Double Trouble
~Fifty~
Noah and Julia stood outside Adele’s hospital room. “What was that about a soap opera?” he asked Julia as he shut the door gently.

Julia laughed. “She thinks all this drama going on is her own private soap. And you’ve got to admit, it kind of looks like one. I mean, with Ethan being our half brother. Your dad being involved with my mom—again and then Daddy and Rebecca while Johnny’s proposing to Holly, and then being arrested for murder. God, I hope he gets a better lawyer.”

“Julia,” Noah whispered.

“What.”

“Stop worrying and kiss me.”

Julia pushed him away. “I can’t.”

Noah slumped against the wall. “Why not?”

“Because I can’t think when you kiss me and I really have to think now. I mean, Theresa’s gotten threatening whispers in her walls and someone is trying to make Johnny look guilty. And I know it wasn’t Holly, Gwen, or me. We were all in my room that last night. And Theresa was genuinely scared…” Julia glanced down at her watch. “Damn,” she swore. “We don’t have much time left, and Holly’s feeling miserable, I can feel it. I’m sorry, Noah,” she apologized, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. “Just you being here makes a life a little more sane.”

They found Holly in the lounge where they had talked and kissed the last time they visited Adele. Holly’s knees were drawn up and her head sunk in her crossed arms atop her knees.

“He said he loved me,” Holly said without looking up.

“Who?” Julia asked, knowing the answer.

“I tried to pretend it was just that silly game we used to play. The one about elephant shoes…”

Julia gently patted her sister’s shoulder.

“What about elephant shoes?” Noah asked.

Holly’s head shot up out of her arms. She turned pale at the sight of Noah.

Julia answered Noah’s question. “It’s really silly,” she explained. “When we were with some tutor or other, I forget where, but someone told us this weird little secret. If you really want to play with someone’s mind, across a crowded room, you catch their eye and say ‘Elephant Shoes.’ Of course, you’re friends all know what you said, but the other person on the other side of the room thinks you’ve said ‘I love you.’ The shape of your mouth is the same.”

Noah tried mouthing the two phrases to see if indeed the trick worked.

“I can’t believe him, Jules,” Holly whispered as Noah said “Elephant Shoes” to himself for the third time.

“Why can’t you?”

“Because he’s just like Grandfather! He’s just like Father. He has no heart. He’s saying it because it’s what he thinks I want to hear. I won’t let it work, Jules.”

Julia glanced at Noah. Her sister was making no sense. “Hollis, I think you’re underestimating him,” she whispered.

“Anyone who can talk smoothly of business, of hiring lawyers, and calculated risks and then declare their love is obviously not that serious about it,” Holly declared with surety.

Noah rolled his eyes. “And you know all about love, I’m sure,” he observed.

“Noah!” Julia pleaded.

“Let me tell you something, Mr. Bennett,” Holly snapped. “Maybe there is room for love in your world, but where Julia and I come from, love is just a word bantered around as a pretense to a business relationship.”

“Poor little rich girl,” Noah sighed.

“Noah!” Julia shouted again.

“I know what I’m doing,” he whispered.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Holly demanded.

“Be quiet, you’re in a hospital,” Noah said calmly.

“Fine!” Holly hissed.

“Is that the end of it?” Noah asked.

“End of what?” Holly fumed.

“Your little hissy-fit,”

“Hissy fit? I don’t have hissy-fits!”

“Temper tantrum, then,” Noah countered.

Holly turned on her heel.

“Bout of horrible self-pity?”

Holly whirled back, ready to punch him in the gut. Noah caught her fist before it could hit his body. “Do you feel better yet?” He asked.

Holy struggled in his grasp. “No. You’re just as bad as Jonathan!”

Noah released her. “I think you do feel better.”

Holly slumped to the wall and slowly began to giggle hysterically.

“How?” Julia asked as she held her sister’s shoulders.

Noah shrugged a shoulder. “She’s just like my sister Kay. She bottles things up and then needs to fume about it. I don’t think I’m the only one who knows the technique though.”

“Who?” Julia countered.

Noah mouthed the word “Hotchkiss.” Julia nodded with a smile. Holly may think his declaration was unfelt, but Julia was beginning to have second thoughts. She leaned over to give Noah a quick kiss.

“No kissing around the heartbroken,” Holly declared, effectively stopping their display of affection. “At least wait until I’m not within hearing distance.”

***

Holly and Julia spent the limo ride home in trepidation. “I think I did something stupid, Jules,” Holly confessed. “Grandfather Crane’s going to be mad at me for making that statement.”

Julia patted Holly’s leg. “Do you think you can justify it by using the engagement that he was pushing you towards?”

“I hope.” Holly sighed. “Oh well, I suppose no one can stay in Grandfather’s good graces for long.”

As Holly feared, she was met with cold displeasure when they got in the mansion.

“You two, in the study, now!” Julian demanded as soon as they walked in the foyer. “Father is on the phone and wants to speak with you both.”

Holly held out a hand for moral support, grateful when her sister took it. Together, they went in the study to meet the voice of their fearsome grandparent.

“What do you mean issuing a statement?” Alistair demanded before they could sit.

“I thought it was in the family’s stand,” Holly whispered.

“You know damn well that you are not to make any public statements about the family, ever!”

“I’m sorry,” Holly whispered.

“Why can none of my grandchildren behave?” Alistair demanded of no one in particular.

“I’m sorry,” both Julia and Holly answered in unison.

“For all we know, that bastard is guilty of murder!” Alistair continued.

“Then why do you want me to marry him?” Holly asked in a very quiet voice.

Alistair chuckled on the other end of the line. “Little girls,” he said as if he was talking to a child or a pet, “You are at such a disadvantage. Let me spell it out for you. He acts like an angel, currying my favor, and then once he thinks he’s got what he wants, he can no longer control his bloodthirsty inclinations. He uses his position of favor with our family to steal that present I gave Julian for Christmas and when his mother makes a scene, threatening his position, he kills her, naming her for the slut she is. Then, of course, are his current mistresses. A pair of old flames and a new one here in harmony. They are also in a position to ruin his newfound position. They could whisper to you, my dearest granddaughter, of their affair, ruining your sensibilities and making a ruin of the marriage and the merger and his new position.”

“No,” Holly whispered, falling to a chair. She kept a death-grip on Julia’s hand.

“Oh yes,” Alistair continued. “It quite possibly could be. Who knows the mind of a killer?”

Julia sat straighter. “But he told Holly he loved her!”

“Empty words, my dears,” Alistair said smoothly. “Empty words to charm a woman’s heart and make her soft for him.”

Holly’s grip on Julia’s hand tightened. She felt as if a pit had dropped out from beneath her. She didn’t know who to believe. She knew her Grandfather manipulated people, but his words were so logical. On the other hand, Jonathan insisted he was innocent. Why else would he hire the state’s most incompetent lawyer?

“But what if he’s innocent?” Holly asked.

“Then of course, everything proceeds as planned, dearest, and I will ask forgiveness for thinking so poorly of him. He did, after all, follow my instructions quite well while your father was in jail.”

“And if he’s…” Julia’s voice trailed off in a question.

“Then the merger proceeds with Gwen.”

“But Gwen’s not…” Holly began, then remembered her promise to Jonathan. She released her grip on her sister and clasped her hands over her mouth. “Oh God,” she whispered.

“Gwen’s not what?” Alistair demanded.

“Gwen’s not…” Holly groped for a lie. “She’s not remotely interested in Aidan.”

Alistair chuckled again. “I hope you both understand me in how much I was disappointed in your actions today.”

“But the hospital is good PR!” Julia protested.

“It may very well be,” Alistair murmured, “but it would do the family more good if you both remained here until further notice.”

“Yes, Grandfather,” the twins whispered in unison.

“And keep that brat Theresa in line!”

“Yes, Grandfather,” they echoed.

“Good,” He replied, and hung up his end.

The twins slowly left the study under their father’s watchful eye. Together, they slumped up the stairs to their rooms.

“What was that all about?” Julia asked. “Does he want you with Johnny or no?”

Holly shrugged. “I don’t know who to believe, but if Jonathan is innocent, I’ll lie.”

Julia gasped. “What?”

“I’ll lie. I’ll commit perjury. I’ll say he was with me every single night he was supposedly gone!”

“Hollis! You can’t be saying that!” Julia said in wonder. “I mean, the last time I checked, you didn’t like Johnny!”

Holly rested a hand on her doorframe. “I don’t. But I can’t see an innocent person get sent to jail for something he didn’t do.”

“Your ethics never cease to astound me,” Julia muttered. She put a hand on her doorknob. “What was it about Adele that got you so upset?”

“Let’s just say that what she said combined with what Grandfather Crane said makes a really tough case against Jonathan.”

“What happened?” Julia asked, leaning on her door.

Holly pulled her sister into her room. “It seems as though Jonathan got a girl pregnant and abandoned her.”

Julia’s brows knitted together. “How would she know about Johnny?” she asked to herself. “But what if she was talking about his father!” Julia exclaimed.

“What?” Holly asked.

“I just remembered this story that she told me. About her daughter. She couldn’t remember the name of the rich family, but she knew it wasn’t the Cranes. Apparently, he promised he would leave his wife marry Adele’s daughter. He gave her some money and a cabin up in the woods. And Adele’s daughter had the child, but Adele never heard from either one again. She’s pretty sure the baby died or was given up anonymously for adoption. Isn’t that sad?”

Holly’s mind whirled. Her conversation with Jonathan a lifetime ago echoed in her skull. Well, they lived semi-happily for a few years, and then Father saw this waitress. After a lot of persuasion, she agreed to see him on and off, but she wouldn’t allow things to go any farther than a couple of kisses. She said she wouldn’t give him any more unless she had a wedding ring on her finger. Father was completely enamored of her by now. I guess because he couldn’t have her. I don’t know. Maybe they were truly in love. But he had a cabin built for her out in the woods, where they would go to see each other. He promised he was going to divorce Rebecca and marry the waitress. He even started on the divorce papers. Rebecca was livid and refused to sign. Then they discovered that the waitress was pregnant. It was Father’s. I guess when he started divorce proceedings, she saw he was serious and relented. I don’t know. Father didn’t have a doubt that it was his.”

Jonathan reached for Holly’s hand, playing with her fingers as he continued. “I’m a bastard Holly. I’m the son of a waitress.”

No wonder Adele was bitter, Holly thought. She had to tell Jonathan! She had to let him know he had some of his mother’s family. That’s the least she could do for him.

“What’re you thinking?” Julia asked her.

Holly opened her mouth to answer, trying to think up a lie her sister would believe. The door opened and Theresa crept in, as frightened as she was a few nights before.

“What’s wrong?” Holly asked, seeing Theresa’s pale face and wet cheeks.

“I-it happened again,” Theresa whispered. “The voice. It told me tonight!”

The twins looked at each other in shock.