Double Trouble
~Ten~
Julia woke up when she heard her sister’s shower running. She remembered trying to stay awake for her call. But Holly never asked to be picked up. Did her straight-laced sister actually stay out all night? And with whom? Nerdly-Boy? Julia shook her head to clear her head. And that’s when she heard the CD playing and the singing. Holly almost never sang in the shower! She peeked through the door. Holly’s bed was slept-in, and there was no evidence of a masculine visitor. Thank God. Grandfather Crane would have a cow if Holly went and ruined “the goods” before she was properly sold.

Holly was oblivious to her sister’s curiosity. She had a marvelous time the night before, and after a morning of procuring documents from her father’s study, she was planning on meeting Reese again. After all, she had only been ordered to accept the invitation to the New Year’s Eve Ball, which meant for the next week and a half, she could do as she pleased.

The lady’s got potential, she was setting her sights
On making it in movies with her name in lights
The greatest social climber since Cinderella.
Ok, she couldn’t act, but she had the right friends
And we all know a career depends
On knowing the right fella to be stellar…
Just one...

The music clicked off, and a hand reached in the shower and tuned the water to cold. Holly shrieked and turned the water off. Grabbing a towel, she slid open the curtain to reveal her sister’s sullen morning-face.

“Number one,” Julia said, pushing another towel at Holly to dry her hair, “what the hell were you listening to this early in the morning?”

Holly tucked the towel more securely around her body. “That was Antonio Banderas singing The Lady’s Got Potential from Evita. You know, the musical they made into a movie with Madonna? The song just inspired me this morning. It reminded me of our stepmother,” she breezed.

Julia nodded once; her face still set in a mask of disapproval. “Number two, where were you last night?”

“I was learning the constellations,” Holly said defensively. “And you shouldn’t be lecturing me, Jules, you’ve had your fair share of… how do you term them? Boy toys?”

Julia dragged her sister out of the bathroom. “Hollis, you’ve got to be discreet,” she said. “Especially if you’re dealing with someone that Father or Grandfather Crane would find unacceptable. Making out in the back seat of a Mercedes is one thing. Necking in a Ford is another—at least to them.” They glared at each other. Julia finally sighed. “I can’t believe I’m telling you to be responsible! You’ve given me this lecture how many times? Did anyone see you when you came in?”

“Not that I know of,” Holly said. “And I wasn’t out that late. It just gets dark early. I swear I was in before midnight.”

“I was up at midnight,” Julia countered. “You didn’t call.”

“He escorted me home,” she said. “I snuck into my room up from the servant’s stair, and you weren’t up when I peeked in at you. The TV was on, but you were asleep.”

“Just be careful, Hollis,” Julia said. “We’ve got a lot going, and believe me when I tell you no boy is worth either Rebecca or Theresa getting their claws into Daddy. You can bet with either of them, especially Rebecca, we would be out on our own before you can say ‘Broadway.’”

Holly nodded, but she couldn’t help the smile of satisfaction knowing she disobeyed the spirit of Grandfather Crane’s orders.
 

* * *
The twins had almost escaped from the Crane Mansion when a shrill voice trapped them in their tracks. “Running off to Mommy Dearest?” Rebecca Hotchkiss called from the stairs. “I thought I told you two that you weren’t welcome here,” she hissed.

“Last time I checked,” Holly shot back, “OUR names were ‘Crane’ and yours was NOT.”

“Therefore,” Julia continued, “we have more of a right to be in the CRANE Mansion than a two-bit social-climbing overage slut!”

“How dare you!” Rebecca screamed. “I’ll be telling Julian about how disrespectful you both are!” She lunged towards the girls—a difficult task in a skin tight low cut snakeskin mini-dress.

Both the girls dodged Rebecca’s assault easily. “You make a break for it,” Holly whispered to Julia, “I’ll run interference. Pick me back up here about noon for lunch.”

“Gotcha,” Julia hissed back and darted towards the door.

Holly started towards the door as well, but stopped short, leaving her sister time to escape. “All of society knows about your little escapades” Holly taunted as she moved from the door, bringing Rebecca’s attention with her, “How the little farm girl in a sleazy dress tried to seduce Julian Crane. But you didn’t succeed then, did you?”

“You’re going to pay, you little brat,” Rebecca spat.

Holly gave her an icy smile. “Father married my mother instead. And in six weeks you had stolen Mr. Hotchkiss away on the eve of his wedding. What was that young woman’s name?” Holly mused, her eyes darting to the door to make sure Julia had gotten away. Minor changes in plans were to be expected. Holly was supposed to drop off Julia at the Lopez-Fitzgerald house, then pick her up once she had the relevant documents to give to Ethan. Then they would enjoy a leisurely lunch at the Book Café where Reese was going to meet her and teach her more about astronomy. But this worked well too, and if, for some reason her father did marry Rebecca (after his annulment from Theresa, of course), Holly was well on her way to the backup plan of making any stepmother’s life hell.

Rebecca had grabbed a tall thin lamp and was brandishing it as a club. Her eyes were alight in unholy fire.

“Part of you admires Theresa,” Holly continued. “Because she is just like you—a gold-digging tramp.” Rebecca screamed and swung the lamp.

“I’ll get you, you bastard whelp of Ivy’s,” the older woman hissed, and swung again.

Holly evaded both attempted blows and danced across the room. “Is this the way to treat your future daughter-in-law?” Holly asked innocently. “Or step-daughter? Or both? You gave up all your rights to Hotchkiss Enterprises when you divorced your husband, and now you’re dependent upon Father’s good will, but what happens when he finds another skirt to sniff under?”

Rebecca swung again. “Your father will never give me up,” she gloated, “because if he does, I’ll ruin his life. Just like I’m going to ruin yours…”

Holly used the small bit of warning to crouch and cover her head. The blow never came.

“Mother!” a voice called.

“Rebecca!” another voiced called just after.

Holly looked up to see her father and Gwen coming from different angles. Rebecca still held the lamp over her head and evidence of the lamp’s carnage was scattered around the room.

Rebecca slowly eased the lamp to the floor. “This isn’t what it looks like,” she stammered to the cold faces of her daughter and her lover. “Your brat was insulting me!” she sobbed and broke into tears on cue. She ran over to Julian and buried her face in his chest, sobs wracking her body. She looked up and shot Holly a cruel grin and continued her crocodile tears. No one in the room made any effort to comfort Rebecca further.
 

* * *
As soon as Julia got to the door of the Lopez-Fitzgerald house, a hysterical Theresa met her. “I’m so glad you’ve come, Julie,” she sobbed.

Julia put her arm around Theresa and escorted her into her house. “Tell me what’s wrong,” Julia soothed. Does the girl never stop crying? she thought.

“He asked me!” Theresa cried. “Somehow he guessed and he asked me!”

Julia escorted Theresa to the couch, noting for the first time that Whitney Russell was glaring at her. “You told him, didn’t you,” Whitney accused. “You had to go and ruin both their lives!”

Theresa burst into a fresh burst of tears. “How little you know me, Whitney,” Julia said, holding Theresa’s head to her shoulder, “if you think that I would set out to destroy my brother’s life. We may not share a father, but we do share a mother, and I’ve known him all my life.” And you’re doing such a good job guiding this pathetic wreck, Miss Whitney Russell, Julia thought, that she’s lying, scheming, getting drunk and marrying a lecherous old coot who happens to be my father! Julia decided to ignore Whitney’s bug-up-her-ass attitude, and concentrate on the important thing: getting the goods from Theresa. “What did he ask you, Resa?” Julia asked.

The pet name triggered more tears, just as Julia suspected it would. “He… he… asked me about Mr. C-crane and about the money for his office…” The rest of her words were jumbled up in sniffles and sobs.

Julia glanced up at the sour-lemon expression on Whitney’s face. She gave the other girl a look of entreaty. “Could you get Theresa a glass of water and something to dry her tears?” Julia asked before turning back to Theresa. “Calm down,” she urged. “Everything will work out fine.” Theresa nodded and gasped for air. “What did you tell Ethan?”

“I… I… told him it… was all j-just at terrible rumor. And I-I told him the story about the loan again,” she said, in between dry sobs. Whitney returned with a glass of water and Theresa drank it greedily.

“She lied again,” Whitney said, disapproval showing through every ounce of her being.

“B-but you can’t tell anyone,” Theresa pleaded. “Mr. C-crane will get the annulment soon, and Ethan never has to know!”

“I’m sure it will come soon,” Julia lied. If Julian was paying her medical bills, there was no way he was going to let her go until the child was born a Crane. But Theresa did not realize that. She was deluded by her own sense of self-justification.

Whitney paced. “If Ethan ever finds out about any of this,” Whitney said, “he’ll never forgive you Theresa. As it is, he’ll never forgive you for taking Crane money!”

“But he will forgive me when I convince Julian to reinstate him as a Crane!” Theresa pleaded. “After all, Mr. C-crane knows that the money was going to Ethan’s practice!”

Julia barely contained herself from bursting out laughing. A Crane female was not good enough to run the business, and she thinks that an adopted bastard would be? Regardless if he had been raised a Crane, Grandfather would never tolerate someone without a direct familial connection as insurance.

“If I know my father,” Julia said, “I know that he is entirely dependent upon whims. Do you want me to put in a word or suggestion or something to help him get this annulment through faster? I don’t know what’s taking so long in the first place!”

“Mr. C-crane says it’s because Ivy is contesting his divorce. If she would stop contesting, then I could get my annulment and I could get married to Ethan just like that!” Theresa looked up with hope in her eyes. “Could you convince your mother to stop contesting the divorce?”

Think quick, Jules, she told herself. “Ethan was always Mother’s favorite,” Julia answered truthfully. “I’ve got daddy wrapped around my little finger, but not Mother. She gets an idea in her head about needing something and she won’t give up.”

“Yeah,” Whitney agreed. “She almost destroyed the Bennett’s marriage. She’s nothing but a selfish stubborn…”

“That is my mother you are speaking of,” Julia cut in sharply. “Badmouth her in private if you must,” she snapped, “but do not dare to speak askance of my family in front of me. You have no idea what my mother went through!” An idea sparked in Julia’s mind. “And I’m doing my best to keep Theresa from going through the same!” That took the wind out of Whitney’s sails, she thought. I’m doing my best to keep Daddy from having to live with the Weeping Terror. He must have been really drunk that night.
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