“ Fox, I want to thank you for this. Are you sure that your father won’t mind?”, Whitney asked, as she went from place to place in the Crane attic.

“ I told you…My family redecorates all the time. I’d rather you take a few things to help spruce up your apartment than for it to be sitting here, getting no use. Believe me, I know my father. He definitely wouldn’t mind it if you had some things. In fact, I think I know a perfect clock for you. It was when my mother was going through her art deco phase. I have to go into the other room to get it. I’ll be right back.” Fox left the room, and Whitney was still looking at different rugs, each more luxurious than the next. She was so lost in comparison that she didn’t hear the door open.

” Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

The voice startled Whitney and she turned around. “ Mrs. Hotchkiss?”

” You sound as if you’re surprised by me being here. I am Julian’s fiancé after all.”

” I know you are.”

” So, I know why I’m here, why are YOU here?”

” Fox invited me.”

” He invited you to the attic.”

” I have a new apartment, and he thought I could maybe find some things from the attic to  furnish it.”

” Oh, he did, did he? This is the Crane Mansion, not a flea market. And, I doubt that Julian would want any his family’s treasures in YOUR humble abode.”

Whitney arched her eyebrow. This bitch did NOT think that she was going to stand here and take insults from her, did he?

But, before Whitney could say anything, there was a voice.

“ Rebecca, Whitney is my guest. And, I thought that her cozy apartment would be a wonderful place for anything in this attic.”

“ Well, I wonder what Julian or Alistair would say about this – you becoming Whitney Russell’s interior designer.”

” Whatever it is, they will say it to me. Now, unless something has changed between last night and this morning, ‘I’M’ still the only one in this room with the last name of Crane. And, as such, I have a say where anything in this house goes. Whitney is MY guest, and  I won’t have you bothering her. Say goodbye, Rebecca.”

” I will soon become Mrs. Julian Crane, and when I do..”

” You will STILL have no say in what I do in MY Family’s home. Now, go. “

Rebecca looked flustered, but realized she wasn’t going to win this fight. She did know where she was going next, but knew that she wasn’t attacking from a position of power. Until she became Mrs. Julian Crane, she was nothing more than a houseguest, and Fox knew that.

Once Rebecca was gone, Fox and Whitney burst out laughing.

” I’m sorry Rebecca said anything to you.”

” It’s ok. I can take care of myself, you know.”

” I know. I saw the look on your face. You were about to tell her where to go, but I wanted to step in. I wanted her to know that she better know her place. Even IF she happens to wrangle a wedding ring from my father, there is NO WAY that she’s going to boss me or anyone important to me around.”

“ I….I’m important to you?”, Whitney asked shyly.

Fox chose his words carefully. “ Whitney, I have so few TRUE friends in the world. Very few people go past my name to see if there’s anything there they like. They like my bank account.”

” I don’t care about that.”

“ I know. That’s what makes you rarer than the Crane Jewel Collection. I appreciate it, Whitney.”

“ You saved my life, Fox. You’ve been a good friend. “ There was almost an uncomfortable silence between them developing when Fox spoke up,

” I saw you looking at those Oriental tapestries. Is there one you like?”

Whitney perked up as they went over to the rugs. “ I absolutely loved this one.”

” This totally goes with the way you painted your walls.”

” I know.”

Whitney and Fox discussed rugs and other decorations, all the while Fox vowed to win her heart.
 

Julian was in the library looking over some reports, when Rebecca came in.

“ Julian! I have to talk to you about your ingrate of a son.”

” Fox? What could he have done to you, Rebecca?”

” He….he dressed me down in front of that Russell girl.”

Julian’s ears perked up. “ Whitney? She’s here? In the house? Why?”

” Well, it seems as if your son has taken it upon himself to be her interior designer. They’re in the Crane attic taking away precious possessions for her ‘apartment’.”

” Oh.” Julian shrugged his shoulders and went back to his reports.

” OH? Julian, since when do the Cranes allow ‘locals’ to have their possessions?”

” Rebecca, it’s not like we’re using them. If Whitney can use them, then why not?”

” Why not? WHY NOT? Why don’t you just turn this mansion into the Crane Flea Market, Julian? Invite all the locals. I’ll take the money at the door for admission.”

” Don’t be absurd, Rebecca.”

” I’m not being absurd. I think you need to open your eyes, Julian.”

” Open my eyes?”

” Didn’t you notice that Fox has been spending a lot of time with that Russell girl?”

” They are friends.”

” Friends, my ass. I know Crane men. Julian, you should be worried.”

” Worried?”

” Yes. I noticed something the night we were at the Blue Note. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that Fox has a romantic interest in Whitney Russell.”

” What do you mean, ‘ know any better’?”

” I mean, I know good and well that you and Alistair would NEVER allow Fox to become seriously involved with someone like Whitney.”

” Oh, no. Why not?”

” Julian, do you want me to spell it out? She’s of the wrong class and the wrong color for the Crane Heir.”

Julian wanted to leap over the desk and smack Rebecca silly. But, through clenched teeth, he said, “ Rebecca, Whitney Russell is a lovely young woman. Pretty, smart, well-mannered. And, probably the first decent girl Fox has been around in his life. He’s too young for marriage, and she’s been hurt badly from her relationship with Chad. She’s not in the market for another relationship. Leave it alone, Rebecca. It’s none of your business.”

” When I become Mrs. Julian Crane,”

” It will STILL be none of your business. Leave Fox alone. If you excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.”
 

Eve was attending the monthly tea of the Hospital Women’s Auxillary when she saw Pilar.

“ Hi Pilar.”

” Hello, Eve.”

“ How is that new grandson of yours?”

” From what I hear, he’s fine.”

” From what you hear?”

“ I don’t get to see him as much as I want to. Beth is…very protective.”

” She’s a new mother.”

” I know. But, Kay is so generous with bringing over Maria. I practically see her everyday. “

” Well, maybe Beth doesn’t want to burden you.”

” I’ve told her that I would love to babysit Martin. To give her a break. Having been a mother, I know what having ANY kind time for yourself with a newborn means..”

” A piece of sanity?”, Eve replied. They both laughed.

“ Well, each mother is different.”

” I know. Eve, there’s Mrs. Bernard. I need to speak with her about our quilting project.”

“ Sure.”

Eve was standing near the refreshments when she saw two nurses come over. She was reading a book, but heard their discussion.

” You know who came in today?”

” Who?”

” That Sheridan Crane.”

” Poor woman. I don’t know anything more horrible than to lose a child. “

” Oh, I know. To have it taken like that?”

“ You know, she was sort of scary with that woman’s child. The way that she INSISTED that the baby was hers.”

“ Yes. But, it was heartbreaking. “

” She has a very twisted life. Married to one brother, yet it was obvious she was in love with the father of her child, who happens to be her husband’s brother.”

” I know.”

” And, then, that guy is the father of the baby that she was so attached to. You know the most bizarre thing in that entire scenario was?”

” What?”

” The mother of his other child was being, ummm, difficult.”

” How so?”

” The guy, Luis, I think, saw how upset Sheridan was. And, how agitated she was about his other kid being their kid. He wanted to assuage her fears. He wanted a DNA test done on his other kid, so that Sheridan would have peace of mind about the baby.”

” Sounds logical.”

“ Girl, you’d think. You’d think that a new mother who saw the pain of another mother wouldn’t want her to suffer. But, she didn’t want the test done on the baby.”

” She didn’t?”

” No. Now, I somewhat understood, in the old days – who would want their child stuck with a needle? But, nowadays, with DNA..”

” It’s a Q-tip swab.”

” I know. But, she wasn’t having it. I thought it was selfish of her. She could SEE the anguish of Sheridan Crane. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she didn’t care.”

The woman shook her head. “ Some people. Ooh, Betty’s here, and she’s going to start the meeting. Let’s get some seats.”

Eve sat there, thinking.