Double Trouble: Three: A Story of the Crane Daughters
by Cariad
 
 
 

Double Trouble
~Three~
Holly scrubbed at her face, feeling as if she’d never be clean after all that gunk Julia put on her for the American Government exam. Standing next to the sink, one leg casually crossed over the other, Julia looked at her watch. “Come on, Hollis, the limo will be here in a few minutes. I swear you face is clean.”

“I can still feel that crap in my pores, Jules,” came the muffled reply. “How can you wear this stuff day in and day out?” Julia turned off the water and pulled her sister away from the sink.

“So, how’d I do?” she asked, dragging her dripping sister to their room—packed and barren.

“’A’ minus,” Holly said in the echoing space.

“’A’ minus?” Julia protested. “I was expecting a lot better from you!”

Holly smiled and arched an eyebrow, just like their mother had always done to their father. “If I gave you a perfect score, they’d get suspicious. You’ve been busy while I was in that last exam.”

Julia smiled at the empty room. “Just your bag and mine left. The rest of it’s down being watched by a bellhop. I’ll be glad to see the last of Weymouth-Hampsted.”

“Funny,” Holly observed as she used her shirt to dry her face, “ how when it comes time for everyone to leave, this hell-hole turns into a five star hotel! Ready?”

Julia glared at her sister. “As long as you don’t ruin more of my clothes,” she huffed. But she picked up her bag as well and they bid goodbye to the hall that had been their home for three-and-a-half years.

As they reached the courtyard in front of the dormitory, several members of the Crane Staff were loading their possessions into an official Crane Moving Truck. Niles, the driver, stood by the limousine, waiting patiently, as always, for the girls to pile in. He said nothing to the girls. He never did. Minutes later, they were speeding away towards Harmony. Julia fished out her Discman, put on her headphones, and turned up her favorite music. Holly opened her book where she had left off the night before, not bothered by the drumbeat emitting from her sister’s headphones. They had always traveled that way. She smiled to herself as she lost herself in what her sister had termed a ‘bodice-ripper.’

Three CD’s and two tracks later, Julia looked up to the foreboding façade of the Crane Mansion, a place that never quite felt like ‘home.’ She shuddered as the spotlights illuminated the columns lining the front, making them look more like teeth gnashed together than supporting beams. Quietly, for the pristine gardens of the front lawn seemed to demand quiet, the two girls stepped out from the limousine as the many faceless silent servants took their bags. Though they were nearly adults, seeing the mansion made them both feel five years old again when they were banished to a world of private schools and Continental tours—all done accompanied by whatever tutor was currently hired.

“Well,” Julia whispered, regaining her courage, “We’re not going to stop gold-diggers standing here!”

Holly gave a tentative smile, but she walked forward with her sister. As always, they fell into ‘step.’ A butler opened the main door, and had they been carrying their luggage, it would have fallen to the floor.

“Dear Lord, It’s worse than we thought, Holly whispered.

“What the hell happened in here?” Julia echoed. Not only had the stately walls been painted garish colors, but they also appeared to have the pox with workers repairing shotgun holes.

“It looks like your room when you wanted it decorated with those psychedelic flowers from the 70’s,” Holly shot back.

Julia rolled her eyes. “But that was private, this…” she paused to take in more of the once sophisticated entryway, “this is just wrong! I mean, we’re Cranes, we do have appearances to maintain to the public!”

Glancing around, they saw a voluptuous redhead slink down the main stairs. Though she was old enough to be their mother, she appeared only half dressed, revealing more cleavage than a cover of Cosmo.
“And who have we here,” Rebecca Hotchkiss purred, “the Bopsey Twins?” She laughed at her own joke. “My little step-daughters-to-be?” She finished descending the stairs and paused to smooth her dress and scream at one of the workers who had left dust on the railing. The shrill tone of her voice set both the girls’ teeth on edge. With a twitch of her lips and a swing of her hips, she sauntered over to them. “I’ll have you know,” she hissed with a smile on her face, “that no spawn of Ivy’s will be living under my roof.”

In an identical gesture, both girls crossed their arms and lifted an eyebrow, looking, for the moment, so much like their mother that chills ran down Rebecca’s spine. “That is,” Holly sneered, “entirely acceptable to us.” Holly did not often feel the need to act the snob, but she feared it was the only language their intended stepmother would understand. She flashed a dazzling, yet completely false smile.

Before any further words could be exchanged, Julian Crane emerged from his study, absently brushing powder from his suit jacket. “And who are we entertaining, Rebecca, dear?” he asked, not paying attention to the front door.

“Well, Pookie…” Rebecca began, but Julia had already dashed across the foyer into her father’s unsuspecting arms.

“Daddy!” she cried as she forwent all society training and hugged her father and planted a kiss upon his cheek.

“Julia?” he stammered, “what a surprise.” He looked up to see his other daughter moving towards him.

“Father,” she said formally, but with surprising warmth and a real smile, and kissed him lightly on the other cheek.

Julian looked flabbergasted. He had not expected his daughters home at least until Christmas. And then, they would disappear, as usual, right after New Years. Sometimes, they did not even come home for the holidays. “What are you girls doing home?” he asked with a forced laugh. Of all the problems he was facing at the moment, he did not need two hormonal teenagers, looking all too much like his ex-wife.

“Grandfather Crane thought it best we graduated early,” Holly explained. “So we’ve come home.”

“You’re stuck with us, Daddy!” Julia said and kissed him again.

“At least until we leave for college,” Holly amended.

“But that’s nearly a year away!” Julia countered. “You’re stuck.”

Holly smiled. Julian groaned. He needed some brandy to deal with his Ivy-clones. Lots of brandy. Some good Stotch too. And a Martimmy to top it all off. If only he knew how to make a Martimmy. Gently, he disentangled himself from his daughters and gave them a gentle shove to go upstairs and find their rooms. They followed his orders to an extent, but as it seemed he was going to speak with Rebecca, they wanted to know how things stood between their father and his lover.

“You know,” Rebecca cooed as she slid up next to Julian. “You should send those girls over to Ivy. They don’t belong in our little love-nest.” She fiddled with his tie until it hung on either side of his neck.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Julia whispered to her sister. Holly put a warning finger to her mouth.

Julian, always nervous when Rebecca turned up the heat, pushed her arms away. “Those are my daughters, and they are Cranes. They belong in this house with me. Not where their mother will turn them against me.”

Rebecca unbuttoned Julian’s top shirt button. “But Pookie,” she pouted, “you know how Ivy was. Always to cold to you… and look what she did with Ethan. Those girls… Ivy’s girls… they don’t look a bit like you, you realize, Snuggle-lump.” Rebecca quickly undid three more buttons.

“They’re mine, Rebecca,” Julian warned, but the girls could see his resolution wavering. “It’s inconceivable that they’re not my daughters.”

The red-headed vixen parted Julian’s shirt and laid her head upon his chest. “But you thought that about Ethan, too,” she warned. “I’m just concerned for you, that’s all.”

On the stairs, the two Crane girls looked at each other. “That bitch is going down,” Julia hissed.

“Damn straight,” Holly answered. They silently ran up the stairs before Rebecca completely unclothed their father in the entryway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
 
 

Chapter 4
Chapter 2
Site Index