Negotiations - Ch 2 - Secrets...

For the next two days Elissa was kept busy by Bianca with helping her get things organised for her Hens Party at the local Dance Bar, by the time the evening came around, Elissa wasn’t sure if she would be able to last the night with how tired she felt.

Everyone that was invited came, Elissa made sure there were plenty of drinks as she reunited with old school friends who gave silly speeches to Bianca, then Elissa sprayed a bottle of fizzy nectar all over her, two male dancers who had showed up very much embarrassed Bianca and had the other girls were either trying to get their attention or laughing in delightful humour of the whole thing.

The party went well into the early hours of dawn before the girls got a taxi back home to crawl into their beds to sleep off their sore feet and too much fizzy nectar.

Just before crawling into bed, Elissa made a point to talk to Tabitha about her fathers’ will; surely she knew something about his intentions.

Feeling too fuzzy headed to think much more, she sleepily changed and crawled into bed as dawn was beginning to bring its dull light to the valley for another day.

 

It was just coming onto one o’clock that afternoon when Elissa woke, her head pounded and her mouth felt like she had been eating sandpaper.

Groggily she showered and changed before heading downstairs to get herself a coffee and some painkillers for her aching head.

Before she even reached the bottom of the stairs, the scent of freshly brewed coffee made her mouth water and she smiled a little at the familiar, homely feeling it gave her.

Coming into the kitchen she saw Tabitha setting down a tray of coffee cups all filled with the delectable beverage.

“Ah, I see the second sweetheart of the evening has finally graced us with her presence for the remainder of the day.” Tabitha smiled taking a cup of coffee and handed it to Elissa before she took one for herself.

Elissa smiled sipping at her coffee before moving into the dining room to sit and enjoy it properly.

 

As her aunt sat opposite her, Elissa remembered that she wanted to talk to her about what had occurred between her and Donavin as well as her fathers’ last wishes.

“Aunt Tabby, I had a fight the other morning with Donavin, he threatened to run bad press about the family through all the papers and...” She stared down into her coffee at her skewed reflection. “I slapped him, really hard.”

Tabitha sipped at her coffee and said nothing for a few moments, though a tiny smile did play at the corners of her usually hard lined mouth.

“Wish I thought of that when I’d spoken to him, but don’t do it again, the women of your family are known for their graceful anger, not the lashing out sort.”

Elissa nodded and drank more of her coffee hoping the hazelnut flavour would help her find the words for her next question, she hated brining up anything to do with the family business, but it seemed she had no choice if she wanted to tidy up all the loose ends she had left fluttering behind her.

Tabitha finished her own coffee and shifted in her chair, her eyes looking right into Elissas’.

“Alright, let’s have it then, and don’t pussy foot about the matter, out with it.”

Her aunts’ hidden knowledge startled her a little, but Elissa also knew she shouldn’t be surprised; her aunt always had a knack for knowing things before anyone else.

Elissa gripped her coffee cup firmer in her hand and took a deep breath in before exhaling it in a silent whistle.

“Well, you must know a way that I can sort out father’s plans for the family business without it getting messy. Couldn’t I just re-hire his lawyer that drew up the papers for the will in the first place; surely he’d know how to get the red-tape sorted out?”

“Well, yes darling you could... But the problem with that is that he’s been dead a year now. Too much fine food and nectar liquor if you ask me, and he was as cunning as they come too. The slimy toad even managed to get himself a slice of your fathers’ assets, which he very quickly liquidated with the help from all of his red-tape trappings.”

Tabitha’s expression grew dark and her lips made a small snarl for a moment before she looked at Elissa who was staring back at her in disbelief, her lips parted in a frozen ‘Oh.’.

“You mean... that ridiculous part of my fathers’ will still stands... even... even now?”

She felt a heavy cold stone drop into the pit of her stomach, her mind let out a blood curling scream of rage, her eyes stayed fixed on her aunt who slowly nodded solemnly at her.

Before she knew she had even moved, Elissa was out of her chair, discarded her coffee cup and remaining coffee to the floor and was across the house in moments.

 

********

Donavin had just finishing talking to one of his papers editors on the phone in the Whitmore families’ home office; he was allowed to conduct business while he stayed as a guest at the house.

Elissa suddenly burst in and slammed the office door so hard that it shook the walls of the room and echoed throughout the foundations, she came right over to the desk and fumed at him, her cheeks flushed with anger and her eyes bright as liquid gold. “You get that outrageous clause in my fathers’ will revoked and you get it done now!”

Donavin sat looking at her, his face calm as the surface of Blackwater Lake. He then lent back in the chair letting out a long breath, his ice blue eyes never leaving hers.

“Ah, I see that you found out from your dear auntie the little matter of you and I still getting married.” He grinned feeling very proud of himself, after all, now his ‘bride-to-be’ had shown her true self, Donavin had been day dreaming about Elissa in the non-conventional way since he had become re-acquainted her.

“You bet I did, you get a lawyer in here now and get it fixed. I am never marrying anyone just to save my family’s name and assets, least of all you.”

A dangerous smiled flickered across Donavins eyes and lips, Elissa had just admitted that she didn’t have anyone legally to help her rearrange the will; she was here to ask for his help, without directly asking for it.

Donavin got up and came around the side of the desk, Elissa went to move away from him and he grabbed her wrist stopping her.

She gave a small yelp and tried to twist out of his grasp, but he was much stronger than her and her now slender wrist he held easily in his hand.

Her eyes glazed with fear as he held her to the spot, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck.

“I will see to it that the will is looked over with a fine tooth comb by my lawyer.” He smiled at her, her resistance at his hold was still strong and her finger tips were going red from him holding her too tightly. “Then, once all the finer details are ironed out and you see just how much your family needs my assets, we shall see about this whole marriage business.” He chuckled and half threw away her wrist as he let it go.

He watched her scowl at him as she rubbed at her wrist to ease some of the pain he had caused.

“I swear you’ll regret ever bargaining with my family, mark my words you...”

Donavin cut her off sharply. “I wouldn’t make threats if I were in your position Elissa.” He leaned in close to her and lowered his voice. “After all, let’s not make this reunion any more unpleasant than what it is, hmm?”

Donavin smiled as Elissa stormed from the office just as fuming as when she had come in, she slammed the door again making him jump slightly before he went back to his chair, sat down and picked up the phone.

 

********

Slumping down behind the wood pile, Elissa angrily blinked away threatening tears.

Her feet had taken her to the one place she felt safe, it had been an old hiding spot her and Bianca had used as children when their parents drank too much and fought with each other. Now it was her refuge from another scary issue she didn’t want to face, even though she couldn’t see any way out.

The wood smelt warm and she sat lost in deep thought and didn’t notice it become chilly, or that the sun was setting behind the towering dark mountains of the valley.

She did however, hear footsteps coming from the driveway, the creak of the iron gates that made the side entrance to the garden and she held her breath for a moment thinking the worst.

“Hey Beetle you trying to catch a cold out here hmm?”
Bianca’s voice chirped at her from the side gate as she popped her head playfully around one of the pillars, she was in her painting clothes and looked like a different person. Elissa let out the breath in relief and gave her little sister a small smile but didn’t move.

“Aw, come on sis... how can I cheer you up, when you don’t do your half of the work?” Elissa shook her head and her smile grew, she let out a defeated sigh getting to her feet and meandered over to where Bianca was.

“Who asked you to come and find me?” She asked softly glancing up at her sisters’ crystal blue eyes now looking concerned for her.

Now it was Bianca’s turn to give a weak smile. “No one, I heard you yelling at Donavin in the office and when I saw you come outside, I knew where you’d go.”

Before Elissa was overcome by tears, Bianca grabbed her hand and walked them over to the old swing set; they each took a swing to sit on.

As the sun slowly sank making the valley become bathed in the dull glow of dusk, they chatted about idle things so that both of them didn’t have to think about what had just passed for the moment.

Bianca suddenly paused and gave Elissa a small smile.

“There’s a job going for a head chef down at the local restaurant, I think it would be the perfect place to get you going. Maybe save up some extra simolians just for you.”

“No... Oh, I don’t know Bibi. I don’t think I could take much more stress right now, and between dealing with Donavin and helping you with your wedding, if I do much more I’ll end up a wreck.”

“You need something else to do outside of this house or you’ll become a wreck, just, promise me you’ll at least give it some thought... pleeease?” Bianca begged and fluttered her eyelashes playfully at her.

Elissa pursed her lips together and made a small growl in her throat before muttering through clenched teeth.

“Fine.”

Bianca gave a firm nod smiling, then she began to swing on the swing like they use to when they were kids, after a few moments, Elissa joined in and both were able to forget for just a little while.

A few days later, Elissa was heading upstairs to find a cook book she needed to read up on for her new job she had acquired at the local restaurant in town Bianca had suggested she apply for as the head chef, coming out from the dining room she saw Donavin eagerly greeting a man in the foyer.

He was the same height as Donavin, but was a stockier build, no doubt from working out at some fancy gym, his chocolate coloured hair was cut in a neat but not too short style, and he wore an expensive looking jacketless suit and watch that matched his olive skinned complexion.

“If you’d have told me it was always this cold here I would have dressed warmer Don, and also, for what you’ve requested, it’s going to take me at least a week to get the papers you want, not to mention sorting out all the finer details in the mean time.”

He was a softly spoken baritone and he seemed to have Donavins full attention, which Elissa was sure couldn’t be a bad thing if his very much unwanted attentions weren’t on her for the time being.

Since neither of them had noticed her, she quietly went upstairs to look for her book.

 

By the time dinner came around that evening, the entire household was in an uproar as Elissa finished preparing truffle omelettes.

Under the sizzling of her cooking, she could hear everyone else arguing fiercely in the dining room, no one seemed to want to let anyone else get a word in edgewise.

As she put the serving plate down, Elissa decided it would be better to stay off to the side until things settled down.

“You’re the one who walked away, and now that you can see what you threw away, you’re trying to take it back by force. You’re a coward and a waste of a man.” Tabitha was yelling at Donavin from across that table, the new gentleman was trying to speak but couldn’t seem to find a place to calm things down.

Bianca sat saying nothing as she looked down at Mitchell who had decided to take a nap since he had just come home from a conducting at a concert across town all day.

Elissa sat and watched the scene unfold like some hideous creature ripping apart at everything around itself, not caring what was struck or destroyed in the meantime.

After twenty minutes of Tabitha and Donavin arguing, Elissa slunk off back upstairs to go and look for her book she still hadn’t found from her earlier hunt.

 

Unsure of how long it had been since the yelling had stopped, Elissa heard someone coming upstairs. She ignored whoever it was and kept on reading her book she had happily found.

The man who was now also staying in her house lent on the railing of the staircase beside her and watched her for a moment.

“It’s rude to stare at people.” She said in a sharp tone not looking up from her reading.

“So it is, you must be the famous Elissa I’ve heard so much about. I’m Isaac by the way, nice to finally put a face to a name.” He was trying to be nice.

Elissa couldn’t care less; he was working for Donavin, to her that made him an instant enemy.

“I’m sure it is.” She turned the page and kept reading.

He stood for a while longer before giving a sigh and shifted slightly.

“I assume by your tone that you don’t approve of my being here.”

“How observant of you, now go away.” Elissa quipped at him in a sing song voice; all the while she never looked up nor stopped reading.

 

To her annoyance, Isaac moved and sat down beside her, he shifted and leaned on the far arm of the couch, away from her, she seethed at her newest enemy being so close to her.

He smelled of old-spice and stewed peaches; it was a smell that one longed to breath in more of, intoxicating almost; Elissa gritted her teeth and almost tore the next page as she turned it over a little too quickly.

“You do know that you and I will have to talk at some point about this whole will business, why don’t we start to get some of the unpleasant details out of the way and maybe...”

Her fury boiled over at Isaac, here he was coming into her home and telling her what to do and she threw the book across the room making Isaac quickly get up from the couch as she stood to confront him.

 

“You heartless, good for nothing waste of space! How dare you come here and tell me what to do, and let alone what I should be doing for someone of the likes of you who’s working for the last person of earth I want to be within fifty miles of!”

Elissa cursed the fact that Mitchell had come upstairs and stopped her advancing on Isaac and tearing him to shreds.

“Whoa, now hang on Lissy, just take it easy and calm down for a second.” Isaac went to speak; Mitchell stopped him with a simple gesture.

“Get him away from me or I swear I’ll do something that not even he could find a punishment for in the courts!”

Elissa went into her room and locked the door.

 

After changing to crawl into bed and sulk, Elissa stopped when she heard Mitchell and Isaac beginning to talk to each other. She went and pressed her ear to the door to listen.

‘Don’t mind Lissy, Donavin has been really barbaric to her since she got back. It’s only just been a week since she returned from France.’

‘So, he’s been forcing the matter of her fathers’ will on her? He told me that she was the one who had backed out at the last minute and walked off leaving him standing at the altar.’

There was an uneasy laugh from Mitchell.

‘No, it was originally the other way around. Lissy wasn’t always as good looking as she is now; she went to France after Donavin walked away from her at the altar. I don’t know what she did while she was over there, but it did her good, that’s for sure.’

‘Hmm, I see. Well, it may not have been Elissa that told me what I needed to know, but it will help with my work. Thank you Mitchell good night.’

‘Night, oh and... Just, take it easy on her.’

“I’ll keep that in mind.’

Elissa slumped down against her door and sighed feeling very stupid, she had lashed out at the one person who actually wanted to hear her side of the story and might be willing to help.

‘Great, on top of everything else I now have to grovel, to a lawyer.’ She muttered to herself getting up from the floor in a huff, she plonked herself into bed and roughly pulled the covers up to her chin shutting her eyes.

Again it was another restless night.

 

The next evening when Elissa came home late from work, the entire house was mostly dark except for a few lamps and a bright light coming from under the office door.

Muffled voices came from inside, Elissa knocked before opening the door to find Donavin talking to Isaac as they compared letters and transcripts her fathers’ visits to his lawyer when he was alive.

She cleared her throat making both men look up at her pausing in their work.

“I want to be here while you work and sort out my fathers’ will and the paperwork; since this is mostly to do with me, I feel that it’s only fair that I be involved.” She made sure to keep her chin up and moved her gaze from one man to the other as she spoke, she felt somewhat reassured as there was now a witness to her demands.

Isaac gave a small nodding motion as he thought about what she had said, Donavin had been looking at him then looked at Elissa, her skin wanted to crawl off her body.

“Well, it is only fair. And as you have pointed out to us, this is mostly to do with you and your families’ future, you should see how the assets would be treated, I guess.” Donavins voice was slick like oil, and the small grin that grew on his lips as he spoke made Elissa want to tear his hair out in chunks.

“Well then, it’s a good thing I came in when I did,” Elissa felt a small win coming on with her little tad of knowledge about some of her families holdings.  “Otherwise you wouldn’t have known that you can’t legally touch any of my families’ assets unless the family agrees with what is planned for the assets and since Aunty likes you as much as she does mould on strawberries...”

Isaac gave a small chuckle at Elissas’ description, which made her smile herself.

 

Donavin got up from his chair and was around to her side of his desk before she could even blink; Isaac shifted in his chair resting forward, his elbows on his knees.

Before Elissa could really take in what was going on, she felt Donavin brush his fingers across her cheek which made her take in a sharp breath. His fingers felt as cold as ice and clammy; instinctively she put up a hand to push him away and leaned back from him.

“So, you’ve been keeping few things from me, my dear?”

“It’s not my fault if you skip past bits and go straight to the money side of things.”

She could smell the sickening scent of cheap nectar liquor on his breath as he managed to breathe right in her face as he spoke, she couldn’t help but feel disgusted by him.

 

Donavin snatched the wrist of her hand she had gone to push him away from her with.

His eyes narrowed and his gaze grew sour making his eyes go a strange grey, his grip tightened around her wrist making her give a small wince from the pain in her throat.

He spoke low, through gritted teeth. “If you think that you can just waltz in here and humiliate and belittle me by spouting your smart mouth off in front of my lawyer, you have another thing coming.” His grip tightened further making Elissa feel tears burn in the back of her eyes, she refused to let them spill and show him he was affecting her.

For the longest moment they both held each other’s gaze before Donavin released her wrist, half throwing it away from him and went back behind the desk and heavily sat down in the chair.

Elissa flew out of the room, half angry but more frighted than anything as her feet took her to the front of the house, out into the dark, coldness of night.

 

*******

 

Isaac finished off sorting out some more bookkeeping with Donavin before he said his goodnights and left Donavin to his own devices, no doubt they would involve a liquor bottle.

As he headed upstairs, he heard a sniffle come from the direction of the dining room; he glanced through the window and saw Elissa sitting out in the cold. She was crying, he could also see the dim lighting if the porch her hands were shivering.

Going to his room he put on his coat, gloves and scarf then hurried back downstairs again.

Outside the air was bitterly cold, Isaac looked about for a moment before seeing Elissa sitting in a rocking chair to one side of the porch.

Going over to her he stood before of her for a moment not saying anything, he wasn’t sure if he should.

“Either sit down, or go away.” Elissa mumbled bitterly at him, her usual somewhat high, sweet vocal tones were half muffled, no doubt from her nose being stuffy from crying.

Isaac sat down in front of her, she angrily brushed away some tears, but more quickly took their place running like rivers down her smooth full cheeks.

“We really need to talk about what you know of your fathers’ will and your families’ assets Miss Whitmore.” Isaac couldn’t help but feel an emotionally sad stirring for her, he hadn’t come from what one would call a happy family, he had seen many sad cases in his career rip families and companies to pieces; but something was different this time.

“Why, so you can knit pick at it and unravel everything I say, to twist it to suit your own jargon and leave my family crushed in the dust?”

She began to sob again burying her head in her hands; her slender shoulders shook with her shivering from the cold.

Isaac suddenly realised what he was looking at, he wasn’t seeing a soft woman who had been babied all her life and was now upset for not getting her way. He was looking at a young woman who had fight for her family all her life, been the strong one holding everyone and everything together; and now, now she was crumbling under the pressure of it all and had no one to turn to.

Without knowing it, Isaac put a hand on one of her knees, she slapped it away as if he had bitten her and got up from the chair hurriedly walking away from him; again she unsuccessfully tried to wipe away the overflow of tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Isaac got up; in just a few steps he caught up and stopped Elissa by gently putting a hand to one of her shoulders.

She stopped, defensive and still, though her whole body was now almost certainly shaking from the cold that must have gone through her cotton chefs’ uniform to her very bones. “Please Miss Whitmore. I think I can help you, but I need you to tell me what you know, and...”

Elissa turned to him, her eyes cautious and glittering in the lamp light like pools of gold.

“And what, trust you?” She sniffled, more tears welled in her eyes, she was crumbling fast and for a moment he wondered if she would literally fall down on him like sandcastle crushed by waves.

“Please, it’s all I ask. If you feel that you can’t trust me at any point, you don’t have to speak to me ever again. I don’t think you deserve to be treated the way you’ve been, no one does.”

For a long while Isaac stood still letting Elissa look at him, her eyes studying every bit of his face as if she was looking for a hair-crack of dishonestly somewhere.

Finally, she nodded to him.

Isaac led her inside and out of the chill of the night.

It seemed his simple trip was going to be a lot more than what it had first appeared to be.

As Elissa made her own way upstairs, Isaac saw that the office light was still on and he could hear Donavin talking a little too loudly on the phone, his voice was muffled from the closes door but Isaac knew that phone calls after mid-night were never to catch up on idol or trivial matters for anyone.