Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 58

"Dorie," he said when she opened the door, "have ya got a little time for me?"


"Of course, come in."  He followed her in to La Boulaie and they went into the living room.  She had decorated the area beautifully for the holiday, and once inside the sitting area, he went to her, and drew her into a kiss.  She said, "Good evening, Mr. Broderick."


"How are ya this fine day?"


"I'm well, thank you.  Care for a cup of tea?"


"I'll pass.  I've had enough caffeine today.  I'll be up awake and not get any rest if I have more."


"Sounds like the other night, when we were at the penthouse."  Dorian said, walking across the room to get her cup.


"Yes well, I've got to catch up.  You've been keeping me busy.  I'll assume I'll see you at Christmas at The Mannings'?"  Timothy said.


"Yes, I assume you will.  I'll make do."


He stopped, and looked to his hands a moment, then back and said, "What do you mean, Dorie?"


"As much as I try and accept Blair's decision to stay married to Todd, it becomes harder all the time.  The latest is yet another drama for them to deal with.  She just told me about it this morning."


"Drama?"


"The situation with his adoptive mother, Bitsy.  Bea, I guess they call her."


"Bea."  He said, matter-of-factly, as he realized what she was talking about.


"It's just another thing to make Blair's life difficult.  And the children.  Haven't they had enough?"


"Ya have to know it's not Todd's choice or fault that his mother was found, or that she was . . . mentally incapacitated."


"Oh, I know.  But I've been around since day one with them.  And it's never been roses.  I've told her many times to break this hurtful cycle, but she doesn't see it my way.  Now with this latest mess . . . I'm just tired of him bringing her pain and danger, as well.  Who knows where this one will lead."


Timothy stood.  "Dorie, I had no idea you would react this way.  The day Todd came to see me, ya were there, ya heard him.  I knew ya had bad blood between ya at times, but I thought ya'd put this behind ya and understood."


"That was before this came up.  According to Blair, this might lead to Mitch Laurence, and believe me, I'm all-too-familiar with how that might go.  The man tried to rape my daughter, among other terrible things."


Timothy's expression was one of halted concern but also impatience.  He said, "Todd never chose to be an abused child, or to be given away as a babe, or to be subjected to the things he has been."


"But he did chose to subject his family to it.  And he looks like he still is.  He's driven by revenge."


Unbeknownst to Dorian, Starr had been walking down the stairs, and now stood at the doorway of the La Boulaie living room.  "Well, Aunt Dorian, don't show up for Christmas, then.  We wouldn't want you to have to deal with a freak like my father."


"Starr.  I didn't hear you come in."


"No," she said, sarcastically, "You didn't, did you?"


"I just said I didn't, Dear."


Timothy had folded his arms and watched.  Starr said, "I can't believe you, Aunt Dorian, I really can't.  I thought you said you understood."


"I understand, does not mean I agree.  But let's not belabor this topic right now, Timothy is here for a visit."


Timothy, who had remained mostly quiet throughout Dorian's tirade, said, "We should belabor it, because I'm not all too pleased either with what ya said."


Dorian looked slightly unprepared for his words.  "Timothy, certainly you can see what this has done to my niece, being involved with Todd Manning?"


Starr said, "I can't believe this.  Honestly, Aunt Dorian, nothing would have happened to my father if you hadn't interfered in the first place.  Way back, oh around my birth?  When you just had to step in and push him, almost to the edge, and he asked Tea to marry him?  Maybe if you hadn't, my mother and my father would have stayed together.  He would have stayed by her side through her stroke, and cared for her and been with her while I was a baby.  That separation was the start of a downward spiral that lead to a lot more mistakes for him.  He couldn't even be normal if he tried, but especially not without her."


"Starr, dear, clearly you know that your father's downward spiral began long before that.  You can't certainly blame me!"


Timothy, whose ire was overcoming him, could not help interjecting.  "Perhaps when he was a little boy, raped and abused by his maniac father, and no one can ever blame him for that!"


Starr sucked in air suddenly.  "Timothy?  What are you saying?"


"Wonderful!"  Dorian threw her hands up, and they fell against her sides with a slap.


Starr walked closer to the man, "My parents . . . they both wondered when . . .are you saying . . .?"


"Starr, Dear Heart," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Starr, I apologize for this conversation taking a turn such as this.  I won't be able to explain my regret in your hearing that.  But yes, it's true.  It was revealed to my sister from his mother, Bea."


"No, you have nothing to regret," Starr said, turning to Dorian, who was sipping her tea.  "You, Aunt Dorian, you knew this about my father?  That he was Sam's age?  And all you could say are the things you said today?"


"Your mother," she began, "is my concern, and you.  The Cramer women. . ."


"The Cramer women?  I'm a Manning, Aunt Dorian.  I am a Manning.  I don't answer to Starr Cramer, and my mother doesn't answer to Blair Cramer.  Not anymore.  We're Mannings.  And your concern for me isn't wanted, if it means trying in any way to make my father and mother lose each other again.  You've done it before, more than once.  It will never work today.  They're together and stronger than they ever were."  Starr turned to Timothy, "I'm sorry, I have to go," and stormed out.


Dorian said, "She doesn't understand, she's just a child."


"She's not a child," Timothy said, staring after her with sadness in his eyes, "She's a young woman who deeply loves her father."  Turning back to Dorian, he said, "It is you who does not understand.  Are ya planning to interfere in Blair's marriage, Dorie?"


"At this point, there's no interfering.  She had the chance to break free of him when he first came back here.  She was involved with someone else . . ." 


"The assassin that put him into captivity and caused this 'drama' ya speak of?"


"Nevertheless," she brushed it off, "I do feel badly for Todd and his misfortune.  I do.  That family of his brings nothing but pain and distress to others.  Blair has an obsession; she's never been able to break free of it, and it has brought her much destruction, and it seems, with this latest development, it will again."


Timothy sighed, "I don't believe speaking of a mentally ill woman as a development is something I want to hear," he turned toward the door, "just as listening to Todd referred to as a destructive force in Bridgette's life isn't."  Dorian was stunned as he made his way to the foyer.  Turning back, he said, "Dorie, I'm sorry that I can't take your side on this, nor can I stay and hear any more of it.  Have a pleasant day, and a Merry Christmas."  

He was gone.


***


"John, you're home."  Natalie said, hugging him at the door.  He seemed ragged and tired.  She said, "Sit here, I'll get you a beer and we can talk."


He sat, putting his head back.  "After all this, I've got another death on my hands, and less information than before.  The custodian involved with the tapes?  Points this woman, not Mitch.  He was on the tapes, so what?  Laurence can just say people visited him, for whatever reason, and this woman did all of this covering herself.  No criminal charges can be filed against Mitch for this.  Or what happened today."


"What happened?" she said, handing him a beer bottle.


He sipped, "His cellmate ended up dead."  He reached in his pocket and pulled out the vial.  Handing it to her he said, "Carnivorous.  Scared the guy into a heart attack."


She looked at the insect.  "I'll take this in tomorrow and see what I can find out."


"Thanks."


"Scared to death?"


John pursed his lips and nodded.  "That's what I said.  I never thought something like that could happen, but it did.  The guy had extreme phobias.  The bug was hungry.  Put the rest together."


She said, "That's awful, but something Mitch would do," she headed into the kitchen.  


John said, "Like manipulate women into doing his bidding?"


"Yeah, that's his speed."


He thought of his visits with Laurence.  Kiss that hot little red-head for me, will ya?...Had no respect for The Lord...Heed my word and you find salvation...


And Natalie's words:  Don't do this, you're stirring up trouble with him.  He's evil, John, and he won't forget. 


She didn't respond, just brought him a bowl of salad and a fork.  "Start with this."


"Not sure how hungry I am," he said.  "I'm more tired than anything."


"Well, you know what will happen, you'll wake yourself up hungry."


He started to eat the salad, and finished his beer.  He said, "Now what?"


She said, "I don't know.  I guess I try and find out where these beetles come from and try and link it somehow to Mitch."


"All right, start there.  I'll think on it."


"John, it's almost Christmas.  Are you going to slow down?"


"Yeah," he said, finishing his beer, "yeah, I'll slow down."


She didn't really believe him.  She brought his plate, still warm, and handed it to him.  He looked at it, and said, "Pot roast.  I can't believe you made it.  I haven't had it in a while."


"You love it, so I decided to take the plunge."


"Thank you," he said, leaning in to touch her face.


"I want us to have a good Christmas, John, with Liam."


"I know," he said, "And we will.....we'll be at your mother's and have the whole nine yards."


She sat beside him.  "We miss you, ya know."


"I know that, too.  And I'm sorry about the missing in action stuff."


"I understand why, I just want to see you, have you around.  He does, too, he just can't say it."


"Soon he will."


"Yeah, he will.  Right now, he keeps to the important words.  Mama, Dada, juice, cookie."


He laughed, and now that he was eating, realized he was famished, and cleared his plate.  "This was so good, thanks."


"You're welcome," she said, and took his empty plates.  "Want another beer?"


He said, "No, I just want you, in my arms.  Come here."


She obliged, but felt how stiff and tense he was from the workings of the day.  She said, "I worry.  You're all tensed up."


"It'll pass."  He ran over the events of the day again, and put his arm around her shoulders, her head resting against his upper chest.  He flashed on Mitch's words about her, and pushed them away and closed his eyes.


Several minutes after her leaning against him, he was fast asleep.

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