Double Trouble: Five; The Saga of the Crane Daughters Continues.
by Cariad
 

Double Trouble
~Five~
Delicately, Julia pulled the Audi TT Roadster out of the Crane garage and down the driveway. The top was up, though that didn’t spoil the girls’ fun in riding in the expensive import. Holly flipped out a book of CDs and flipped through them. “Since we’re in a German car,” she said with a twinkle of mischief, “I choose a German song.”

Julia groaned. “Not that Da Da Da song, please!”

Holly glared at her sister. “Please. As if the Cranes would ever by a VW. Father must have been feeling thrifty to buy an Audi instead of a Porshe! No,” she continued, “there’s just something about accelerating to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.” She put in the appropriate CD, found the track, and turned up the stereo. Though Julia would never admit it to her sister, it was a bit fun flying down the road with the brass leading the orchestra in the familiar rousing song—not that she’d touch classical music on her own.

“It’s not true about the ring, is it?” Holly asked.

Julia laughed. “Naw, it was something I had found in Mother’s jewelry box one day. She said Daddy gave it to her for some event or another. She had no problem giving it to me. She said ‘if a man can’t go out a pick a gift out on his own, he’s not worth it.’ I keep it to remind me. Daddy didn’t even recognize it.” She laughed again.

Before they knew it, the stereo was quiet and the engine slowed as the girls looked out at the small town of Harmony. “The Book Café,” Julia whispered. “Sounds like your kind of place, Hollis.”

“It looks like a gathering place. Let’s park this baby and find the not-so-Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald,” Holly said. Julia pulled into a parking place and locked the car. A reassuring “beep” and the flashing of the lights told them the car was safe. Who knew what crime was like in this town?

They pushed the door open and were met by the sounds of jazz and laughter, though they felt like intruders and the place quieted as soon as they were through the door. Obviously the locals were a close-knit group. Holly desperately wanted to grab Julia’s hand for reassurance, but forced herself not to. They were Cranes. They would not show fear. Their family owned this place. She saw a wall of books, and hurried over to it. It was always easier to observe people when they thought she was reading.

Julia breezed over to a small knot of people. She recognized her half-brother Ethan. He seemed blissful holding a small but obviously pregnant young brunette. Julia noted he seemed unaware of the tense postures of the other two people standing around him, offering he and the brunette congratulations. And the one in his arms must be the elusive Theresa. Her society smile in place, she hurried up to Ethan and planted a sisterly kiss on his cheek.

“Julie?” he asked, “or Holly?” He gave a wide smile. “I can never tell you two apart!”

Julia rolled her eyes. He made that stupid joke every time he saw them, even though they both knew he could tell them apart as plain as day. As if Holly would ever wear something other than plain and simple—except when she was posing as Julia, of course. She spread her society smile. “Julie, silly,” she said with a playful swing. “Your baby sister!” She flicked her eyes to his three-months-pregnant fiancée and back to him, hoping he would catch the subtle gesture.

“Oh!” Ethan said proudly after an awkward moment, “This is my lovely Theresa. We’re planning our wedding.” He gestured to the other couple standing with them. “Julie, this is Chad Harris, my best friend, and Whitney Russell, Theresa’s best friend.” Chad and Whitney shifted awkwardly as Ethan continued with the introductions. “Chad, Whitney, this is Julie, my sister.”

Julia offered her hand to Chad and smiled at Whitney. “A pleasure to meet you both. Chad. Whitney. I’m sure I’ll be seeing more of you.” She flashed a winning smile and turned to the seated brunette. “And you!” she said to Theresa. “We’re almost sisters!” she gushed. Julia did not care that Whitney was rolling her eyes behind her—Theresa was the only prey that mattered. She sat on the edge of the overstuffed chair Theresa rested in and grabbed Theresa’s hand. “It will be such a relief to have a sister who has more interests than old books and older music. Mother told us about your fashion designs, and I was so excited when she informed us that Ethan had asked you to marry him!” She almost threw up from the words she was expelling from her mouth. She shot a guarded look to Holly, whose face was turning crimson in an effort not to laugh out loud. Holly buried her nose in a book, but could not stop her shoulders from shaking.

Looking back to Theresa, Julia noted she brightened while the conversation had turned to her and Ethan, but she had a pained expression when Julia had mentioned Ivy. She could read the girl like a book, and Julia marveled again about Ethan’s lack of observation.

“I’m afraid your mother isn’t too happy with me at the moment,” Theresa said, trying to look contrite, but failing miserably.

Julia looked up at Ethan and noted his discomfiture. “Well,” Julia confided, “MY mother has her own ideas, but I don’t let them rule MY life. Mother can say all she wants, but I know Ethan, and he would never stand by someone who was dishonest and deceitful.” Juila noted Theresa shrinking as she punctuated ‘dishonest’ and ‘deceitful.’ The girl was definitely hiding something! Julia gave another sparkling smile. Theresa was soaking in her supposed adoration like a parched sponge in water.

Ethan stood proudly by his sister and fiancée, clueless as ever. “We’ve worked everything out, Theresa and I. We have no secrets between us.”

I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Julia thought with a smile. “But I haven’t congratulated you,” Julia continued aloud. “On the little Crane bun in the oven!”

“Yes,” Theresa said proudly, rubbing her abdomen, and glowing under the attention. “A little Crane baby.”

Ethan looked down at his bride-to-be. “I know it’s hard, Theresa,” he said, rubbing her shoulder. “I still get confused sometimes. But I’m no longer a Crane.”

Julia noted the startled look Theresa had plastered on her face, slightly wild around the eyes. Chad and Whitney also seemed incredibly tense. “I… I know, Ethan,” Theresa stammered, “It’s just that I’ve thought of you as ‘Ethan Crane’ for so long, it’s a hard habit to get over,” she finished smoothly. Nice recovery, Julia thought. Gwen was definitely too good for her half-wit half-brother.

“May I see what you have planned for the wedding?” Julia asked, picking up a forgotten sketchbook.

Holly watched the animated conversation, picking up on the mood swings of the group. Before she knew it, Julia, as usual, had Theresa, if not Theresa’s friends in her thrall. What she wouldn’t give to be able to entice people like that. She sighed. She knew how she was going to reach her father, but how to deal with Ethan for Gwen. Of course, he stood over the little trap that had ruined her mother’s life like a protective guardian. What to do to plant doubts in his mind about his perfect little Missus.

“Good book?” she heard a voice behind her say. She whirled and almost ran into a pair of dark glasses hastily cleared of fog. He was a young man, she noted, around her own age, his parka open to expose a flannel shirt. In his hands, he carried a hunter’s hat with earflaps hanging loose.

“Excuse me?” she asked, glancing over at her sister, now conspiratorially talking with the dark head of Theresa.

“I asked if you were enjoying the book,” he said, freeing a hand. “I’m Reese Durkee, but my friends call me Reese,” he said, extending his hand, nearly into Holly’s face.

Nervously, she took the local’s hand and brought it to a more natural height. “Holly,” she stammered, “Holly Crane.”

Reese pushed his glasses up his nose. “It’s just that so few people here actually come and read books, I thought I had to introduce myself. My girlfriend, she doesn’t like books. She mostly reads magazines and stuff. She sent me in here to get her some hot cocoa,” he babbled.

“Girlfriend?” Holly asked, still dazed at the boy’s obvious verbosity. He was now blocking her view of Julia and her progress with Theresa.

“Yeah,” Reese agreed. “She’s the best. The prettiest, most wonderful girl at Harmony High. Kay Bennett. You probably don’t know her. But she’s out skating on the pond. With the rest of our friends. She sent me in here to get her some hot cocoa.”

Holly bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I don’t mean to be rude, um… Ross?”

“Reese,” he corrected absently.

“Reese,” she repeated. “I don’t mean to be rude, but hot cocoa doesn’t take that long to make, wouldn’t she be missing you?” She tried to look around his shoulders, but he obliviously blocked the way.

“Nope,” Reese said proudly, “Kay is the greatest. She wanted it extra special, and told me to take as long as I needed to get it. It’ll be awhile,” he continued, “but there’s nothing but the best for my Kay.” He picked the book up out of Holly’s hands, and examined the cover. “Beowulf,” he said, reading the spine. “Actually this translation isn’t the best. Now back over at my house, I’ve got twelve different translations of the poem. Perhaps I could loan you one of the better ones. In my opinion, of course.”

“Of course,” she repeated, flabbergasted. Who kept twelve copies of Beowulf? Obviously this young man did, but why?

“But if you really want to get into some really good Anglo-Saxon poems, you have to find earlier ones. I’ve got some copies of earlier manuscripts. Actually, I could pull some up here on my handheld. There’s this really gruesome part in Judith where she’s hacking Holofernes’s head off…”

She blinked. “Do you make a study of Old-English literature?” she asked.

Reese shrugged. “It’s a hobby, but my passion is local history. You won’t believe all the stuff that went on around here about three-hundred years ago!”

Holly laughed, caught up with his enthusiasm. “I bet a lot of stuff did happen here,” she replied.

Reese pushed up his glasses once more. “I might major in History in college. If I don’t major in Physics or Math. Or Astronomy. I’m not sure yet.”

“Astronomy?” Holly asked, knowing she sounded like an idiot, but not being able to help it.

“Yes,” Reese replied easily. “I know all the Constellations. I could point them out to you sometime,” he said with enthusiasm.

“Sometime,” Holly echoed lamely, more interested in what next would come out of Reese’s mouth.

A shout from the counter turned both of their heads. “Reese,” the woman behind the counter yelled, “your order’s up. And tell that girl your with that this isn’t a library!” Holly immediately looked ashamed as she felt eyes turning towards her.

“That’s Beth Wallace,” Reese said, putting Beowulf back into Holly’s hands. “She owns this place. Don’t ever think she’s mean. She gave Ethan a bunch of books for his law practice. She’s really nice inside.”

“I’m sure she is,” Holly said, staring at Reese. He was taller than she first thought.

“Well, I must bring the cocoa to my Kay,” he said brightly. “Toodles!”

Holly curled her fingers in a goodbye as he loped off. She must remember about this Beth Wallace character’s charity towards Ethan. And after being disowned from the Crane family, how did he get enough capital to start his own business? Holly stared after Reese’s retreating form, lost in thought, until Julia all but pulled her out of the shop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~