Double Trouble: Forty; As if the night couldn't get any worse...
 by Cariad
 

Double Trouble
~Forty~
Holly finally caught up to where the gaggle of teenagers was standing. She surveyed quickly Jessica, Kay, Simone, Whitney, and Charity—who looked quite disheveled. Holly passed it out of her mind. Come to think of it, Kay also had a far-away look on her face.

“Have you seen Reese?” she asked tentatively.

Kay snapped out of her distant revelry. “Julie,” the oldest Bennett girl said with a look of great appreciation, “You were so right about him! Noah said he wouldn’t embarrass me tonight and he was so right. I never realized…”

Holly wished she could close her ears.

“I mean,” Kay continued in a private tone, “Miguel was hot, but Reese… I never expected all that would be under there!”

“So you’ve seen him recently?” Holly asked. “I mean, I haven’t gotten a good look at him yet tonight,” she lied through her teeth. Noah must have told the little group he was ostensibly chaperoning that Julia was wearing white. Holly swore privately that she was going to severely maim her sister. Everything was fine when Kay didn’t give a damn about her so-called-boyfriend.

“Yeah,” Jessica said. “He went chasing after Tabitha and her doll. That way.” Jessica pointed to the stocked bar.

“Thanks,” Holly breathed.

Kay rolled her eyes. “So there are still a few things I have to cure him of.”

Holly did not stay to hear the end of Kay’s statement. She wouldn’t have much time before Jonathan came to look for her. She swore that after she maimed her sister, she was going to poke out Jonathan’s eyes—with a spoon—a dull rusty spoon.

Though waiters roaming the ballroom provided punch and champagne, if someone wanted a stronger drink, they headed towards the bar. Unsurprisingly, Holly found her father holding up the wall near the bar, a pink drink in a martini glass in his hand. Beside her father, Holly saw the object of her quest and they were talking quite conspiratorially.

“I have proof that Tabitha’s doll is alive,” Reese was saying. “I’ve seen it move and talk.”

“You have?” Julian replied, reaching for his wallet, and fumbling inside it without spilling his glass. “You’re a good lad. I’ll give you fifty dollars a week, under the table of course, to gather me proof. And if you get that little doll to me, I’ll reward you with five hundred.”

Reese pushed his glasses up his nose. “Deal!” he replied, grinning like a fool.

“Wait,” Julian said, narrowing his eyes at the boy in front of him. “You’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time with my daughter…” Julian’s voice trailed off in a threat.

“I was just teaching her astronomy,” Reese said innocently. “At Holly’s request. She’s a very smart girl.”

“Yes,” Julian drawled, “She is. But I’m warning you Ross…”

“Reese,” Reese corrected.

“Whatever. I’m warning you to keep your hands to yourself when it comes to my daughters. They’re not for you.”

Reese looked puzzled for a moment. “Don’t worry Mr. Crane,” he said, “I’m perfectly happy with my Kay-kins, the love of my life.”

Julian once again advanced the fifty-dollar bill. “Good chap. Now run along and get me some proof of that living doll’s existence!”

Holly pressed herself against the wall, hoping she would not be seen. She felt the breath leave her body. She knew he had a girlfriend from the start. She knew he had never offered her anything except friendship. She knew it would not go any further than friendship, but her heart and her head were not thinking in tandem. Her heart, broken in a thousand pieces, was staunchly ignoring the small logical voices streaming around in her mind. But one was heard.

Cranes don’t mourn in public.

Holly saw the French doors leading out onto the balcony. Curtains hid the view of the night sky—and any person who would go outside for some air. Hurrying that way, Holly unlocked one of the doors and slipped outside. She collapsed in a pile of white chiffon, tears streaming down her face, burning her cheeks in the bitter cold.
 

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Julia felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The sixth sense she had about her twin told her Holly’s mind was in turmoil. Julia glanced around from where she was standing, but her sister’s snowy dress did not make itself known. When Johnny came back to Julia, she could tell he hadn’t found Holly. His face looked like a storm cloud. “Where is she!” he demanded.
“I don’t know.” Julia took a hold of his arm and checked his watch. “Last time I saw her, she was at the bar. But that was a half hour ago, at least!”

Jonathan ran a hand through his hair. “Where has she gone?” he asked. “I looked everywhere. All the rooms upstairs that weren’t locked… all about the ballroom, I can’t find her!”

“You don’t think she’s locked herself in a room, do you?” Julia asked. “I wouldn’t put it past her to avoid you that way.”

“If she did,” Jonathan grumbled, “I’ll kill the man she was with, because I know what was going on behind those locked doors!”

Julia blushed. “How can…” she began.

“I heard,” he replied curtly.

Julia’s lips formed a silent ‘O.’ “Well if you start around towards the bar and I go around the other way, let’s hope we’ll find her. I don’t like it when she disappears. Last time she vanished…” Julia’s thought trailed off. Watching Johnny leave, Julia set out searching for her sister. She managed to avoid any invitations to dance, and thankfully, after the botched announcement, her father had not thrown any more ‘suitors’ her way. A hand pulled her into the milling throng.

“It’s eleven thirty and you haven’t given me your promised dance,” Noah said.

“This really isn’t a good time,” Julia replied. “I can’t find Holly.”

“Johnny’s got her,” Noah said confidently.

“No,” Julia replied. “He doesn’t. He can’t find her either.”

Noah swore. “Well, give me your hand, and we’ll do a turn about the dance floor, and you keep your eyes peeled one way, and I’ll keep mine peeled the other way, got it?”

“I suppose,” Julia mumbled.
 

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“You look so beautiful out there. Like a Snow Princess,” a voice said in the darkness. Without turning her gaze from the snowy moonlit estate, Holly knew who had joined her on the balcony.
“Go away, Jonathan,” she said in a wavering voice. “I can’t deal with you right now.” She heard his footsteps come closer. Holly quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and face.

“It’s freezing out here, Holly,” Jonathan said, putting his hands on her arms. “You’re freezing.”

“Go away, Jonathan,” she repeated. “Cranes can’t mourn in public.”

“I’m hardly public, Holly.” She felt the weight of his jacket over her shoulders, warmed with the heat of his body. “I’m your fiancé.”

Holly sniffed. “I’m not.”

“You put on the ring,” he said, pointing to her left hand.

Holly sighed. “I tried it the other way, and it didn’t work, so why not stick to family duty. After all, I’m a Crane.”

“You say it so enthusiastically,” Jonathan said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

Holly did not laugh. She did not even smile. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. “Holly,” he begged.

She tried to keep a stony façade, and not let him see any weakness. She could not stop her tears. “Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love,” she quoted softly between wracking sobs.

Jonathan held her to him, kissing her gently on the top of her head. “Sometimes I forget how young you really are,” he murmured. “You and your sister both. You’re seventeen going on eighty. I promise to wait, Holly. You’ve got college still ahead of you. I still have some ahead of me. I swear it Holly, if you find a better offer and want out, I’ll let you go.” Holly sobbed harder against his chest.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t be human. I can’t deal with that.”

“Holly, please,” he said gently, “come inside. You still have a Christmas present left to open.”

Holly shook her head. “I don’t want it.”

Jonathan held her at arm’s length. “Then come in because it’s freezing out here, and you have my jacket on.”

“I can’t face everyone like this.”

“You won’t have to,” Jonathan said, sweeping her up into his arms. “No, don’t struggle, I’ll drop you. Stop wiggling!” he ordered.

“I can’t help it,” Holly protested. “You’re tickling me. Stop moving your fingers!”

After a moment, he found a sure grip. “Just put your arms around my neck and put your head on my shoulder. No one will think you’ve been crying.”

Holly complied, and was pleasantly surprised as she felt the heat of the ballroom from the cold of the outdoors. She absently heard the noise of the ballroom subside as they entered before a loud cheer arose. Voices nearby whistled encouraging comments at Jonathan. Holly felt her cheeks flush with shame. She suddenly felt like an unwilling bride out of a romance novel.

“Where are you taking me?” she hissed in his ear.

“Up to the room I have for the night,” he replied nonchalantly.

“I’m not going to sleep with you.”

“I don’t expect you to,” he replied, “not after all that happened.”

“You’re a pig!” she snapped.

“You’re feeling better, then,” he replied with a smile.

“Put me down! Father will not stand for this!”

“Then you’re not getting enough practice identifying voices. Your father was the first one to congratulate me.”

Holly fumed as Jonathan blithely carried her up the stairs and around a bed into a darkened hallway. Outside one of the rooms, he finally put Holly on her feet. “I can’t believe you got a room for the purpose of taking me to bed. I’m not going to sleep with you.”

“You’ve said that before,” Jonathan said as he pulled her into the room and locked the door behind them. “Truthfully, I got this room because I planned on getting completely schnockered and passing out here. This is my first New Year’s Eve when I’m legal to drink.”

“Oh,” Holly replied as she opened the curtains to reveal the moonlit estate. Once again, she embarrassed herself by starting to cry again.

“Why are you staring out there,” Jonathan asked.

“It’s frozen and peaceful,” Holly replied, fighting for control.

“It’s making you miserable,” Jonathan observed.

Holly did not reply. She stared out at the snowy grounds, trying to capture that feeling. If she could freeze her heart, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt so much. She felt Jonathan push her down into a chair by the window as he sat down by her feet. A small rectangular box was pushed into her hands. “Open it, please,” Jonathan asked. “What will it hurt?”

For a long moment, Holly could do nothing but stare at the familiar box. For a week, her sister and father had pestered her to open it, and for a week she had refused. She refused to Jonathan’s face, trying to return it twice before succeeding on the third try. Yet here it was again, worse for the wear, sitting in her lap. Wearily, Holly picked it up and delicately removed the tape holding the wrapping paper together. She was not surprised as she saw the box from the local jeweler. Gritting her teeth together for a thoughtless gift, she lifted the lid of the box.

No jewelry sparkled up at her.

Instead, there was just a sheet of paper, the second copy of a check. She lifted it up and in the moonlight saw it was a ten thousand-dollar check written out to the Police Fund for Widows and Children. Holly stared at it uncomprehendingly and slithered out of the chair, trembling.

“You were the anonymous donor?” she asked.

“I was so scared when you went under,” he explained. “I had originally sent all those flowers for Christmas. It would have been something your father and grandfather would have expected. But that night, I had a better idea.”

“But the gift was announced on the Friday.”

“I know, and you had the box since Tuesday. I had hoped you would open it before the gift was announced.

Holly pushed out of his embrace. “How dare you!” she cried. “How dare you demean my gift like that! I was going to make a donation, but I had to wait until I was eighteen so I had less signatures to get for the withdrawal!” And for the third time in her over-emotional evening, Holly’s eyes overflowed with tears.

Once more, Jonathan drew her to him, rubbing her back. “May I take down your hair?” he asked.

Holly shrugged in his arms.

Jonathan gently unpinned the twist and ran his fingers through her silky blond hair. He gently kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth, humming under his breath the tune to The Holly and The Ivy.