june 28th to july 4th

please remember to try and include times and dates in your posts as it will help to establish and compile and keep consistent timelines.
if you can include the topic subjects where your sub threads originated (for example The Gears of War, or Between Then and Now)

Act One: The Gears of War
July 2, 1914

Texas' plane cruised through the clouds of Germany, un concerned that he might get shot out of the sky by hostiles. His plane was painted and marked to match a German scout rather than a British scout. He was on his way back home after doing his first surveillance flight over Austria and Germany. Maybe it was boredom, maybe it was the amphetamines coursing through his blood, maybe it was the growing tension as everyone felt this war coming but  as such had no combat to throw themselves into. Maybe he was just showing off. He dove low as soon as another squad of planes came into his view from 3 o'clock. One moved to take lead and make contact and Texas pulled a hard right doing a barrel roll overtop of the other plane that moved in to box him in. Again he dove lower.
"Let's see how brave these boys are." when they came level with him again and came to intercept again they were already barely touching the canopy of the Ardennes forest. He couldn't dive lower again. But he could climb directly vertically. He could only do this for so long before he would stall out. Still, even if he did stall out, he could probably get the engines running again before he fell too far and couldn't pull up. Even if he couldn't, he had survived falling from  a plane once before, couldn't be that hard to do it again. Besides, there was a dense forest beneath him, he would probably get stuck in a tree. Ooh, trees were just as pointy as sharp metal in a wreck though. "yea fuck that." Texas pulled into another loop and spiralled back down before leveling off.

This time the German pilots didn't pursue him. Instead they hung back checking their log books to see if there were supposed to be any other planes in the area. Texas noticed this, and eased back on the throttle to figure out what they were doing now. That was when Texas noticed the signal from the lead plane that they wanted him to land. Well his goose might be cooked. He  had changed uniforms to match his plane's color change.

Definitely some hot tea he was in. Still, nothing his father hadn't taught him how to deal with. He tipped his wings and banked right bursting through a cloud and he smiled. He was showing off.  Until the bright flash whizzed past his cockpit. Rat-tat-tat-tat. Shit, they were shooting at him. His numbers didn't match what was in their log books, it looked like. He'd be damn sure to make sure to file the proper report about that. Somebody on the British side had bad intel. His numbers should match their books.
He had no choice, he had to open the throttle and race for French airspace. He was over the Ardennes, he was close to the boarder already. He banked left and climbed right avoiding their gunfire at him. There were five of them though, and he could try and run and maneuver all he wanted, but his plane wasn't outfitted with guns to fire back. He tried to double back and lead them into firing on themselves.  This squad was too well coordinated for that trick though.

They chased him past the edge of the forest into French airspace but they didn't break off. They kept after him and kept firing. Then the worst happened. As he was banking left to avoid another volley of bullets, the shots tore through his right wing, sending his plane in a downward spiral towards the ground. Only then did the German fighters break off and head back to German airspace.

Everything was spinning and sensors were going off alerting Texas of his imminent demise. Missing his right wing, he couldn't pull out of the spiral and level out. He slipped his parachute over his shoulders and pulled himself out of the seat. He was going to crash. His only option was to jump. As he was thrown away from his falling plane like a doll on a swing, he saw a truck approaching. His shoot opened  properly, but the French army truck was in range and they shot his chute up, mistaking him for a German pilot. He pulled his back up chute, but they shot that one full of holes too.

There was a bone shattering snap followed by a second. The first thought to run through Texas' thoughts were "Not Again." he screamed in agony and started to swear before realizing he was speaking. He opened his eyes to find his face mashed into the grass. Agony ripped through his body and he tried not to move at first. Groaning he rolled onto his back looking himself over. Bone stuck out of his forearm where he had fallen forward on it to catch himself when his legs had hit the ground first and shattered. Bone protruded from two of his limbs and he was bleeding badly. He was starting to see stars. One of these days he would learn to tuck and roll.

A realization dawned on Texas as the sound of the truck approaching stopped and men started shouting commands and running up on him. With his good arm he reached for his papers in his pocket. The real ones that showed he was an American agent working with the British and assisting the French. He held up his papers and his hands shouting in French for them not to shoot. Their commander came up and took Texas' papers from him. With a disgruntled sigh he told his men to put him on a rack and put him in the truck. They had to take him to a hospital. He was an ally. Their medic must have been a humanitarian because he gave Texas an injection of morphine so he could rest and not feel the pain of his shattered arm and legs for a while. Texas politely asked the soldier in the truck next to him if he would light him a cigarette from his pocket. The French soldier obliged him, but gawffed at the gold cigarette case. Texas told the man to keep it, a thanks for picking him up and taking to a hospital. He only had time to smoke half the cigarette before the full effect of the morphine came on and Texas nodded off.


July 3, 1914;
Steele family vineyard,
the guest house where the American cousins are staying.

Sterling Junior pressed his ear to the door of his parent's bedroom listening if they were awake. He'd heard his father come home late last night. He couldn't hear anything so they were probably still asleep. He opened the door a crack to dare to look. Yep, snuggled in each other's arms. He used to think it was gross, but, now it made him happy to see his parents like that. It meant they were happy.
He looked down at the salt and pepper Chinese Crested Dog he cradled in his arm and smirked. "Ready?" he whispered and the dog excitedly wagged it's tail and started to squirm. He opened the door a crack wider and set the dog down on the floor. "Ready boy? Ready? Ok, go, go get him. Go see daddy." he was deliberately getting the little pup excited. It's little paws ran on the floor going nowhere until junior decided it was thoroughly excited enough to release.

The puppy went yipping, running and jumped up onto Sterling Sr and Victoria's bed. It hopped onto Sterling Sr's back and trotted up to his shoulders walking across them, yipping and licking Sterling Sr and Victoria's faces. Sterling Junior snickered hiding in the hall outside watching through the cracked open door.

The first thing Sterling Junior heard was his mother's outraged cry of "What is this rat in my bed!?" followed by his father's laughter. He opened the door a bit to see the dog happily racing from the foot of the bed to the pillows yapping and pouncing at his parents before running up on them and licking them and running away yapping again.

Sterling Sr. laughed grabbing hold of the dog. "why hello. What's your name? Barky McBarkface?" he chuckled "Dogworth?" cliché pattern names Sterling Junior and his brothers would name things. He had ink and ash in his beard and hairline along with gunpowder still. There were black smears of grease on his hands and cheek. The old man couldn't resist getting his own hands on a problem still. It was unusual behaviour for his father though. Usually Sterling Sr. Was pretty particular about having a bath after he came home from work especially if he actually got dirty working.

"He hasn't got a name yet, feel free to call him whatever you want. And it's a Chinese Crested Dog mom, not a rat. They are very fashionable right now. You, well since the shot…" Junior hesitated to bring up the assassination of the arch duke because his father had been so stressed by it. "you've seemed a bit depressed dad, and, well I'd hate for you to…" go down the rabbit hole and drive yourself insane with conspiracies before there were any facts available? "get depressed. A dog might at least be fun for you. It's been a while since you've had any pets. Which is actually weird for you because you've often got two or three."

Sterling Sr. chuckled stroking the dog's head while he held it in his arm. "Thank you son. I appreciate the thought. I think I'll name him Pepper."

"I know you'll train him as well as any of your other dogs dear." Even Victoria had to admit it was so ugly it was cute, and the way its fur grew it did look like a teeny tiny pony. Surely it would keep her husband in good spirits until Beauregard eventually killed the poor small thing. If it was too annoying she would ask Beauregard to get rid of it herself.

"Well, I'm off to a meeting in London, I'll be back for the party. I love you." Junior said before heading off down the hall hearing his parents call back that they loved him too. Could never trust that it wouldn't be your last opportunity to say it in this family every time people parted ways.

Sterling Sr got out of bed with a yawn and closed the bedroom door. Going back to the bed he took one of his pillows and dropped it on the floor picking up the little dog and setting it down on the pillow. "stay." he told it before getting back into bed. Of course it jumped back on the bed. By the third time, it understood, it's place was on the floor next to the bed. It was barely sunrise, Leon would be here in an hour or so. "Idiot. Can't believe he tricked me. Must be Jack's kid." he grumbled getting comfortable in bed with Victoria. 'I'm on vacation, and that prick has managed to get me spun up enough to actually be working when I said I wasn't going to. God damn reverse psychology." by his tone, Victoria knew he was hung over and hadn't slept much. It was for the best he went back to bed.

Leon had been there for twenty minutes already and was having breakfast with Alice and the boys, Junior had already left for his meeting, when Sterling Sr woke up again. Miss Annabelle Larou was already there to collect the children for their lesson of the day.
From downstairs in the dining room they could hear Sterling Sr. and Victoria waking up and going through their morning routine.

Alice looked up from the magazine she was reading while she ate and ignoring Leon asked out loud to nobody in particular "i think that's the worst part about having to stay a virgin until you're married, you have no idea if your husband will have any kind of stamina at all, not to mention you have no guarantee how often he will want to have sex." she was 25 after all, it was only reasonable she would have had these thoughts by now, but she was particularly interested in watching Leon squirm uncomfortably at how easily and frequently American's talked about sex. Her musing was punctuated by the sound of the headboard starting to bang against the wall. "Do you think they ever try to break the bed?" she asked her brothers. She took it as a bonus if she could make them squirm a little too. Sometimes it sure sounded like they were trying to break furniture.

The boys left for their lesson with Miss Larou, leaving Leon alone with Alice until Sterling Sr. And Victoria came downstairs. It almost sounded as if they had fallen back asleep after they were finished until the sound of splashing could be heard. They were probably going for a bath before coming downstairs.
The telephone rang and Alice set down the bottle of wine and the glass she was pouring for herself and she ran to go answer it. It was the hospital calling. There was a patient there a Captain Texas Steele saying this was where he was staying in France and that he wanted to go home. "alright, I'll be right there to get him." Alice told the doctor over the phone before hanging up and going to Leon.

"You're looking to do something useful and get away from the sound of my parents, I need you to take me to the hospital in Paris, please. My brother Texas was in a plane crash and he wants to come home rather than stay in the hospital. The doctor said he was stable enough to move so I think he should, and since mom and dad are busy and my brothers are all gone I'm the one who has to go get him. Since I can't go out without an escort, I need you to take me."

Alice was quiet through the trip to the hospital to go and get Texas. She didn't want to make things more awkward or harder for herself. She hated getting burned by needing to get help from somebody she had been spiteful towards.

When they got to the hospital and Alice finished signing the papers to release Texas from the hospital, a couple of orderlies helped Texas into the car. Both of his legs were broken again and this time so was his arm. He was nauseous from the morphine. "Attention, il a vomi toute la matinee" the orderly told Leon before they drove away.

Texas was put simply, a pain in the ass. He was a whiney bitch and almost threw up in the car twice until they rolled the windows down. After that he fell asleep for twenty minutes before he woke up mumbling something, "Alegria, um sentimento magico alegre" which Alice knew enough to know it wasn't Spanish, German, or Japanese. She turned to Leon sighing "Ok, my French is terrible, I can't understand him. I haven't understood a word out of his mouth all morning, and that's saying a lot for him. What is he talking about?"
Texas had his good arm and most of his face out the window of the car, his hand waving and zigging in the wind gusts alongside the car. He probably was so doped up he thought he was still in the plane. He was taking a gamble with his life leaving the hospital, but his family could afford to take care of him better than the hospital. Except this was the second time he had suffered this same kind of injury, and statistically his odds of surviving with all of his limbs and without infection was incredibly low even if wealth was on his side. Hell, maybe he was dying already of something internal.

When they got back to the house, Alice ran inside to get her parents. "Mom! Dad! Tex's plane went down!" there was a shuffling upstairs that must have been her parents rushing to put clothes on. Sterling Sr. Came running down the stairs with pants on but no shirt. Most of his upper body was covered in intricate patterns of tattoos that covered ugly battle scars. Must have covered the war wounds with pictures when he had kids, it would be easy to conclude.

Sterling sr. Came outside to the car and helped Leon get Texas out and carry Texas up to his own bedroom. Texas was still talking to himself in his drugged haze. "alegria come un lampo di vita. Alegria com un pazzo gridar. Alegria del delittuoso grido."

"Dad, what's he talking about?" Alice was starting to get worried. Texas didn't usually talk in different languages if he was around people who understood English. "is it something to do with why his plane went down?"

Tucking the blankets around his idiot son, Sterling Sr. Sighed "no, it's an italian love song. Leon, I'd like you to find out who brought my son into the hospital. I assume that it was a French border patrol that found him. I'm told he was doing reconnaissance for the British over Austria. I believe he ran into some kind of trouble and ran for the French border."

Ring* Ring* Ring*
Mary set down the plane she was playing with the boys with and ran to the phone. "Hello, Steele residency. " she answered politely while two little boys laughed in the background

Hello Marry, said Victoria I'm sorry to bother you, but Texas's has been badly hurt. He broke both his legs and one if his arms. I was wondering if you would like us to arrange for you and the kids to join us.
When she heard victoria say texas had been hurt victoria heard a clatter and bang. She had dropped the phone. She picked up the phone again and stuttered "i im im sorry. I...what happened? I i haven't heard any of this from the RAF yet." When she mentioned how badly he was hurt she heard mary whisper "oh my sweet god" she sighed "uh yes. Did...did he say he wanted me there?"
"Of course he wants his family" said Victoria. "I'm sure, see you and the kids will brighten his spirits. Since he will be bed ridden for some time while hes healing." "And honestly I would like to meet my grandchildren and I Know my husband dose too." She admitted honestly
Mary chewed her fingernails. "Mrs. Steele if i may, texas and i haven't exactly seen eye to eye recently. We've been having some difficulties. But I'm sure you're right about wanting to see his boys." She sat down wiping tears away from her eyes and choked back a sob. "Im sorry, yes I'd...id like for you to meet them but ive had concerns how militant the family is and what kind of impression the boys will get from it."
Victoria chuckled. "My dear please don't fret, I've raised five boys to adult hood" "nothing surprise me anymore" she said with humor in her voice.
She sighed "it's more your husband who i fear. The last time i spoke to him," had been the first and only time tex had introduced her to sterling sr. It had exploded in a scene and sterling sr had been pissed about it with his feathers ruffled for a full week.
" I understand stand." Said Victoria. "Though I think my husband will be fair to busy with the grandchildren once he meets them." Though i for worn you he will spoil them.
"Maybe you're right. Texas wanted me to bring them to meet their grandfather for his fiftieth birthday. I suppose this is just fate saying i have no choice."
"I hope i cane prove to you that its not going to be that bad" "my husband loves children I honestly believe that he will be more interested in the children then picking a fight."
"How do you want to bring us? Should we catch a train? Or can you get us a plane? A train will take us until this evening to get there."

I can provide a pilot for you if you feel comfortable to travel in one.
"Ive never been uncomfortable flying. Texas used to take me all kinds of places when he was courting me." She sighed like she almost regretted not enjoying his company more.
Alright then. Ill call you back with in the hour with the details of your travel arrangements. She said. "Oh and don't worry about packing to much my dear, i wasn't kidding when i said the my husband will spoil the children. Better to pack light." She said before saying good bye and hanging up.
"Thank you. Good bye."

As Victoria said she would. she called back with in the hour, telling her that a car was going to pick them up and bring them to the plan that will take them here. Victoria will be waiting to pick them up from the plan when it arrives. "The car should be there in a few hours to pick you up" she finished.
In the background she could hear the boys screaming at each other and arguing. One of them yelled ow and mary set down the phone "go to your rooms! You know better than to yell when someone's on the phone. " she sighed and picked up the phone again "alright. Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all" Victoria assured her. "I wish it where under better circumstance but im excited to meet the children and I had hope you would spend some time talking to this old woman." She said playfully.
"Of course you are. We'll see what texas says about what i can and can't talk to you about."

"Oh don't you worry dear. We'll have an opportunity to talk plainly, out of ear shot of our husband's" she said. you could hear her smile even over the phone.
Mary sighed "it wont really matter. He'll find out what i said and there will be hell to pay."
"Victoria laughed i'd like to see him try with no legs and with only one arm. She reminded her. Don't fret so much my dear. You underestimate my ability to keep own children in line, even at their age some of them still act like children. " she said bluntly.
Mary snorted out a giggle trying to fight the urge to laugh knowing damn well how childish texas could be. "Perhaps. Perhaps that will only make him try harder."
"We'll talk more after you arrive" she said kindly. " I'm sure your car will be arriving soon." She said good bye and hastily got ready for the family to arrive. She quickly pulled Sr aside and told him he be meeting his grandchildren soon and ask if he would help her get things ready.
"Grandchildren? Who's?" For a moment victoria saw him almost boil over with rage that one of his children had been keeping this a secret. "Texas." He eventually came to his own conclusion. "All right that doesnt matter right now. What matters is they'll be here soon. What do you need me to do?"
She quickly told him the conversation and how the family was to arrive. I need to go meet them. "I was hopping you would make sure that things are prepared on this end letting the help know to expect guess and to make then necessary ac omadations. She said
"Sure, I'll take care of things here. I'll get the help organized and their rooms set up." He started to smile and she knew he couldnt stay angry when he was excited. "How old are they, do you know?"
Around 5 maybe a little older she guessed.
"Mischief sweet spot."
Victoria laughed. It will be nice to hear children laughing and playing again she said. As she kissed her husband before she went upstairs to change into driving cloths.
He smiled returning her kiss. "Regretting those contraceptives?" He winked at her. He was playing. He wasnt stupid. Fuck that. They were both too old to go through that shit again with another infant of their own. But he liked to tease her about it. It was how he had made his peace with it even though he saw a moral issue with them.
Havens no she said teasingly. Anymore and we be out marched she playfully.
He slapped her ass as she went up the stairs and smiled watching her go up the stairs before he set about ordering the staff about to get things ready.
A short time later she returned and her driving slacks and wearing a pretty powder blue blouse black leather boots with a pair of driving gloves in her hand as she hurry down the stairs her sliver blond hear head bin put up and had been tucked under her favorite hat. She ask the car to be brought around front for her. While she waited she kissed Sr good bye and told him they be back by supper. She tooled the packed lunch from the maid and headed out the door. It was a long drive to the meeting place she quickly started the car and hurried down the road.

Sterling sr stood on the porch watching her drive off until he couldnt see her anymore. He checked in on tex who was fast asleep and knew nothing of victoria's plan.
Mary got off the plane with two little boys age 5 clinging to her dress as she carried a suitcase for the three of them. She set the case down. "Now youll behave when you meet your dad's parents. If not we'll go back home. They went to a lot of trouble to bring us here so we could be with your dad while he's hurt. You will not embarass me infront of them you understand?" The two boys nodded sheepishly.
Victoria had just arrived to see the plan the saw the family get iut of the plan and pulled the car up to them. She quickly got out hurryed to great them she gave Mary a hug "I'm glade to see you my dear, how as the flight?" She asked warmly.
Mary yelped "dear me, you startled me." She squirmed in Victoria's hug. "The boys enjoyed it though I'm a bit nauseous. Glad to have my feet on the ground again." Of course victoria could tell from the hug why mary had probably been nauseous. She was only just barely beginning to show but, she brought 3 grandchildren to meet victoria and sterling sr.
The boys looked up at their mom and grandma. "H-hello mrs. Steele." The braver of the two squeeked out. One was dressed in a little sailor suit and the other wore a cute little blue suit.
Victoria smiled brightly at the boys. "Hello she and please call me grandma. She said. "And what's your name she asked?"
The one in the suit stepped forward and held out his hand to shake her hand "my name is jack." The other little boy looked up at her "my name is Texas junior"
The one in the suit stepped forward and held out his hand to shake her hand "my name is jack." The other little boy looked up at her "my name is Texas junior" A short, fat, woman in her late 30's who wasnt particularly pretty in the face came along behind the children and Mary with the other two cases they had brought. "Good afternoon," the woman said with a curtsie "my name is Ethel, I'm the children's nanny."
Victoria smiled at the children. "You don't have to be so formal my dears we're family. She said opening her arms for hugs. She smiled at the Ethel. Thank you for coming. " Shall we get going?" she said standing.
"Oh fuck a duck," mary muttered and dashed off to the cargo pick up again. The boys giggled and came and gave their grandma a big hug from each of them. Mary came back carrying a metal cage with a blanket over it. "Texas would be furious if i didnt bring hatebeak." The boys laughed "yea hatebeak's awesome!" Jack said. Mary cringed. She hated the bird. Ethel helped load the bags and the bird into the car before getting the kids settled in the car waiting for victoria and mary.
Victoria, quickly got into the car and started it. "Coming dear" she called to Mary.
Mary got in the car next to victoria. She was more than a little intimidated by her. "Your husband doesnt disagree with you driving?" She asked curiously
"Nope" she said simply. As she drove down the road.
The boys laughed talking to their father's parrot and bouncing on the seats. Hatebeak was the same rude, foul mouthed, angry bird he was when texas was 16. But he chattered with the kids about things they knew about too. He told jokes that made them howl. When they got back to the house, they could hear texas screaming in pain. Sterling sr bellowed "quit squirming or I'll miss the vein." Texas yelled again before he quit yelling all together. Sterling sr came down the stairs. He held a rag over his nose that was bleeding. Texas must have hit him in his agony.
"Oh dear, are you alright?" she said as she came up to him.
He smiled taking the rag away making sure his nose wasnt bleeding anymore. "I'm alright, tex woke up in pain and whacked me thrashing."
Victoria smiled "say hello, to Jack and Texas Jr." She waved the boys over to meet there grandfather. "Boys this is grandpa Steal." She smiled brightly at the boys.
Sterling sr knelt down "hello boys. Call me granddad." He held out his arms amd they came to give him a hug. Grabbing each of them around the waist he picked them up. "You're so big, I'll only be able to pick you up for a few years." He had a rediculous grin on his face. He couldnt be happier.
Victoria was very excited to have the boys around. "I bet its close to supper time, Boys shall we go was up for supper?"
Sterling sr smiled setting the boys back down after another hug. "Good idea. You can say hello to your dad after dinner. Best to let him sleep for a bit." The boys giggled. Dad usually spent the first few days home sleeping anyway. Ethel went with one of the servants to go get the boys things settled into their room. Mary picked up hatebeak's cage. "I'll go take hatebeak up to texas' room. Im sure they missed eachother." She didnt say anything about her expecting texas to have missed her. She went upstairs and gave a yelp being startled by sterling sr's new dog Pepper jumping off Texas's bed and yipping at her feet at the bird who squacked and threatened it. Sterling sr cringed "I'll go help her." He went upstairs after mary.
Texas jr took victoria's hand as they went with her to get washed up. "Grandma, how come dad never took us to meet you before?" "Is granddad really as loud and mean as dad says?" Jack asked catching up with them.
"Do you and granddad live here in france?" "Is dad really a cowboy from america?" "Do you have ponies? Dad bought us Shetland ponies for our birthday last year." "Can we play with the puppy after dinner?" "How come you and granddad sound like you talk funny?" "Do we have any aunts and uncles?" The boys started firing questions at victoria as soon as they thought of them.
Victoria laughed, at the first question and proceeded to answer their questions as quickly as they where firing them. "I'm sure your father had his reasons, ganddad is a very loving man and his going to spoil you." She smiled, "Yes your father is from America, as well as his 4 brothers, your uncles, granddad and me. This is why it seems we talk funny. We have american accents. We'er staying with family in their guest home while we are on vacation, and yes we do own some ponies and horses. she answered as they cleaned up for supper.
Meanwhile upstairs the dog and the parrot had woken tex and he was in a foul mood because he hadnt been left alone since he left the hospital. It was hard to hear what he was saying through the floor but he kept shouting to get out. That much was clear. Sterling sr helped mary down the stairs as she stumbled and sobbed and sniffled. Sterling sr just rolled his eyes "i told you to let him sleep. You brought this on yourself. "



"What happen?" asked Victoria. "I thought you where just taken the bird up stairs?"
Sterling sr helped mary to the couch and sat her down. "Pepper startled mary, hatebeak threatened pepper and pepper started yipping. Tex woke up and everyone got a scatter shot of his temper. I'm about to go settle him down and separate pepper and hatebeak." Jack and texas jr stood beside victoria holding her hand. "Grandma what happened?" Asked jack. "Are mom and dad fighting again?" Texas jr asked. Sterling sr went upstairs. Tex screamed at him again but another dose of medicine shut him up. Sterling sr picked up his little dog and left that bastard bird in its cage with tex before coming down to the living room.
"No my dear, your father is in a lot pain, which in turn makes him cranky. Don't worry granddad will settle your father, and then will all enjoy supper. " she said soothingly.
Sterling sr came back down with a frustrated and weary look on his face. "He should get some sleep now. C'mon. Let's eat." He put his hand on Jack's shoulder walking with them to the dining room.
Mary got ahold of herself after a few minutes. She came to join them in the dining room. When the kids werent looking sterling sr hid some money under their plates so once they were finished they would find the reward.

After dinner, sterling took the grandchildren to play outside with the puppy and the ponies. Texas had woken up again, though he wasnt in as much pain as before. He wanted somebody to bring him something to eat. He hadnt eaten since this morning at the hospital. Mary took a tray of dinner up to him. It was deadly silent in his room except for the quiet sound of cutlery. With only one useful arm, mary had to feed him. When the painful ordeal was over he told her next time just to blend and chop it until he could drink it through a straw. He told her not to come back in his room. Next time let the staff do their jobs. He rang the bell in the servants quarters by pulling a string by his bed. He wanted some more morphine. He didnt want to be awake to know his sea witch of a wife was there. Mary ran out of texas' room sobbing. She confined herself to her children's room where she stayed, sobbing, unless someone came to bother her.
After dinner, sterling took the grandchildren to play outside with the puppy and the ponies. Texas had woken up again, though he wasnt in as much pain as before. He wanted somebody to bring him something to eat. He hadnt eaten since this morning at the hospital. Mary took a tray of dinner up to him. It was deadly silent in his room except for the quiet sound of cutlery. With only one useful arm, mary had to feed him. When the painful ordeal was over he told her next time just to blend and chop it until he could drink it through a straw. He told her not to come back in his room. Next time let the staff do their jobs. He rang the bell in the servants quarters by pulling a string by his bed. He wanted some more morphine. He didnt want to be awake to know his sea witch of a wife was there. Mary ran out of texas' room sobbing. She confined herself to her children's room where she stayed, sobbing, unless someone came to bother her.

Victoria didn't notice the drama that transpired initially. She had join the boys and her husband in the activities outside. She was just about done getting the saddle ready when she realize, she had for gotten her gloves in her room. She told Sterling what she had forgotten and that she be right back, if she took to long, just go on with out her, she understood how boys can get restless and she didn't want to ruin their experience waiting on her. She quickly went inside and went to her room, as she was coming out gloves in hand. She heard Mary crying. Victoria knocked on the door. "Mary? Is everything alright dear?" she asked through the door.
Mary got up from the dresser where she was leaned over sobbing. Wiping her eyes she opened the door. "I, I'm terribly sorry. I... i just dont know what to do. T-texas doesn't want to see me, doesnt want me stepping foot in his room." She started to cry again as she spoke.
Sterling waited for as long as he could but the boys really wanted to go riding on the big horse with granddad.



"Oh dear, why don't you come ridding with us and the kids, and you can tell me what happen on the way." she said gesturing for her to come with.
Mary followed "ive never been riding before." She wiped her eyes again "when i heard that texas was hungry, i suppose i prevented the staff from doing their job and i took some food up to him, but i wasnt thinking clearly i was caught up in trying to make him happy. He wanted them to puree it so he could drink it. So i wound up having to feed him. When we first got married he would have praised me for taking care of him. But now... listen i know i made mistakes in the past but I'm trying to be a good wife to him now."
Victoria listen as they walk to the stables, Victoria picked a nice mare for her to ride. she getting older so she'll be a nice easy ride for marry. she got the mare saddled and helped Mary into her set then she got on her own horse. Once they where ready gave a the Mary's horse a pat on the rump and she slowly started walking. Victoria kept pace with Mary's mare as they made their way along the trails. "What did you mean you made a mistake my dear?" Victoria asked after a long pause of silence.
Mary started to calm down stroking the neck of the mare as they walked along the trail. "When we got married texas wanted certain things from me. They weren't so bad all considered. No worse than any average man. But i felt degraded by them. I felt like he was only asking for those things to humiliate me and remind me he was superior. Now i realize most of what he was asking for, well, it was a test how good a mother i would be. Now he doesn't want to be near me. I had hoped that letting him keep a mistress would bring us closer if he could be satisfied by someone else. It seems i may have pushed my husband into the arms of another woman."
"It's all my fault. I should have had sex with him every day multiple times a day when he was home on leave like he wanted when we got married. Now hes not even attracted to me. I should have cared for him when he was home wounded instead of hire a nurse to look after him. I should have cooked for him before the boys were born. Now im not allowed to cook. We have a chef for that. I should have nursed and loved and cared for his babies. But i hired a wet nurse, and a nanny has raised them. I know he wants a divorce. I'm sorry. I dont know how to fix this." She started to sob again and put a hand on her belly. "And now theres another on the way and i dont know how to tell him. Im scared if i tell him I'll have to kill it because i dont think he wants any more children from me." She tried to keep her tears held back but she kept working herself up into more and more of an emotional state. Texas did the same thing when he was upset.
"Now now dear, I know my son, he will not make you kill your baby, and he is obviously still attracted to you or you wouldn't be pregnant. " she said simply. "As for the rest of your problem, I know a doctor that maybe able to help. He's our family doctor and has done wonders for me and Stirling" she said with seniority. With out giving to much specifics she explain she was in a similar situation. where she had some animosity towards her husband, because of something he had done. That wound up causing an even bigger problem because she wouldn't let it go. Which made her just as much to blame as Stirling. "Jimmy is the one that help us brake down these walls that we had built between us and allowed us to talk to each other in a way we never could before." "It still takes a lot of work even after you solve the problem, it's something that both you and your husband will be working on till the day you die, Just like me and Stirling will, till the day we die, it's just how things work. Trust takes time to build and it takes even less time to loose it." She turned to Mary and said "I'll tell you a cheat though, if you learn from your mistakes and don't make the same mistake twice, then everything will work out" she smiled at Mary. Victoria did understand how they felt it was similar to her and Stirling. Victoria would also like to believe that she knows her son, and that there is more to the picture then both where saying, she had decided to talk to Texas alone when she had the opportunity. In the mean time she was going to try and welcome Mary and her children to the best of her ability's, no point in add more stress to a situation then needed. She was hopping that she would be able to get Mary to really open up to her if she could make her feel welcome.
Mary smiled when victoria said she would reccomend them to a doctor that helped her and her husband. "Thank you. I'm not sure if he's still attracted to me or if he was just angry and drunk and thought he was going to teach me a lesson." She shook her head. "I dont believe in having sex unless it's specifically to produce a child. It's sinful. What texas does with other women is more sinful but, i pushed him to do that. I've been fortunate he didnt insist on sending me to prison for not having sex with him." Clearly she was very torn up over everything. "What can i do to get close to him? How do i get him to let me back in?"
Mary and victoria caught up with sterling and the boys, jack and texas jr. They were sitting in the saddle of his big black horse bette noir while sterling sr. Was holding the reins and walking the horse.
"I didn't take you to be very religious my dear at lest to the point where you think one of gods precises gift as a sin." she remarked as they made their way to the boys and her husband"



"I just mean it seems odd that god would make procreating enjoyable if we weren't suppose to enjoy it?" "It makes more senses why we are suppose to wait till marriage to have sex since it suppose to be a special thing between husband and wife that they enjoy together" and the miracle is when we do it right god see fit to bless one with child." "Then again, I'm not as religious as some woman my age should be, so maybe my view point is a little ignorant" Her voice trailed of as she contemplated the theory her brain had rattling around in her head. She was quite for a moment before she realize she was lost in thought "I'm sorry dear, this old mind likes to wander sometimes when you really make it think."

"When you do it right, god will bless you with a child... assuming your wife isnt using contraceptives. " they were close enough to sterling sr and the boys that he had overheard them talking and the old man had gotten his hackles up thinking about the hypocrisy coming out of Victoria's mouth. "Or do you mean to imply that you and i only did it right once?" Doing it right. What a rediculous notion. There was nothing right about how their children had been conceived. Sterling sr. Had simply waited for the right time when she hadn't been able to take the contraception. He twisted the reins of his horse around his fist. When he noticed that he was just getting angry about what he was eavesdropping on, he pulled out his pipe and packed it from a little tin in his pocket. Lighting it he tried to ignore what victoria and mary were talking about. He tried to tune them out and focus on his grandkids.
Mary noticed sterling sr's prickly tone and cringed. Texas got the same tone in his voice when he was pissed off. "Are all men's egos so frail?" Mary asked with a tremble in her voice. Sterling sr spit to the side "a man derives his worth from his wife and children. If his children dont love and respect him, if his wife doesnt comfort him, respect him, doesnt love him, how is he to measure himself as even adequate. Tex has a big heart. If he's pissed with you, it's probably because he feels rejected by you."
"When you do it right, god will bless you with a child... assuming your wife isnt using contraceptives. " they were close enough to sterling sr and the boys that he had overheard them talking and the old man had gotten his hackles up thinking about the hypocrisy coming out of Victoria's mouth. "Or do you mean to imply that you and i only did it right once?" Doing it right. What a rediculous notion. There was nothing right about how their children had been conceived. Sterling sr. Had simply waited for the right time when she hadn't been able to take the contraception. He twisted the reins of his horse around his fist. When he noticed that he was just getting angry about what he was eavesdropping on, he pulled out his pipe and packed it from a little tin in his pocket. Lighting it he tried to ignore what victoria and mary were talking about. He tried to tune them out and focus on his grandkids.
Mary noticed sterling sr's prickly tone and cringed. Texas got the same tone in his voice when he was pissed off. "Are all men's egos so frail?" Mary asked with a tremble in her voice. Sterling sr spit to the side "a man derives his worth from his wife and children. If his children dont love and respect him, if his wife doesnt comfort him, respect him, doesnt love him, how is he to measure himself as even adequate. Tex has a big heart. If he's pissed with you, it's probably because he feels rejected by you."

"Please don't miss understand me, I'm not religious so I don't believe that god gave me my children. I was simply trying to give you a different perspective, "A man dose not drives his worth from his wife and children, its drive from his actions and how he chooses to treat his wife and children. I don't think its right to put merit into other peoples opinion and unless you actually value the person the opinion is coming from. He's right about Texas, he may feel rejected by you, and from what I understand from you told me, he has a valid reason.
Sterling sr shook his head chewing the mouthpiece of his pipe as he led his horse with his grandsons on it. Jack and texas jr didnt really understand what the grown ups were talking about. But they knew it was about their mom and dad. "Granddad, can we go faster?" Jack asked. Sterling sr smiled and climbed onto his horse with the boys. They sat infront of him so he had his arms around them. "Hang on tight." He gave bette noir a light kick and the horse took off like a bullet. The boys screamed in excitement and a little bit of fear. Mary gasped when they raced off "oh god please dont let them fall." She followed them though she didnt know how to make the mare go faster.

Ring* Ring* Ring*
Mary set down the plane she was playing with the boys with and ran to the phone. "Hello, Steele residency. " she answered politely while two little boys laughed in the background

Hello Marry, said Victoria I'm sorry to bother you, but Texas's has been badly hurt. He broke both his legs and one if his arms. I was wondering if you would like us to arrange for you and the kids to join us.
When she heard victoria say texas had been hurt victoria heard a clatter and bang. She had dropped the phone. She picked up the phone again and stuttered "i im im sorry. I...what happened? I i haven't heard any of this from the RAF yet." When she mentioned how badly he was hurt she heard mary whisper "oh my sweet god" she sighed "uh yes. Did...did he say he wanted me there?"
"Of course he wants his family" said Victoria. "I'm sure, see you and the kids will brighten his spirits. Since he will be bed ridden for some time while hes healing." "And honestly I would like to meet my grandchildren and I Know my husband dose too." She admitted honestly
Mary chewed her fingernails. "Mrs. Steele if i may, texas and i haven't exactly seen eye to eye recently. We've been having some difficulties. But I'm sure you're right about wanting to see his boys." She sat down wiping tears away from her eyes and choked back a sob. "Im sorry, yes I'd...id like for you to meet them but ive had concerns how militant the family is and what kind of impression the boys will get from it."
Victoria chuckled. "My dear please don't fret, I've raised five boys to adult hood" "nothing surprise me anymore" she said with humor in her voice.
She sighed "it's more your husband who i fear. The last time i spoke to him," had been the first and only time tex had introduced her to sterling sr. It had exploded in a scene and sterling sr had been pissed about it with his feathers ruffled for a full week.
" I understand stand." Said Victoria. "Though I think my husband will be fair to busy with the grandchildren once he meets them." Though i for worn you he will spoil them.
"Maybe you're right. Texas wanted me to bring them to meet their grandfather for his fiftieth birthday. I suppose this is just fate saying i have no choice."
"I hope i cane prove to you that its not going to be that bad" "my husband loves children I honestly believe that he will be more interested in the children then picking a fight."
"How do you want to bring us? Should we catch a train? Or can you get us a plane? A train will take us until this evening to get there."

I can provide a pilot for you if you feel comfortable to travel in one.
"Ive never been uncomfortable flying. Texas used to take me all kinds of places when he was courting me." She sighed like she almost regretted not enjoying his company more.
Alright then. Ill call you back with in the hour with the details of your travel arrangements. She said. "Oh and don't worry about packing to much my dear, i wasn't kidding when i said the my husband will spoil the children. Better to pack light." She said before saying good bye and hanging up.
"Thank you. Good bye."

As Victoria said she would. she called back with in the hour, telling her that a car was going to pick them up and bring them to the plan that will take them here. Victoria will be waiting to pick them up from the plan when it arrives. "The car should be there in a few hours to pick you up" she finished.
In the background she could hear the boys screaming at each other and arguing. One of them yelled ow and mary set down the phone "go to your rooms! You know better than to yell when someone's on the phone. " she sighed and picked up the phone again "alright. Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all" Victoria assured her. "I wish it where under better circumstance but im excited to meet the children and I had hope you would spend some time talking to this old woman." She said playfully.
"Of course you are. We'll see what texas says about what i can and can't talk to you about."

"Oh don't you worry dear. We'll have an opportunity to talk plainly, out of ear shot of our husband's" she said. you could hear her smile even over the phone.
Mary sighed "it wont really matter. He'll find out what i said and there will be hell to pay."
"Victoria laughed i'd like to see him try with no legs and with only one arm. She reminded her. Don't fret so much my dear. You underestimate my ability to keep own children in line, even at their age some of them still act like children. " she said bluntly.
Mary snorted out a giggle trying to fight the urge to laugh knowing damn well how childish texas could be. "Perhaps. Perhaps that will only make him try harder."
"We'll talk more after you arrive" she said kindly. " I'm sure your car will be arriving soon." She said good bye and hastily got ready for the family to arrive. She quickly pulled Sr aside and told him he be meeting his grandchildren soon and ask if he would help her get things ready.
"Grandchildren? Who's?" For a moment victoria saw him almost boil over with rage that one of his children had been keeping this a secret. "Texas." He eventually came to his own conclusion. "All right that doesnt matter right now. What matters is they'll be here soon. What do you need me to do?"
She quickly told him the conversation and how the family was to arrive. I need to go meet them. "I was hopping you would make sure that things are prepared on this end letting the help know to expect guess and to make then necessary ac omadations. She said
"Sure, I'll take care of things here. I'll get the help organized and their rooms set up." He started to smile and she knew he couldnt stay angry when he was excited. "How old are they, do you know?"
Around 5 maybe a little older she guessed.
"Mischief sweet spot."
Victoria laughed. It will be nice to hear children laughing and playing again she said. As she kissed her husband before she went upstairs to change into driving cloths.
He smiled returning her kiss. "Regretting those contraceptives?" He winked at her. He was playing. He wasnt stupid. Fuck that. They were both too old to go through that shit again with another infant of their own. But he liked to tease her about it. It was how he had made his peace with it even though he saw a moral issue with them.
Havens no she said teasingly. Anymore and we be out marched she playfully.
He slapped her ass as she went up the stairs and smiled watching her go up the stairs before he set about ordering the staff about to get things ready.
A short time later she returned and her driving slacks and wearing a pretty powder blue blouse black leather boots with a pair of driving gloves in her hand as she hurry down the stairs her sliver blond hear head bin put up and had been tucked under her favorite hat. She ask the car to be brought around front for her. While she waited she kissed Sr good bye and told him they be back by supper. She tooled the packed lunch from the maid and headed out the door. It was a long drive to the meeting place she quickly started the car and hurried down the road.

Sterling sr stood on the porch watching her drive off until he couldnt see her anymore. He checked in on tex who was fast asleep and knew nothing of victoria's plan.
Mary got off the plane with two little boys age 5 clinging to her dress as she carried a suitcase for the three of them. She set the case down. "Now youll behave when you meet your dad's parents. If not we'll go back home. They went to a lot of trouble to bring us here so we could be with your dad while he's hurt. You will not embarass me infront of them you understand?" The two boys nodded sheepishly.
Victoria had just arrived to see the plan the saw the family get iut of the plan and pulled the car up to them. She quickly got out hurryed to great them she gave Mary a hug "I'm glade to see you my dear, how as the flight?" She asked warmly.
Mary yelped "dear me, you startled me." She squirmed in Victoria's hug. "The boys enjoyed it though I'm a bit nauseous. Glad to have my feet on the ground again." Of course victoria could tell from the hug why mary had probably been nauseous. She was only just barely beginning to show but, she brought 3 grandchildren to meet victoria and sterling sr.
The boys looked up at their mom and grandma. "H-hello mrs. Steele." The braver of the two squeeked out. One was dressed in a little sailor suit and the other wore a cute little blue suit.
Victoria smiled brightly at the boys. "Hello she and please call me grandma. She said. "And what's your name she asked?"
The one in the suit stepped forward and held out his hand to shake her hand "my name is jack." The other little boy looked up at her "my name is Texas junior"
The one in the suit stepped forward and held out his hand to shake her hand "my name is jack." The other little boy looked up at her "my name is Texas junior" A short, fat, woman in her late 30's who wasnt particularly pretty in the face came along behind the children and Mary with the other two cases they had brought. "Good afternoon," the woman said with a curtsie "my name is Ethel, I'm the children's nanny."
Victoria smiled at the children. "You don't have to be so formal my dears we're family. She said opening her arms for hugs. She smiled at the Ethel. Thank you for coming. " Shall we get going?" she said standing.
"Oh fuck a duck," mary muttered and dashed off to the cargo pick up again. The boys giggled and came and gave their grandma a big hug from each of them. Mary came back carrying a metal cage with a blanket over it. "Texas would be furious if i didnt bring hatebeak." The boys laughed "yea hatebeak's awesome!" Jack said. Mary cringed. She hated the bird. Ethel helped load the bags and the bird into the car before getting the kids settled in the car waiting for victoria and mary.
Victoria, quickly got into the car and started it. "Coming dear" she called to Mary.
Mary got in the car next to victoria. She was more than a little intimidated by her. "Your husband doesnt disagree with you driving?" She asked curiously
"Nope" she said simply. As she drove down the road.
The boys laughed talking to their father's parrot and bouncing on the seats. Hatebeak was the same rude, foul mouthed, angry bird he was when texas was 16. But he chattered with the kids about things they knew about too. He told jokes that made them howl. When they got back to the house, they could hear texas screaming in pain. Sterling sr bellowed "quit squirming or I'll miss the vein." Texas yelled again before he quit yelling all together. Sterling sr came down the stairs. He held a rag over his nose that was bleeding. Texas must have hit him in his agony.
"Oh dear, are you alright?" she said as she came up to him.
He smiled taking the rag away making sure his nose wasnt bleeding anymore. "I'm alright, tex woke up in pain and whacked me thrashing."
Victoria smiled "say hello, to Jack and Texas Jr." She waved the boys over to meet there grandfather. "Boys this is grandpa Steal." She smiled brightly at the boys.
Sterling sr knelt down "hello boys. Call me granddad." He held out his arms amd they came to give him a hug. Grabbing each of them around the waist he picked them up. "You're so big, I'll only be able to pick you up for a few years." He had a rediculous grin on his face. He couldnt be happier.
Victoria was very excited to have the boys around. "I bet its close to supper time, Boys shall we go was up for supper?"
Sterling sr smiled setting the boys back down after another hug. "Good idea. You can say hello to your dad after dinner. Best to let him sleep for a bit." The boys giggled. Dad usually spent the first few days home sleeping anyway. Ethel went with one of the servants to go get the boys things settled into their room. Mary picked up hatebeak's cage. "I'll go take hatebeak up to texas' room. Im sure they missed eachother." She didnt say anything about her expecting texas to have missed her. She went upstairs and gave a yelp being startled by sterling sr's new dog Pepper jumping off Texas's bed and yipping at her feet at the bird who squacked and threatened it. Sterling sr cringed "I'll go help her." He went upstairs after mary.
Texas jr took victoria's hand as they went with her to get washed up. "Grandma, how come dad never took us to meet you before?" "Is granddad really as loud and mean as dad says?" Jack asked catching up with them.
"Do you and granddad live here in france?" "Is dad really a cowboy from america?" "Do you have ponies? Dad bought us Shetland ponies for our birthday last year." "Can we play with the puppy after dinner?" "How come you and granddad sound like you talk funny?" "Do we have any aunts and uncles?" The boys started firing questions at victoria as soon as they thought of them.
Victoria laughed, at the first question and proceeded to answer their questions as quickly as they where firing them. "I'm sure your father had his reasons, ganddad is a very loving man and his going to spoil you." She smiled, "Yes your father is from America, as well as his 4 brothers, your uncles, granddad and me. This is why it seems we talk funny. We have american accents. We'er staying with family in their guest home while we are on vacation, and yes we do own some ponies and horses. she answered as they cleaned up for supper.
Meanwhile upstairs the dog and the parrot had woken tex and he was in a foul mood because he hadnt been left alone since he left the hospital. It was hard to hear what he was saying through the floor but he kept shouting to get out. That much was clear. Sterling sr helped mary down the stairs as she stumbled and sobbed and sniffled. Sterling sr just rolled his eyes "i told you to let him sleep. You brought this on yourself. "



"What happen?" asked Victoria. "I thought you where just taken the bird up stairs?"
Sterling sr helped mary to the couch and sat her down. "Pepper startled mary, hatebeak threatened pepper and pepper started yipping. Tex woke up and everyone got a scatter shot of his temper. I'm about to go settle him down and separate pepper and hatebeak." Jack and texas jr stood beside victoria holding her hand. "Grandma what happened?" Asked jack. "Are mom and dad fighting again?" Texas jr asked. Sterling sr went upstairs. Tex screamed at him again but another dose of medicine shut him up. Sterling sr picked up his little dog and left that bastard bird in its cage with tex before coming down to the living room.
"No my dear, your father is in a lot pain, which in turn makes him cranky. Don't worry granddad will settle your father, and then will all enjoy supper. " she said soothingly.
Sterling sr came back down with a frustrated and weary look on his face. "He should get some sleep now. C'mon. Let's eat." He put his hand on Jack's shoulder walking with them to the dining room.
Mary got ahold of herself after a few minutes. She came to join them in the dining room. When the kids werent looking sterling sr hid some money under their plates so once they were finished they would find the reward.

After dinner, sterling took the grandchildren to play outside with the puppy and the ponies. Texas had woken up again, though he wasnt in as much pain as before. He wanted somebody to bring him something to eat. He hadnt eaten since this morning at the hospital. Mary took a tray of dinner up to him. It was deadly silent in his room except for the quiet sound of cutlery. With only one useful arm, mary had to feed him. When the painful ordeal was over he told her next time just to blend and chop it until he could drink it through a straw. He told her not to come back in his room. Next time let the staff do their jobs. He rang the bell in the servants quarters by pulling a string by his bed. He wanted some more morphine. He didnt want to be awake to know his sea witch of a wife was there. Mary ran out of texas' room sobbing. She confined herself to her children's room where she stayed, sobbing, unless someone came to bother her.
After dinner, sterling took the grandchildren to play outside with the puppy and the ponies. Texas had woken up again, though he wasnt in as much pain as before. He wanted somebody to bring him something to eat. He hadnt eaten since this morning at the hospital. Mary took a tray of dinner up to him. It was deadly silent in his room except for the quiet sound of cutlery. With only one useful arm, mary had to feed him. When the painful ordeal was over he told her next time just to blend and chop it until he could drink it through a straw. He told her not to come back in his room. Next time let the staff do their jobs. He rang the bell in the servants quarters by pulling a string by his bed. He wanted some more morphine. He didnt want to be awake to know his sea witch of a wife was there. Mary ran out of texas' room sobbing. She confined herself to her children's room where she stayed, sobbing, unless someone came to bother her.

Victoria didn't notice the drama that transpired initially. She had join the boys and her husband in the activities outside. She was just about done getting the saddle ready when she realize, she had for gotten her gloves in her room. She told Sterling what she had forgotten and that she be right back, if she took to long, just go on with out her, she understood how boys can get restless and she didn't want to ruin their experience waiting on her. She quickly went inside and went to her room, as she was coming out gloves in hand. She heard Mary crying. Victoria knocked on the door. "Mary? Is everything alright dear?" she asked through the door.
Mary got up from the dresser where she was leaned over sobbing. Wiping her eyes she opened the door. "I, I'm terribly sorry. I... i just dont know what to do. T-texas doesn't want to see me, doesnt want me stepping foot in his room." She started to cry again as she spoke.
Sterling waited for as long as he could but the boys really wanted to go riding on the big horse with granddad.



"Oh dear, why don't you come ridding with us and the kids, and you can tell me what happen on the way." she said gesturing for her to come with.
Mary followed "ive never been riding before." She wiped her eyes again "when i heard that texas was hungry, i suppose i prevented the staff from doing their job and i took some food up to him, but i wasnt thinking clearly i was caught up in trying to make him happy. He wanted them to puree it so he could drink it. So i wound up having to feed him. When we first got married he would have praised me for taking care of him. But now... listen i know i made mistakes in the past but I'm trying to be a good wife to him now."
Victoria listen as they walk to the stables, Victoria picked a nice mare for her to ride. she getting older so she'll be a nice easy ride for marry. she got the mare saddled and helped Mary into her set then she got on her own horse. Once they where ready gave a the Mary's horse a pat on the rump and she slowly started walking. Victoria kept pace with Mary's mare as they made their way along the trails. "What did you mean you made a mistake my dear?" Victoria asked after a long pause of silence.
Mary started to calm down stroking the neck of the mare as they walked along the trail. "When we got married texas wanted certain things from me. They weren't so bad all considered. No worse than any average man. But i felt degraded by them. I felt like he was only asking for those things to humiliate me and remind me he was superior. Now i realize most of what he was asking for, well, it was a test how good a mother i would be. Now he doesn't want to be near me. I had hoped that letting him keep a mistress would bring us closer if he could be satisfied by someone else. It seems i may have pushed my husband into the arms of another woman."
"It's all my fault. I should have had sex with him every day multiple times a day when he was home on leave like he wanted when we got married. Now hes not even attracted to me. I should have cared for him when he was home wounded instead of hire a nurse to look after him. I should have cooked for him before the boys were born. Now im not allowed to cook. We have a chef for that. I should have nursed and loved and cared for his babies. But i hired a wet nurse, and a nanny has raised them. I know he wants a divorce. I'm sorry. I dont know how to fix this." She started to sob again and put a hand on her belly. "And now theres another on the way and i dont know how to tell him. Im scared if i tell him I'll have to kill it because i dont think he wants any more children from me." She tried to keep her tears held back but she kept working herself up into more and more of an emotional state. Texas did the same thing when he was upset.
"Now now dear, I know my son, he will not make you kill your baby, and he is obviously still attracted to you or you wouldn't be pregnant. " she said simply. "As for the rest of your problem, I know a doctor that maybe able to help. He's our family doctor and has done wonders for me and Stirling" she said with seniority. With out giving to much specifics she explain she was in a similar situation. where she had some animosity towards her husband, because of something he had done. That wound up causing an even bigger problem because she wouldn't let it go. Which made her just as much to blame as Stirling. "Jimmy is the one that help us brake down these walls that we had built between us and allowed us to talk to each other in a way we never could before." "It still takes a lot of work even after you solve the problem, it's something that both you and your husband will be working on till the day you die, Just like me and Stirling will, till the day we die, it's just how things work. Trust takes time to build and it takes even less time to loose it." She turned to Mary and said "I'll tell you a cheat though, if you learn from your mistakes and don't make the same mistake twice, then everything will work out" she smiled at Mary. Victoria did understand how they felt it was similar to her and Stirling. Victoria would also like to believe that she knows her son, and that there is more to the picture then both where saying, she had decided to talk to Texas alone when she had the opportunity. In the mean time she was going to try and welcome Mary and her children to the best of her ability's, no point in add more stress to a situation then needed. She was hopping that she would be able to get Mary to really open up to her if she could make her feel welcome.
Mary smiled when victoria said she would reccomend them to a doctor that helped her and her husband. "Thank you. I'm not sure if he's still attracted to me or if he was just angry and drunk and thought he was going to teach me a lesson." She shook her head. "I dont believe in having sex unless it's specifically to produce a child. It's sinful. What texas does with other women is more sinful but, i pushed him to do that. I've been fortunate he didnt insist on sending me to prison for not having sex with him." Clearly she was very torn up over everything. "What can i do to get close to him? How do i get him to let me back in?"
Mary and victoria caught up with sterling and the boys, jack and texas jr. They were sitting in the saddle of his big black horse bette noir while sterling sr. Was holding the reins and walking the horse.
"I didn't take you to be very religious my dear at lest to the point where you think one of gods precises gift as a sin." she remarked as they made their way to the boys and her husband"



"I just mean it seems odd that god would make procreating enjoyable if we weren't suppose to enjoy it?" "It makes more senses why we are suppose to wait till marriage to have sex since it suppose to be a special thing between husband and wife that they enjoy together" and the miracle is when we do it right god see fit to bless one with child." "Then again, I'm not as religious as some woman my age should be, so maybe my view point is a little ignorant" Her voice trailed of as she contemplated the theory her brain had rattling around in her head. She was quite for a moment before she realize she was lost in thought "I'm sorry dear, this old mind likes to wander sometimes when you really make it think."

"When you do it right, god will bless you with a child... assuming your wife isnt using contraceptives. " they were close enough to sterling sr and the boys that he had overheard them talking and the old man had gotten his hackles up thinking about the hypocrisy coming out of Victoria's mouth. "Or do you mean to imply that you and i only did it right once?" Doing it right. What a rediculous notion. There was nothing right about how their children had been conceived. Sterling sr. Had simply waited for the right time when she hadn't been able to take the contraception. He twisted the reins of his horse around his fist. When he noticed that he was just getting angry about what he was eavesdropping on, he pulled out his pipe and packed it from a little tin in his pocket. Lighting it he tried to ignore what victoria and mary were talking about. He tried to tune them out and focus on his grandkids.
Mary noticed sterling sr's prickly tone and cringed. Texas got the same tone in his voice when he was pissed off. "Are all men's egos so frail?" Mary asked with a tremble in her voice. Sterling sr spit to the side "a man derives his worth from his wife and children. If his children dont love and respect him, if his wife doesnt comfort him, respect him, doesnt love him, how is he to measure himself as even adequate. Tex has a big heart. If he's pissed with you, it's probably because he feels rejected by you."
"When you do it right, god will bless you with a child... assuming your wife isnt using contraceptives. " they were close enough to sterling sr and the boys that he had overheard them talking and the old man had gotten his hackles up thinking about the hypocrisy coming out of Victoria's mouth. "Or do you mean to imply that you and i only did it right once?" Doing it right. What a rediculous notion. There was nothing right about how their children had been conceived. Sterling sr. Had simply waited for the right time when she hadn't been able to take the contraception. He twisted the reins of his horse around his fist. When he noticed that he was just getting angry about what he was eavesdropping on, he pulled out his pipe and packed it from a little tin in his pocket. Lighting it he tried to ignore what victoria and mary were talking about. He tried to tune them out and focus on his grandkids.
Mary noticed sterling sr's prickly tone and cringed. Texas got the same tone in his voice when he was pissed off. "Are all men's egos so frail?" Mary asked with a tremble in her voice. Sterling sr spit to the side "a man derives his worth from his wife and children. If his children dont love and respect him, if his wife doesnt comfort him, respect him, doesnt love him, how is he to measure himself as even adequate. Tex has a big heart. If he's pissed with you, it's probably because he feels rejected by you."

"Please don't miss understand me, I'm not religious so I don't believe that god gave me my children. I was simply trying to give you a different perspective, "A man dose not drives his worth from his wife and children, its drive from his actions and how he chooses to treat his wife and children. I don't think its right to put merit into other peoples opinion and unless you actually value the person the opinion is coming from. He's right about Texas, he may feel rejected by you, and from what I understand from you told me, he has a valid reason.
Sterling sr shook his head chewing the mouthpiece of his pipe as he led his horse with his grandsons on it. Jack and texas jr didnt really understand what the grown ups were talking about. But they knew it was about their mom and dad. "Granddad, can we go faster?" Jack asked. Sterling sr smiled and climbed onto his horse with the boys. They sat infront of him so he had his arms around them. "Hang on tight." He gave bette noir a light kick and the horse took off like a bullet. The boys screamed in excitement and a little bit of fear. Mary gasped when they raced off "oh god please dont let them fall." She followed them though she didnt know how to make the mare go faster.

"Don't worry my dear the boys will be fine. Don't forget we've raised 5 boys of our own." Victoria laughed, besides you really want to go racing after them when you barely know how to ride yourself. We don't want you to hurt yourself either.
She proceeded to show her how to ride. How to increase speed and slow down how to stop and how to turn the animal.
Mary took a deep breath "You're right. I'm just scared what texas might do if something happened to his boys." She followed victoria, patiently trying to learn how to ride as best she could. Fortunatly the old mare was well broken and would pretty well do whatevet the horse infront of it did. They could hear the boys giggle and yelp with their grandfather controlling the big fast horse. They cheered and cried again when he made the horse jump a small log. When sterling gave a yeehaw they giggled and mimiced him before exploding in giggles they found it so funny. Mary rode next to victoria "they certainly seem to be having lots of fun. Should be easy to get them to bed tonight. Thank you for teaching me. And for talking to me."

Thank you for putting up with my son and for have two wonderful children. I haven't seen Stirling smiled like in weeks. She smiled brightly at mary.
*I haven't seen Stirling Smile like that for weeks.

She smiled "then he'll be as thrilled about the third as texas was about them. Im sure youre right. Im sure texas will be thrilled to hear about the new one too." When sterling's horse got tired and hot they rode back to victoria and mary and sterling sr jumped off the horse to walk it again. As it was getting dark they came back home for cake and cocoa. Once the horses were put away sterling sr picked up his little dog holding him with one arm. The puppy was tired too. Jack was already half asleep. Victoria carried him inside while mary held texas jr's hand.
Jack sat in his mothers lap dozing while she and victoria had tea and continued to talk. Sterling sr and texas jr were wrestling on the floor. Texas jr had started it. He had climbed up on the back on a couch and jumped on granddad's back. "How can i give my husband what he needs to not feel rejected without compromising my beliefs?" Mary asked victoria. Sterling sr picked texas jr up with a roar and held texas jr above his head for a moment before putting him back down. Texas jr wasnt complaining. He was giggling his face off. "I've never known a man to say no to a blowjob." Sterling sr interjected. Mary gasped and cringed before shuddering at the thought of doing such a thing.
Victoria sat in silent for a long time before answering her question. "Before I give you my opinion dear, answer me this, What dose it say in the bible about sex after marriage? I only asked because I'm some what ignorant of the subject. I just think that maybe there's a possibility for a different interpretation of it." She finished
Mary sipped her tea thinking. "The bible says many things about sex after marraige. Sodomy is absolutely forbidden." Sterling sr made a sexual purr sound with his tongue and mary cringed and shuddered again. "There are other things that are forbidden too. Oral; sex in any beastial or animalistic positions. Sex with multiple people, sex with anyone outside the covenant of the marraige. " sterling sr laughed as he walked away to go bother a servant about some cake. Couple minutes later he came back with the servant who had a tray of plates with slices of vanilla and strawberry cake. The servant also had on the tray a metal cup with a straw in it. When everyone had a slice of cake the servant took the cup upstairs to texas. Milkshakes were one of texas' favorite things especially when he was wounded.
"Do you understand why this is stated in the bible my dear?" She asked while Sterling left the room. She took a sip of her tea, while she waited for her reply.
Hes been doing fine as I understand it Ricky seems to be pleased.
Mary sighed and shook her head "no. I dont. Ive never found a clear answer."

"Well my dear, I had friend that was a Priest. He new that I wasn't very religious and never really pressed me on it and I never pressed why he decided to follow god. " a smile came to her face as she remember drinking tea and chatting with the old Priest"
"Mind you, that didn't stop us from talking about the subject either" she chuckled
"would you like to hear what he told me? I may not remember the exact word verbatim mind you, but i think i can get the message across"Mary nodded "please. I do want to fix this. I dont want texas to divorce me." Sterling sr came back in and sat on the floor with texas jr playing cards with him.



"Well at first he gave me a kind of whishy whashy answer which wasn't like him, When I pressed him on it, he explained that if I want to any number priest and ask them the same question, that I would get a different answer from every priest." she said "Do understand why that is dear?" she asked
She shook her head "no i dont." She sipped her tea watching texas jr play with his grandfather while jack slept against her chest. She wondered why she had been so afraid of this for so long.

Because no man is the same, there for they can't think the same. If they can't think the same, how can they interrupt something the same way? In short they can't, which is why every priest even if from the same religion would have a different answer." she smiled at Mary"So you know what that means" she said
Again mary shook her head. She didnt know how to make sense of any of it. Much less understand enough to try fixing her relationship with her husband.


It means the bible is open to interpretation, and when asked him of his view point on it he believe it was mostly about men, she finished
I got called into work so you may not hear from me for a while
Thats ok. I understand. Have a great night at work.
Mary sighed finishing her cup of tea. She didnt know what to say. She opened her mouth to speak a few times but could find no voice to speak. She sighed and stood up picking up jack from her lap. "I should go tuck jack in. I'll be right back." She carried jack up to his bedroom and tucked him in. Usually ethel did that. But mary was trying to be a better mother so she could be a better wife. She came back down when she was done tucking jack in. She sat back down on the couch sighing. "I-is texas really a nymphomaniac? Or was that just something he said to me to pressure me to have sex with him more?" Sterling sr threw his cards down and got up from where he was playing with texas jr and walked out the front door. Victoria knew sometimes he had to just get up amd walk away from something that he was going to yell about. He walked out to the stables and brushed his horse down instead. Texas jr giggled "i win. Granddad gave up and quit. I win right?" He looked up at his mother and grandmother. "Yes dear. You win." Mary said softly.
"I never had reason to suspect texas was lying. The amount of time he spent masturbating gave credit to his claims. And he always seems to be in genuine pain if he is forced to abstain from all forms of sex. But ive never spoken to any of his doctors or you until now."
Mary sighed finishing her cup of tea. She didnt know what to say. She opened her mouth to speak a few times but could find no voice to speak. She sighed and stood up picking up jack from her lap. "I should go tuck jack in. I'll be right back." She carried jack up to his bedroom and tucked him in. Usually ethel did that. But mary was trying to be a better mother so she could be a better wife. She came back down when she was done tucking jack in. She sat back down on the couch sighing. "I-is texas really a nymphomaniac? Or was that just something he said to me to pressure me to have sex with him more?" Sterling sr threw his cards down and got up from where he was playing with texas jr and walked out the front door. Victoria knew sometimes he had to just get up amd walk away from something that he was going to yell about. He walked out to the stables and brushed his horse down instead. Texas jr giggled "i win. Granddad gave up and quit. I win right?" He looked up at his mother and grandmother. "Yes dear. You win." Mary said softly.
"I never had reason to suspect texas was lying. The amount of time he spent masturbating gave credit to his claims. And he always seems to be in genuine pain if he is forced to abstain from all forms of sex. But ive never spoken to any of his doctors or you until now."

Faintly victoria could hear the sound of a bell ringing while mary was gone to tuck texas jr into bed too now that he was done his cake and cocoa and grandpa quit the game. The bell ringing was texas. The staff had all either gone home for the night or were asleep and couldnt hear the bell. Upstairs in his room, texas was starting to feel pain again. His left arm and right leg were in an open brace to hold the bones in place to heal without covering the open wound in the skin that had been torn by the bone jutting through it. They couldnt cast his arm or leg until those wounds healed and if they didnt he might lose one of the limbs or both. If he kept ringing the bell someone would come help him.

Victoria quickly made her way up the stairs. "Texas? What can I help you with dear?" She asked a she entered and close the door behind her.
Do you need more painkillers?
He groaned sitting up. "What time is it?" He had been in and out most of the day so he probably didnt have a great sense of time. "I'm cold, can i have another blanket?" He thought about the offer of pain killers. "Maybe in a little bit. I think im ok. My right leg feels warm though, can you look at it for me?"
When she looked at his right leg in the brace, the bandages covering the open wound where the bone had broke through his skin were wet and slightly bloody. The wound was weeping puss, plasma and blood. It was infected, that was why it felt warm.



"Your leg is infected, i'm going to have to clean it" She said bluntly. "I'm going to give you some painkillers first before I clean it" she continued, as she walked around the bed and picked up the needle, and filled it part way with morphine. She quickly gave him shot, put another blanket over him, making sure not to cover right leg. When she was done she quickly went to get a bowl with warm water and a empty bucket, several towels, a large battle of vodka, and a surgical blade in case there was rot she had to remove and some clean bandages. She moved a chair next to the bed and a table where she place her equipment. and set to work. She carefully removed the old bandages, then she place a hot towel over the wound to help draw out the puss. After a minuet she carefully lifted the towel, it was covered in puss and blood. She took the soiled towel and put it in the bucket she had place on the floor next to her. Next she took another towel and placed it in the warm water, she rang out the excess water. With her towel ready she began gently squeezing the wound drawing more of the infection to the surface, which she wiped away with her towel, by this time the morphine should have kicked in and there should only be some mild discomfort. Once she was positive she drew out the most of the infection, she put the second towel in the bucket. She took a look at the wound, there was a little bit of rotten flesh that needed to be remove. She took the surgical knife and the bottle of vodka, holding the knife over the bucket she pored the vodka over it. Placing the bottle back on the table she turn to Texas."If you can't handle it let me know i'll give you some more morphine" she said then set to work carefully removing the rot from the wound.
Texas laid back and relaxed while his mother cleaned the wound on his leg. As soon as she took off the bandage there was a putrid rotten smell from the rotting flesh. The smell made texas have to lean over and throw up into a bucket beside his bed. He groaned and moaned as she worked to clean the wound and remove the rotten flesh but he didnt scream. "Dad only gives me half as much morphine. I cant feel any pain. Just feels weird. I can feel you cutting the flesh away but it doesnt hurt." Mary had stopped in the doorway instead of going back downstairs. She was watching victoria work on texas. Texas looked up at mary when he noticed her in the doorway and reached with his good arm for the book on his nightstand and he threw it at her growling to fuck off though it was mumbled.



Victoria caught the book, for Texas aim was way off form the morphine. "Texas please lie still," she said calmly, then she went back to work "Mary would you please take the bowl and bring me some warm water." she said with out looking away.
"Of course." She came into the room and took the bowl downstairs, all the while dodging ugly glares from texas. When mary came back and set the bowl down she knelt next to victoria watching her work. "How did you know i was there?"



"Oh I could hear you, my dear and Texas threw a book that almost hit me." she answered She was working on the last of it, taking her time not to remove any of the good muscle tissue. when she was done she took another towel and placed it in the warm water and ringed out the excess water. She carefully cleaned the wound, making sure she didn't miss any rotting flesh. When she was confident she didn't miss any. She tossed the towel she was using in too the bucket, then she took another towel and pour some vodka on it. "She cleaned the wounded again she discarded the towel, and began wrapping the wound in clean bandages.
"I presume he meant for that book to hit me." She said with a sigh. "Fucking right i did. The fuck makes you think i want you here?" He grumbled trying to lay still for his mother though he wanted to strangle mary. Mary sighed "you know just last week we talked about us coming as a family to meet your parents for your father's 50th birthday." Texas laughed "i was talking about taking the boys and leaving you at home. What makes you think i want you around my family?" Mary scoffed "well you married me for one thing" "I got sold a bill of goods. You dont do a single god damn fucking thing thats expected of a wife and you havent for five years."



Victoria realized that a part of Texas leg will have to be sewed shut other wise it's just going to get infected again. She got up and rummage through the drawers until she found some metal twin and a needle big enough to fit the twin. She started work, listening to the two fight, curious to see how it unfolded.



She poured the vodka on the needle and the twin she had cut to use, and carefully started work
"What do you expect me to do, degrade myself like some common street whore?" Mary scoffed. "I expect you to do whatever i want because my wants and desires are all that keep you out of the street." Texas yelled, exerting so much energy he passed out. Mary rolled her eyes. "Must have been a while since one of his whores sucked his balls dry. Hes never this irritable if hes gone and committed adultery. "



"You hold some responsibility to that, my dear" Victoria said plainly as she was finishing sewing the leg. She finished warping his leg and covered it with a blanket.
"What do you mean i hold some responsibility to that?" Mary was shocked and appalled by this. "Stupid bitch she means its your fault. She'd have a heart attack if she actually had to do anything remotely sexual." Texas worked himself up to the point he blacked out again. "Clearly hes too intoxicated from the morphine to remember the dozen or so times he got absolutely smashed in the laat three months and didnt give me a choice to say no."
But victoria knew this couldnt have been possible without texas specifically planning to do just that. The timeline didnt match up. Texas had been in france with them for the last month and he was in Spain with sterling jr dealing with company business and inspecting factories for 2 months prior to that. Amd before that he had been training pilots for the royal air force in canada.

Victoria got up after finishing bandaging Texas leg, she walked to the door and close the door before turn to Mary, "Mary I'm pretty sure that's not true, Texas was in Canada three month ago and then he was in Spain two months and then he was here on vacation for the last month. If I was you my dear, I'd stop lying it's not very becoming." She looked at Mary, She could see right through Mary she wasn't religious and she wasn't beaten. "Just so you know Mary when you married Texas you sold yourself to him, as far as the law is concerned he owns you and if you continue to disobey him, He by right can send you to the insane asylum. There you will be shock freeze and burned, beaten. Until they feel that you're fixed, which may never happen. Every woman face this fear, which is way it's our duties to do everything in our power to please them, because they own us. Had you bother to open a book, you may have know that, and you wouldn't be in this mess. So I would suggest the next time Texas says something to you, your answer should be how high. oh and also no more crap about adultery we both know that no one perfect." She said Looking at Mary again implying she know's the baby isn't Texas's.
Texas groaned and gripped the blankets on his bed, struggling to pull them up over his shoulders. It was hard to tell how awake he had been durring the whole process or how much he would remember. Victoria didnt short him on morphine the way dad did. Dad thought pqin was a good teacher though. Mary crossed her arms over her stomach. "Ok, you're right. Three months ago i was walking home from a fund raiser when i was attacked. I was raped and then robbed. I didnt report it and i didnt tell texas. I was afraid what he would do. They took the jewelry he had made for me and they took my wedding ring." She showed victoria the wedding ring she wore. It was just a plane gold band. "I told texas that i sold the jewelry because i was bored of it and that i lost my ring down a sewer grate while walking." She sighed "since i was attacked, every time texas has been home for a layover before flying out again the next morning, ive been getting him drunk. So drunk he doesnt remember what happens. Then i get the butler to help me take him to bed where i strip him and get into bed naked with him so he thinks we had sex."



"I don't believe you, first of all your too self-centered to go to a fund raiser, your not the kind of person to give money freely unless your spending on yourself. Second if you where really rapped you would have told Texas, because you know he would have hunted him down and beaten the shit of them. No Mary you have a lover and your trying to protect him other wise you would have told Texas." She stared at Mary waiting for her response. She didn't actually know if she was lying bet she made an educated guess and even if she was wrong, Mary will tell her more.
Mary sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. She stroked her fingers through texas' hair affectionately. "Going to fundraisers is all i can do to restore our good name and image after the things texas has said and done to insult our neighbors and his peers. But you're right. He's a poor but beautiful idiot and i sold my jewels to buy him a bit of comfort in his life. I told texas i had done it to help an old friend out of a rough spot. I broke it off a week later after i realized he was only interested in my money.... texas' money." She corrected herself. Unlike victoria she had no assets of her own.
"In the beginning, i really did love texas and i really did want to be his wife. He was the most handsome and the kindest and the wealthiest of the suitors courting me. But the second day we were married he became an intolerable asshole and hes stayed that way since."



"My dear all men are intolerable assholes, I even know some woman that are like that as well." the thought of Jolean came to her mind thought the lady was useful it didn't stop her from being intolerable some times. "Mary did Texas ever talk about his really mother to you?" she asked
Mary laughed "texas told me that he and his siblings were all from different mothers because he was the product of a secret american army breeding program. After that i realized he was never going to tell me the truth about his family."


"May I asked, what makes you think he's lying? Mary" asked Victoria. Taking a seat in her chair.
Mary laughed "because it's utterly rediculous. You're telling me your husband used to be a brainwashed attack dog for the army that they bred like a dog with bitches to create better soldiers of their offspring? So, then what, you were just his favorite bitch so they let him keep you?"
Downstairs, they could hear sterling sr come back inside. He came in with several other people, men and women, and they were all laughing and talking loud over eachother.



"Yes" She answered "Though there is many reasons why I'm his favorite bitch" She remarked. She smiled when she heard the voices she new who their guest a, The Fox hounds and wolves what remained of them. "Come my dear, we have guest to great." she beckoned her to follow.
*She new who their guess were
Mary gasped unsure how to take victoria's answer. "Guests?" She sighed. She looked down at texas sleeping. "I'll try not to damage texas' reputation further." She got up and followed victoria down to the living room where they were. Sterling sr and the remaining wolves and foxhounds were into the drinks already and when victoria came in they all started howling. Sterling sr came over and gave victoria a kiss. Deep and possessive. He was drunk. That explained what he had been doing in the stables. Jolene was half cut, grinding on leeroy's lap as they sat on the couch.



Victoria smiled at Stirling's effection. "You should pour me a drink my love, I need to catch up" Victoria introduce Mary to the Wolves and The Fox hounds. "This leeroy hes worked for my husband for years and the lady grinding on top is Jolene she is Texas mother. Jolene this is Texas Jr wife Mary" she said as she was taken her drink from Sir.
Mary was absolutely beside herself. "Alright, so, you're not the bitch he was from, she is?" She looked down at jolene with her jaw hanging open. "Ok so i understand the nymphomania now, but what do i do about it?" Leeroy laughed "the only way you can deal with a nympho is to fuck them until they're exhausted." Jolene giggled. "So tex taught you how we talk huh? Yes, your husband texas is named after his father, i had one other pup with him, austin who died when he was 11." Mary shook her head unsure what to say.
"Texas was an alias Stirling was using at the time." Victoria add as she poured herself another drink. "One more thing I wouldn't recommend continuing to call use bitch's its unbecoming for a lady."
Sterling came over putting his arms around victoria and biting her shoulder "and its a privilege to be in a possition they allow it." He licked the back of her neck. Mary shook her head putting her hands up in front of her. "Ok, you're right. I'm, I'm sorry it's just all a lot to take in." She sat down next to jolene and leeroy. "So what was texas like as a boy?" Jolene turned her face into leeroy's chest. "I wasnt a very good mother to texas. I was unconcerned with anything but having sex. When he got older i wasnt able to tell that he was not his father." Mary looked absolutely horrified at this. When victoria was finished her drink, sterling sr handed her another.
"He was a very sweet boy when he was young. He always wanted to help, I remember when he was still a little boy and he was still bow legged he would ride around the camp on his pony delivery reports. So sweet then he got older and he got into the air force and girls" she rambled on as she drank her drink.
"What about when he got into the air force and girls?" Mary asked curiously. "He started drinking and fighting and fucking." Sterling sr said refilling some other people's drinks. "Do you want a drink mary?" Mary bit her lip. "Why not. If you wont judge me getting intoxicated that is." Sterling sr laughed "bitch this is a warm up party to my birthday party."
"Not at all dear" she giggled as she held her glass to be filled again.
Her cheeks were flushed from the booze
Mary accepted the drink from sterling sr. Sterling sr kept refilling glasses as long as people were here. At midnight july 4th the pack started howling and singing happy birthday. Jack came down the stairs yawning. "What's going on?" Sterling sr handed the bottle of wine to victoria and picked up jack and put him on his shoulder. "We're having a bit of a party for granddad's birthday. We're going to throw a great big party later but we couldnt wait to see each other. Its been a long time since granddad and grandma saw their friends." Jack rubbed his eye "it's my birthday too." Sterling sr grinned "really? How old are you today buddy?" "5" hearing that the group started singing happy birthday to jack.
Victoria continue filling drink while Sterling talked to Jack. When she was done she went over to jack. "So Jack what do you want for your birthday?
Mary didnt hold back and asked for a refill every time her glass was empty. Jolene was giving her advice on how to sexually satisfy men. Jolene explained how after she became unable to have children her nymphomania eased slightly but it never went away. She emphasised how important it was for texas to feel satisfied by his wife or he would feel unloved and turn bitter and angry. Jolene talked to mary about sex for almost an hour before midnight struck. Drunk, mary had all kinds of questions. "Umm.... a new bicycle! A bright blue one. With a basket for stuff." Jack answered
"A bicycle!" She said with excitement "that sounds like fun."
"Is that all you want?" She asked
Grandad set jack in grandma's lap while jack thought about what else he wanted "a toy boat that really sails. " he thought really really hard amd looked at his mom. "I want mom and dad to stop fighting so dad can come home again. I missed my dad." Sterling sr brought jack a warm glass of milk and a snack. If tex' kids were anything like Sterling sr's kids, then the only reason jack woke up was he was hungry. When he was done his snack and his milk sterling sr picked him up and carried him upstairs. He tucked jack in next to his father texas. He knew it was hard on the kids having their father away all the time. As he was tucking jack into bed with texas, texas woke up slightly. "Jack. My boy." Tex put his good arm around jack. Jack fell asleep listening to his father's heart. Tex looked up at his own father "thanks dad." Sterling sr smiled. "Thank you tex for the adorable grandbabies." He tucked texas back in and went back downstairs.
Grandad set jack in grandma's lap while jack thought about what else he wanted "a toy boat that really sails. " he thought really really hard amd looked at his mom. "I want mom and dad to stop fighting so dad can come home again. I missed my dad." Sterling sr brought jack a warm glass of milk and a snack. If tex' kids were anything like Sterling sr's kids, then the only reason jack woke up was he was hungry. When he was done his snack and his milk sterling sr picked him up and carried him upstairs. He tucked jack in next to his father texas. He knew it was hard on the kids having their father away all the time. As he was tucking jack into bed with texas, texas woke up slightly. "Jack. My boy." Tex put his good arm around jack. Jack fell asleep listening to his father's heart. Tex looked up at his own father "thanks dad." Sterling sr smiled. "Thank you tex for the adorable grandbabies." He tucked texas back in and went back downstairs.
Jack and texas jr came shouting running down the steps of the farm house hollering happy birthday at eachother after waking their father by shouting happy birthday to him. Now they were on their way to find grandpa because he wasnt in his room.



Victoria wake up as soon as the boys started yelling happy birthday. "Darling the grandchildren are awake we should make get dress before they see us" she said softly to him as she quickly covered herself with a housecoat and started boiling lots of water she was making her hangover cure. A secret recipe of herbs for tea. It helps detox the body which relieves the headaches and give people energy. As soon as the tea was steeping. She went upstairs to get dress, she checked on Sir to make sure he was starting to wake up, before she hurried up the stairs.
Nope. Sterling sr and the rest of the pack were out cold, sprawled across eachother and cozied up to one another. Thankfully someone had covered them with blankets. When she came to check he was waking up after the tea was steeping she still didnt get more than a groan and a satisfied stretch leaving one arm laying over leeroy and jolene and his foot resting on boom's chest. By this point the boys ran up giggling amd hugged victoria. "Good morning grandma" jack said.
"Happy birthday boys" she said excitedly. As she gave them a big hug.
They giggled looking at granddad sleeping with his friends. "Did granddad have a sleep over with his friends?" Texas jr asked
"He sure did" she said with a smile, "lets go wash up for breakfast" she continued usher the boys upstairs to give the others time.
The boys giggled and laughed shoving eachother as they went up the stairs with victoria to wash up for breakfast. "What are we having?"
French toast stuffed with cheese and fruit. Buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, ham, fresh fruit, oatmeal freash squeezed orange juice. And lots more" she said as they washed for breakfast.
The boys finished washing up for breakfast when sterling sr finally started coming up the stairs to get dressed. He came upstairs with a sheet wrapped around himself. The boys both came out and hugged their grandfather "happy birthday granddad." Texas said. "Happy birthday boys. " he picked them up in a big bear hug. "How old are you today?" He asked them. "Five" jack said proudly holding up his hand. "Wow. Granddad is ten times that old today." "You're ten?" Texas asked confused. Sterling sr laughed "ten times. Five plus five ten eight more times." He watched texas trying to count it out. "Fifty." He finally told them. "Wow thats old." Jack said
Victoria got the boys settled at the table. Then as the pack woke up. She gave them her tea if they wished for it. Grabbing herself a cup she seated herself next to thw boys. As the hired help carried in trays and trays of food. From fine pastries to a large ham where served.
The pack had been working together too long now to doubt victoria and her herbal teas. Especially leeroy and tiny. While they might drink as hard as the rest of the pack, they were half the size of the rest of them. Tiny only stood 4 and a half feet, and leeroy was 100 pounds soaking wet. "What's that?" Jack asked pointing to the tea grandma was serving the grown ups. Texas jr was staring with disgusted horror and fascination at the funny purple shells that had the weird meat in them. Granddad said they were his favorite. "What are those weird things?" He finally asked after making faces at them.
Mary was nowhere downstairs. Jack and texas jr said she was upstairs with their father. Jolene giggled and clapped "oooh i hope she's going to try some of the things we taught her. That'll make your dad happy." Jolene said putting her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Nana, you taught mom how to make dad happy?" Apparently theyd been taught to call jolene and leeroy something other than grandma and grandpa. "You bet, me and papa taught your mom ways to make dad happy and her happy too. You know how your dad likes making people happy."
Victoria laughed at Jolene teasing Mary. "Mary please come sit as you can see we're haven a feast rhis morning." She smiled
Victoria laughed "Speaking of making people happy how would you boys like to go with me and granddad into the city so we can pick out your presents" she asked
"Yeah!!" They both shouted in unison. Sterling sr chuckled putting a muscle on a fork for texas jr and handing it to him. "Here, try one. They're mussles. Sea creatures. I'll point them out next time we go to the beach." Texas jr thought they were kinda weird to chew but they tasted ok.
"Well after breakfast give grandma and granddad sometime to get ready and will go, how's that sound?" she asked
They both nodded while cramming french toast with whip cream and berries in their mouths. "Sounds great." Texas jr said without swallowing first. "Dont talk with food in your mouth. You'll choke." Sterling said calmly but firmly. Texas jr swallowed. "Sorry granddad." Sterling sr stuck his tongue out. "Dont apologize just dont do it anymore." Boom couldnt wait to introduce texas' kids to his son's kids. They seemed like they would get along. Some of the pack started talking about how they never thought they would see their grandkids in the war business. And the boys had all kinds of questions about the army that their mother usually stopped them from asking people. But since she was upstairs with their father and they were in a room full of retired soldiers they realized they could ask as many questions as they wanted about war stuff.
From upstairs they heard texas moaning and finally cry out. Mary came into the dining room about ten minutes later wiping her eyes as they were watering and wiping her nose because it was running. From the look on her face she had choked on it. The boys were finished eating by the time mary came to breakfast and they had gone outside to play with Pepper the dog. Sterling sr was confident they would come back in hungry again in fifteen minutes. Mary looked at him bewildered "how did you know?" Sterling sr rolled his eyes. "Just like me and my boys were at that age. Spend as much time eating as they do running." Mary laughed and agreed. He suggested smaller meals and more snack times. Sure enough by the time mary had gotten herself some breakfast the boys were back inside for a snack. They had some ham and some fried potatoes and some eggs and bacon and then ran off to go play outside again when they were done. Sterling sr leaned over closer to the window he sat next to and opened his pocket watch. He had a mirror inside it to see behind him. He used it to see the boys playing over by the horse pasture petting the horses and feeding them grass.
"Would you like some tea Mary?" asked Victoria, "It's a special recipe, it helps with hangovers and gives you energy"
She was getting up to get herself some when Mary came in a sat down. "We were hopping to take the boys into the city to let them pick out their presents. Would that be alright with you Mary?"
Mary smiled "yes please. Thank you." She started loading her plate with what she desired to eat. "That sounds lovely. Texas wants me back upstairs soon so it really works out best this way." Texas wanted her back upstairs huh? He hadnt wanted her anywhere near him the day before. Amazing what a blowjob would do for tex's state of mind. Mary grabbed one of the servants and asked them to take a milkshake upstairs to texas. The servant disappeared to go comply with the order. He had been hoping for steak and eggs and bacon and was bitterly disappointed with just a milkshake. The servant gave texas a shot of morphine and he mellowed out. The servant joked how would texas enjoy steak and eggs anyways with only one good arm. Should they puree it too? Bitterly texas answered with a "fine whatever. I dont care." So he came back up to texas's room with a puree of eggs, steak, bacon, fried potatoes, spinach and grilled eggplant. After finishing his pureed breakfast and his milkshake someone came and gave texas something to help him sleep. He didnt want to sleep though. He wanted to enjoy what little of his birthday he could enjoy while stuck in bed with only one good arm. He could bitch and yell all he wanted. As long as the servant kept clear of that right arm, texas couldn't hurt him. Soon texas was peacefully dreaming of women with thick thighs and wide hips.



"I'm glade to see things are starting to iron them selves out." Said Victoria as she pour Mary a cup a tea. The tea it self had a very fruity tast to it with a hint of mint. It tasted good. " I know the boy's will be happy to see you two getting along"
Victoria gave mary her cup and sat down with her own.
Mary smiled sipping her tea "well, you were quite good at explaining if i dont keep texas happy he has every right to do with me as he pleases. And i would be lying if i said that it hadnt looked incredibly fun for you and jolene last night. Perhaps i should take your advice."

"I'm glad I was able to help my dear" she said sipping her Tea.

Mary made polite conversation with the wolves and foxhounds while she ate. They were talking about planning a play date with the young children. "You know, europe may not be safe for children much longer" nacho remarked. Sterling nodded in agreement. "Might be best to send them to america until the tensions blow over."
"Did the doctor say how long till we can move Texas?" Asked Victoria. "We may need to wait till the end of the month."
Sterling finished his tea. "Sweetheart will you get me another cup?" He was feeling particularly rough this morning. It had been a while since the lot of them slept in one big dogpile and most of them were sore this morning. "Honestly sweetheart, we shouldn't move him at all if we want him to heal proper." He took her hand and kissed it as she handed him his cup back after refilling it. "You remember how impatient he was last time this happened. His hips and pelvis are fucked now, do we really want to risk it being worse?" Mary shook her head unsure what she was hearing. "What? Is, is all of this about the assassination?" Sterling sr nodded "and a great deal more. Tex was flying over austria and germany doing surveillance on their armies. He was shot down by germans coming home."
"My little birds told me, that Austria has been talking to the German, Austria is concern that if they mobilize, Russia will step in which would be very bad for Austria. If the German agrees to help Austria, its going to be a matter of weeks before war breaks out, and from what I gather, it seems that this war is going to get big, It mostly likely going to be the biggest war the world has ever seen."
said Victoria
My little birds also told me that German intends to give Austria a blank check in the next day or so. This check is sensually Germany's way agreeing to help Austria.
I haven't been able to fallow up on the last one. I should know more tomorrow
Sterling sr nodded "mary, you'll have an important job. Keeping texas calm and content. Right now he's one of the best informed people in the world about what is going on. His CO's are on their way to collect his report in person. So we have to tone down the drugs so he can think clearly about what happened and what he saw. Keep him happy and do what you can to ease his pain." Mary nodded quietly understanding that now that she was more willing to please texas, they were going to tell her enough to feel secure she knew what was going on. Texas did the same thing when there was a problem back home in England.
"I wouldn't worry just yet anyway, until Austria gives Serbia their ultimatums, nothing much is going to happen on the grand scheme of things. So no more talk of work for today, we might as well enjoy ourselves." said Victoria. Getting up from the table. "Happy birthday" she said giving Stirling Sir a big Kiss. "I'm going to get ready and round up the boys" she told him before excusing herself from the party.
"You're right dear. Of course. " when she said happy birthday and kissed him he got a dopey grin on his face. Mary blushed "a bit strange that you, your sons, and grandsons all have their birthday today?" She didnt know why it seemed odd but such a pattern could hardly be coincidence. "It is. However, i dont have time to get into it right now." Sterling sr finished his tea and headed upstairs to get ready with victoria.
Nacho, tiny and boom all pulled out pocket watches amd checked the time. Their eyes stayed fixed on the watches waiting for something.



Victoria was already at the top of the stairs she teasing tossed the house coat to the floor and walked into their bedroom. "Coming?" she called to him

For a second sterling sr stood there frozen like a deer looking at her teasing him at the top of the stairs. He climbed the stairs two at a time following her to the bedroom.
He didnt know why he had been so surprised by her seduction. She had spent a good amount of time talking with mary and jolene about how enjoyable her sex life was. Perhaps it was all the stress he had been under lately. "You know dear, i," he picked up a bottle of wine and opened it pouring them each a glass "i think this stress has been getting to me. I could have sworn i was sitting in a tactical briefing." He sipped his wine eyeing her. He loved to just look at her. But she could see the tremble of excitement and anticipation in his muscles, the way his jaw hung slack, his mouth watering as his eyes feasted on her. It was not uncommon for him to simply stand there appreciating her. What was uncommon was his hesitation. He was usually a more aggressive lover. He should have pounced on her as soon as he was in the room, not stalk his prey and sneak up on it like he was doing. Perhaps it was a good time for him to play the role of submissive. Submitting to her in the bedroom always did wonders for his confidence outside the bedroom. He had been misbehaving, working while he was supposed to be relaxing on vacation. Perhaps he needed a good spanking with the paddle.
Victoria smiled at him "I have to admit, I felt the same way," she said softly, She motion him to sit while she got their toys for when she was the dominate one, she made sure to grab all his favorite. "You've been very naughty my dear, It's time you where punished" she smiled
Sterling sr smirked following her lead and sitting on the bed. When he saw her pull out the paddle his eyes lit up. Letting go of control over everything, absolutely everything, would feel really good. "I try to be good." He sipped his wine and set his glass down on the bedside table. "What do you want me to do? Kiss your feet?"
They tried to avoid using any implements bradley actually used to beat him. Neither of them wanted to bring up the past.

Victoria and Stirling have been together for over twenty years. Victoria knows what Stirling likes and she knows how to scratch any itch. She was more then happy to stratify him. Once they where done, Victoria lad on the bed breathing heavily "bin a while since we did that." she said breathless
"Mmmhumm" sterling sr mumbled behind the gag in his mouth. He pulled against the restraints checking he was still tied to the bed. The wax on his chest and thighs was cool now but he wouldnt want to go riding again, or sit much, until tomorrow. Despite the restraints and the gag and the blindfold, he had a remarkably content and satisfied smile on his face.
Victoria untied him, so that he may lay comfortable, "Feel better dear?"She asked as she remove the gag.
When she untied him he put his arms around her moaning. His response to her question as she removed the gag was another satisfied moan. He kissed her forehead. "So much better." He purred in her ear.
"I'm glad to hear it. Mary seams to be adjusting to the family well. I have to admitted its going a lot better then i thiught it would.
He laughed "mary is faking it. Shes going with it for now to see if things really change for her but deep down shes still fighting it." He sat up and stretched before getting up and peeling the wax slowly off his skin so he could get dressed. What the hell to wear? He thought outloud standing at the wardrobe.
I don't know dear. I find it hard to believe she that stupid. That she just simply play along. There is playing along your i or out.
He laughed "you and i know this. But that wont stop anyone from trying. Didnt stop kentucky." He decided to wear his new denim jeans. He hadnt finished breaking them in yet. And a white western shirt. Black socks and black cowboy boots. He couldnt decide which hat to wear though. Black, white, brown or grey.
"I like the black hat" she suggested. As she picked out pretty blue dress. "Well either way, if feel better having her here where i can keep on eye on her. She obviously afraid of this family." She said as she dressed
He purred watching her get dressed. Before she actually could get dressed he pinned her against the wall and had his way with her again. Didnt take long because he was already so satisfied but, he really did feel much better. Neither of them needed to undress. Afterwards he put the black hat on and kissed her lips softly. "I love you. Lets go wrangle the boys. We'll take alice too. Keep her out of trouble."



She smiled and hurry to finish dressing. When she was done she and sir went to find the boys. They where playing out side and hurry towards them.
Jack was playing fetch with Pepper and texas jr was petting the horses. Sterling reached into his pocket amd put a couple sugar cubes in their hands so they could feed them to the horses. After they were done they got in the car and victoria drove them to paris. " Granddad why dont you drive?" Asked jack. "Because i hate driving. I would rather ride a horse, but grandma likes to drive."
Victoria smiled, I like to keep in thw know other technologies. She answered
Victoria smiled, I like to keep in the know how with Technologies. she answered. as she skillfully drove the car.
Sterling sr smiled nodding. "So what did your dad tell you about grandma and i?" Jack and texas jr shook their heads like they couldnt think of anything they had been told. "Dad avoids talking about you." Texas jr said finally.

Victoria looked disappointed, bit only for a moment "That's a shame" she said. "Well I guess we'll have to get to know each other ourselves right?"
The boys nodded. Texas jr yawned amd eventually nodded off to sleep. Just like his dad and granddad, car rides made him fall asleep. Jack watched his grandma drive. "Granddad, at breakfast, your skin had all kinds of colours on it and pictures. What were those?" Sterling sr chuckled. "Tattoos boy." He rolled up his sleeve so jack could see some of the ones on his forearm. "Granddad covered all his scars with pictures a long time ago. I wanted to hide from your uncles what a lifetime of war did to a man's body."

"Why granddad?" Jack asked. "Well, because at the time i hoped they would become soldiers. I didnt want them to see my scars and think it was a bad idea." "But wasnt it a bad idea granddad? You got hurt." Jack asked. "I got hurt and spent a long time in the hospital. But if i was never in the army i would have never met your nana and she would have never had your dad. And i would have never met your grandma, the love of my life."

Mary went up to texas' room and gently woke him. She gave him some pills for his pain, and a beer, and then she rolled some marijuana into a cigarette for him and lit it. Once she knew what he wanted for breakfast she went downstairs amd got it for him. She tried her absolute hardest to treat him like a prince while he was bedridden on his birthday. Remarkably he didnt have anything to complain about yet.
Victoria and sterling sr came home with their grandchildren that afternoon. They had spent the morning in paris. They had gone to every toy shop and candy store in paris and grandma and granddad had said they could have anything they wanted. Then they went and got new suits for the party. They looked adorable in their new suits. Jacks was dark and light blue. Texas jr was dressed in black with red pinstripes. They were so hyper from all the sugar. When they got out of the car back home they went running around to burn off the energy.
Sterling sr smirked watching them as he carried the big box of toys into the house.
"Boys why don't you change in to your new play cloths and then you can play with your toys outside till the party" she called to them as they ran around chasing each other. "First one to change gets to pick the first toy to play with" she add. She watch as the boys stopped for just a moment then they raced inside.
Mary was sitting in the living room with jolene talking and getting drunk. Really drunk. Sterling sr came in and looked around. He had that look on his face like something was out of place but he hadnt pinpointed it. "Mary, how come you're not with Texas?" He asked her. Mary rolled her eyes "because he's wounded and should be resting. That's what the doctor from the hospital said anyways when he came to check on Texas. Hes upstairs with Texas now if you want to go talk to him." Sterling sr went over to victoria "didn't we get our doctor to come see tex? And wont he still be another 2 days before he gets here?" He whispered in her ear faking like he was kissing her neck and coaxing her up to his bedroom.




Victoria smiled at her husband. Pretending that nothing was wrong. " Ill go check on Texas's and Ill have viper stay close if need be ill get her to fallow." She said not to loud, just enough so Sir could hear. "Oh I should get ready for the party" she said. In her normal voice. She excused herself and made her way up stairs. She crept quietly to the door and looked inside listen very carefully.
Texas was asleep in his bed, tucked in nice and neatly. He looked very pale and the man in the doctors costume was shuffling around texas' room looking through papers and in between books. He looked in a hurry. The room was a mess. It had been ransacked.
Texas himself was pale, and didnt seem to be breathing. His chest wasnt moving. He seemed if not to be dying then he could already be dead.

Victoria signaled Viper to hid in the shadows and to block. Victoria quietly stepped in side. "Can I help you find something?" She asked as she move toward Texas she checked his pluse. He's still alive but barely. Just as the man was turning. Victoria rangers the emergency bell. Signaling trouble.
Texas was unconscious, overdosed on a variety of drugs from the doctor's tool kit and given a heavy dose of lethal poison. No mistakes the boss had said. His heartbeat was irratic, he wasnt breathing. If she tried to pull one of his eyes open they were rolled back in his head. The pretend doctor laughs "unfortunately the patient grabbed one of my needles and threw it somewhere around here." He looked like he had just shot himself in public for how embarassed he was. The moment the bell rang sterling sr came running up the stairs two at a time, pistol drawn. He stopped at the door hearing victoria talking to the doctor.
"Come now doctor, you have to lie better then that" she teased in a sly tone.
She was bying time while she try to figure out the best WYoming to help Texas
*the best way
The doctor threw his hands up. "You got me. Im not really a doctor. I was paid by friends of friends of mine to get rid of a pesky pilot who saw too much." Sterling sr stepped in the room cocking his gun. The doctor turned and looked at sterling sr. "Tick tock. Two dying bodies in a room. Which do you save?" They heard a crack as they watched him push a tooth out of his jaw. Sterling sr ran at him. "Cyanide tooth. Hes not supposed to make it out alive." He told victoria. So this guy was supposed to kill tex then kill himself. The assassin died thrashing and foaming at the mouth in sterling sr's grip. He dropped the assassin and ran to tex. The bedside table was scattered with pills and empty syringes. The assassin had mixed so many drugs. Maybe none of it was poison. Maybe it was all overdose. Sterling sr found a kind of adrenaline in the crash kit, a bag of ways to deal with overdose and gave him an injection. It was gruesome to watch sterling sr stick a large needle into texas's chest.
Victoria was right there with Stirling assisting with Texas's she held down Texas so that sir could hit him with adrenaline. Once done. "Ill see what i have in my medicine bag to help with the detox." She dashed out of the room she was gone for only a moment bag in hand as she rummaged through it. Soon after Viper appeared with hot water.
Tex opened one eye groaning. Then he opened the other before they both closed again. Sterling sr slepped his cheeks lightly "tex, c'mon bud snap out of it." He moaned something nobody could understand before his eyes closed again. Now his heart was racing, pounding in his chest. He tried to thrash and struggle only hurting himself and his shattered legs worse.
Victoria instructed sir on where to place and hold Texas down so as not to hurt himself.
Sterling held texas until he was done freaking out. He let victoria take over from here. After about an hour of different remedies he was finally more awake and conscious than before. He still was blinking uncoordinated and he was still having a bit of troubles but he'd be ok.
Victoria turned to Viper, "Take the body to the seller, I'll do an autopsy and see if I can gain something" she said Turning her attention to Texas, Once she was sure he was out of the woods, she made arrangements so that Texas would have a body guard someone Sir and Victoria Trusted,Leroy came to mind. As soon as she was able she went down stairs to the seller, She made her way to the phone, she picked up the receiver and called Madam LaRoux, "Annabelle, I need you to send me over a mechanic, just a routian checkup
She hung up the phone after 40 min, a man came to the door he had with him a large bag and a folding wooden table. "Hello thank you for coming on short notice just leave the equipment here and I'll take it from here," she signaled viper to take the items from the man. Victoria handed the man an envelope and bid him good day, he left with out saying a word.
Sterling sr, leeroy, and his sons texas jr and jack sat in texas bedroom. Jack and texas jr sat on their fathers bed. They were sharing the candy granddad bought them with their father and showing him some of their new toys. Sterling sr and leeroy found it odd none of the boys were home but not totally odd. It was their birthdays too and they were adults. But sterling jr wasnt around either. Alice seemed to have fucked off as well. Leeroy was absolutely willing to skip the party with sterling sr and the others to keep watch over his stepson. Its what fathers do.
Victoria and Viper headed into the cellar, They set up the wooden table that had a special design drain the blood into a special whole, so as not to have it poor over the sides as you work. Before anything more was done, Victoria and viper placed the body on the table, Victoria searched the pockets and clothing the man was where, she didn't expect to find anything but ya never know some times you get a dumb one. Once they finish searching through his cloths they strip the body and looked it over for any tattoos or markings something to help Identify him or where he's from or where he's been with the style of tattoos.
Not a thing in his pockets except random useless medical tools he had to make him seem like a legitimate doctor. His naked body told a different story. Russian prison tattoos. Scars from wounds that would have killed him, so he was important to somebody.

July 4th

Leon leaned against the finely carved patterns of the parlour room of the Steele’s mansion, watching as men of power mingled and moved amid the soft clamour and murmur of voices, some joyous, some hushed, almost all wear at ease.

After attempting to mingle with the various guests, he was mistaken for one of the serving boys and, perspective of his standing and the perspectives of the guests, Leon resigned himself to solitude and hoped that day break would come soon.

Leon had seen enough of the Steeles and their actions to know they did not now, nor likely ever, posed a significant threat to the French government. Though they were an eccentric, perhaps even mad, collection of merchants, debutants, warriors and poets, but they were a family of good people by in large and after spending enough time with them, Leon was forced to agree.

His report to the top brass and generals had detailed as much and now he was just awaiting his new orders. He listlessly drifted amid the crowds, trying desperately not to be noticed by anyone, especially not Alice.

His cold treatment of her pained him all the more when he understood she was no spy. She could have be any girl from Paris but Leon had let his orders stand in the way of his principles and his convictions. The guilt of that pained him like a hot pin being pushed into palm and left him with little to chew on save his frustrations and his back teeth.

For all she smiled and was kind to him, for all the joy and enthusiasm that she greeted every new day in the French country side, she had the wealth and breeding of a noble. Which meant, regardless of Leon’s feelings, whatever fate lay in wait for Alice, it would have to be without him. He was a soldier, an orphan with nothing to his name save a record of service and a few marksman awards.

Leon shook himself and tried to ignore the niggling sensation that Alice may mean more to him than initially wanted to admit. His steps took him to the main room where he saw Alice. Her smile could always light up a room but that smile was directed at a tall, slender man.

He was deeply tanned but stood with an air of authority. Leon couldn’t see him as any kind of a labourer. His exotic apparel shouted wealth and made Leon think of the mysterious and exotic tales of Arabic royalty who commanded vast empires. Was this some pulp fever dream? A prince rich from oil? Seemed the most likely.

Leon passed like a ghost through the crowd. He was used to vanishing in a room full of people. When he was close enough, he stole into the shadows and listened intently.

There was no hint of accent to pin point his origin, yet he hadn’t completely mastered the French dialect. His speech was precise yet strangely artificial, as like type written had been given a voice.

As Leon examined closer, there was so much of him that seemed out of place. Not the wealth, that fit in with the Steeles like a saddle on a horse. It was almost like he wasn’t so much a man who lived but a construct, someone who was an artifice playing at being a man.

Leon had dealt with politicians, men who plastered a smile on their faces thicker than a woman’s rouge. But the mask they would wear at least felt like it fit. You knew the politician man was a liar, a self serving product of a need for leadership but lacking the fortitude to fill the roll. The politicians lie was almost a means by which you knew they were being honest because you would lie just like they were if you were in that situation.

But this man? There was almost nothing about him that Leon could understand or relate to. It was like he was there and yet not there. A shadow given form, darkness that stood within light. Something sinister and unnatural. Something almost… inhuman.

Leon sneered at his own observation. This man was a human, perhaps a little disconcerting, but he was rich and clearly powerful. Which did put him in perfect company amid so many others gathered here this night.

He wanted to turn away but Leon found himself lingering and observing this man who brought himself closer to Alice. A part of him wanted to confront this stranger. Who was he to approach Alice like this. Did this bastard think she was some common harlot? That any rich dolt could just walk up and claim her?

Mon dieu, qu’est-ce qui ne va pas chez moi?

Leon was no knight or noble. He was just a soldier. What on earth made him believe that he had any business interfering with Alice’s life and who she chose to give her time to?

After all, there was no real hope that Alice and he could ever be anything more than a high lady and a worthless orphan.

And so for this high lady, here was an oriental prince, rich from oil, reeking of influence. And if not him? Surely someone else. A blue eyed arian adonis undoubtedly waited for his chance to whisk her away to a mansion in the Italian countryside with a small army of servants to wait on her every need. Or perhaps a statesman whose name was longer than most regiment roll calls with money as old as the hills.

What was Leon’s purpose in her life if to be nothing but a pleasant diversion?

Leon suppressed a sigh and turned away. There was a commotion from the parlour as Clarice had begun to make a bit of scene. Leon chuckled and admonished himself for not warning the Steeles that French wine was stronger than it initially tasted. He excused himself and made his way to the back door before anyone could notice, suddenly wanting to be far away from the crowd.

He longed to be back on the streets of Paris where things were familiar. He wished for the sights and sounds of Paris at night, people laughing in drunken joy, prostitutes calling for customers, music and light, the smell of late night dinners from restaurants and parlours. Paris was dirty and loud and crowded it stank and Leon wanted to wrap himself up in it and forgot about everything.

He began to make his way to the city and to his orders which would await him in the morning, cautioning his desires to not carry him too far into drunken oblivion. He would have to be presentable to his commanders by morning.

this is a continuation from the earlier post:  july 4th  Thu 9 May 2019 - 0:32

After about an hour of mary making texas and his son's comfortable on their birthday, she left texas' room with leeroy in the room watching them while they slept off the excitement of the morning, she made her way to the basement where Victoria was working on the body of the assassin mary had mistaken for the doctor. "So this guy is really an assassin?" Mary asked coming up to the table. "Texas is going to be furious at me. He'll never forgive this." She sighed deeply. "He'll never forgive me for a lot of things." She watched victoria carving up the man for clues. "Bit like butchering a deer then, isn't it?"
Yes it is said Victoria. You didn't know better Mary. I should have told you we had sent for our family doctor before you arrived. He won't be her for a few more days. She said ass she took the stomach out and empty its contents.
Mary watched victoria, quite interested in what she was doing. "Your husband doesnt have an issue with you doing this? Do you think this would be the kind of thing texas would let me help with?"
Victoria simply smiled "No my dear, my husband doesn't have an "issue" as you say, with this." To answer your second question, "I don't know my dear, That is something you would have to talk to Texas about." She checked the lungs, heart, lever and the bowls, once she finished her autopsy, she removed her gloves and apron. "Very interesting" she said. as she motion for Viper, A tall black woman, thin but muscular came out of the shadows as if by magic, The woman was taller then Victoria, and she had short hair cut, her eyes dark, sent chills down your spin, her out fight was black shirt black paints the only thing of note was the ne
was the neckless she wore, it had an egotistic tribe looking.
"Viper can you get ride of the remains" said Victoria. The woman didn't speak she simply nodded and started preparing the body to be moved "Come my dear" said Victoria turning to Mary as walked toward the stairs
Sterling sr was just coming down the stairs to see what was up when they started coming upstairs. He had been playing cards with jolene and the wolves, the foxhounds had gone out on some quest, as foxhounds do. "Ah mary, texas has a guest. You should give him some privacy." Mary scoffed "who?" Sterling sr scowled "whoever he fucking wants. It's his birthday."
Victoria looked at Sterling "How is he feeling? Have you spoken to him yet?" There's concern in her voice.
He nodded "he's feeling better. I figured some time with a visitor would help him relax."
"He's pretty upset that he looks like shit. That was the last i heard, whining that he can't even shave."
Victoria rolled her eyes "He's putting this family in danger and he's crying about how he looks" she sighed "I know taught him better." She turned to Sterling "Tell his visitor to leave, please" I do need to talk to him, and if he's well enough to fuck right now, his time will be better spent telling me what's going on be for he gets us killed or worse his children" Victoria was upset, her mother instincts have kicked in and she worries the a mother bear on steroids, she very territorial when it comes to young pups.
*"she's very intolerant when it comes to young pups"
Sterling sr shook his head "aight I'll go ask her to leave him alone for now." "Hes not really screwing some other woman is he?" Mary asked. "Not from what i heard. Sounds like just talk. She's one of our company engineers."
Victoria waited at the stairs to see the woman, and to make sure Texas was alone, She didn't really care if he was have sex with her or not, she just didn't want the children to find out, they already know that their parents are fighting a lot, they may be only five but their not stupid.
The woman, Antionette, bore a striking resemblance to Victoria. But she had a very timid look coming down the stairs and glancing at Victoria. Jolene came and dragged her away to the card table with the others to drink and talk. They had questions and curiosities about their new colleague. Leeroy was the only one left in the room with Texas. Jack and Texas Jr had gone to play with some of their new toys and to eat candy.
"Feeling better?" she asked as she came into the room taking a seat next to him she looked at his wound the redness had gone down and some of the swelling.
Texas laid back against the pillows. Somebody had helped him shave and clean up, probably one of the servants. "You have a problem with me having company?" He asked. "I feel like shit."
"No but you where just attacked, and I'm concerned about the safety of your children. They may go after them as means to get to you. They did find you here after all" she said calmly.
"What was he after" Victoria asked bluntly
Texas turned his head to stare out the window. "Wanted what i had seen in austria and germany. They wanted the report i have to give to my colonel." He wasnt terribly interested or amused by his mothers interrogation. He wasnt going to tell anyone anything until his colonel got there. "And he found me here because he followed me from the hospital. Pretty sure..." he started to say something but he shut up maybe thinking he was giving it away. Shit. He was so used to telling his parents what was happening.
Victoria could tell he was angry. Hard to tell what about though. Still looking out the window his eyes closed out of sync a few times before he fell asleep again.
Leeroy stood up checking texas' pulse. "Passed out again. Been like that since the attempted assassination. Staying awake takes a lot of energy for him right now. Energy better spent mending wounds." He shrugged.
"Then he shouldn't have company." She said bluntly as she got up to leave the room. She went to a room which she use as an office at time and made a call.
When she was done she went down stairs to join the rest of the group.
Tex woke up again to hear victoria say that he shouldn't have company. He waited for her to leave before asking leeroy to stand guard outside the door if he insisted on standing guard. Leeroy understood tex was upset and wanted to be left alone. Downstairs the group had cleared out of the living room and the house sounded pretty quiet except for people moving around. Sterling sr was alone contemplating a view out a window while smoking his pipe.
"Where did everyone go?" Asked Victoria as she poured herself a drink and sat down in her usual sitting spot. She opened a silver case sitting on the table next to her set. In side where several what look like cowboy cigarette. She took one out and light it. She produced a large cloud of white smoke and the room instantly smelled weed. She offered the cigarette to Stirling.
He set his pipe down and sat next to his wife on the couch. "Antionette had a bit of a panic attack after coming down from texas' room. She had intended to stay and get to know her coworkers but, she felt overwhelmed so everyone cleared out and she went home.
" he took the cigarette from her and took a puff off it before handing it back to her.
I'm sorry about earlier. I'm not going to lie I'm not happy with Texas's right now and no its not Antoinette.
Though she's not helping but i don't blame her. She probably dosent know he's married.
She took another long drag from the cigarette before offering it to Stirling again.
He took the cigarette puffing on it and handing it back "tex told me he sent for his lawyer to draw up divorce papers." He shrugged "its ok. Shes a little skittish. Not unlike i was when i came home from japan."
She rolled her eyes. "I get that marry isn't perfect, far from it. But Texas's isn't much if a prize either. Antoinette is going to turn out just like Marry and it pissing me off" she said. She puffed on the cigarette for a while try to calm down.
Before passing it to him again.
"Do you think maybe you're not being fair to antionette or tex?" He puffed on the cigarette coughing on the smoke and handing it back to her "she's a liar victoria. She's told five different stories what's going on between them."
Well had he bother to think with his head and not with his dick he wouldn't be in this mess and what about the children he's not the only one involved anymore others are affected by his decision. He thought Marry was something she's not and he blames her for it but thats not her fault. Its his for not really finding out what she is. And for the record Texas is a liar too. So is everyone in this family why is her lying different from the rest of us?
Victoria finished the cigarette and lite another and passed it to Stirling.
Sterling stayed quiet for a long moment thinking about what she said. "Have you talked to tex about any of this? Or are you just going off what mary says? Have you asked the children or their nanny what things are really like?"
He puffed on the cigarette and handed it back to her "besides if you listened to texas hes not mad she lied about who she is. Hes pissed she wont live up to her end of the obligations of a marraige contract."
Thats not fair either because i know Texas isn't living up to it either and I'm not thinking like this because of mary. I've raised this boy I taught him better I'm just disappoint and I'm tired of being disappointed by him.
The fact that he puts a country that he wasnt even born in before his own family is enough for me after all ive done for him, like i said im disappointed.
Sterling shook his head "what are you talking about victoria?"
He was genuinely confused where she got this idea
He wont tell me what he saw. He said the only one thats going to know is his superior, last i checked he work for the British air force the very people that sent him over there to scout.
He knows I'm going to find out anyway. I have connections the fact that he's not telling me is petty spite
Sterling sighed taking the joint from victoria "i see. I understand what's going on. Leeroy and i told him not to tell anyone what happened till his CO shows up for the report. Its safer, fewer mistakes accodentally telling the wrong people. Once he follows chain of command he can talk to us because they'll tell us whatever they want us to know. Part of it is so i can talk to his CO, see if i can draw any extra information out of him."
He puffed on the joint before coughing and handing it back to victoria. "Hes probably too high to think"
She took the joint from it and puffed on it for a while. She still frustrated but she calmed down. She sighed and past the joint to him.
He leaned over kissing her softly. "Im sorry about the confusion dear." Puffing on the joint he passed it back to her. "Were you really expecting him to be totally coherent?"
Honestly i didn't know what to expect. I never do with Texas's. He certainly coherent enough to give me shit for sending his mistress away.
Victoria took a puff and past it back to Stirling.
Sterling*
"No offence dear, but if i was bedridden and somebody sent you away, id be pretty pissed too."
Sterling finished the joint and poured himself another glass of wine from the bottle on the table.
I'm not convinced she's special to him, she maybe be now but that always changes with him, he's not satisfied he get's angry and bored and moves on, sometimes violently, to be honest i'm surprised he didn't just simply kill marry when he first started getting bored and angry.
In fact I'm really curious to that she's been able to be so definite and horrible and still be alive.
He shrugged packing his pipe with a blend of cannabis and opium. Lighting it he offered her the pipe after puffing on it. "Well, when i asked texas jr about his mom and dad fighting he said shes the one who hits and throws things. He says she even stabbed him once."
Victoria looked at him shocked. "Now I'm really confused, Why would he except that, he has no history of excepting behavior like that unpunished" she said
Sterling shrugged taking another puff on his pipe "maybe he figures its his fault for marrying her." He picked up his wine glass taking a sip. "Maybe hes been trying to punish her with a divorce and things keep getting in the way."
Victoria lite another joint, she wasn't angry anymore she was more confused and curious "If he wanted to punish her, why not simply send her to the asylum its fair less paper work" she said puffing on her joint.
"Because then he's still paying for her care and still married to her." He laid his head on her shoulder slouching on the couch.
"He could still do that while she's in the Asylum, it would be easier because she would be mental unsound to make decisions, after the papers have been finalize and he will no longer be obligated to pay for it, and either they'll kick her out or keep her. depends on how much they like her as a test subject." she said still puffing on her joint.
"Would look more convincing if somebody else admitted her, maybe because she's a danger to herself and others." He finished his glass of wine and poured another before relighting his pipe and puffing on it. "I love you."
"I love you too dear" she said smiling, "he already has grounds she tried to stab him didn't she? She could after the children in a fit of rage" she said puffing on her joint before putting it out and cuddling up to Sterling
He put his arm around her kissing her forehead "i dont know. Maybe he never thought of it like that way." Putting away his pipe he picked victoria up, carrying her up to their bedroom. He paused at the top of the stairs seeing leeroy sitting outside the room instead of next to texas. "Leeroy? What are you doing out here?" Leeroy shrugged "tex wanted some privacy."
"Maybe you should check on him make sure no one came in through the window" she said still in Sterling's arms
Leeroy nodded and opened the door looking into the room. Tex was either asleep or looking out the window with his head turned away from the door. Leeroy stepped in the room making sure nobody was in the room before he closed the door and sat down in the hall again. "All clear."
"There, see, hes fine. Just wants to be left alone." Sterling said carrying victoria down the hall to their bedroom where he had his way with her. He was gentle, sweet about it but that just meant this was going to be a long slow ride for the fun of it.
Texas laid there listening to his parents having sex. He was more emotional than usual from the drugs. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. He didnt know what to do. He was jealous of his parents relationship. Sterling and victoria or Jolene and leeroy he was jealous both had happy relationships. He felt like a failure. Like he couldnt do anything right.
When they where done haven fun, Victoria went and cleaned up and got dress, she grab a silver case similar to the one down stairs and took a joint out of it and lite it. She took a big drag and passed it to Sterling, She looked like she was thinking about something.
Sterling puffed on the joint before handing it back to victoria "i can hear the gears turning. What's on your mind?"
"I'm thinking about Texas", she answered taking puff and exhaling a big white cloud, she sighed "I'm worried about him," handing the joint to Stering
He took the joint from her and stood up putting his pants back on after cleaning up with victoria. "Well theres lots of reasons to worry about him. Which reason is it right now you're thinking about?" Sterling stripped out of his pants and started getting dressed in his new black silk suit for the party tonight.
Puffing on the joint he handed it back to her and kissed her lips before continuing to get dressed.
I'm worried about his state of mind. between the drugs the emotion and the pain his probably in a dark place. " she sighed took a drag.
He nodded coughing from the smoke "thats why i had thought it wouldnt be the worst to let him see his new obsession. At least it night have cheered him up."
Might*
"I should apologize, for sending his friend away" she said. she handed the joint to sterling, gave him a kiss, and went to Texas room.
Sterling kissed her back after taking the joint and went about combing his hair and putting on his knick knack accessories like his pocket watch and his cuff links and signet ring. Leeroy let victoria into texas's room. He was asleep with his head turned to the window. Leeroy had locked the window so it couldnt be opened. His eyes were red and puffy. He must have been crying.
Victoria took a closer look at his wound, it did look better, she thought the bandages could be changed, and carefully and gently unwrap the old bandages and wrap the wound in clean ones.
When she changed his bandages of his wounds he woke up moaning in pain. When he looked up at victoria and saw it was her he let his head fall back to the pillow looking out the window. From under a sheet over his cage in the corner of the room they heard a whistle and then "what the fuck?" "What the fuck!" "What the FUCK!" Hatebeak, texas' parrot was still under the sheet from when texas had been attacked. The assassin had covered the bird so it couldn't talk about what it saw.
Once she was done with changing the bandages she walked over and uncover the bird cage. She then sat down next to him. She took a joint from the case and lite it she offered Texas the joint making sure he could reach with hus good arm. "I'm sorry for sending your guest away, over reacted to the situation and made a poor decision" she said.
He didnt take the joint. He didnt lift his head from the pillow. He didnt even turn his eyes away from the birds in the window. "She had a panick attack and left before she found out that you wanted her to leave. I guess her intuition let her know to leave." He sighed closing his eyes. He opened his eyes wide and victoria watched him tense his left arm in the brace. His fingers twitched and contracted. He bit his lip in frustration. "Oh my god..." he muttered. It looked like he had an itch that he couldnt scratch. Course he had a lot of those right now. "what do you want?" He whined at her. It was worse than last time. On the bedside table there was a basket with a bottle of wine and a couple glasses, some fruit, cheeses and crackers. Antionette must have intended to spend the afternoon with him so he wasnt alone on his birthday.
The bottle hadnt even been opened yet. She must have just gotten there and panicked from all the noise and the people in the house. Tex mumbled something about being too hot and then struggled to uncover himself. He had a stab wound just above his right nipple that looked like it was made by a kitchen knife, like a french knife. The scar was only about five or six months old. Fairly recent.
Victoria helped with his complaints. "Would you rather be miserable by your self. Or would you rather talk to your mother about marry."
Texas sighed and sat up against the pillows a bit taking the joint she offered him. "It was a mistake to marry her, all she does is make my life and the kids lives shit. She's outright cruel and neglectful towards the kids." He puffed on the joint until he calmed down again. He got riled up and angry about her quickly.
If I may, how come you haven't... dealt with her. Like you have with some of the others What I mean is, why not given her a good beating or just killed her?
He shook his head "oh i have. Least i thought i did. Every time i raise a hand to her, she'll wait till im asleep and she'll come at me with a kitchen knife."
Puffing on the joint he had to calm down again. "I try not to hit her infront of the kids. I dont want them growing up thinking they can just hit folks because they're mad. She dont care though. She prefers to come at me when im with the boys because i drop my guard."
He finished the joint "mom, can you look at my arm? It hurts, and it itches. I think there's something in the wound where the bone came through." While Victoria was taking his arm from the brace and unwrapping the wound he reached for his cigarettes and lighter on the bedside table next to the basket Antionette had brought. Lighting a smoke he shrugged a bit and hissed when air hit the wound. "I gotta hand it to her, one psychopath to another, she carved out a nice little territory for herself." He sighed lookimg over at the basket "Antionette might like me, but this family scares the shit out of her. I dont think any of us really have a shot with her. I think she just wants me to make her feel special for a while before she finds some decent quiet conservative man."
Sticking out of the wound, protruding through the stitches and the scab was a wooden splinter, about half the length of a toothpick. "Stupid thing is i still like mary, the whole psycho thing is.." he moaned thinking of that. "Why do the crazy ones turn me on the most?" He shook his head finishing his cigarette and lighting another. "Damn." Of course he was hard. "You know I'd be willing to try and work things out with her if she'd just have sex with me willingly. I'll negotiate on a lotta shit but not that. I want to fuck my wife whenever i want. More to the point i want her to want to fuck me." He was just ranting again because he got thinking about mary. Hed teach her how to actually kill people instead of just try to if she would just act like a wife was supposed to.
Have you worded it like that to her? Asked Victoria as she set to work removing the splinter and cleaning the wound before wrapping it up again. "She's been asking me question trying to find out how to get your approval, the annoying part us i can't tell if she's lying or not... she'd make a good spy
[He nodded "i know. Shed make a great spy. Shes clever too. But yea, absolutely lying. I think she just wants to know how hard you're going to enforce my rules." There was a soft knock on the door and mary opened the door with a tray. "Tex? I heard you were talking to your mom, i brought you a milkshake." She squeaked out. "There's whiskey in it this time." She was pretending to be afraid of him. Now victoria could see it, the mouse bit was an act. Texas' eye began to twitch when mary came in.
"Thank you, Mary" said Victoria when she opened the door to let her in. Victoria watched Mary closely, the she was pretending to still talk to Texas. "I'm really sorry about earlier Texas, I love you very much and I'll do anything to help you Texas all you need to to is ask." She said Texas's could tell she was was chosen her words carefully in front of Mary.
Victoria was also checking over Texas wounds when she came to the kitchen knife wound she looked at Texas and then glanced at Mary discreetly. Wanting to conferm if this was her handy work.
Texas lit himself another cigarette. "Bet the whiskey is to cover the taste of poison." Tex nodded though he made it look like he was just lighting his cigarette. Stretching to put his cigarettes and lighter back on the bedside table, victoria saw a nasty slash about his beltline that was broken like she had slashed at his guts and struck his belt buckle mid slash. There were two more stab wounds, older ones, under his right arm. Those ones looked to be about as old as the twins. Mary looked texas over and saw that he was hard. She chose to ignore the comment about the poison and set the milkshake on the bedside table. "Well, it looks like you're feeling better." She was staring at his crotch mulling over everything jolene and victoria had said to her over the past day and a half.
Go on my dear she said to Mary, I'm sure Texas would love the attention. She gave Texas a bell "if you need anything ring the bell Leroy will be just out side." She said she took her time leaving make sure mary was actually going to do it before she left. She told Leroy about the bell and to keep on eye on Mary. "She's up to something but im not sure what yet." She decided to go fine the her grandchildren, she was curious about what they have seen og there parents relationships.
Mary walked over next to the bed hesitant. She reached for his covers slowly pulling them further down. She seemed like she was going to do it. Texas said nothing, he just patiently waited and watched her. As soon as victoria was out of the room she stopped and waited for victoria to go down the stairs before she left texas' bedroom and went down the hall a different direction from victoria. From what leeroy had seen there was less than a minute between them both leaving texas' room. Tex didnt like taking care of himself, but he did it. He missed the feel of a woman though. Texas jr, jack and sterling sr were playing outside in the yard with sterling sr's new puppy. Sterling was throwing a ball and the dog chased it and the kids chased the dog.
Victoria remember she had forgotten her silver case in Texas room she quickly turned around to go get it catching Mary taking another way doen the stairs.
When she came into texas' room to get her silver case she walked in on him putting his good arm to good use. He thanked god he was left with one useful hand. When she opened the door he jumped and cursed whipping the covers back over himself. Frustrated and annoyed he threw his head back against the pillows. "Son of a bitch" he gasped out of breath.
"Sorry dear, she said as she entered the room she quickly grabbed her case, why don't i call a friend of mine, you remember Annabelle? She visiting her aunt in Paris right why don't i call her and see if she come down and help you with your needs."
"Spend some time with you will I take care of Mary?"
Texas took a few deep breaths trying to steady himself. "Sounds good actually. I really like the sound of that." He picked up his cigarettes and lighter and lit himself one again. "Any ideas how you're going to handle mary?" He asked exhailing the smoke in rings. Good thing he had learned to like being teased and tortured and denied an orgasm, otherwise he would be quite angry. There would be plenty of time to be angry later.
I'm going to break her spirit, it may take some time but will see. She will learn or die.
Unless you want a different course of action
Tex nodded taking a drag on his cigarette and exhailing slowly. "I like the sound of that. I've tried, but she keeps using the kids as a shield because i wont hit her infront of them. Not till they're old enough to understand why i hit her. But if dad's keeping the boys busy, she's got nobody to use as a shield."
He thought about that for a minute, his mom torturing mary until she finally submitted. He got a funny look on his face. "C-can I watch? She is my wife after all. And i cant deny how satisfying it would be to finally see her break."
Victoria smiled "anything you want dear, I'd be happy too"
She made sure he's was comfortable, before she went down to find Mary.
Mary was in the kitchen, cleaning up after making texas a milkshake. "Poison. Honestly. The fuck is wrong with him." She was muttering to herself about texas while she cleaned up the kitchen "ungrateful bastard. What's the point of keeping staff if you dont make them do the work."
Victoria, crept up behind Mary. She didn't make a sound as she pulled a syringe out from one of her secret pockets, before Mary could turn around Victoria plunged the syringe deep into Mary's Neck. Mary spun around to see her attacker. Victoria gave her a looked that would strike fear into the hearts of men. She sneered in delight ithe fear in Mary's eyes
She sneered in delight of the fear in Mary's eyes. "I'll teach you to attack my son, you bitch" was the last thing Mary heard as she passed out from the drugs.
Victoria picked Mary up and quickly took her up stairs
Shit! The jig is up. Was Mary's last thought before she passed out.
She brought her into Texas room, slumped into a chair. Victoria quickly grab a leather bag from her room next door. She returned to Texas room where she locked the door behind her. "How should we start my dear, we have about ten min till she wakes up." she said as she tide Mary"s Hands and feet.
She also stuff a gag in Mary's mouth, she didn't want her making a bunch of noise when she came too at least not yet.
Tex sat up in bed, propping himself up with a few extra pillows. "I want her naked. I want her to feel humiliated and exposed."
Tex could only sit up so far with the brace on his broken arm. "Bring her closer, beside the bed, i want a better view." He smirked "please, mother." He wasnt likely to get exactly what he wanted if he didnt use manners. Mary was out for closer to fifteen minutes before she started to come around and wake up.
Victoria went to work, she went into her leather bag and pulled a metal rod shaped in a horseshoe, she found a broom and started tapping the roof with it, when she found the support beam she quickly found something to stand on and fastened the bare to the roof just at the foot of Texas bed. She then grabbed a rope with a hook to attached to it. she brought Mary closer to the bed. Victoria fastened the hook to Mary's hands, she then weaved the other end of the rope through the bar and hoisted Mary up, she tied the end of the rope to the desk that was fasten to the floor. Mary was now dangling from the roof at the foot of Texas bed. Victoria pulled out a knife and cut Mary's cloths off. Victoria had just finished when Mary started to stir
Victoria then walked over to her leather bag and grabbed a rolled up piece of leather, she walked over and pulled the side table closer so Mary could see, she unrolled the piece of leather reveling two rows of blades tools and syringes.
Mary slowly woke up struggling. Looking around, down really, she watched victoria unroll a leather case full of horrible looking tools. Her feet rested on the footboard of texas' bed. Texas laid there, shamelessly masturbating infront of mary and victoria, his step-mother, grinning and licking his lips like a hungry wolf. He stopped and cocked his head to the side looking at her. "Mary," he gasped in mockery "have you been keeping secrets from me?" Her eyes went wide. "Ha, you are. I fucking knew it. You're pregnant, aren't you?" Texas accused. She let out a terrified whimper. The jig really was up. She tried to plead and beg behind the gag but it just came out as moaning.
"How do you want her punished" asked Victoria in a cold and sadistic voice. She was eye Mary like a predator hunts pray. A twisted smile painted Victoria's face.
"I could start by prying of her nails and toe nails or maybe i should just cut the strait off. I could burn and brand her, officially making her property of the Steals, then I could cut her open and ripe out her baster child and feed it to her."she said taking a step toward Mary with a nasty looking tool in her hand. Excitement and glee oozed from Victoria as she soaked up Mary's fear
Tex shook his head tsk tsk tsk. "No. Damn it, how am i supposed to get another five or six kids and twenty years out of her if you do that? I'm curious, if you hit her will she pop like a pinyata full of blood?" He went back to playing with himself. "I like the look of her. Id hate to spoil that. Then i really would have no reason to keep her." Now there was something actually terrifying to mary. She couldnt imagine having her nails ripped off or how painful it might be when they rip her child out. But to be put out in the street penniless, was worse than death. Here worse than london because she didnt speak the language. She started to sob and beg and whimper but nothing could be understood through the gag.
Tex laid back against the pillows watching her struggle and panic. This was sweet. He revelled in her panic and horror. "You know i want to hear her beg, but i dont think she really means it yet. I'll be honest with you mother, you know more about a womans body than me. As long as Mr. Denvers' bastard doesnt survive inside her, and she can still carry mine, then i give you complete control over what to do with her and that bastard in her." He knew that would excite his mother. "Try not to maim her too bad. Keep the scars places hidden by clothing."

this is a continuation from the earlier post: july 4th Thu 9 May 2019 - 0:32
see previous post for more...
"Of course dear, what ever you like" Victoria purred She placed her tools back in her case, before walking over to Mary, She made this weird stance, Texas would recognize it as her chines martial arts. She paused for a moment, focusing her energy and power, then like a snake she strike Mary just below her stomach, Victoria hit Mary so hard she coughed blood up staining her gag. Then Victoria did it again, and again and again. bruising started to form on her from where she was hitting her, Victoria hits harder then any-man Mary had ever felt. "It's a shame you just don't want a better one," said Victoria as she walked over to her tools, She selected and nasty looking tool, "honestly dear you should just toss her to the street penniless and unwanted, she'd never be able to marry, just a pile of wasted skin and flesh," she wasn't really trying to convince Texas, but she want Mary to think she was. As she place the tool on Mary's baby toe, and started pulling on her toenail until she tore it right off. "So pathetic, just a stupid girl with nothing to offer anyone she can't even have proper sex. You where so kind to marry someone so below you dear" as she went to the other baby toe and proceeded to ripe that one of, "Isn't that right Mary" she said waiting Mary to nodded her head or shack it.
Victoria was staring Mary down, she had broken many of people in her life time, she was waiting for that sparkle that sprite in her eyes to die disappear for ever, Mary will do nothing but eat, sleep and breath Texas by the time Victoria was done, "Even now after all you done you ungrateful bitch, he still considering to let you bear his children. Even though your abusive to your children" the thought made Victoria really mad and she punched her hard in the face. Victoria smiled "I do love to kick the shit out of child abusers, it makes me think that you now understand what your children have gone through" She purred. Before she punched her again in the face, if she didn't the first time she certainly broke her noise the second time. "And your a cowered Mary using your children as a shield so you don't have to take your punishment, It's woman like you that give the rest of us a bad name." She ranted, as she punch Mary in the stomach again. Then she walked over to her bad pulled out what look like a branding they use on cattle, she put the one end in the fire place that had been lite this morning and maintain by the staff. Then she went back to ripping toenails off.
Mary answered all of victoria's questions as best she could how she thought victoria wanted her to answer. She sobbed as blood ran down her legs and from her nose. Texas smiled watching all of this. "Unfortunately mother, as much as i want to get rid of her, you and dad taught me to take care of my investments. I've sunk too much money into her to throw her away now. Its not cost effective." He was breathing hard and was rubbing himself quickly. "Let her down and take the gag out of her mouth. I want her to swallow this." By this point victoria had torn off all of her toenails. Texas had said not to pull fingernails because he needed her to scratch his itches he couldnt reach. Victoria was more cruel than texas had ever even threatened to be, and it had only taken a half hour for victoria to finally see that sparkle die.
Victoria pulled the gag out, and cut the rope. "You heard the man Mary, I'd get on showing how greatful you are, to having such a wonderful husband." Victoria was disappointed that it ended so soon, she didn't even get to brand her. But Victoria hasn't seen Texas so excited in forever. Which in turn made her happy.
Texas held mary by the throat when she knelt on the bed next to him. "If i feel the slightest amount of teeth, I'll let mom pull every single pearly white tooth from your jaws." Mary nodded quickly choking out a weak "yes dear." Before texas let go of her neck. Mary was very enthusiastic and didnt stop until texas let her stop. She made sure to swallow every drop. "Hmm, too enthusiastic. You were perfectly happy to go be an absolute whore for somebody else but you wouldnt for me, when i paid for everything, i gave you a nice house, fancy things, only the finest foods, how did you repay me?" Mary sobbed out an apology as texas grabbed her by that long pretty red hair that had reminded him of his mother. "Brand her. She needs a reminder that she can see that she belongs to me. Put it on her thigh so i can enjoy it every time i fuck her."
Victoria gleefully did so first she Fastened Mary's feet to the bed one one each post then she grabbed a new rope and hosted her up again. So Texas could see everything full exposed. Once she was satisfied that wasn't going any where she went and grab the branding stick she shoved the gag back in her mouth before pressing the hot metal to her inner thigh right where Victoria tattoo would have been. It left a perfect image of the steals family crest.
Once she was satisfied the she didn't need to do another. She cut Mary down. "Consider this your finally warning Mary, if i have to step in again. I will cut out your toung, and stab out yours eyes, I'll sew up your Vagina, turn you into the most ugly grossest being on the planet and leave you out in the street to rot, do i make myself clear?" She said as she pulled out her gag.
Mary nodded, sobbing and clinging to texas for protection. He was her only hope. He was the only one who could tell her to stop. "Y-yes ma'am very clear." Texas put his good arm around mary pulling her a little closer. "Good girl."
"Good"she said as she began to clean up the room. With in a few minutes she was done, aside from the site of Mary you'd never know anything had happen. "Shall I clean her up andi dress her wounds. I should rest her noise so it wont set funny." She said as she started pulling herbs from her leather bag.
"Would you please? You were always so good at fixing my toys when i broke them." Mary cowered against texas and he grinned kissing her temple and whispering some instructions into her ear. She wrapped her hand around texas' member stroking him again.
Alright i have to grab a few things. She went to her room and grab her medicine bag and she got water and a pot to put on the fire. She also picked some clothes for Mary to wear. She started boiling water and began preparing herbs. I'm making something to help with the pain before i set your noise. I'm also going to perpar a cream the will help with your feet. I'm going to add some special herbs it will help flush the your system out. You don't want something dead staying in side you it will make you very sick. She place some herbs into a mortal and pestal, soon the room was filled with smell of spices and herbs. She puts the herbs into a cup and poured the hot water into she started working on the cream for her feet while the tea steeped.
While victoria was preparing what she needed to heal the damage done to mary, texas instructed mary how to administer his pain killers. She was very careful to do it exactly right. It would still take her some practice to do it right, but a little extra just made texas feel sleepy and fuzzy. He was very affectionate and snuggly with her while he was doped up and she was behaving like a good pet. "Good girl" he purred in her ear dozing off while stroking her hair. Mary stayed close to texas rubbing his muscles while he dozed. "Please, please forgive me mrs. Steele. I promise I'll never be a problem for the family ever again."
"Hmm, we'll see, Texas is the only thing protecting you Mary, Keep him happy, because I will never for give you for attacking him." she said coolly with out stopping what she doing. "Drink the tea, it will help with the pain"
She took the cup, sipping the tea slowly while Victoria fixed her feet. She had cute dainty little feet. There was very little unattractive about her, except her previous attitude. "My brother gave me money to do it. He thought that if texas died he would get texas' half of my brother's airplane company, and we would split the inheritance between the two of us." Texas snapped awake screaming and grabbing to hang on to whatever was available. He was having nightmares about the fall again. Just when he had finally gotten over the nightmares of the last fall from a plane.
Mary stroked texas' cheek and hair sitting up in bed with him. He was gasping for breath and shaking visably. She poured him a glass of cool water and helped him to drink. "You're not falling. You're right here in bed." Mary kept telling him. Then she got an idea "can you look into if my brother had something to do with texas' plane being shot down? He did try using me after all." She asked victoria while helping texas to drink another glass of water and calm down. Once texas was calm again mary asked him if he needed more pain killers. He didnt, he did want a cigarette though. She put one from his pack between his lips and lit it for him. Tex was still pretty doped up so he did start to nod off while smoking but mary made sure to put it in the ashtray when he dozed off again and she tucked him in.
"I can look into it, she said as she came towards with ointment for her feet. Make sure you drink all of the tea," she said as she took some hot water and some cold and put it in the bowl and Victoria gently and carefully cleaned up the blood from her feet and face then she applied some of the ointment to her feet, it felt cool and soothing agents her skin, she applied a generous amount before warping them in bandages. Victoria waited till Mary finished her tea, she needed it to take full affect before trying to set her noise, she didn't want Mary to feel to much pain, since she did survive her punishment. Once Mary felt kind of warm and tingly, she very carefully bandage her noise so as to set properly. Once done she went back to her bag and pulled out a jar inside was a Strange green jelly looking stuff. Victoria place a generous ab
generous amount on her brand, it too felt cool to the touch and it soothed the raw burning sensation. Once Mary was patched up. she gave her the cloths she brought and a pair of slippers that mary could where that shouldn't bother her to much to walk in.
"Thank you so much mrs. Steele. I promise I'll be good to texas from now on. I'll do everything he asks." She was still scared of victoria. When she was finished mending mary, mary moved to get off the bed and get dressed but texas held her hand. "Dont go. Stay." Obediently she pulled back the covers and snuggled up to texas. "Good girl" he purred when she cuddled closer.
Texas had always been the softer more gentle of sterling's boys. It had been hard for sterling to watch tex go from being a happy gentle boy to a hard killer without time or inclination to humor. Victoria and sterling still watched him struggle with the turmoil and inner conflict of it. Maybe with mary behaving like texas wanted, those hard edges of his would soften again.
As victoria was cleaning up her tools and supplies and getting ready to leave the room, texas sat up pulling mary into his lap so she laid ontop of him. "Thank you for fixing my doll mama. She's better than when she was new now." Half doped out of his mind he was somewhere between reliving a memory and acting through a dream. Mary could only try not to touch one of her injuries or one of texas' injuries as she laid against his chest between his legs. She was his teddy bear, his fucktoy, and his punching bag all in one and she would never forget that again.
"Your welcome dear," she said sweetly, she finished cleaning her tools just as she was about to leave, "Mary don't be surprise if you started to feel craps, if they get to bad for you to handle come get m
At some point after several hours, Mary would call for Victoria, She quickly told one of the servants to go and start a luck warm bath, when she arrived at Texas room again, Mary was on the floor naked and covered blood again, she was holding her stomach. "Mary can you stand?" she asked as she helped Mary to her feet. "Come on I'm taking you to the bathroom next door" If Texas moved at all or wakes up, Victoria explains that she finishing the last stage of fixing his doll and that it may take a couple hours, then about a day or too she should be good to have kids again.
I with that she quickly got Mary into the bath next door, the water turned pink, from all the blood. Victoria quickly called for some water, she made a tea for Mary that would help with the pain, after about 30 min the tea started to take affect and the subsided to a dull pain, much more manageable for Mary. She stayed with Mary while her body aborted the fetus in side, it was going to be a long process for Mary she would bleed constantly for a few days.
When the tea had taken effect and mary wasnt in quite so much agony she looked to victoria. "Why couldnt he just let it live? I'd have given it up if that was what he wanted. He wouldnt do that to me again with one of his babies in me, would he?"
Victoria stopped and pondered for a moments "No I don't think so, It would seem counter productive special if he truly intends to get another 7 kids out of you and beside Texas may have told me to do it, but he doesn't have the knowledge I do, he would have just wound up killing you had he been able to try. So long in the short, i'm going to say no, I like the idea of haven more grandchildren, assuming they really are Texas, I wouldn't worry your pretty little head." She said as she topped up the water in the tube. How's the pain from a scale of one to ten? Victoria asked as she got up from the tube to grab more medicine.
Mary nodded understanding that if she did that again, texas would probably kill her just out of lack of knowledge if he tried to repeat the process. She thought about how bad the pain was. "Seven?" She guessed. "It still hurts, but it isn't as bad as before." She sighed looking up at victoria "thank you."
"I guess this is why texas always said i should be more afraid of you than i am of his father. But i should have been more afraid of making texas unhappy." Mary moaned in pain curling up as much as she could as a cramp grabbed hold of her and didnt let go.
Victoria made a stronger tea for her to have, "You have good reason to be afraid of my husband, but you should be afraid for completely different reason, he's cunning and unpredictable. Where as I am precise and calculated. This in part is why we work well together, we balance each other and are stronger because of it."
Mary would have a long night as her body pushed out the bloody mess from her body staining the water in the tube crimson red. Victoria did what she could to help dull the pain.
When mary was comfortable and she couldnt feel much pain, she went and crawled into bed with texas. Sterling sr had stepped out to go visit the new engineer antionette. He wanted to make sure she was alright after her panic attack. After he was done he came back to get ready for the party at ms. Laroue's mannor. He was bringing his grandsons. He couldnt wait to show them off to his friends.
Sterling sr came and found victoria when he was finished visiting Antionette. He wanted to know how things had gone with texas and mary while he was out. The twins were dressed in suits to match their grandfather's black and red suit. Texas jr wore black and red like his grandfather, jack wore black and blue. He liked blue better than red.
"Well," sterling said throwing his hands up in frustration. "I have no idea where any of the kids are. Cant find the triplets, or alice, or Jr for that matter." He was trying really hard to come across as angry, but victoria knew he was sad. He had planned alot when it came to this party, but at the end of the day, it was a formality without his family. It was a party for his snob friends who wanted to be able to brag to their snob friends about getting invited. He had to change his mindset before going into this party or he was going to be shot at it. He left texas jr and jack to visit their father. They thought it was weird to see their mother snuggling with their father. They thought it was weird their father didnt send their mother out of the room screaming at her. They thought their mom was acting strange and they were scared. They didnt want to be anywhere around their mom. She wasnt acting like their mom and that scared them. Texas jr tugged on his grandmother victoria's dress. "Grandma," he said motioning her to come closer because its a secret. "I think my mom is going to hurt my dad. Shes only ever nice like this when she tried to hurt dad without him thinking shes gonna hurt him."
"Don't worry dear, I talked to your mother, I'm going to teach your mommy how to be the best mommy ever. She wont do stuff like that anymore or your daddy will send her away and she doesn't want that. She nelt close to the boys and said. Grandma got really mad when I found out about what was going on. And now Mary knows how mad i can get she didn't like that at all, so she wont do it anymore because grandma mad is really really bad or granddad for that matter. Look how happy your dad is. I wouldn't worry boys.
"She got to give Sterling a kiss, I'm sorry the children are busy right now, but Jr told me he will be at the party he'll just be late he's closing a deal right now, "actually I think he's trying to find a date, for tonight" she whispered to Sterling, "And look at Jack and Texas they look so handsome, they blow everyone soaks off." she said gleefully
Jack was still suspicious but texas jr elbowed him in the ribs. "It has been a long time since we saw dad smile." Sterling sr nodded "You're right." He chuckled thinking of his eldest trying to find a date. "Hes got good taste, im sure he'll be fine."
"Oh and Mathew, was going to stop in for the party too, He said he wont be able to stay long, he has a project he's working and he'll have to tend to it at some point" she continued "I'm going to get ready, I wont be long" she gave Sterling another Kiss and went to change.
Victoria put on a beautifully royal blue dress, one by her own design. She put her hair up accented with sapphire jewels and feathers. Her make up showed off her best features, making her look younger then she was. When she was ready she returned to the group.
Sterling sr chuckled. "A project he'll have to tend to hmm?" He took the grandkids and played a few hands of poker with them. They were starting to figure out the different hands and how to bet. When victoria came down the stairs ready for the party, sterling sr accidentally let his glass of bourbon slip from his hand and shatter on the floor. One of the servants nearby was quick to clean it up but sterling sr sat there dumbstruck by the sight of his wife. "Grandad, granddad, it's your bet." Texas jr bothered his grandfather.
Victoria smiled, "Are we ready to go?" she said as she gave Sterling a kiss.
Sterling smiled standing up, kissing her. "Either Im dreaming, or some point i died and got into heaven." Texas jr and jack giggled at what sterling sr. Said. "Granddad, do girls actually like when boys say that stuff?" Sterling sr laughed taking his grandsons by the hand and walking with them and victoria to the car waiting for them. "You know, i dont know. Grandma's never complained about it; but why dont you ask her?" Texas jr looked up at victoria "grandma, do girls like it when boys say she looks like an angel?" The chofer opened the door of the car for them to get in. There were drinks and snacks in a little ice box in the back which the boys thought was neat.
"Well I like it when granddad says things like that to me, I'm sure that most girls like to be called beautiful" she said as she stepped into the car.
Clarice La Lune, Sterling Jr's secretary, was a modest young blonde girl. She never wore dresses above her ankle and her hair was always tied up in a bun and she never wore make up. She was pretty without it but she looked remarkably plain compared to most women. But she was smart, and efficient, and quick. She came into the room he was having the meeting in inside the office building after knocking on the door to let him know she was entering. "I brought those quarterly reports you asked for Mr Steele." She said coming inside. Unfortunately five steps in the room the heel of her shoe snapped off sending her tumbling to the floor and the reports flying across the room.
Because women's shoes are entirely impractical, a fall was usually accompanied by injurie. Clarice was no exception, crying out when her ankle twisted. She fell at Sterling jr's feet, her lips embarrassingly pressed to his fine leather boot. The associate Sterling Jr was meeting with laughed. "I heard you had a reputation for your secretaries falling for you, but I hadn't thought it was so literal." Clarice blushed bright red making her lips and cheeks very rosey. Her hair had come untied, falling down her shoulders and back in gold waves. Brushing her hair out of her face she blushed getting up while trying to collect the reports. "Forgive me Mr. Steele. I didn't mean to. I know it was clumsy of me. I promise it won't happen again." As she collected the reports she kept shuffling the order trying to put them back into the chronological order she had them in.
"Clarice are you alright, it look like you twisted your ankle" Jr asked concern in his voice. As he got down to help her.
She had only been working for him for about a week after his previous secretary had quit. "No, I'm quite alright sir, don't worry. It's nothing. Really i assure you."
She had twisted her ankle, but she didn't feel right imposing her complaints upon him. After all there was nothing he could or probably would do. Of course these were her thoughts of him after only knowing him a week. She looked up at him as he helped to pick up the papers "thats really not nessecary sir. I apologize for the mess, I'll fix it right away."
"Clarice, you have to talk care of yourself or you won't be of any help to anyone including yourself" he said in a clam an genital voice," once he was done staking the papers he set them aside and looked at her ankle it had already started to turn red an swollen. "You can't walk on this, it would agitated more and you could really hurt yourself, let me help you to the couch" Before she could decline he scoped her up in he's arms and carried her to the coach" I'll get some cold water and a towel to help with the swelling." he quickly left to fetch his items
When he came back to the room, his associate he was meeting with was asking Clarice all sorts of awkward questions about her relationship with sterling jr. He was insinuating that she was less of a secretary and more eye candy for sterling jr to look at, though he wasnt outright saying that. She was hurriedly trying to tie back her hair again. She wasnt speaking except to apologize and to assure him there was nothing inappropriate about her employment.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Clarice was working to hard and she trip and twisted her ankle poor thing." he said "As he placed the cold cloth on her ankle, "Clarice you should rest for a moment till the swelling goes down, I need you in tip top form if where going to make our deadline he said. He asked his associates to step into the board room there was refreshments and drink already for them to help themselves too. He grab the stake of papers quickly organize them and followed he's associates into the board room.
The associate, was partners with mary's brother and texas. The three of them were constructing planes to drop huge payloads of explosives long distances away. They had been trying to get this off the ground for a year already. The process had come to a halt when texas hadnt been providing any more money. That was why they had come to sterling jr. Surely the elder brother and partner would reason with texas, or veto his decision and pay them again.
Clarice sat there on the couch, still blushing from when sterling jr had picked her up. She couldnt find the ribbon that had been holding her hair back so she gave up trying to tye it back again. She actually looked quite beautiful this way. Under normal circumstances she would never have tolerated this before. But, he had been a gentleman to her when he had seen her like this, and she was 25.
"I'm afraid gentlemen that I don't have the authority on this project to continue it, and frankly if I did, I wouldn't want to, the amount of money you'll get back doesn't even cover the cost of what you spent. I'm seizing the cargo, to recoup some of the cost. Texas's will handle the rest once he's fit to do so again." said Jr. Now I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave for I have an engagement that i'm already late for. He got up to open the door.
Texas' brother in law was outraged and left in a huff. Clarice was attempting to stand up from the couch to see if her ankle was feeling better when the men left the board room. "Out of my way stupid." The brother in law snapped at clarice shoving her out of his way. Fortunately she fell back onto the couch. Clarice cringed and held her arms infront of her face incase he wasnt content to just push her, but he had already stormed out of the room. His partner ran behind to catch up.
Jr hurried to Clarice, "Are you all right? I'm sorry he pushed you" he looked at her ankle
"I'll deal with him, right now we should see if you can walk" he carefully helped her to her feet.
She blushed a deep red. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to be in the way." He helped her to her feet before she had time to protest. "You dont have to do anything for me sir." She was able to put weight on her foot but the shoe was ruined. The heel was broken off it. She blushed looking up at him and moving her wavy blonde hair out of her face. "Thank you."
"Don't be sorry, You did nothing wrong and that jerk should apologize for pushing you." he said, "How are you getting how do you have a ride?" he asked looking at her broken shoes
She shook her head causing her hair to fall infront of her face again. "No sir. I walk." She said brushing her hair out of her face again. She stretched her ankle turning it to make sure she could walk home alright.
"You shouldn't walk home, you have no shoes, you could get sick. Allow me to give you a ride my car is already here to take me to my fathers birthday." He insisted.
She smiled up at him. "Thank you sir. I appreciate that." When he was ready to go she helped him carry his things out to his car like always. She was very diligent.
Once the car was packed he opened the door and offers her his hand to help in to the car, once she was seated he closed the door and got in the car on the other side once they both where in Jr told the driver Clarice address and they head off down the road. Jr explained what had happen in the board room, "I'm afraid I pissed him off and he took his anger out on you, and I'm really sorry for that Clarice" he said.
"Why's that sir? He didn't get what he wanted from you?" Every time he touched her she blushed a deep red. She had a little apartment in the cheap part of the city. There was a man outside her apartment building begging, and a whore on the corner. There were several unsavory looking people in the street. "Thank you so very much for the ride mr. Steele. I hope you have a wonderful time at your father's party. Are you going to pick up your date?"
"No I'm afraid I didn't, they had bad business and had cost us a lot of money" he answered. "Your welcome Clarice, and please call me Sterling. Mr. Steele is my father." He smiled at her, at the mention of a date he sighed "Unfortunately I haven't had much luck finding a date. I have to admit I don't have much of a social life, I don't get out of the office much and when I am, I'm with my parents and brothers." He sighed again "I bet the their worry about me, because I'm 26 and I have no wife or kids." he said kind of lost in thought. he realize what he had said and blushed "I'm sorry Clarice I don't mean to bother you with my troubles" he said coolly recovering for letting his mind wonder, he felt comfortable around her and he had let his brain wonder for a moment.
She smiled at him "i hope you dont feel this is improper," she leaned over in her seat hugging him. "I understand. I'm afraid I'm somewhat the same, except i have no family. Just me and my books. Im afraid im a bit of a shut in."
Jr held her for a moment, it felt nice to embrace someone. Jr was belt well she could feel it when he put his strong arms around her, yet he was very gentle and kind. "Thank you Clarice," he said as he pulled away from her slowly. He looked at her for a while, "I hope you don't think this improper but would you accompany me to my fathers birthday," he asked in a calm voice.
he was built sorry haven troubles readying my stuff tonight.
When he put his arms around her she smiled. Hearing his question when he let her go she blushed the deepest red he had seen yet. "I would love to come with you to your father's party. Give me just a few moments to change." She got out of the car and ran up to the door of the apartment building slipping inside. Her apartment was on the second floor. When she turned on the light in her room you could see her shadow on the curtain and watch her undress. Damn. She hid a lot of curve under ugly clothes. She was built a bit like victoria when she met Sterling. After getting ready she came down to the car again in a scarlet red dress, her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders to the middle of her back. She was wearing a little bit of makeup too, just enough to highlight her features. She looked gorgeous compared to the plain jane mouse she had looked like before. Mom and dad would definitly be impressed to see junior with her now.
"Wow" was all Jr could say, as he stood outside the car holding the door open for her. "You look amazing" he said some what dumbfounded. As he helped her into the car. It took Jr a few minutes to come to his senses. "You had mention tjat you like to read, what have you been reading as of late?" He asked. He also like to read he was hopping that they may have some authors they could talk about.
She blushed when junior said she looked amazing. "Thank you Sterling. I didmt want my appearance to reflect poorly on you or your tastes." She smiled getting into the car with him when he asked what she had been reading. "Have you ever read the divine comedy?" It was the story of a soldier who came home to find his wife dead so he travelled through hell purgatory and heaven to find her again.
"Yes, it's a fascinating book, such interesting concept and view points on religion." He said eagerly. He was excited, most woman wont read that kind of book, Victoria is the only other woman the he knows that read it.
When he said that he had read the book her eyes lit up with excitement making them sparkle. "I think shakespear is overrated. His stories are all the same with a few different locations and costumes."
He laughed, "that certainly a fare perspective, I can't really argue with it. I still like to read his story his tragedys, I'm always getting sucked into those character, probably because his characters seam so real.
"Oh dont get me wrong they are well written, but you're right, the characters are more interesting than the plot. I did like MacBeth and Hamlet though." She reached out, putting her hand on his when she had said not to get the wrong impression about her. When she realized she was holding his hand she blushed and let it go. She was having a wonderful time just talking about books with him. When they pulled up to the manor where the party was, she gasped and blushed. At the entrance there was a long line of cars dropping off different people. Politicians and nobility and scientists, doctors and lawyers, generals and admirals. "Goodness," she said as the car pulled up to the door and the car door was opened for them to step out. "Your father must be quite important." She said stepping out with sterling jr and walking into the manor with him. It was a warm summer evening and she hadnt brought a coat. Several men and women who knew sterling jr turned to look who the woman on his arm was. It was rare for people to see junior with a date. Everything glittered with candles and ribbons and glittering balls decorating the entire place. There were several waitors milling about the crowd with drinks and appetizers. Sterling sr and Victoria were over by the bar, talking to a large group of people. Sterling sr was showing off his grandsons, lifting texas jr up onto his shoulders. Everyone was curious which of his children the boys were from. Learning that they were texas' sons though, they werent sure how to respond. Several women shuddered reminded of some advance texas made on them. Several men rolled their eyes and turned away. Texas was by far the least liked of sterling sr's children. "Where is texas then?" Asked Henry Ford. "Recovering at home from a plane crash. He was lucky to survive." Sterling sr explained. He left out all the details because he and Victoria were suspicious if some people they knew may have been involved.

this is a continuation from the earlier post: july 4th Thu 9 May 2019 - 0:32
see previous post for more...
Victoria leaned over to her husband "Look Jr here and he has a date, she's very pretty" she said to him excitedly.
Jr saw his parents, he quickly turned to Clarice "Would you like to dance" he asked. He wasn't quite ready to introduce her to his family, he wanted to have some more fun first. He was worried that his family would be to overwhelming at first.
She giggled and blushed when he asked her to dance. It was the first time anyone had asked her to dance. "I'd love to. " she said taking his arm and letting him lead her to the dance floor. She had been taught to dance after attending ettiquite school, however it had been an all girls finishing school. They had a full band playing everything from waltzes to tangoes and everything in between. Sterling sr looked where victoria was pointing. "I'll be damned. Very pretty. She looks kinda like you." He said winking at her and kissing her cheek. He saw junior make a sharp turn with his date to the dance floor and sterling sr burst out laughing. "We've been spotted too." Two little girls and a little boy came running up to sterling sr and victoria. "Um, mr. And mrs. Steele, can your grandsons come play with us?" There were about 10 kids between five and eight years old, most of them were either the children of sterling's old military unit, or they were the children of his friends and associates.
Sterling was a very good dancer and he guided her across the dance floor. They look wonderful together, Jr a handsome prince leading his princess across the dance floor. A small circle had started to form around them, not that either of them notice, it was just them in that moment.
Victoria beam in delight, "Oh the look so wonderful together." She said as she watched her son dance across the floor. Jr had a big smile on his face. "This is turning into a better birthday then i thought it would" she thought to herself. She wanted to rush over and introduce herself. But resisted, jr will introduce her whwn he was ready, she just have to try and enjoy her's while she waited.
*enjoy herself while she waited
Sterling sr laughed setting texas jr down again. The boys ran off to play with their new friends. "They do make a cute couple." He said putting his arm around victoria. "Come dance with me. They make it look fun." Sterling sr was thrilled with how today had turned out. His eldest had found a lovely date that he seemed to like, and he had gotten two unexpected but very welcome grandsons. Clarice smiled dancing with him. Her blushing faded as she got comfortable with him. "Do you think things would have gone this way had i not fallen at your feet today?" Her ankle was feeling much better because of his help. She couldnt help letting out a small content sigh resting her head on his chest while they danced. He was a full head taller than her.
"I'm not sure, but I'm really glad that it did, I'm haven a wonderful time with you, you sertanly made this birthday a much better one for me." He said as he held her when she rested her head on his chest. He notice that here hair smelt like flowers, as he rested his check on the top of her head.
Lilac flowers to be specific. She smiled hearing she had made it a better party for him. After the song ended and she noticed all the people watching them she blushed a bright red again. "Goodness, i hope i havent done something to embarrass you." She nervously whispered to Sterling and looking at all the people. She took a small step back so as not to appear inappropriately close as she had been with her head on his chest.
Jr just laughed "let them think what they want I could care less as long as your haven fun" he offered his hand for the next dance it was a faster pace dance more like a salsa. Jr was haven fun and he want to try and in press her with his vast knowledge of dances, he secretly thanked his mom for all those dance lessons. As the cowed oh and ah.
She smiled "im having a wonderful time. This is the most fun I've had in months." She was very impressed with how many dances he knew. She didnt know all of them but she was very good at following his lead. She could improvise. Things were going well until sterling sr went over and talked to the band. He was requesting a specific tango, which clarice blushed a bright scarlet like her dress when the band started to play. "Oh my" she whispered. She knew this one, but it required the partners to get very close and was widely regarded as sex on a dance floor. Sterling sr had requested it because it was his favorite and he wanted to enjoy dancing to it with his wife. He might have been mildly hoping to encourage the young lady dancing with sterling jr to get closer to her date as well.
Jr smiled, "if you want to take a break we can, this is one of my fathers favorite he wants to dance with mom, he said pointing to them as they walked onto the floor. This is a really fun dance even though it's kind of intamit, you need a lot of trust in your partner to pull this dance off. Do you want to try?" He asked he wasn't pressuring her or anything, he was being very genuine. He completely unaware of the people around him. Since he's been staired at all his life he figured out how to ignore them.
"Shes gorgeous. " clarice said as sterling sr and victoria stepped out onto the dance floor. "You must be told all the time that you look just like your father." Smiling she looked up at him. "I'd love to. What's the worst that could happen?" She giggled "i already fell for you today." She let him lead her to a good spot on the dance floor as they started to dance. The tempo was much quicker than the others though. She blushed every time his hands moved to a more intimate position on her body, but she smiled every time she touched him. Her breath quickened and sterling would feel her quiver slightly. This was terribly inappropriate but she liked it. She had forgotten about the people watching them focusing on sterling and how he held her, how they twirled and how he dipped her over his thigh till her forehead nearly touched the dance floor. When he lifted her again she let out a small moan. Her heart was pounding in her chest. After they started to dance, sterling sr forgot all about where they were or interfering with juniors date. They could have been dancing in their living room at home for all it mattered to them. To them it was just a nice intimate moment together in the middle of everything.
The crowd had gathered around d the two couples for in this moment these couples had completely embodying the mood of this dance. The crowd completely engrossed in the two couples dancing, as the dip and spin in unison and the fact the couple look so simaler just add to the performance. When the dance ended. A cheer and applause erupted from the crowd, whistling and calls for an encore came from the crowds.
Jr was completely captivated my Clarice. The world round them had disappeared. When she moaned he gasped. Its it sent shivers down his spine. As he danced with this lovely woman.
Clarice stood breathing hard next to sterling, he could feel her holding onto him for support. Quivers of excitement made her legs weak. "Forgive me," she gasped "im feeling a bit light headed." She hardly had time to say so when she fainted in Sterlings arms. Poor dear was overcome by excitement.
Not an ideal way to end a dance but it had been known to happen. It was a lot of energy.
Jr with out skipping a beat scooped her up, as far as the crowd was concerned it was part of the show. For Sir had done the same thing with Victoria making it an easy cover. The boys too the girls to a table, Jr asked a waitress to bring them some water. As she placed Clarice in a chair as she came too.
The waitress brought a couple glasses of sparkling spring water to their table as clarice opened her eyes again. She blushed up at sterling. "I guess i fell for you twice today." She giggled trying to make light of what happened.
Jr laughed. "You where amazing" he said as he poored some water for everyone and handed Clarice a glass. Victoria chimed in. "You two fantastic, said Victoria who was also sitting at the table.
She smiled taking the glass "thank you." She sipped the water slowly. She blushed when victoria mentioned they were fantastic. "Thank you. Your dress is remarkable. It must have cost a fortune." She smiled at sterling junior. She liked to hear him laugh. "Happy birthday mr. Steele." She said to sterling sr.
Victoria smiled "actually its a dress of my own design, the only cost was my own time. Thank you for the lovely compliment." She smiled at Clarice "where did you learn to dance" she asked. Jr thanked his father when he mentioned jr birthday as well. Jr also told him what transpired at the meeting and how he managed to find a date thanks to Clarice.
Victoria smiled "Thank you, I actually designed it my self it didn't cost much other then time and materials" she lend over the table "happy brithday Jr" she said before turning back to Clarice "where did you lean to dance" Victoria asked her.
"I'm sorry to hear about your parents" she said consoling, she was watching the two of them Jr seemed really happy.
"Oh no, it's quite alright. It was a long time ago. Cholera." Sterling sr just sat there smiling watching his son. Clarice brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Forgive me, my name is Clarice. Clarice la Lune." Sterling sr arched a brow hearing her name and looked to jr. "You're my son's new secretary, correct?" Clarice blushed "yes sir. I hope you dont find that improper." She instinctively put her hand on sterling jr's hand, hoping his father wouldnt make her leave. Sterling sr laughed "no, no. Apple doesnt fall far from the tree is all. Victoria and i met when we started working together as well."
Victoria laughed "well mostly true, we grew up in the same area, many years later I started working for him with our realizing it. It wasn't till a few years later after working may way up, that I found out it was Sterling. Who stiĺl had a crush on me from when we where young." Victoria looked like she was strolling down memory lane as she stared at Sir.
Clarice smiled "that's adorable. You must have had sterling young though." Sterling sr chuckled "i very much wish victoria had been sterling's mother. But unfortunately she and i didnt get together until three of my children were born." Clarice nodded "so it wasnt a happily ever after right away. More like romeo and juliet then?" She asked. Sterling sr burst out laughing. "Yes very much so. But, thats the thing about tragedies. They dont last. If you're lucky you live through them."
Jr smiled in agreement with is father. "I'll drink to that" he said as he waved a waitress over. "What would you like to drink Clarice?" He asked after ordering a 2 whiskys on the rocks one for him and one for Victoria.
She blushed "oh, um, i suppose half a glass of white wine wont ruin my diet." Sterling sr took a deep breath to steady himself. This buisiness with diets that these magazines published absolutely outraged him. "Better make mine a double whiskey." He said. He couldnt think of much else to say that wouldnt upset the girl. She obviously cared about how she looked and presented herself.
Jr placed the order. Victoria smiled "What kind of diet are you on, my dear" she asked with great interest, she had read some of this diet plans, most of it was completely rubbish but every once in a while there's an interesting tip she looks into. Victoria wasn't much for diets, as she was for health. There was a reason she still looked almost as young as Clarice still, even at 40 something years.
"Have you read the one in vogue magazine?" Clarice asked victoria. They had. Alice had gotten dangerously sick on that one a few years back. Alice had done a lot to contribute to sterling sr's resentment of these diets. JP Morgan Jr came over and said hello to sterling jr. He was their banker, taking over his father's company in 1913 when his father jp morgan sr passed away. He was good friends with sterling jr. They both understood what it was like to follow in the footsteps and name of their fathers.
Victoria nodded and told her what to Alice her daughter and how she got really sick from. "So because Alice hadn't been eating properly, it made her more susceptible to getting sick according to the doctors anyway, a better way to put it is. She wasn't fueling her body to help it fight of diseases she had no strength to." She finished. Jr greeted the man warmly.
Clarice listened carefully to victoria. "Do you have a better suggestion then?" "Bout time i see you at one of these events with a lady on your arm." Morgan said to jr. " have you had a chance to mill about and meet some of the other guests? Plenty of would be investors in the room. No doubt that's half your dad's plan."
Victoria gave her all sorts of tips and trick. None of which was a diet but health tips, she ate and drank pretty much what ever she wanted, though in her old age, something her body doesn't digest well so she doesn't really eat much more, like red meat and she doesn't eat a lot of sweets any more and a large amount of skin care tips like protecting herself from the sun, not drying out your skin and how she makes a special mix. "Honestly, I'm just really active, dance, walks, riding, bicycling and my morning exercises, when i don't do these things, I found myself stiff and swore and had have the energy i usually do. When i had the triplets, the two weeks i was bedridden was the worst. I slept all the time and I had no appetite, the doctor was going to keep me in bed longer because i wasn't recovering as quickly as i should. I begged my husband to take me home. When he did I started walking around my room then my house and with in a week I was almost back to normal" said Victoria.
Jr told his friend that he was going to work the room bet he wanted to spend time with his father first for he new he woundn't be able to do it again for his father has guest that want his attention too.
"Oh by all means. Only so long to spend with him. Come find me later." Morgan said shaking jr's hand and walking away. "Goodness, triplets?" Clarice asked. "You look fantastic. It's a miracle you lived." Sterling sr nodded "triplets was unexpected. Twins run in the family." He saw clarice blush when he said twins run in the family. So she had been thinking improper thoughts about jr. That was nice to know.
She told her about how when she was a little girl her father took her to China with him, there she learned a lot about medicine for an old medicine woman who ran a church of sorts called a temple. Victoria didn't give her any detail that she didn't need to know. She mostly kept it to special remedy and medicine she learned and how she experimented and learn to add modern medicine to what she learned. "Its come in handy over the years" she said. Her stories are starting to show her age and Clarice shiuld able to guess she's about 46.
Jr, said good by to his friend before turning back Sir. "How you enjoying your party dad he asked as he pulled out a small box rapped up and a royal blue bow. Inside where a pare of cufflings that had the steele crest on them high quality custom made.
Jr handed the box to his father. "Happy birthday dad." He said
Jr haven't been ignoring Clarice, he's been watching her closely, he smiled to himself when she blushed at the mention of twins. He's also returned signs of affection that she been signaling to him.
"Incredible. " clarice said listening to victoria's stories. "It's as if you've lived a dozen lives." She had no idea how right she was about that. Sterling sr took the box from jr. "Thank you son." Opening the box he smiled when he saw the cufflinks. "They're beautiful." He put them in his pocket. Taking a leather journal from his pocket with gold lettering that said family bible volume 2. "I think it's about time i handed this to you. I'll be giving volume one to your brother Matthew. It's about time you led the family from now on. I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job." He got up from the table and hugged his son.
Jr looked at the family bible shock. He understand the value of this to his father and their family. "Thanks pops" was all he could chock out as he hugged his father. Victoria, chatted with Clarice little longer expressing she hopped to see her around the house some time and then she can really get into some of her beauty secrets. Just then people started to gather around the table wanting to talk to sir. Jr took this as a good excuse to excuse himself and Clarice. "Would you like to dance a little more I promise no more salsas or maybe a walk around the place see if there's anyone we know worth talking too?" He asked her after they managed to slip away from the now over crowded table.
Clarice smiled walking with sterling away from the table. "Why dont you introduce me to some of your friends." She offered. "Maybe you could get us a few more drinks. Your mother seems to think i dont need to worry about my diet, so, i can have a little more fun." She giggled.
Jr more then happy to help. Got a waitress to bring them more drinks while the scanned room looking around for people they know, Jr spotted Morgan from early talking to a group of people.
Morgan was talking with Henry Ford as well as texas' brother in law and his partner. They of course had their dates with them. JP "jack" morgan spotted sterling and waved him over to the group. Ignacio, one of the former Wolves of Westpoint joined their conversation as well. Probably talking about that money well of a project.
Jr walk over with out hesitating, he didn't look like it but he was unease about dealing with his brother brother in-laws. He hadn't forgotten they way he pushed Clarice. He greeted everyone warmly and introduce his date to them.
When sterling joined them and introduced clarice, his brothers brother in law laughed. "And i thought you said there was nothing inappropriate about your employment. We all saw you out on that dance floor. No dignified woman dances like that."
Jr spoke coolly and calmly. "I guess if you wish to argue semantics, of what inappropriate means, Clarice was kind of enough to be my date sinces I haven't hadn't much time find one, to help save faceing with my parents as for the dance, that was my father's idea and Clarice was kind enough to participate. So if you mean to adults haven fun at brithday party is inappropriate the I guess we're guilty as charge on the other hand a man pushing a young lady when she's hurt at of rage of beging cut off from money and making rude accusations to the same woman out of spit and malice is inappropriate and pathetic." said Jr. The way he spoken captivated the people around and soon the group started turn on his brothers, brothers in law.
Clarice felt her heart race like it had when they were dancing. She put her arm around sterling's waist, her other hand stroking his upper arm listening to him defend her. When texas's brother in law finally left the party disgraced, Ignacio came and gave sterling a pat on the back. "Your dad would be proud of how you handled that."
Jr smiled at his friend "thanks, that ass had it come, he has bad sense, bad manners, bad business, am just glad he wont be able to ruin the party for people anymore," he turned to Clarice and whispered "That will show him shoving beautiful woman, it should be a criminal offence" as he gave her a wink." As he finished introducing his friends to her.
"His ideas arent totally wrong, but as your brother texas and i said before, it'll never work with his current design. He cant even build a working model much less full scale prototype." Mr. Ford commented.
"I agree this is why I took the cargo to help recover some of the cost, Since my brother is recovering at home right now and can't look after the matter right now. So I'm putting the project on hold untill Texas's is well enough." He responded.
Speaking of models my mother has been raving about your recent car. Jr commented
"Has she now?" He laughed "i suspect she'll be driving your father's birthday present most of the time then. Your father isn't so much a fan, though he said the appearance of them is getting better. I imagine in the next few models we'll have room for more aerodynamics and, what was it your father said, sex." He laughed
Clarice blushed hearing the comment about the next models having more sex. "Tell me, will you make them look strong and powerful like a man, or sleek and graceful like a woman?" She asked

Dad likes the cars, he really likes it when mom drives because he can still enjoy the car, where mom loves driving them. They often takes rides into the country side together, might be something to consider marketing to woman too, he said Jr was impressed by her question. He had a huge smile as he watched ford think about what she just said. Just like his mother a good quality to have in his family.
Ford nodded "fair enough. I'll take it under advisement. Thank you." He excused himself to go talk to somebody else he saw. Ignacio winked at jr and gave him a cheeky elbow in the ribs and he made a growl sound. Bad as his father for making sexual innuendos. Clarice had finished her drink and held onto sterling's arm as she stood with him. She stroked his upper arm some more admiring the feel of the muscles under his suit. She had never seen him so much as take off his suit jacket before. "How do you feel about stepping outside for a cigarette?" She asked with a bit of a giggle.
Jr smiled "Good idea, shall we?" He lead the way out the balcony.
After excusing themselves from the group.
"Sorry for all the business banter, he said. I really liked the perspective you gave to ford. I thought I saw smoke coming out of his ears he was think so hard" he chuckled at the image in his head of ford.
She smiled walking with him "it's quite alright. I don't usually get to express much of an oppinion on business as your secretary, so it's kinda fun for me." She sat on the railing of the balcony. It wasnt a terribly high drop. "Could i trouble you for one?" She smiled at him "i dont usually smoke but every once in a while" she shrugged.
Jr reached into his breast pocket and pulled out silver case, he opened it up and offered her one, the he light her spoke for her, before taking one and lighting it for himself.
She smiled taking the cigarette from him and letting him light it for him. "I thought it was very sweet the way you defended me like that." She said taking a drag off the cigarette and exhailing slowly looking around. "Who's that?" Clarice asked pointing to a man in black silk robes with gold embroidery. He wore a black covering over his head and a gold band around the top. He looked like an Arab prince.
He was down in the garden talking to a woman. ...sterling's sister Alice on closer inspection.
"I'm not sure about the man, but the woman with him is my sister Alice. Would you like to meet her?" He asked he was curious of the man with her and a little worried.
Clarice took another drag from her cigarette. "Maybe." She ran her finger down his chest down his necktie. Sitting on the railing she was a little taller and could look him in the eyes. They looked like dark pits to fall into. She had this funny coy smile on her lips as she looked at him. Apparently whatever mischief she had been thinking of was too much and she started to giggle.
He smiled at her. I'm gald your haven fun. He had been haven his own thoughts and he was very tempted, he hesitating he was worried about her regretting it in the morning, from the sounds of it she hasn't been eating because of some diet so the alcohol is probably hitting her harder. She may not be thinking clearly and he genuinely liked her and did not want to take advantage of her. "Are you getting hungry or want some water or anything?" He asked. "If your bored with the party we can go for a walk, he suggested." Still wanting to entertain her.
Oh the alcohol was definitly hitting her harder but she was enjoying it. Grinning like the cheshire cat she lunged forward suddenly planting her lips on his before she backed away giggling and blushing. "Let's go meet your sister." She held out her hand to him to help her down from the railing. The fact she was quick enough to hit her mark on junior surely got his attention.
He grinned mischiefly, as he took her hand and made their way down the stairs. He took his handkerchief and quickly whipped mouth to make sure there wasn't any lipstick transfer. He didn't want to ruin her image, just because she wanted to have fun. They made their way into the garden. Jr called out to Alice. "Hey sis" he waved to her.
When alice heard junior she turned and scowled. "Here to tell me to behave, big brother?" Alice sarcastically laughed. She shook her head. She had a lovely pale blue dress on, and a chain of daimonds in her hair along with her usual rediculous amount of diamond jewlery. Clarice's jaw dropped when she started to count them all. She finished her cigarette and tossed the butt. "Sterling, allow me to introduce you to Prince..." she looked at the man and cocked her head to the side "Morningstar?" Alice wanted to make sure she got his name right is all. Hearing that this man was a prince, clarice stepped closer to sterling. She was nervous about embarassing him. More so than with his usual business partners.
"At dad's birthday party? Why would I bother wasting my breath he" said coolly. He turned to the prince. Getting a close look at him, Jr was very experienced in many languages, including Arabic. He greeted the man in proper Arabic manner.
There was something about the man's face that would seem familiar to sterling. He looked like an old enemy of his parents, but that man was long dead and would be older than his father of he were alive. The prince was quite impressed with sterling's knowledge of his customs and appreciated the proper formal greeting. He had just been enjoying a lovely tour of the gardens from this woman. He understood women here were allowed to go without male chaperones, but the idea did not sit well with him.
Clarice was captivated listening to sterling speaking arabic with this man. She put her arms around him leaning against him.
Jr apologize to the man for his sister behavior. She's very ignorant to other cultures and he thanked him for watching over his sister. He was pondering about the man as he spoke to him he must be a relative of their enemie, it bother him that he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Clarice whispered to sterling "i dont like him, he keeps staring at me. It's scaring me. Let's use your sister as an excuse to go back inside." He was indeed staring at her. Judging her. Staring at her the same way as alice. Judging both of them. As if western women lacked any morals or dignity or virtue.
Jr asked the prince if he has met then man who they are celebrating this evening
Jr turned slightly blocking the mans view of Clarice. He was wondering how his sister wound up talking to Arab Prince.
"Hey sis, have you said happy birthday to dad yet" asked Jj
"Daddy's not supposed to know im here." Alice said to jr when he asked. The prince said he had met and wished sterling sr a happy birthday.
Clarice put her arms around jr's waist resting her cheek against his back as he spoke to the prince and his sister. The prince excused himself and walked away. Alice turned to jr. "So you took texas' advice and showed up with a whore when you couldn't find a real date?"
Clarice stroked her finger up and down sterling's abdomen as she leaned against his back holding him. That suit was starting to remind her of christmas wrapping paper. She couldnt wait to unwrap him. She had lost count of how many people had called her a whore. If she's going to be treated like one, she might as well enjoy what she wanted. "Better to be a whore and honest than to be a liar. Sterling, why dont we go tell your father that your sister is here if she doesnt want to?" She asked him sweetly. Alice laughed "alright, well played. Spy shit isn't my game anyways. I wanted to surprise him since Bo and Francis and Matt have all fucked off. I thought i was going to be the only one to show up tonight." Clarice stepped infront of sterling again without letting go of him. Resting her chin on his chest she smiled up at him. "You've got quite a few siblings haven't you? You wouldn't be introducing me to them because you're interested in you and i being a more permanent item, would you?" She stood up on her tip toes just barely able to have her lips brush his. Alice laughed "so who is your friend? I'm sorry about the whore comment. I've just never seen you with a date. Honestly i was starting to wonder if you were a little queer." Clarice laid her cheek on sterling's chest. "Your sister isnt very nice is she?" She whispered to him.
Jr would have smaked Alice across her face with that comment. "You shouldn't talk that sis, its bad enough people say that behind your back" with that he would have led Clarice away from his sister who stood dumbfounded "I'm so sorry Clarice, my sister isn't very hospitable," he said.
Clarice smiled walking with him. "It's alright. Your family is rich, so she's always been able to afford protection. She's never had to rely on being nice to stay alive." When they were back inside they walked past the banquet room where there was a table with 50 different kinds of cake. There were other buffet tables with other delicacies. She bit her lip as the smells wafted past them. "Sterling, do you believe a woman needs to be thin to be attractive?"
"I believe that woman are attractive when their confident in themselves. Weither they be thin or plump. Personally I'm not super attracted to thin woman the ones you can see their bones, he bad a face at the thought. I like healthy woman, with a little meet on there bones so im not worried about breaking them, when i go to pick them up. skinny woman have a lot of trouble with pregnancy too, lots either lose their baby or lose their lives. If that was your way of asking if i think your beautiful I do" he said to her
He stopped her for a moment to look at her "Clarice i think your wonderful, your kind, and smart, and unbelievably beautiful. If you permitted me and like to cort you. Treat you like the lady you are, take you out to nice placesbuy you pretty things. Then when your ready or if you want too, be my wife," he said he was putting his heart out there for her to see what he intentions where and what he wanted to do for her.
She blushed super bright red but her eyes lit up with sparkles when he said he wanted to court her and maybe marry her. She had to jump a little to put her arms around his neck so she could kiss him. "I'd love it if you would court me." She smiled letting herself slide down his body until her feet were on the ground again. What she lacked in height she made up for with determination. Of course junior would remember earlier this week when she hadnt been able to reach a file on the shelf and she had pushed his desk to the shelf to stand on and reach it. "Then lets go get some cake and you can tell me all about what kind of future you see for us." As she was walking with sterling to the banquet room, jack and texas jr bumped into them running out of the banquet room. Clarice laughed and help sort them out on their feet again. When they ran off again she smiled at him. "Those are your brother Texas' sons right?" She looked up at him with a mischievous smile "very cute. Twins really do run in your family." She had no idea what kind of cake she wanted. There were so many. She decided on the most decadent chocolate cake she had ever seen. The bette noir. Red wine went better with chocolate than white wine. She was a little tipsy for sure now but she was giggly and bubbly like champagne. She was stroking his arm when she blushed "you know i never would have figured a suit this expensive would be so enjoyable to touch. Normally I'd never, i mean it's so expensive I'd hate to damage it touching it." After the cake she seemed to sober up a bit. A bit. She seemed to be having a good time though. "I wonder what your sister is up to." There was a loud whistle and a bang outside. Some of the soldiers ducked out of reflex. There were a few more loud bangs and pops after loud whistles. "Those sound like fireworks!" Clarice grabbed his hand and led sterling out to the balcony they had been on before. They saw his father and mother out there too. Sterling sr was smoking a cigar. Sure enough the sky was full of exploding color. Some if them spelled out happy birthday. Alice came cackling over to their parents. "Since you missed all the fireworks in america, i brought fireworks to you." It was a pretty sweet gesture on alice's part. Their dad did love fireworks. The crowd oohed and awed and clapped so it obviously went over well with the guests.
Jr was delighted at her reaction, "Our future could be anything we want. We can travel around the world, settle in far off land if we wanted. I have several propertys in America which we can use for a home or I can buy property anywhere, I can give the most amazing wedding you have ever seen. I would like to have lots of children at lest 2, but no more then 7. We'll have a big beautiful house, with horses and Orchards and cattle, and hired help to help us run it. We can run the family business together just like my parents did." When his nefews ran into them, he smiled at them wished them happy birthday, and he gave them both a gift, a toy airplanes, "now you can fly just like your daddy" he was pleased to see how she handled the children, she'll make a great mother he thought to himself. When he got to the desserts he took a slice of fruit cheesecake, he offered her a bit, by holding out his fork for her too eat." He held Clarice close as the watched the fireworks together. He smiled at his mother who as watching out the corner of her eye and whispering to his father, they seem really happy for me he thought to himself as he watched the fireworks.
When he started talking about their future she smiled at him and giggled "a real american prince. How did i get so lucky?" She blushed when he said he wanted lots of kids but no more than seven. "Well, if twins really do run in your family we might wind up with eight." When he offered her the bite of cheesecake she leaned forward allowing him a glance down her dress at her breasts. She moaned in delight taking the bite of cheesecake from his fork. Clarice smiled and waved at victoria before resting her head on sterling's chest watching the fireworks. Sterling sr laughed hugging his daughter alice. "Thank you sweetheart. It's just what i wanted." Alice laughed "i know how you love the smell of gunpowder as much as i do. I had some of the boys from the army base help me set it up so it wont burn anything down."
Mathew came out onto the balcony he was wearing a white suit with a blue shirt that made his eyes pop and white tie. He walked over to the group and said "Good evening everyone, happy birthday dad." He handedness dad a wraped box. In side was a hand wooden sculpture of Sterling Sr. "I hope you like it I made it myself" he add.
Jr introduce Mathew to Clarice. Mathew smiled at her and said "Pleasure to meet you, you look lovely this evening" he's very kind and polite a lot like Jr but more on the quiet side. Out of all the children, he is the only one that looked likes Victoria, blonde hair, though it was curly like his father, blue eyes but the where lighter with hints of Gray. Pall skin. He was very handsome, he got the best of both his parents, its not the he's better looking then others he's just different so he stands out.
Sterling sr unwrapped the box and opened it looking at the sculpture. "Thank you son. It's beautiful. " he handed the box to victoria for a moment and pulled out volume one of the family bible. "Happy birthday Matthew. Ive given volume 2 to sterling, but, with your love of history i thought it appropriate you held on to and kept our family's history safe, while your brother looks after our future." He hugged matthew. "The suit looks good by the way. Nice colors." Clarice smiled at metthew "it's a pleasure to meet you as well. You must have had to deal with a lot of hard questions because you look so different from your siblings. You're probably the smart one because of it. I could be wrong, but i believe sterling is the good looking one, making alice daddys princess, right?" Sterling sr chuckled "oh im sure each of them will give you a different answer who is which."

this is a continuation from the earlier post: july 4th Thu 9 May 2019 - 0:32
see previous post for more...

Sterling sr put his arm around matthew "your mother tells me you have some kind of project going on. I appreciate that you could make some time to come to the party. Did you spend any time with your brother tex? Im sure hed appreciate the company since hes bedridden."
"I went to go see him but him and his wife where sleeping. Ill try again tomorrow." He turn to Clarice " All of my brother and sister's are smart, we're just smart in our own way. Jr is business smart, Texas smarts is airplanes, Alice is the best at captivating an audience and thats what I love about my family everyone has their nish, makes problem solving easy, one of us usually has an answer." Said Mathew. When he spotted the young twins, he gave them there birthday present a wooden toy man for each of them, they where carved to look like the boys, and the fit in the wooden toy plain.
Victoria was leaning on Sterling Sir, watching there family, she looked up at Sir "This turned out to be a pretty good day, we got to celebrate with our grandchildren our eldest has his eye on a lovely girl. Alice exploded in a good way, and we finally got to see what Mathews project was, he was making toys for his nefews." She said staring up at the fireworks in the sky
Sterling sr smiled kissing the top of victoria's head. "Yup." He was pretty impressed with everything. "Did pretty well all considered. I just hope bo and francis are alright." He looked back at junipr and clarice. "He's in for trouble with that girl. She'll make a good spy. Think he'll teach her?" Clarice nodded listening to matthew. "I still think sterling is the handsome one." She said hugging him and looking up at the fireworks.
" I don't know, I guess thats for them to decide" Mathew laughed at Clarice comment "Well miss I'm not going to argue with you on that one," He smiled at her.
When the fireworks stop mathew said his good byes and left, He had a feeling he was needed else where, though he didn't say that to anyone.
Clarice and sterling jr danced a little more after the fireworks. They had more drinks and clarice tried some of the exotic foods. They spoke with many military leaders and diplomats, political figures and business men from around the globe. By the time clarice had finished her fifth glass of wine she worked up the courage to offer up her seat at the table to mr. Morgan when he came to visit them again, She slid into sterling jr's lap. After all there was limited seats at the table and surely sterling wouldnt mind her sitting in his lap. She fluttered her eyelashes at him. Alice was sitting with them. She wanted to get to know clarice. But alice was frustratingly jealous of her and ahe didnt know why. Maybe because people seemed to like her better? But why?
Boomfouque, one of the other wolves, laughed watching clarice sit in sterling's lap. In french he told sterling jr to take her home and make puppies.
Jr Smiled at her, he was about to offered her his seat and thought better of it. He replied back in french "In all do Time, in all do time.
Boom laughed replying in french "have it your way new alpha. I'm going to sniff out some trouble with the other old dogs." Clarice smiled pretending she didnt understand them, laying her head on sterling's shoulder. "Hey, that creepy guy is over by the desserts talking to your parents." Creepy guy had done a wardrobe change into a suit like the rest of the men here. "Yes my driver packed it incase my normal attire made political relations difficult. Your daughter Alice is very beautiful." Prince Morningstar said to Victoria and Sterling sr.
Clarice draped her arms around sterling's shoulders stroking him between his shoulder blades with her fingertips. She kept watching prince morningstar. Mr. Morgan sat next to sterling jr where clarice had been so kind to give up her seat. "So sterling, make any money tonight?" He said with a laugh. Sterling sr nodded listening to the prince compliment his daughter. "Both of my daughters are quite beautiful. It's a pity Abigail is celebrating her birthday elsewhere with some of her other brothers you didnt meet." "I understand you own several diamond and gold mines Mr. Steele. Would you be interested in doing business with my country?" The prince asked. "I'm afraid I'm retired. My son sterling junior owns everything now. You'll have to talk to him about business." Sterling sr knew this would insult the prince, but it was a gamble he had to take. Things were in junior's hands now. He had to let junior handle them. "Let me introduce you to him." Prince Morningstar nodded "very well. Please," he motioned for sterling sr to lead the way. Sterling sr took victoria's arm in his and a slice of lemon cake from the dessert table before leading the prince over to jr's table. Clarice whispered in sterling's ear "They're coming over here." Sterling sr set the cake down infront of clarice when they got to the table. "Try this one, you'll love it." Clarice smiled at him "thank you sir." "Junior, may i introduce you to Prince Morningstar. He was interested in his country doing business with you." "Yes ive heard many tales of your multiple gold and daimond mines. Would you do business?" The prince asked far more respectfully than he had been in the garden.
Jr smiled at the man. He spoke to the man in his native toung "It's nice to see you again prince Morningstar, what kind of business adventure are you looking for" he asked
Sorry read this one first then the other one He turned to his friend Morgan "no not really but i think i will be soon" motioning to the arbe man talking tobhis father
"Hard to find reliable sources of rare metals. Iron ore is low quality in my country, much finer steel is made in america. What can my country offer you in compensation? As you americans say 'cash is king', but for developing nations cash is difficult." The prince explained.
"So your looking for gold diamonds and iron, what kind of exports do you have" he asked
"Oil, as well as historic relics." He said with a wink. "My country is a desert wasteland. Resources are scarce. Have you ever heard of Azerbaijan?"
Clarice quietly enjoyed the cake sterling sr had brought her. She got the hint he thought she was too skinny for his son. She needed another glass of wine to keep her mouth shut about questions regarding trading relics. Alice shook her head leaning forward across the table to talk to clarice. "What's your secret? The words you and i speak aren't that different. Why do people like you more?" Clarice shrugged "presentation?"
Jr nodded "yes I have, tell me more about your relics" Victoria over heard Alice question, and answered it for her. "Is your attitude Alice, dosent do you any good if your pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside" she was drinking so her filter was gone, so she was blunt and honest.
Jr new he could do a lot with oil, he was curious about the relics
Clarice giggled hearing victoria's answer. She kept her mouth shut by taking another drink of wine and eating some more cake. Alice let out a sigh of defeat because she couldnt argue with her mother on that one. "Well maybe if clarise here sticks around I'll learn something from her." Clarice shook her head putting her arm around sterling jr's neck. "I found my prince charming. Why would i go anywhere?" Prince Morningstar smiled hearing sterling jr's interest in the relics. "Perhaps you and your lovely woman would like to visit my country and see some. We have walled cities that have stood since the 15th century and more. Surely there will be something of interest to you."
Jr smiled "I was simply curious by what you ment. I'd be more then happy to trade minerals for oil, will you be in Paris long?" He asked.
"Unfortunately i must be leaving in a few hours. It is a long flight home." He nodded "oil is preferable. A people's history should stay in their hands, don't you agree?"
"Yes, I do. My brother Mathew is a scholar of sorts, He be fascinated." Jr commented. He told the man that they be in contact with each other to work out the details, and he gave him some contact information for his company
The man gratefully took the information and bid sterling sr another happy birthday before leaving the party. Sterling sr. Cleared his throat when the prince had left their company. "Well what do you think of doing business with the devil?" He chuckled. "Seriously though, does he remind any of you of anyone?" It was getting late, clarice had dozed off with her head on sterling's shoulder. Even Alice was starting to yawn. "I think im going to go home. I didnt meet anyone interesting. Unless you think i should try my luck talking to someone in particular?" She asked her parents and her elder brother.
"Ya I know what you mean, I had the same feeling when I met him in the garden" said Jr. "I should take Clarice home, see you back at the house" he gently woke her and led her to a car that would take her home, He helped her in and then got in too.
"We'll talk theories tomorrow over breakfast. Will you be bringing clarice?" Sterling sr asked as junior was waking clarice. She let out the cutest little moans as she woke up. She wished sterling sr a happy birthday and walked to the car with sterling. When she got into the car with him she snuggled up to him. "Thank you very much. I had so much fun, and your family is wonderful. "
"If she wants to I'll pick her up in the morning" he answered. "I'm glad you had a good time, my parents like you they want to know if your going to join us for breakfast." He said
She smiled "I'd like to." She dozed off snuggled against him on the way home. She woke up from the slight jostle of the car stopping and parking. She looked up at him smiling. "Sorry, this is much later than Im normally awake."
She looked out the window seeing he had taken her back to her apartment. He really was a gentleman. She looked back to him. "Can i have a good night kiss before bed?"
When she got out of the car Clarice hesitated looking up and down the street. When she didnt think anyone was looking she ran for the door of the apartment building and rushed up the stairs to her apartment. Sterling would know which one was hers because the light would come on in the window and he would get to watch her silhouette undress. She picked up her book to read in bed but decided to put it back on the shelf. Instead she picked up a geography book. She had met a lot of different people from different places, and she really liked sterling and couldnt think of a reason yet not to want to marry him. She left the light on and climbed into bed with her book. She would fall asleep reading eventually.
The next morning when junior came to pick her up, there were more than a few eyes watching him. This was the third time that fancy car had pulled up in two days. People had started to take notice. He knew where her apartment was by where the light had been on with her figure in it the night before. When he got to her door he would notice it was open slightly. Either half drunk and tired she hadnt closed it all the way last night, or somebody had broken in at some point between when he left and now, or she had left the door open a crack incase he had decided to come upstairs after her. Inside was a tiny little one room apartment. It looked like the whole floor shared one washroom at the end of the hall. Her walls were covered floor to ceiling with book shelves. There was a small little kitchen nook and her bed next to the only window in the room. She laid in her bed sleeping naked with a thick geography book over her chest. She must have fallen asleep reading. Maybe she had stayed up waiting for him, hoping he'd come to bed with her. Then again maybe half drunk and tired she hadnt closed the door properly. Still, it looked like it was safe to rule out a break in causing the open door. Nothing seemed out of place though she didnt seem to own anything except books.
Jr, closed the door and knocked loudly to wake her.
Jr heard her let out a little yelp. There was a crash sound right after. She must have been startled and fallen out of bed. There was a scuffling And finally she opened the door in nothing but her bathrobe. Her hair was tossled everywhere. She looked like he scared her when she opened the door. "Mr. Steele? Is everything alright?" She rubbed her eyes.
She brushed her hair back behind her ear, trying to make herself look modest and decent. She had the strangest look on her face when she looked at him, as if she were trying to figure something out. "I had the strangest dream last night about you."
Jr smiled at her " Do you need time to get ready for breakfast?" He asked
He wasn't where a suit today, he was where jeans cowboy boots and white shirt with a cowboy hat. You could seen how defined his muscles are. "How are you feeling today? You seem a bit tipsy when I brought you home last night." He asked kindly and sweetly
She shook her head listening to him. "Last night, you mean it wasnt all a dream?" She asked looking up at him rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When he told her it was real and that he wanted to court her she got so excited she jumped up on him hugging him and wrapping her arms and legs around him. "Im sorry sweetheart. I thought it was all some wonderful dream i had made up." She hugged him tightly.
Jr smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment" he said catching her when she jumped. He set her down after a moment and "now why don't get ready and ill wait downstairs at the car for you," he said.
She nodded going to get dressed and brush her hair while he went back to the car. She left her hair down today since he seemed to like it that way yesterday. She wore a simple and modest seafoam green dress. It had long sleeves that covered her wrists and it came down to her ankles. The collar of it was tight against her neck so there was no chance at cleavage peeking with this dress. The red one she had worn last night was her only real party outfit. The rest may as well be church clothes. When she came downstairs to get in the car there were three guys in the ally watching the car.
When she got into the car she decided to put her hair up after all. She tied it all up in a tight bun at the back of her head with a small ribbon that matched her dress. She looked like she was thinking about something. "I feel fine. I apologize for my behavior last night. It was inappropriately forward of me. I was opperating on a flawed understanding of what american men found appealing. It wont happen again." She was like a completely different woman. Quiet, serious, restrained, just like she had been the last few weeks she had been working for him. As clarice and sterling drove away, the three men from the ally went into the apartment building and then went up the stairs.
Jr had been eyeing the three men as he waited in the outside the car for Clarice, when she came down he opened the door for her and helped her in. "I didn't see anything wrong with how you behave, he said honestly, as the driver took off.
She cocked her head to the side looking at him. Searching for reassurance. Slowly she nodded believing she understood. "Do you prefer the look of me as i was last night? Or as i have been every other day youve known me?"
When the car drove off, the three men kicked down the door of clarice's apartment breaking the lock. They had seen that fancy car here a few times. The girl must be hiding money from the man somewhere. Why else does a wealthy man come to these neighborhoods except to rent a whore? They cut open the mattress, they ransacked her cupboards and drawers, they tore every single page out of every book looking for any slip of cash. They tore apart her clothes and pillows. There was nothing in her apartment they didnt destroy. They even pulled the bookshelves down off the walls to make sure nothing was behind them. When they found absolutely nothing, they started the whole thing on fire to cover their tracks. The room would go up in a whush with all that paper.
"You look amazing either way, Your very pretty Clarice", he said giving her a handsome smile.
Jr suddenly bolted around to look out the back. He could see dark smoke coming from the detection they just came in. He told the driver to turn around now and step on it. The drive did as he was told and with in a 15 min the stop in front of her apartment her room was already ingulfed in flames. You could hear people screaming trying to get out of the building. Jr quickly took action. He jumped out of the car and started organizing the people. He got a bucket line going to help keep back the fire while everyone escape he told, just when they thought everyone one else was out a woman came around the corner caring groceries. She scream and dropped her bags. "My baby my baby she cried in french as she tried to race inside. Some men stopped her telling her its to dangerous. She began to weep "my baby" she cried jr could hear the faint sound of a baby crying on the top floor next to Clarice's room. He dashed in side, fighting his way through the fire. He was in there for a long time too long people though. Just then there was a whoosh. As the top have of the building erupted in flames. The woman begain to cry harder. Clarice tryed to comfort the woman be she was fighting back tears of her own. Just then a figure appeared in the smoke and it look like it was carrying something. Jr got oit of the building just in time for the rest of the building had caught fire and was now collapsing in on it's self. Jr handed the woman her baby which she was most grateful. "Thank you, thank you" she kept repeating as she soothed and kissed her baby. Jr look at the woman and said. "Im just glade there okay, but you should take her to the hospital make sure smoke didn't damage her lungs. He gave her some money so that she could get a ride and.pay for the treatment.
When he handed the woman her baby and gave her some money to take her to the hospital, clarice threw her arms around sterling. "Im so glad you're safe." Well good luck getting her to so much as let go of his hand now. She held him tightly looking up at the burning building. Tears welling in her eyes she looked up at sterling. "You're all i have left now."
Tears overcame her eventually and she sobbed into sterling's chest. How could yesterday have been so perfect and today started so terribly? "We should get you to a doctor and make sure you're alright too."
She hugged him tightly crying into his chest. "That was so incredibly brave and so... so.." frustration got the better of her and she balled up her fist banging it on his chest once "so stupid. You could have been killed." She was an emotional wreck. "But it was sweet and brave and courageous " she choked out between sobs.
"I'm sorry i worried you" he said. He's shirt was gone he had used it as a mask by putting it in water before running inside. And when he found the baby he had put it over them so as not to breath in more smoke. "Don't worry Clarice, I'll take care of you, well go shopping after breakfast and start to replacing some of your belongs and find you a new place to stay, unless you want to get married sooner rather then later he said." He said holding her close.
She nodded when he asked if she wanted to get married sooner rather than later. Eventually she calmed down enough to realize he was standing there shirtless. Her fingers wandered across his chest and abdomen as he held her until she calmed down. "We should go. We'll just be in the way now."
Jr beamed at her, when she nodded her head. "Come we can talk more in the car" he said. He helped her into the car again and he through on a denim jacket to cover himself.
"I understand, its a little sudden, I just want to take care of you, but I don't want to rush you into something your not ready for either." He said after the drive took off.
"You deserve to be treated like a proper lady,"
She crawled into his lap when he got in the car and put a jacket on. Putting her arms around his neck. "Then treat me like a lady when we're in public. But i want to be your favorite play thing in private."
Jr eyes open wide, and he had mischief playfully grin on his face. "You wish is my command" he said, and he leand in and kissed her deeply and passionately.
Her fingers curled in his hair. This was what she needed to feel like she hadnt lost her entire world. When they pulled up to the house clarice and sterling both had ash smeared across themselves.
"Ever since my parents died, ive spent my entire life alone. I dont want to be alone anymore." She said getting out of the car with him.
"You wont be anymore, I'm going to take care of you from now on" he said taking her hand in his as they.mad there way unto the house. Victoria was there to greet them with a big smile, which quickly faded open see the state that they where in. "Jr, Clarice, what happen to you are you alright. She asked hurrying to them. Jr told her the story as they made there way into the house. Victoria turned to Clarice "you poor thing xome with me and we'll find you some clothes and clean you up.
Jr followed to go put a new shirt on and to wash up.
Sterling sr was sitting on the front porch drinking a beer when they came in and told victoria what happened. He followed listening closely. Clarice started crying again though she wasnt sure why. She went with victoria to get cleaned up and get a new dress. She was absolutely distraught.
Jr looked at his father, "I think its my fault, I drew to much attention the that bad naiborhood, and some thought she had money, when they could find it they burned the place down to cover their tracks
He shrugged "not an ideal way to start a life together. Not too different to how your mother and i started off though." He smirked "so i guess it'll be a summer wedding then hm?"
When he was done talking to sterling jr he went in to check on texas. Tex was in pain. Lots of it. He had had to sober up yeaterday so he could recall his mission and tell his colonel what happened. Tiny was watching him today after Leeroy, Jolene, Victoria and Sterling sr had had a long night of fun together. You only turn 50 once so might as well try something new. Mary wasnt in much better shape than texas.
Victoria led Clarice to her room, Victoria helped Clarice pick out a beautiful summer dress in a nice pale blue, once they picked out the dress she led her to the bath room where she could clean up and change. "Just head down stairs when your done." She said as she closed the door behind her. She went to give Texas and Marry their medicine, A joint for Texas cause it's one of the dew things that kinda help the pain with out making him to loopy and Marry got some more of Victoria special tea. "You should be fine by tomorrow," said Victoria handing Marry a hot cup of tea. She walk over to his good side and handed him a joint and light it for him. "I'm sorry I can't guve something stronger, as soon as your meeting is done ill give you a doses of morphine." She said. "Oh by the way I think Jr found himself a girl he really likes, we'll bring them up for you to meet later when your not in so much pain, and I'll have breakfast brought up for you too. Is there anything else I can get you" she asked. Before heading down stairs. Jr had put on a new shirt this one was black, and made his way down stairs to wait for Clarice.
"Bout damn time. I wanna meet this girl. Make sure i know which woman to keep my hands off." He winked at his mother. Sterling junior was the only one of the boys who could beat the shit out of texas. They had both already seen war though and fought with more savagery than the others. "He'll be here after breakfast. You gonna be there for the meeting? I know dad's nursing a hangover...." Clarice came down the stairs with her hair down falling over her shoulders in waves over the lovely blue dress victoria picked out. She jumped into sterling's arms when she was two steps off the bottom of the stairs. Sterling sr chuckled leaning over and whispering to him "lotta jump in that one huh?" He chuckled elbowing jr in the arm before going to sit at the table. Clarice smiled up at sterling. "Thank you."
"Victoria nodded, "Yes, I intend to be there, I believe your father will be, but we'll see how he's feeling after breakfast." She said. She made sure they where both comfortable before she went down stairs.
"Thanks mom. Better make sure sterling's there too. Just to be safe." When victoria came downstairs clarice smiled at her. "Thank you so very much mrs. Steele. The dress is beautiful."
Boomfouque laughed coming in for breakfast with the rest of the wolves and the foxhounds. He raised an eyebrow and asked in french "puppies?"
He asked sterling jr as he joined the rest of the family.
After breakfast texas' colonel showed up. One of the servants took him upstairs to speak to texas. Mary was feeling well enough to come down and eat with the rest of the family after drinking her tea. Besides she wasnt allowed in the room right now. Clarice was tired. Sterling had woken her early to drive out here and with the morning's excitement she was exhausted. "Why dont you go tuck her into your bed for a nap and come join us in texas' room when you're done." Sterling sr said getting up from the table and heading up to texas' room.
Jr took Clarice to his room and tucked her in. Then he went a few rooms down to Texas where Victoria was already waiting.
Clarice had never slept in a bed so big, or so comfortable for that matter. Soon as jr kissed her goodnight and tucked her in she was out like a light. When he laid her down she had confessed to him she didnt sleep much last night. She had spent most of the wee hours of the morning in bed reading, waiting and hoping he would have come up to her apartment. So she had left it open as an invitation to sterling. When sterling jr joined them in texas' room, texas was sitting upright, sober and doing all he could not to scream in pain. He kept shifting painfully and squirming struggling. Beside the bed in a chair sat a colonel taking notes. Just like lead. "First of all germanys airforce is more advanced than ours. Second, germany has the bigger army so austria seems to be letting germany do the hard work. Germany will be fit to attack as early as august. Austria not far behind it. Their bases are most active in the West and in the south."
Victoria sat listen quietly. Jr sat next Victoria.
Tex flinched curling up moaning in agony. He couldnt actually curl up because his legs and arm were in braces but he tried. He thrashed and kicked trying to do anything just to get through this latest wave of pain.
Victoria got up and got a syringe read with morphine "I'm sorry colonel, I'm afraid I can't wait any long, this violent thrashing is going to cause more damage" with that Victoria gave Texas the morphine ad least enough to dull some of the pain.
He calmed down considerably after victoria gave him the needle. He let out a moan of relief when the agony started to subside. Within a few minutes the tension was gone from his body and he laid there calm and relaxed. "Germany plans to go west first, austria is going south east. We're not prepared for their air force. We're not prepared for their ground troops."
Victoria was thinking, if they can conferm, where Germany intends to stick we maybe able to hold them off. She didn't mention it to anyone yet. She wanted to finish the briefing before she come to too meny conclusions.
"On my way back, ran into a squad of german planes. My numbers were supposed to match their log book. They were supposed to think i was a german scout. My numbers werent in their books, or something must have tipped them off. They shot me down just at the french border. That was when the french troops shot my parachute full of holes." The colonel got up closing his notebook. "We'll start with the airfield your plane was painted at. See if we can figure out what happened." He pulled out a file and started scribbling some things on a form. He then signed it and set the form on texas' bedside table. It was a medical leave form. He wouldnt be back in uniform until he could walk. That sheet of paper made it official. "What do you want me to do?" Tex asked his colonel. The colonel frowned. "I want you to lay there, get drunk and get better. We will need you texas. For now just worry about those bones of yours." The colonel shook the hand of victoria, sterling sr and sterling jr.
The colonel got up and left after packing up his things. It had been about a half hour since victoria gave texas the injection to get him through the meeting. He was starting to shake with cold chills. He was slipping back into withdrawls again. She had only given him a very small amount. He clutched his blanket tighter around himself. "C-c-can i have another shot?" His teeth were chattering against eachother. He was starting to get addicted. He was fiending. These low doses weren't doing it like the heavy doses he had been getting for the past few days already. Mary knocked on the door after the colonel left. "Everything alright?" "Mary, sweetheart, come here. Come give me another shot of pain killers please." He threw back his head against the pillows whimpering something about oh god it hurts. Mary rushed over to his side and started preparing a needle the way she had been shown. Except for one small difference. Mary had been shown how much to give him. She had been giving him more than that. That was why he was getting addicted. Inconsistent dosages and times. Curious, if somebody else walked through his bedroom door, would he beg them for a needle too?
"Mary! Shouted Victoria in a sturn voice. "Thats way much, are you trying to kill, my son? Victoria was standing over her, she was pissted. Anger oozed out of her. "Don't tell me I have too tech you a lesson again?"
Mary was so frightened by victoria that she dropped the needle and it shattered on the floor. "What the fuck?!" Texas screamed. From the cage in the corner there was a whistle. "What the fuck. What the fuck? What the fuck!" Mary dropped to the ground and started picking up the broken pieces. "No mrs. Steele i swear. Texas asked for that much. I swear i was only doing what he asked."
"Texas's isn't a doctor, he dosent get to decide how much medicine he gets" she said more calmly. "Victoria grabbed a new syringe and put the right amount in. "This is what you get Texas you can't have anymore then this. "I will not have you take advantage of your wife in this manner or this drug." She said firmly to him.
"And if hear any complaints or I find out you talked someone else into upping your dose, ill have your jaw wired shut, do i make myself clear " she said staring down at Texas holding the syringe.
He was grinding his teeth listening to his mother berate him because he didnt want to feel any god damn pain. "Crystal." There was a soft knock at the door and the door opened a crack. "I heard screaming, is everyone alright?" Clarice must have been able to hear texas scream through the wall and woken up from her nap. She stood in the doorway in a nightgown. Her fingers curled around the edge of the door as she peeked in the crack. Her long blonde hair fell in loose free waves over her shoulders.
"Sorry to wake you my dear, No eveything alright, Come in Come in, I'll introduce you." "This is Texas's and this is Texas wife Mary." Everyone this is Clarice. The lady that Jr is courting."
Victoria was rummaging in her medicine bag. She was worried about Texas morphine addiction she decided that she was going to and some of her own pain killers, that was better for his body and he won't get addicted to when he's finally to the point where he dosent need it, he can jsut have the tee for pain she thought. We'll see if it works.
She smiled wiping the sleep from her eyes. She knew victoria was just trying to make it seem like things were ok so clarice didnt get second thoughts. Wouldnt matter. They would tell her the truth eventually. She had heard four different people raise their voice. Eventually they would trust that she wasnt running away from sterling any time. Clarice carefully stepped into the room, tiptoing like a cat over to sterling and sliding her arms around his waist. "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you both." Tex sat up a little "jesus she's tiny. She's not much bigger than a kid. Sure you wont break her?" Clarice turned her face into sterling's chest hiding how upset she was by what texas had said. She knew she was short and thin. But she wasnt a child. She would be 30 in 5 years. She wasnt that fragile.
"Watch it little brother, or Ill break your jaw instead of mom" he growled at Texas. "You should judge Texas" said Victoria not looking up from her mortar and pestle.
Once she finished what she was doing Victoria took some of the water that had been boiled for Mary's Tea and poored it into a cup with the herbs she was working. My supplies a are getting low she thought.
clarice held sterling tighter and smiled up at him mouthing a silent thank you. it made her feel warm and tingly to hear sterling would break his brothers jaw for her. sterling sr patted junior on the back "that'll have the boys calling you alpha." he said before heading out of the room. when he handed over the family bible to sterling junior and handed control over everything to junior, that meant their agents as well.
texas looked over at victoria "the hell you mean by that? I've never fucked a child."
mary went over and sat on the side of texas' bed rubbing his shoulders "shh. texas hushhh. just relax and lay back."
"I meant you should be judging others peoples tast, Ive seen some of the woman you choose.
Texas ground his teeth. He really had nothing to say to that. They all remember those two weeks he rented an apartment in a brothel. Mary looked over to clarice. "Im quite sure texas is just upset because hes in pain."
Texas ground his teeth. He really had nothing to say to that. They all remember those two weeks he rented an apartment in a brothel. Mary looked over to clarice. "Im quite sure texas is just upset because hes in pain.”
"Your probably right" said Victoria "here drink this it will help with the pain" the tea was cold so as not to be difficult to drink, but it also made it really strong. "Drink it all" she said to Texas.

this is a continuation of the day of july 5th from the previous post.

texas took the cup from his mother and cringed chugging it as quick as he could. he knew better than to fight it. much as it tasted like shit it worked. mary rubbed his shoulders. "yuck, i could never drink it that quickly. tastes awful."
clarice looked up at sterling junior. "if your brother's in so much pain we should let him rest. why don't we go shopping for that engagement ring you owe me from this morning." "whoa whoa engaged is a big difference than just courting. why the hell didn't you say so? I'm sorry darlin' it's my job to be the abrasive one so people know we aint all peaches and roses."
texas apologized for his stupid remarks earlier.
"I don't know you already purposed Jr" Said Victoria excitedly. "Congratulation you two"
clarice smiled "this morning after he rescued a baby from my apartment building as it burned down. i got angry at him for risking his life stupidly like that because he's all i have now."
"i don't know if he would call it a proposal. but it was good enough for me."
I left it opened ended, so that if Clarice thought it was took quick, he could double back saying it was what he hoped for the future
as for the wedding they could, I take it not all the family would be there though Texas can't be moved right now, and someone will have to stay with him.
no, and of course bo is probably going to be off in trouble along with francis
clarice shook her head "i've been all alone since my parents died. i don't want to be alone anymore. i don't think it's too soon."
Jr looked at Clarice, "Why don't you go get changed and then we'll head out." he said.
clarice jumped up and kissed him before skipping out of the room to go get dressed in that lovely blue dress victoria loaned her. texas chuckled watching the 5'7" girl have to jump to kiss his 6'2" brother. after he had left he smiled at his brother "i see why you like her. she's got spirit."
"Jr nodded, He looked at Victoria, "So how big is this war going to be" He new that she had contacts all over the world. Spy to feed her information. "From what my spy's tell me, big enough to have 4 country's involved and it could get bigger. From the sounds of it Russia is reacting to the Germany preparing for war, Russia intends to have its army start prepping in a couple of weeks. With that said, it's possible the Germany will hit Belgium, because of the large amount of forts and defenses along the french and German border, that being said until Austria declares war on Serbia nether Germany or Russia can get involve. So we have a short window to get ahead of this." answered Victoria
texas sat up in bed suddenly startled aware of something. "somebody go get my colonel back here. i forgot to tell him about the assassination attempt."
sterling sr was downstairs in the dining hall talking to the wolves and the foxhounds. some were missing since last night still. it was still early, they might not have woken up from whatever ditch or drunk tank they passed out in so nobody was worried, but sterling sr was doing roll call none the less.
"Sir told him about the attempt on you, when she arrived." We where concerned with how much you'd be able to recall, either from the pain or the drugs, so we briefed him on what we new, unless there was another attempt before the other day.
*Correction He was told
At this point Jr went down stairs to meet Clarice, "He was deep in thought when she came down stairs"
when Clarice came down the stairs she saw sterling deep in thought. she leaned on the railing kissing him. "what are you thinking about, handsome?" she came down the stairs and took his hand in hers. "tell me about it while we walk to the car."
"Oh where to begin, Well to really explain whats going on I need to tell you a few things about my family
"My parents work for the American government, for a lack of a better phrase, their spies, and so is the rest of us, short of Alice, she assist but she's often kept in the dark because she never finished her training, or at least that was what I was told. With this being said, who ever marries into the family, generally becomes part of the real family business. I'm sorry this is a lot to take in. Texas's wife didn't even believe him for the first few years of their marriage and I didn't want that for us"
Clarice smiled as she got into the car with him. "You know, that makes everything make so much sense." She winked at him. "I am your secretary after all. I kept seeing these strange notes in margins. Some of them i recognized as codes but the codes i did understand i didnt know what the notes were referencing." She crawled into his lap kissing him. "Does this mean you'll teach me to be a spy?"
"And i mean it makes so much sense why your family travels so much, and why you're so wealthy and own so many businesses."
Jr was dumbfounded "you figured out that those notes where codes?" In all years he's worked for the family business, he has never had a secretary figure out that he's notes where codes.
She smiled with her arms around his neck. "You're used to your mom being the smartest woman around. Before you hired me, i was fired from the library for reading too many books. Aparently they want you to put the books away not read them." She shook her head. "Stupid." "Like i said, i couldnt understand most of them, but i could figure out a repeating pattern. Things like you dont make spelling errors, so a misspelled word is a red flag that what im looking at isnt what im seeing."
"Very clever, how did I get so lucky to get brains an beauty" he purred given her another kiss. "Do want to be a spy its hard and dangerous work. You'll never know when it could be your last day, my parents are one of thr few that got to retire"
She purred back at him. "First rule of chess, only the king can win the game, but the queen protects the king. I cant have my future husband being a spy without looking out for him as best i can. Wouldnt make me much of a wife." She giggled. They visited every jewlery store in paris. Her eyes would light up when she saw the huge sparkling diamonds. She would inevitably make her way around the store slowly and stop at the small rings. She looked like she was deciding if she deserved something bigger. The store clerks of course showed sterling all of the largest and most expensive merchandise.
Clarice finally had enough of feeling bad about wanting the big ones. She went over to sterling and threw her arms around his neck hanging off him. "How big a stone am i allowed to have? It's supposed to be one karat for every decade ive lived, and im twenty six so... i should get two and a half karats at least..."
She let go of him sliding down his body. She loved doing that. She held her left hand out looking at her finger. She had slender, dainty hands but she had always dreamed of a big stone. She had grown up poor, and she had never expected to actually have one, but that was probably why she dreamed of it more.
Clarice wandered around back to the large diamonds and eventually to the largest one in the store. "The one your mother has is twice as big as this one." Victoria had a 20 carat diamond that sterling junior and senior had dug out when they were prospecting one of their mines with bradley and victoria.
Jr nodded, "the one that mom wears is 20 carat, it came out of our diamond mine," Jr explained. "Hadn't been listening much to the cleric. He wss watch Clarice, she seam so happy and excited.
Clarice nodded listening to Sterling explain how his mother got her stone. "Which one do you think?" She asked taking his hand in hers. She wandered around the display cases again. They had been to every jewler in paris. She hadnt found one that she liked. Eventually they went back to the car not finding anything. "Im sorry. I just..." she shook her head leaning her head against jr.
She seemed to bounce between uncountable joy, and a somberness fit for a funeral. When they went back to the car she crawled into his lap with her arms around his neck. She seemed sad that she couldnt decide on a ring. Like she blamed herself. Right now she just wanted to feel safe and wanted in his arms.
Jr just laughed, "don't feel bad dear, if you didn't like any of them will find you one you do like. We can even go to the mines and pick one out and have it cut like mom." He said holding her closs
"You'd take me to america? Just for a diamond?" She smiled and kissed him. After that they went shopping for clothes for clarice. She had lost everything in the fire. They drove past her apartment building. It was a smoldering heap of brick now.
But since clarice's apartment had been the source of the fire, the constable wanted to know what happened. She told the constable everything she knew. Sterling mentioned the three men in the allyway. After that they were free to go. The constable had done everything in his power to put the blame on clarice. He had wanted to pin this on her. They were sure she was lying. Especially having just met this fine gentleman. How dare she disgrace him and herself by setting fire to her apartment. The constable believed clarice had done it deliberately so sterling would have to rescue her. Save her from her poverty as well as everything else. They actually had thought clarice was little more than a petty street whore.
Jr was pissed right off when the constable accuse Clarice. "How dare you accuse my fiance of such a terrible thing, what's your proof, or are you just assuming she's some simply whore because of where she lives, so you don't have to actually do your jobs?" He said angrily. he put himself in between Clarice and the constable.
Clarice clutched sterlings hips hiding behind him. "Your name was what again sir? How long have you known the woman? Are you certain she didnt set the blaze so you could financially rescue her? Did you propose before or after the fire?" The constable had some hard questions for sterling and even he had to admit some of them did not look good for clarice. She needed a lawyer. Maybe they both did.
"Sterling Steele Jr", he said, "I'm an american doing business here, I came to pick her up for breakfast with my parents this morning when the fire started. Do you intend to press charges" he asked. I spoke firm and with authority, Jr new that if this went to court, he would win he had more then enough money to make sure of it. The fact that he had to think of that pissed him more off. He was staring at the constable, he had such confident and anger, that he oozed it.
"You're the one who pulled the baby from the fire. We cant exclude you may have started the fire to appear heroic or as a publicity stunt for your company. the investigation will continue. There are a few other unsavory characters on our suspect list. Both of you are free to go for now. But dont leave the area. Leave your address with the front desk on your way out."
"Don't worry, I have no intentions of leaving the area, You will be hearing from my lawyer" he said, Then he lead Clarice to the desk, he gave the front desk their address and contact info. He asked if there was a telephone here and if he could use it.
The clerk at the desk pointed him to the phone on the opposite wall. Clarice stayed close to sterling. Criminals made lewd comments and gestures towards her as they were brought in through the front doors.
The clerk at the desk told him that a detective who was investigating the fire would be in contact with them. Clarice was starting to freak out. Tears trickled down her cheeks silently. "Sterling you wont let them arrest me will you? I swear i didnt start that fire. Why would i burn all of my books?"
"I know you didn't, and I intend to prove it, and clear both of us" Jr was angry, but he was calm and thinking clearly. He made his call, it wasn't very long but he didn't speak in English or french. When he was done the went to the car and headed home.
It was late when they got home but they were in time for dinner at least. Clarice was quiet and didnt say much durring dinner. "So did you find a ring?" Sterling sr asked finally breaking the awkward silence. Clarice hadnt said anything about the investigation.
Clarice wasnt going to say anything about the investigation unless sterling jr said something about it. So much had happened. It was dizzying to try and keep straight. Mary came downstairs and made up a plate of food for texas. He had been asleep most of the day. Only reason he woke up was because the drugs had worn off enough to wake him with the pain. Texas was usually one of those 5 meals a day kind of guys but since the injury he had almost no appetite. Mary struggled getting him to eat two meals a day.