morning filled with joy, laughter, and anticipation, but for Sheila Davenport, she couldn’t muster a smile, let alone the modicum of joy on this particularly gray May day. She sipped a cup of coffee, lost in her thoughts when the sounds of childish laughter filled the air of her normally sedate mansion. A moment later, Sheila’s grandson, Oliver Collins, rushed into the Breakfast Room and threw his arms around her neck. “Oliver!” exclaimed Sheila. “This is a pleasant surprise!”

“I know! Mommy always says that I’m her little surprise.” The nine-year-old plucked a grape from the sideboard. “We’re on our way to the country club for a Memorial Day party!”

“Oh, really?” smiled Sheila.

“Oliver, don’t touch communal food with your hands,” sighed Lisa Davenport Collins as she walked into the Breakfast Room. Lisa was forty, self-assured, and beautiful without the aid of plastic surgeons. She gave her mother a light kiss on the cheek as she surveyed the maudlin surroundings. “Honestly, Mom, open the drapes. It’s so dreary in here.” Lisa pulled back the drapes to let in the few rays of morning sun.

Sheila finished her cup of coffee with a sigh. “Lisa, is there a reason you’re here?”

Lisa sat across from her mother. “Oliver, why don’t you go into the Media Room for a moment? I need to talk to Grandma.” Lisa waited until Oliver was out of earshot and said, “What’s wrong?”

“I spoke to Elijah last week,” Sheila revealed coolly.

“Oh.” Lisa took a deep breath. “Why?”

“It wasn’t my intention, but Dr. Connor Windsor asked me to talk to Elijah about India. I knew I had to do it only because other than Alison, he’s the one person in this world who she will listen to.” Sheila rose from the table, walked over to the large French doors, and stared at her immaculate estate. “Speaking to him felt like…I was speaking to a stranger. He said he had spoken to India, but he wouldn’t go any further than that.” Sheila turned to her daughter with worry in her eyes. “I’m terrified I’ve opened Pandora’s Box. The last thing I want is Elijah back in our lives.”

Lisa took in this news as the wheels spun in her head. “Mom…suppose he’s changed. We’ve all changed… At the very least, you should consider easing up on Eli. Think about how this bad blood will affect Faren. I don’t think it’s right for our family to ice out Eli. The Montgomerys have done the same thing to India and, well, we all know how well adjusted she is,” sniffed Lisa.

“Lisa,” began Sheila, “India is back in Kingsport.”

“She is?!!?”

“Connor told me she was coming back to town. I heard from Raquel Windsor that India is indeed staying at the Montgomery Estate.”

Lisa finally understood why her mother was so worried. “You’re…scared that with India back in town, Eli will decide it’s time to leave San Francisco in order for Faren to be closer to her mother.”

“That’s it. Lisa, I don’t want him to return to town. It would ruin everything.”

Lisa stood up, pondered her mother’s concern, and said, “We can’t stop him. Granted, Eli has been known to play dirty because he can, but we have to think about Faren. She barely knows India. And, maybe, the last few years in Paris have been good for her.”

“Now you’re a fan of Elijah and India?” huffed Sheila.

“No. India is a nutcase. I think Eli has mellowed out a lot. When I saw him in Gstaad in January…”

“You’re speaking to him?!?!” Sheila exclaimed with fury rising from her soul. “Lisa!”

Lisa folded her arms defensively. “Jackson had to attend a digital technology symposium in Switzerland. We ran into Eli. We spent some time together. My husband and Eli are in the same industry. It’s happened before, Mom,” snapped Lisa.

“I don’t care. After everything Elijah has done to this family, if I ever see him again, it’ll be too soon! I know he’s the reason your father went missing.”

“That’s speculation!”

“You don’t know what I know, Lisa. Elijah is dangerous. Now that India is in Kingsport, I just know he’ll move here, too. I can’t let that happen, Lisa. I just can’t…”

Barbara Wilkes stepped into the foyer of the Kingsport Arms Hotel and clutched her purse tight against her body. Today was Memorial Day and it was the first time in years she had a real day off. After working for the Montgomery family for the last two weeks, she was exhausted. Muscles she’d never realized existed hurt. Her brain was fried from the smell of cleaning chemicals, French food, and scented candles. Since this was her first proper day off, Barbara decided that breakfast at Kingsport’s most exclusive hotel would ease her mind and spirit.

“Good morning,” she said to the hostess. “I’d like a table for one.”

The hostess, a weathered woman of more than sixty but less than one hundred, eyed her carefully over the rim of her bifocal glasses. “No,” was her reply.

Taken aback, Barbara cleared her throat. “I’d like…”

The woman held up a dismissive hand. “I said no.” The woman looked down at the vast reservation book. “You may go now.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Barbara defiantly. “I’d like a table for one.”

“Let me be clear,” began to hostess, “the Kingsport Arms is a premiere destination for the finest guests and families in the area. It’s not a place for the likes of a woman who thinks a fast fashion dress will ever compare to the lovely creations worn by the women of Kingsport society.”

Barbara could feel her hands begin to clench in the fists of rage. In her old world, she would have clocked this insipid woman right on the spot. However, this was a new world. This was Kingsport. Kingsport… Barbara already knew that such things didn’t fly in this world. If she wanted to stay in her new life, she’d have to think fast. “I’m afraid there’s a misunderstanding. I made a reservation a few days ago. Please check under ‘Barbara Wilson’.” She produced a business card with the alias on it. “I’m a junior food critic from World of Dining. I’d be more than happy to leave and let the whole world know…”

“Oh, Ms. Wilson! Yes. I do see you here on our list. Usually the manager will tell us when a critic comes in. I do apologize for the error. Right this way.”

Barbara followed the weathered hostess to a sweet table near the large picture windows which overlooked Main Street. After the hostess left and promised to comp her meal, Barbara smiled lightly. That old lie worked every time. No one every checked to make sure she was employed by World of Dining because once she threatened to leave and write a negative review, everyone bowed to her will. She relaxed into her chair, sipped a fresh cup of coffee, and took in her surroundings. While she hadn’t been entirely honest, Barbara knew that honesty was overrated. To get what she wanted, she would have to lie, cheat, and use her innate ability to deceive people to her advantage. In a town like Kingsport, perception was more important than reality. Barbara was the master at that game. She’d played it well so far, but she needed a day off from the rigors of her new life to ensure she could continue to execute her plan tomorrow. So far, she’d entered the Montgomery household and, sooner or later, she would begin to meet the family. She had a plan. She had a goal. By the time she was finished, she’d have it all…

In our next installment, India ups the stakes…

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