Re: STORYTIME: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE REVISITED

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 11:45 am

SmartandTruthful

As they say, "All good things must come to an
end," and the Ball was over around 3:00 AM. Afterwards, Bingo and Darsley
met on the front porch of Mini-Mar-a-Lago once Fred had handed the Bonnet
sisters into their ABC stretch limo (that
had returned to pick them up after taking Mr. & Mrs. B. home earlier that
evening).

“I’m in love!” confided Fred. “In love? So quickly?”
replied a startled Jeremy. “I think it’s a case of love at first sight,”
said Fred, a bit dreamily. “Not sure I believe in such a thing,” stated
Jeremy, remembering a former personal experience when he had been in love at
first sight, but the girl certainly wasn’t. After that experience, he was
more than a bit skeptical. “And how do you know she is in love with
you?” “I don’t,” said Fred. “But she does seem to like me. Anyway,
I’ve just got to see her again. Will you please go with me to Bonnet
Castle around l:00 PM tomorrow? I want to give her a chance to get a good
night’s sleep.” “All right, I’ll go with you,” said Jeremy reluctantly,
but secretly wanting to check out the Bonnet family a bit more and glad to have
the opportunity.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:23 pm

SmartandTruthful

Bingo and Darsley arrived at the Castle precisely at 1:00
PM. They were let in by Juan, a combination Butler, waiter, gardener,
handyman, Security Guard and Jack-of-all-Trades, who was indispensable to the
Bonnet family. Juan, a man of about 55 with gray lining the edges of his
jet black hair, was actually quite distinguished and spoke perfect
English. Upon learning that Fred and Jeremy wanted to see Bonnie and
Jane, he invited them into the front sitting room and went to call the girls on
the intercom, conveniently left over from the 1970’s, housed in the Butler’s
pantry. While they waited, Fred just thought of seeing Bonnie again,
while Jeremy was surprisingly pleased to notice that for a family “down on
their luck,” the Castle seemed to be freshly painted, nicely furnished, and in
rather good condition. (In fact, he
thought he could almost smell fresh paint!)

Bonnie entered the room with an excited flush on her face
and invited Fred into the garden for a walk. Jane, knowing her sister
wanted to be alone with Fred, lowered herself (literally and figuratively) into a seat beside the prickly
Darlsey. “Good afternoon,” she said politely. “I must say I’m
surprised to see you here.” “Not as surprised as I am to be here,”
replied Jeremy, not doing his reputation any good with Jane. Suddenly,
there were numerous screams and shouts of delight from above that increased in
volume and went on for about 10 minutes. Jane realized that her sisters
who had only tumbled into their rooms last night (when they had gotten home at 3:30 in the morning) and fallen right
to sleep, were now waking up and discovering their brand, new, freshly designed
and decorated bedrooms and adjoining baths (courtesy
of ABC and HGTV) and were understandably thrilled that their crumbling
walls, torn wallpaper, and 80’s décor was now replaced by “up-to-date” colors,
furniture, and design techniques. Darsley, however, was thinking “Another
day in purgatory!” Jane, feeling that some explanation was needed, said,
“Obviously, our family just got some good news!” Darsley replied,
quite dryly in a voice sounding a bit like Jeremy Irons, “Oh, let me guess . .
. one of your sisters just got a part in a sit-com!” Jane, having a good
sense of humor, just laughed and said, “Something like that!”

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:24 pm

SmartandTruthful

Upstairs, the girls' bedrooms in age order, had been painetd
the following colors: Bonnie’s - pink; Jane’s – blue, Susie Q’s – rose,
Louise’s – green (why does mine have to
be green – I hate green – was her response), Jenny & Penny who had
always insisted on sharing a room – purple, Tara – “immaculate conception
yellow” (and that was the color on the
paint can) which was really an off white, Sara’s – “Tiffany box” turquoise,
Kara’s – “tea rose” (also the name on the
paint can) which was a light coral , and last, but not least, Lara’s -
sunny yellow. With the exception of Louise (surprise, surprise), everyone loved their rooms.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:26 pm

SmartandTruthful

Louise went into Sara’s room and closed the door.
“Sara,” she said, annoying Sara, by plopping down on her freshly made bed, “You
know how green has always been your favorite color, and you know how I love
getting gifts in those Tiffany boxes. How about we switch rooms?”
Sara, who was used to Louise and her tricks and selfish ways, thought a moment
and surprised Louise by saying “Yes! I’ll switch rooms with you.”
Sara had always thought Louise’s window had a better view and green was her
favorite color, so she really didn’t mind. Louise, however, who now
suspected she might be the one being tricked, said, “Only joking! I love my
room!” That figures, thought Sara not at all surprised.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:27 pm

SmartandTruthful

Meanwhile, Mr. B. was in his study, reviewing the contract
with ABC. He was particularly pleased to learn upon scrutinizing the
“fine print,” that Mrs. B. had somehow managed to also have ABC pay off all
their mortgages (they had several), any other liens on the Castle, and all of
their credit card debt, as part of the deal, which explained why she had
settled for only One Million Dollars in cold, hard, cash. With their
estate free and clear of any debt, and knowing that his annual Ten Million
Dollar annuity would now be at his full disposal, J.B. felt his interest in
Business rekindled and was very glad he had “thrown his hat into the ring” with
both Brian and Andrew. (He even
thought for a moment of visiting Mrs. B. and trying one more time for that son
they had always wanted, but then he came to his senses and remembered that Mrs.
B. had been in the Big M for ten years. Oh, well, they did still enjoy a
good “roll in the hay” despite the problems that came with aging!)

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:28 pm

SmartandTruthful

After sitting with Jeremy for about an half hour, Jane
decided some “fresh air” would be good for both of them, so she rose,
suggesting they also take a walk in the garden. They stepped outside to
discover a beautiful sunny day with a few fluffy clouds in the sky and a
comfortable temperature of 75 degrees. Jane looked around and became
almost breathless noticing all of the changes that had been made in
the gardens during the past 24 hours. Apparently, ABC had also arranged
for the HGTV landscapers and curb appealers to do their magic outside, while
those designers had been busy inside. It was as if a Fairy Godmother had
totally renovated the estate while they were at the Ball. The Gardens had
been restored to their former glory and looked again like she
remembered from her childhood. Jeremy, oblivious about the changes that
had been so recently undergone, found the traditional English gardens quite
charming and trimmed to perfection (something
he liked very much)!

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:29 pm

SmartandTruthful

While Jane and Jeremy took their walk around the garden, two
other guests arrived. Louise met Stacy and Ron at the front door and
invited them into the back parlour. Ron was delighted to be invited to
Bonnet Castle and always enjoyed being the center of the attention of admiring
female companions, as he definitely was with Louise and Stacy. The three
put their heads together and had a jolly good time flirting and exchanging
gossip and a few wicked laughs.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:31 pm

SmartandTruthful

Upstairs in Bonnet Castle, some time after 1:00, Mrs. B. was
stirred from her sleep by the excited voices of her eight youngest daughters as
they discovered their rooms (OMG!
OMG! You Guys! Check out my room! It looks twice its size!
Look at mine! No mine! It’s beautiful! I love it! I
love mine more! How did this happen? I don’t know, but I really
don’t care! I love the color! Me too! It’s like we’ve won the
lottery! Why does my room have to be green?) Now although the
words could be heard on the second floor, unlike the excited screams and
squeals that had been heard by Jane and Jeremy downstairs, Mrs. B. was still so
drowsy that the words did not register, only the loudness of the voices.
When the noise had subsided, Mrs. B. gradually woke up with a bit of a
hangover, lingering in the corners of her brain. She rubbed her eyes.
Then she stretched. Finally she opened her eyes and then rubbed them quickly
again, thinking she was seeing things.

Her bedroom had been transformed from the cluttered, grubby
aqua and coral hole it had been since 1989 to an oasis of taupe taste and
comfort. She began to smile in delight as two doves perched on her open
window broke into song. If this is
a dream, she thought, I really don’t
want to wake up! She pinched her arm a few times and her room
remained pretty and perky, so she rang for her Irish maid, Mary.

Mary, who had been a faithful servant for the past 20 years
was used to being beckoned at all times. She came in quickly. “Yes,
mum,” she said, still bearing her charming Irish lilt, “What do you need, my
dear? “Mary,” said Mrs. B., “tell me I’m
not dreaming.” Mary, who was one smart cookie, understood exactly what
Mrs. B. was asking. “Mrs. B., It was those darling ABC men. They
came last night while you were at the Ball and brought those charming HGTV
fellows and ladies and they made over the whole house in one shake of a lamb’s
tale!”

“The whole house?” Mrs. exclaimed really getting
excited. “Yes, mum, and the gardens, too!” “God Bless ABC!” crowed
Mrs. B., as she threw back her covers. “Mary, let’s get me dressed . . .
in that one shake of a lamb’s tale!” “Yes, mum!”

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:32 pm

SmartandTruthful

Out in the garden, Jane steered Jeremy away from the path
where she saw that Bonnie and Fred were enjoying each other’s company and into
a totally different direction. “I think you’ll like the Begonias over
here,” she said, explaining the change in course. “It seems that my
sister and Fred had a good time at the Ball together last
night.” “Yes, Fred seems quite smitten,” replied Jeremy, “at least for
the moment.”

Wondering what that meant, Jane held her tongue, thinking it
might be better if she didn’t know and changed the subject. “I understand
he’ll be starting with Struthers, Struthers, & Struthers soon.” “Yes,
actually, we both will.” Surprised to hear that the dignified Mr. Darsley
would partake of a common job, Jane simply said, “Oh, I had no idea.”
Jeremy explained, “Yes, I’m going to be the firm’s newest Partner. Fred
will be an Associate for now. Law is my avocation. Justice is my
passion.” Jeremy actually said with passion.

“Justice,” replied Jane, not able to control herself,
“Justice is an interesting word. Do you believe in justice for the
“riffraff” or only for your peers?” Jeremy’s face flushed with
embarrassment. Fred was right. Jane did have the memory of an
elephant.

“Jane, please excuse my remark of last night. When I
made it, I had just realized that a former friend who has proven hisself to be
a person of absolutely no scruples many times in the past had just entered the
ballroom and I was actually referring to him and him alone.”

The plot thickens
thought Jane, who was a freelance writer by trade and an aspiring novelist by
her avocation. “Well, it sounds like he may deserve a little justice,”
she conceded. “It would be best for all!” exclaimed a determined Darsley.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:33 pm

SmartandTruthful

Just when Jeremy was beginning to believe that his first
impression of this family must have been erroneous and that Robert surely was
mistaken about the family fortune, Mrs. B leaned out of her window and with the
screech of a fishwife, yelled, “Bonnie! Jane! Come this
instant! We’re having Scottish tea! And bring those gentlemen I see
with you! Don’t let them get away! And hurry up! I’m
starving!”

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:34 pm

SmartandTruthful

Out in L.A., Fleiss got off of the phone with China with a
smile of satisfaction on his face. “Yes!” he said pumping his arm.
He had just clinched the deal for the Bonnet Bachelorette merchandise that
would be flooding the marketplace before Christmas. For younger girls,
there would be fashion dolls of each of the Bonnet sisters (Ka-Ching!), plus a whole line of doll clothes (Ka-Ching!) There would be a Bonnet Castle Doll House (Ka-Ching!) and all of that furniture (Ka-Ching!). Then there would be a
Bonnet Bachelorette clothing line for the huge marketing segment of young women
ranging from “tweens” through their early twenties (Ka-Ching! Ka-Ching!). A Bonnet Bachelorette Board Game
was being designed by former Bachelor, Jason, who had exhibited an outstanding
talent in creating such entertaining amusements. (Ka-Ching!) All of these lucrative products would not have
been possible without that mutually advantageous contract signed between ABC
and Mrs. B. This also explained why ABC had been so generous in the
financial arrangements they had made with the family. Fleiss pressed his
Staples button with glee: Now That
Was Easy!

To be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:36 pm

SmartandTruthful

Now a Scottish Tea was a whim of Mrs. B’s that had become a
family ritual in the Bonnet household. It was a randomly occurring event
that happened whenever the “fancy” struck Mrs. B, and usually meant she was in
a very good mood. The Bonnet girls had grown up with the tradition and were
used to Scottish Teas being called at the oddest moments. However, when a
Scottish Tea was announced, they were all expected to arrive in the main parlor
within 10 minutes, dressed in clean clothes with their hair neatly
combed. So, Bonnie and Jane quickly came in from the garden with their
guests and arrived in time to see a few of their sisters scurrying around to
get ready. Ten minutes later, they were all in the parlor when Mr. &
Mrs. B. arrived arm in arm. Mrs. B., with Mary’s efforts, actually resembled
a lovely Eva Gabor. She was dressed in a pink Chanel suit, trimmed with
black braid, and her platinum blonde hair was arranged in a French twist.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:37 pm

SmartandTruthful

Jeremy had expected this Scottish Tea to be interesting, but
he immediately became aggravated when he saw that Ron was sitting across the
room with Louise and Stacy, smirking at him in a challenging way. He
politely sat through one cup of tea and a few crumpets, while Mrs. B. poured the
tea and spouted forth her philosophy. “I hope you know I was only joking
when I told my girls not to let you get away!” she said chuckling to
herself. “You do seem to be quite the catch, though, both of you!
Oh, dear, that makes me sound even worse! Oh, well, as you can see, Mr.
B. and I have raised ten lovely daughters and they are all very capable of
speaking for themselves!” Mrs. B. rambled on, mostly bragging about the
accomplishments of one daughter after the other, a habit that Jane found very
embarrassing.

Abruptly, Jeremy rose and said, “Please forgive us.
Fred and I have an appointment soon and we hadn’t planned to stay this long as
it is.” Fred looked at Jeremy, with a puzzled expression and started to
say,” We do?” but, seeing the look in Jeremy’s eyes, said instead, “Oh, yes, we
do! So sorry to have to leave!” Bonnie got up and walked Fred to
the door where they gazed longingly into each other’s eyes, while Jane, trying
to be a good hostess, accompanied Jeremy into the foyer. “I’ll call,”
said Fred. “Good bye.” said Bonnie. “Thank you for your
hospitality,” said Jeremy. “Of course,” said Jane. Jeremy and Fred
were gone following these brief words.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:39 pm

SmartandTruthful

Once Jeremy and Fred had left, Ron felt free to speak,
“Well, goodbye and good riddance! I guess our company wasn’t good enough
for Lord Darsley!” “Lord Darsley?” asked Mrs. B. “I had no
idea.” “He’s not a real Lord, of course,” said Ron, “He just acts like
one.” “You seem to know him quite well,” commented Jane. “Actually,
we were raised together.” Jane was very
surprised to hear this and decided she’d like to learn more about the
disagreeable Mr. Darsley.

Just then another guest entered the room. It was
Twilley. He had been invited to visit by Jenny & Penny. Let’s
just say that Scottish Tea livened up quite a bit! Jenny & Penny got
up in their matching plaid skirts and did the Highland Fling. Then
Louise, who liked to hear herself sing, did her version of “It’s My Life,” (which had poor old Blue Eyes rolling over
in his you-know-what). Bonnie sat quietly in a corner, sad that Fred
had had to leave so soon and was missing all the fun. Jane was relieved
that Jeremy had left and was not there to criticize her family’s antics, but
wondered why she really cared. Twilley did a series of flips around the
room that almost knocked over the Grandfather clock that had been handed down
by the Bonnets for at least ten generations. The room was filled with the
laughs and merry voices that were signs of a happy home and all of the Bonnets
were glad that the financial restraints were lifted, at least for the present.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:42 pm

SmartandTruthful

Now each of the Bonnet sisters had different interests and
talents. Bonnie, for instance, being the oldest had tested the waters of
college at the University of Michigan and found them a bit overwhelming for her
shy, homebody self. (What had Mr.
& Mrs. B. been thinking?) She left Ann Arbor after a semester and
returned home quite happy to become the family “Martha Stewart” and help her
mother run the household, a role that certainly needed to be filled,
particularly when Mrs. B. was “under the weather” (as they called Mrs. B’s fondness for Martinis and the aftermath her
favorite hobby created), something that had happened increasingly in the
past few years. Jane, of course, had been a superior scholar and breezed
through her classes in English Literature at Vassar. She did, however,
feel needed at home, so after a two-year stint on the staff of Vanity Fair, she
had returned home to provide reinforcements and add some common sense to the
decision making going on at home. She had been able to assist the family
finances with her income from her freelance articles and was also able to work
on her personal writing projects that she hoped would be published in the near
future.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:43 pm

SmartandTruthful

Sara Bonnet was a practical girl who had majored in History
at the University of Miami. She had figured History is History, after all, so who needs to go to Harvard for
that? While in College she had taken a course in Family History which
counted as a quasi-History class and helped meet her requirements for graduation.
She found that she loved Family History, otherwise known as Genealogy. It
became one of her favorite hobbies. Sara delved into the past generations
of the Bonnet family which she soon learned were well-documented online.
Bonnet ancestors included Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, (now who would have ever thought the two of them were related?),
King Edward I, and Charlemagne, not to mention those McGregors (who Brian was descended from) who had
crossed lines with the Bonnets back in 1209 and might have crossed a few times
since. Sara began teaching (you
guessed it) History right out of college at nearby Miami Heights High
School and loved her job and her students. She also contributed the
largest portion of her salary to her family and kept what was left over for her
personal expenses and occasional trips overseas, sometimes traveling with
students on Education Abroad Experiences. At school, Sara often bumped
into a cute Science teacher, named Richard, in the Teacher’s Lounge. She
thought that Richard was quite good looking in a “Clark Kent” kind of way and
also felt he might be a good match for her sister, Louise. Now, Louise,
as we all know was a bit of a problem, but her sisters loved her anyway and
couldn’t help but believe that if she somehow could be happy, she would change
for the better, and then they would all be happy.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:45 pm

Mackey_2

During the Scottish tea get-to-gather, everyone was present
except Tara, who had fallen asleep at the mansion in the arms of Jerry.
Since the mansion was empty and Jerry and his mother didn't know what Tara's
last name was, or where she lived; they decided to take her home with
them. Once she awoke, she would be able to tell them her name and where
she lived.

Arriving at Jerry's home; he took Tara into his bedroom and
put her to bed for the night. He grabbed some pillows and a blanket;
he's going to sleep on the couch while his mother sleeps in the guest
room. (Jerry's mother was visiting him from her home in Oregon for a
couple weeks).

"Oh, my head, Oh, my......what are you doing in
here! Oh no, (she lifts up the covers to see that she is wearing a man's
t-shirt) where am I" cries Tara. Jerry is in his room having
taken a shower and was getting some clothes to wear. He had a towel
wrapped around him. Jerry turns with a wicked looking smile and says,
"you're in my bedroom, sweetie" "Oh, no", moans Tara,
"we didn't did we?" She lifts up the covers once more and says,
"we did, didn't we?" Jerry is enjoying this, he walks over to
Tara and leans over and kisses her, smiling "What do you think we did,
sweetie?" "You know, oh no, my head hurts" "Stay
right there, honey and I'll be right back with some coffee and a couple
aspirin, then we'll talk" says Jerry.

Returning with the coffee, aspirin, and dressed, Jerry hands
Tara the aspirin and sits on the side of the bed. He sets the coffee on
the nightstand and helps Tara sit up, placing pillows behind
her so she is able to sit up. He hands her the coffee.
"Carefully now, it's hot," warns Jerry. He looks at she with
such tenderness. After taking a few sips, Tara looks at Jerry "What
happened last night" Jerry looks at Tara and says, "Nothing,
nothing happened last night" Tara is not sure she believes him.
"Finish drinking your coffee, get dressed and come into the kitchen when
you're finished," he leans over and kisses Tara again, this time
pulling her into his arms for a nice long kiss. "Um...... you're so
sweet, you look adorable" He kisses her again and gets up.
"Your clothes are in the bathroom through there, take a shower and we'll
be waiting for you"

Once Jerry leaves, Tara, scrambles out of the bed, runs to
the bathroom, throws up, sits on the floor and hangs her head over her arm as
it is draped over the toilet. She feels better, but she is worried sick
that she and Jerry did something she will regret; she is beginning to feel
ashamed.

Meanwhile at the Bonnet house they suddenly realize that
Tara is not with them. Mrs. B starts having a hissee-fit and cries, "Where's
my baby!" Where's my Tara!" When did we last see her, oh,
Mr. B. our little girl is missing." "Now calm down, dear,
we'll find her; she's probably in her room with her face in a book"
I'll go take a look" Mrs. B. has everyone worried sick about
Tara and on one seems to know what to do.

Tara enters the kitchen where Jerry and his mother are
waiting; Jerry stands and pulls out a chair for her. "I need to get
home," pleas Tara. "Mom is going to be so worried, can I use
your phone, please?" Jerry gets her the phone and Tara calls
home.

To be continued

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:46 pm

SmartandTruthful

It was no secret that Jenny & Penny were not, as they
say, the “sharpest crayons in the box,” but they were pretty, nice, and
well-coordinated. They had skipped the college bit, because school had
never been their thing and, instead, had taken jobs as aerobic instructors, a
profession where their upbeat personalities and physical stamina helped them to
excel. At home, Bonnie found that Jenny & Penny were willing
assistants on the home front. Jenny loved to dust and Penny was a whiz
with the vacuum, so they were a big help at keeping the Castle clean. In
fact, even before the household makeover was provided by ABC and HGTV, the Castle
may have been shabby, but it had always been clean. Bonnie also found
Jenny & Penny to be a big help in the kitchen. They were excellent
bakers, keeping the family well supplied with scones, crumpets, and other
goodies for regular consumption, as well as, those special family
Scottish Teas.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Thu May 02, 2013 9:49 pm

SmartandTruthful

Bonnie began to miss Fred by the time the Scottish Tea was
over. She went to her room and stared out the window at the bench they
had sat on so happily earlier in the day. She wondered when he would call
and when they would see each other again. She couldn’t wait to hear his
voice or look into his beautiful blue eyes. She wrote in her
journal. She tried to read a book. She took a shower. And
only one hour had passed. Time became her enemy. One day slowly
passed and Fred did not call. The next day dragged by. Bonnie tried
to keep busy polishing the silver, but it was no use, she missed Fred and he
stilled hadn’t called. By the third day, Bonnie was feeling ill.
What did I do wrong? She wondered. Did I only imagine that Fred cared for
me? Jane became very concerned. Wasn’t it just like a guy to say
he’d call and then not? (Duh!)
But, she wondered what had happened, too. Fred, in the little time they
had known him, had seemed quite devoted to Bonnie. Fred and Darsley were
supposed to begin work for Smuther’s next week and now they had disappeared.
Jane smelled a “rat” and suspected his name began with a “D!”

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Fri May 03, 2013 5:07 pm

SmartandTruthful

Since the memorable Scottish Tea, Ron had been making daily
visits to the Castle. He had ingratiated himself to Mrs. B. by bringing
her a case of Bombay Sapphire Gin and several bottles of fine vermouth.
He had developed a friendship with Louise and her best friend, Stacy, who loved
to flirt and gossip with him. Ron was liked well enough by the other
sisters who considered him a good looking, fun-loving guy who was pleasant
company. Delighted by how easily the Bonnet family had accepted him as a
friend, Ron, however, was eager to spend some time alone with Jane. When
he arrived one day and Jane was just coming in from the tennis court with
Bonnie, who had ended the match because she had a headache and needed to lie
down, Ron seized the opportunity to take a walk with Jane in the gardens.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Fri May 03, 2013 5:08 pm

SmartandTruthful

“So, you see,” Ron
told Jane, as they strolled around the perimeter of the garden, “Mr. Charles
Darsley, Jeremy’s father, loved me like a son. He had raised me since my
father’s death, as he had promised my Dad he would, but when my good friend and
benefactor, Mr. Charles Darsley died, Jeremy, who had always been jealous of
his father’s affection for me, made sure with all of his lawyer shenanigans
that I was “disowned.” I had always dreamed of being a professional Polo
player, but after my loss of inheritance, I had to get trained as a hair
stylist and work my way up the ranks at Vidal Sassoon’s. Fortunately, I
had talent.” Jane, who had been surprised by the miscarriage of Justice
wrought by Jeremy, said, “Jeremy should be ashamed of himself and yet he always
assumes the role of a perfect gentleman.” “Yes, he is good at portraying
‘Lord Darsley of the Manor Born’.” In truth, he has done me many
disservices. That is why he left so suddenly the other day. It
embarrasses him to be near me when he knows he has wronged me so many times.”

“So wrong, and yet he appears so right!” remarked
Jane. “I have been wondering where he and Fred have gone. They seem
to have disappeared.” “Oh, they’ve gone to Scotland,” replied Ron.
“I keep my eye on Darsley. They are gone on some business for Struthers,
Struthers, & Struthers.” “So soon?” “Yes, I understand
‘something suddenly came up’ (as they
used to say on the Brady Bunch)!” “Oh, dear,” said Jane.
“Bonnie will be sorry to hear that.” “As long as you aren’t, my dear,”
said Ron, quite smugly. “Not in the least, on my accord.” Jane assured
him.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Fri May 03, 2013 5:18 pm

SmartandTruthful

Later in her room, Jane discovered she was a bit shaken by
the news regarding Fred and Darsley. She dreaded telling Bonnie that Fred
was no longer even in Miami. She also surprisingly found herself very
disappointed in Jeremy. He had seemed a bit snobbish, as if he thought
himself too good for anyone, but Darsley had also struck her as more highly
principled than the man Ron had described. Jane was finding Ron, on the
other hand, to be very charming and amusing and quite good looking.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Fri May 03, 2013 5:19 pm

SmartandTruthful

Bonnet Castle had been moved stone by stone from Scotland in
the 1850’s by Magnus O’Dennis Bonnet, who had been J.B.’s Great, Great, Great
Grandfather. Magnus had made his fortune among the stone quarries of
Bonnetshill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Generations before, the Bonnet
stones had also been used to build London Bridge and Westminster
Cathedral. As girls, the Bonnet sisters had spent many rainy days
exploring the Castle, looking for secret passageways. They had never
found one, but it had been so much fun to look. They would be very
surprised to know that the built-in wall of bookshelves in Mr. B.’s study did
swing open to reveal a hidden room. Mr. B. would have been surprised, as
well.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Fri May 03, 2013 5:20 pm

SmartandTruthful

In his study, Mr. B. had been talking on the phone with
Ruggles, Andrew Firestone’s assistant out in Napa Valley, and in a series of
conversations, he had agreed to commit One Million Dollars to the Winotpop
venture. (The Winotpop, by the way
is a new product pronounced “why-not-pop,” that is, in effect, a wine
lollipop. It is Andrew’s new invention that serves as a treat, fruit on a
stick, a quick shot of wine for those who need it, a medicine that soothes
children’ s toothaches, and counts as both a food and a liquid, with all of
those benefits encompassed in a neat little lollipop!) The Winotpop
seemed like a “sure bet” to Mr. B. He also planned to invest a similar
amount in Brian’s House of Pain Sharpshooting Centers and Brian was on his way
to the Castle to discuss the matter. After years of worry and inertia,
Mr. B. felt like things were finally looking up for the Bonnets of Bonnet
Castle.

A few minutes later when Brian arrived, Juan let him in and
directed him to the Study. Mr. B. had always taken Brian under his wing,
being a long, lost cousin and all, and also found it a great relief
to have another male relation around among all the girls. They had a
brief meeting of the minds and Brian walked out of the study with a check for
One Million Dollars in his pocket and a big smile on that handsome face of
his. Susie Q was waiting for him. Brian and she were good friends.
“How about going out to dinner with me tonight,” Brian asked Susie. “I’ve
got something to celebrate!” “Sounds fun, should I bring anyone
along?” “No, just you. I’ve been wanting to talk with you about
something, Susie.” “Oh, O.K. Where should I meet you? I’ve
got some errands to run downtown this afternoon.” “Great! Meet me
at Miami Heat, you know Gordon Ramsay’s place on the Strip.” “O.K.
How does 7:00 sound?” “Perfect! I’ll call my friend Robert and get
a reservation,” said Brian. “Great! See you later,”
said Susie Q.

To Be Continued . . .

by **SmartandTruthful** Fri May 03, 2013 5:21 pm

SmartandTruthful

Little did Brian and Susie Q know that Louise had been
loitering around the corner and heard them make that date for dinner.
Hmmm! Sounds like something’s up. And they didn’t invite me,
either! I’ll show them! Louise immediately text messaged Stacy and
told her they had plans that night at Miami Heat and she should be ready to be
picked up by the ABC limo at 7:00.

Totally by coincidence, Ron called Jane. “Jane, I’ve
been wanting to try that Gordan Ramsay place, Miami Heat. Would you be
free to join me this evening for dinner? My friend Robert is a chef
there. I’m sure I can get a reservation.” Jane, who really felt that
Bonnie needed a distraction, replied, “Ron, I’d love to go, but is it all right
if I bring Bonnie along? She really needs some cheering up.” Shucks! Gosh darn it all! thought
Ron, but of course he gallantly said, “I’d love to have two beautiful young
ladies escort me to dinner!” “Thanks,” said Jane. “I’ll pick you up
around 7:15,” said Ron. “That sounds good,” said Jane, knowing that it
would take her awhile to talk Bonnie into going.

To Be Continued . . .

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