Double Trouble: Thirty-Eight; Auntie Juniper and Mrs. Crane
by Cariad
 
 

Double Trouble
~Thirty Eight~
Holly pulled away from her mother’s pressing grasp. “Mama, I’m all right now, honest,” she said. “I’m your daughter, remember?” she asked with a small smile.

“You don’t have to do this, Holly,” Ivy reminded her daughter.

Holly’s smile widened. “I know, Mama, but I didn’t tell him ‘yes.’ In fact, I’ve made it clear to him that I want nothing further to do with him.”

“Good girl. Don’t let your Grandfather pressure you into anything you don’t want to do.”

“I know, Mama.”

Julia looked between her mother and her sister. “So how much did he spend on the ring?” she asked.

Holly grinned and withdrew the box, opening it so her family could see the size of the diamond.

“Impressive,” Ivy said.

“It’s HUGE!” Julia countered.

“It’s overblown, like his ego,” Holly said primly, closing the box with a snap.

“You ready to face the crowd again?” Julia asked.

Holly took a deep breath. “I’ve pulled myself together,” she replied, and linked an arm into her mother’s, Julia on the other side.

“My beautiful daughters,” Ivy commented, “how many hearts have you broken tonight?”

The three of them laughed. When they returned to the ballroom, Sam was waiting for them. Holly and Julia graciously gave their mother away to her lover. Holly paused, stood on her tiptoes, and gave the Police Chief a quick kiss on the cheek. “I never had a chance to thank you in person,” she explained.

“Your sister and your mother did the honors for you,” Sam Bennett grinned back, Smiling down at Ivy.

Catching the heated glance between Sam and Ivy, Holly and Julia made a discreet retirement. Almost immediately, Holly was dragged away from her sister, into a crowd of well wishers. She quickly lost sight of her sister as she was passed from hand to hand, random kisses planted on her cheeks and hands, as the throng pushed her towards Jonathan Hotchkiss.

Her headlong assault was halted by none other than Noah Bennett, who made a deep bow. “But soft!” he started, but Holly interrupted him immediately.

“Wrong one again, Noah,” Holly said.

“But I thought Julia was wearing white tonight, pretending to be Holly.”

“Plans changed,” Holly replied with a laugh.

“Then it wasn’t Julia who accepted the proposal?” Noah asked with hope.

Holly arched an eyebrow. “Who said anything about accepting a proposal. Do you see a ring on my finger, Mr. Bennett?” she asked archly.

Noah grinned back. “Johnny isn’t going to be pleased.”

“I don’t intend him to be,” Holly replied.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julia watched with trepidation as her sister was whisked away from her. No sooner than she was free of Holly’s presence than her father appeared by her side. “Daddy!” she exclaimed, seeing the man he had in tow.
“Ah, Julie,” Julian replied, “It is my pleasure to introduce you to Stuart Ingram, an old friend of the family.”

Julia gave a dainty curtsey, trying to remember when she was quizzing Holly. Suddenly, as always happened when Holly made Julia quiz her, Julia remembered. Ingram was the one who was repairing his good press from an incident with a pool boy. “Charmed,” she replied.

“May I have the first dance?” Ingram asked, drawing Julia away from her father.

“I suppose,” Julia replied.

“Don’t believe everything you read,” Ingram said.

Julia looked at him. “Shouldn’t my sister and her fiancé share the first dance alone?” she asked, a false smile across her lips.

Ingram sighed. “I suppose you are correct. Would you like a glass of champagne?” he asked.

A slow grin splayed across Julia’s face. “Sure,” she replied. She had tried to take some wine with dinner, but a disapproving look from Sam, a few seats down, chased all the waiters away.

Ingram pulled Julia away from the mass of people, grabbing two glasses of champagne as he moved through the ballroom. He almost had her in the shadows beneath the stairs, when a little elderly woman appeared out of nowhere.

She was slightly stooped with age, but her blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and her white hair was covered with a hat—like the ones the Queen of England always wore. Her gown also appeared to be out of the past, and she held a large handbag on an elbow and a pair of glasses on a long stem to help her see.

“There you are!” the old woman exclaimed, grabbing the glass of champagne from Julia’s hand.

“Great Aunt Juniper!” Julia replied in shock. “I never expected you to be here!”

“Pish, posh,” Auntie Juniper replied, putting her glasses up to her face to see the man standing next to her great-niece. “Aren’t you the nice boy who went and buggered that fifteen year old pool boy at the Castleton Country Club?” she asked with all innocence.

Ingram turned beat red, his mouth hanging open like a goldfish.

“Can’t have a man like that seducing my little Tea Rose,” Auntie Juniper continued, drained her glass of champagne, handed the empty glass to Ingram and calmly withdrew Julia from his company.

“What brings you here, Auntie Juniper,” Julia asked as she recovered her composure.

The old woman smiled. “Why I received a little note from a friend saying you may have some problems with a cadre of reprobates Old Al wanted to set you up with. Care to make any guesses as to who it was?” she asked.

Julia thought onto the note she received that morning.

“He’s engaged to your sister now,” Auntie Juniper continued blithely. “I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in years!” she said, pinching the bottom of a passing waiter.

“But Soft,” a voice carried over the nearby mingling, “what light from yonder window breaks?” Noah Bennett’s smiling face came into view. “It is the East and Juliet is the Sun,” he finished with a grand Renaissance bow.

For the second time in a span of three minutes, Julia was speechless. Someone quoted Shakespeare at her!

“Who is this?” Auntie Juniper said, elbowing in between Noah and Julia, her glasses held up to her nose. “Well, I’ll be!” she whispered, “You must be a Bennett. You can always tell a Bennett, it’s there in the eyes.”

Noah made a low bow to the small old woman before him. “And you, my dear, must be the Juliet’s Aunt Juniper. I have heard such wonderful things about you.”

Auntie Juniper chuckled. “Oh, you are a Bennett,” she said, batting her eyelashes coyly. “They’re all so charming. Keep this one, Tea Rose,” Juniper said to Julia. “A Bennett is always a keeper. Why I remember my Bennett, a strapping lad by the name of Noah. Worked on the family farm, and I tell you, he was well hung!” Auntie Juniper seemed oblivious to Noah’s obvious embarrassment, and Julia’s nearly hysterical laughter. “So tell me, young Bennett, and don’t tell me you’re not one, what are you called?”

Julia covered her laughter with a cough. “Auntie Juniper,” she said, “This is Noah Bennett.”

“Noah,” Auntie Juniper breathed. “Well I’ll be!”

“I’m named after my great-grandfather,” Noah choked out.

Auntie Juniper nudged Julia, “I’ll bet his name’s not all he gets from his great-grandfather!”

Noah nearly choked. “Would you like to dance?” he asked Julia.

Julia extended a hand in acceptance, but Auntie Juniper beat him to it. “Love to!” she said, dragging the younger boy onto the dance area. “Don’t worry,” Julia heard her Aunt’s voice trail off as Noah gallantly but stiffly escorted her to the dance floor, “I’ll be getting your daddy too.”
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holly found herself pushed to Jonathan’s side. “Where’s the ring?” someone asked.
“It needs to be sized,” Holly replied absently, feeling as if her false smile was cracking her face wide open. As Jonathan caught Holly in his arms, he pulled her into the fray, whirling Holly about in a waltz.

Holly deliberately tread upon his toes.

“Behave,” he whispered in her ear. “I know you’re better on your feet than that. You’ve had all the right tutors.”

“Maybe,” Holly countered, “I’m with the wrong partner.”

“Touché, my dear.”

“Don’t ever call me that,” she snapped. “I want nothing more than to be out of this arrangement, so as soon as you can manage the courage to tell off my grandfather, I’m out of here.”

“Why don’t you show up your grandfather and cancel the arrangement yourself?” Jonathan asked pointedly.

Holly did not have an answer.

As the dance ended, Holly stormed over to the edge of the room. Jonathan, smiling widely, followed her. Holly steadfastly ignored the commotion around the door, knowing her evening could not get any worse. Instead, she searched out two figures on separate parts of the room—her sister and Reese. Her eyes were quickly drawn to her sister in the bright red dress, accosted by one of the older gentlemen Grandfather Crane wanted her to be set up with. She started out determinedly for her sister, but a hand held her back.

“Did you think I would leave your sister helpless?” Jonathan asked. “I told you the truth this afternoon when I said I had plans to help her out.”
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julia stared at Adolf Heiselmann, the way his tuxedo shirt and jacket stretched around his round belly. If he didn’t smell like sausage, and had a good false white beard, he would have made a tolerable Santa Claus. His face was bright red and he dabbed beads of sweat off his forehead with a damp cotton handkerchief.
“How is business?” Julia asked tentatively, trying to free her hand as he repeatedly brought it to his lips for wet kisses.

“Just fine, just fine,” Heiselmann replied, wiping his forehead once more before he planted two more kisses on the back of Julia’s hand and on her wrist.

She was beginning to fear he would begin to devour her as if she were some delectable pastry his company produced. Once more, Auntie Juniper pranced over to save her evening.

“Get an old woman a glass of punch, would you Tea Rose?” Auntie Juniper asked. “These young folks are so full of energy!” she commented blithely as Julia, glad of the interruption, went out in search of a waiter carrying punch. She found, instead, Noah Bennett once more, carrying two glasses.

“Here,” he said, handing one to her. “Your Aunt Juniper thought you might be in need of some refreshment while she dealt with the baker.”

“Is this some sort of conspiracy?” Julia asked, taking a sip of the fruity beverage.

“In a word, yes,” Noah replied. “In between tales of her torrid love affair with my great-grandfather, your Aunt Juniper explained about an offer she received from a mutual friend to keep you out of trouble with the old guys. Since I had also received a request along similar lines, we’ve decided a tag-team approach.”

Julia felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “That is incredibly sweet!” she said finally. “But aren’t you worried that my father will take a disliking to you spending so much time with me?”

Noah grinned. “See, that’s the best part. For the rest of the evening, I’m to be Aunt Juniper’s escort. I’m sure your father knows about her… taste… for Bennetts. Dear Lord, she’s got my father now!”

Julia followed his line of sight to where her elderly great aunt was blissfully dancing with the chief of police, a wrinkled hand resting on his bottom. She smothered a laugh as she noticed one of the seven dwarfs—Dopey—or Miguel come up to them. He looked frantic around the eyes.

“Have either of you seen Charity?” he asked desperately.

“No,” Julia replied slowly.

“Could you keep an eye out for her?” Miguel said.

“Sure,” Noah replied as Miguel darted out into the crowd.

“What was that about?” Julia asked.

“I have no idea,” Noah replied, “But I get the impression that if they’re separated for more than five minutes, then they start going into withdrawal!”

Julia giggled.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commotion at the door reached a lever where Holly could not ignore it anymore. She chose to turn her attention to that as opposed to admitting that Jonathan had arranged a very effective defense against unwanted suitors for her sister. Aunt Juniper could exhaust anyone in ten seconds.
At the door, she instantly recognized the figure trying to gain admittance. “That’s Ethan,” she whispered, running to the door to explain to the doormen that Ethan Winthrop was indeed an invited guest.

“He is not up to the dress code,” one of the doormen replied.

Holly rolled her eyes. “Let him pass,” she insisted.

“I need to find your father,” Ethan said frantically. “He hasn’t made any announcements yet, has he?”

“No,” Holly replied.

“Then I’m not too late,” Ethan said cryptically.

Everyone turned their heads as Julian mounted the stairway and held up his hands. “This evening, I would like to announce a new member to the Crane Family,” Julian began.

Ethan’s eyes widened. “He can’t do this!” he said, and began pushing his way through the crowd.

“I would like to announce to you all, friends and colleagues, my new wife,” Julian continued. All eyes turned then to the woman in a gold dress and bejeweled turban. “I would like to announce,” Julian said to the crowd, “Mrs. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane!”

“No!” Ethan cried.

Julian held out his hand while Theresa, looking for once stately and beautiful, mounted the steps beside him. She turned to face the throng of guests, a whimsical smile toying at her lips, as she held onto Julian’s hand like an umbilical lifeline.

“No!” Ethan yelled again over the hushed whispers of the guests. “Julian Crane cannot be married to Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald!”

“Ethan!” Theresa squealed.

“What is the meaning of this?” Julian roared. “Of course we are married.”

“No!” Ethan countered as he climbed the steps, pulling a document out of his jacket pocket. “Julian Crane is still married to my mother. The divorce is not valid.”
 
 
 
 

Chapter 39
Chapter 37
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