The Secret (Part 5)
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sidhe_faerieTitle: The Secret (Part 5)
Fandom: Original
Characters: Cherry Morgan, Victor Caster, Lady Veronica Smythe, Montgomery Smythe, footman
Author: Sidhe_faerie
Rating: PG
Length: 1163
Content notes: #17 – Proof
Summary: Cherry makes good on her promise.
Cherry and Victor went to a small restaurant near the house. It was a favorite of the staff for good food and fast service.
The restaurant was nothing more than a storefront and not decorated as most restaurants are. The walls were plain and the tables and chairs were wooden and uncovered.
Victor helped Cherry with her chair then sat down. He picked up a menu then put it back down. “Cherry, there is something that we should talk about. I think its long overdue.”
Cherry looked up from the menu. “What would that be?”
“There will be some people that won’t believe that I am your father.” Victor played with the edge of the menu. “I believe I should take a test to prove that I’m your father.”
“Do you think that there may be a chance that you're not my father?” Cherry was confused. “Was my mother seeing someone else?”
“No but who would believe that your mother, a girl from a rich family, would want to have anything to do with me.” Victor looked at the table. “I was a footman with no money and no real future. I was never a proper suitor for her.”
“If you want to do it to make sure then I will pay for it. I don't want you to have doubts.” Cherry reached out and grabbed Victor's hand. “I believe you are my father. My mother wouldn't lie about that.”
“But that's not true.” Victor shook his head. “Greta did lie. She lied to everyone including you. I just don't want you to have the truth once and for all.”
“You mean ‘we’ not just me.” Cherry gave his hands a squeeze. “We will do it. For both of us. Now what's good to eat here?”
“The beef stew is good.” Victor smiled. The bread and the butter are made fresh here every day.”
“In New York, it’s called artisan.” Cherry smiled. “Here, I suppose it’s a normal thing.”
“Not as much as it used to be.” Victor sighed. “Every house used to make everything they needed now everything is brought in. The cook at the house now doesn’t even know how to make butter.”
“Things are changing.” Cherry looked at the menu.
“For me as well, if the Earl decides to sack me.” Victor played with the menu. “I’ve been in service all my life. I don’t know what I would do with myself.”
“You would retire and come live with your daughter in New York. Cherry chuckled. “You could spend time doing everything you always wanted to do.”
Victor nodded.
The server came and took their order and they enjoyed their lunch.
Montgomery Smythe, Earl of Crosswich, walked into his house and stared at the footman that opened the door. “Where is Caster?”
“Out to luncheon with his daughter.” The footman put the Earl’s bags in the service elevator. “He should be back shortly.”
“Caster has a daughter? I thought he was a bachelor.” The Earl shook his head in disbelief. “Is my daughter home?”
“Yes my lord. I’ll tell her you are asking for her.” The footman closed the elevator.
The Earl had just taken a few steps when the front door opened and Victor and Cherry walked in.
“Caster, why are you away from you post and who is this?” The Earl demanded.
“This is my daughter, my lord.” Victor started to explain.
“I'm afraid this is all my fault.” Cherry stepped forward. “I’m Cherry Morgan. I need to speak with you about your daughter.”
“Morgan? Of the New York Morgans?” The Earl asked as he looked Cherry up and down. “My daughter had a friend that married into that family.”
“Yes. That was my mother. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Cherry asked.
“Here in my study.” The Earl started walking towards a door. “Is there something in particular that you wish to speak to me about?”
“Oh, just blackmail and extortion.” Cherry said in as cheery a tone as she could.
The Earl stopped and turned around. “My daughter blackmailed you? I don’t believe you!”
Cherry pulled the two notes out of her bag and held them out. “I have proof.”
The Earl took the notes and looked at them.
Lady Veronica walked down the stairs. “Papa, you wanted….”
“Did you do this?” The Earl waved the notes at her.
“I … I don't know what you’re talking about.” Lady Veronica tried to act shocked but it was obviously an act.
The Earl tuned to Cherry. “What did she want?”
“She wanted five million American dollars to pay her gambling debts.” Cherry folded her arms in front of her. “She actually thought that I would give it to her.”
“Gambling debts? How in the world did you get that deep in with the wrong people?” The Earl was so red faced that looked like he was going to explode. “You promised me after Monaco that you had stopped.”
“I'm sorry Papa.” Lady veronica looked afraid of her father.
“Go upstairs and I will speak to you later.” The Earl handed the noted back to Cherry. “I apologize for my daughter's behavior. I still have one more question. How is she your daughter?”
“My mother and he were in love.” Cherry shrugged. “My mother was Greta Maxwell.”
The Earl looked at Victor. “You had a relationship with a woman above your station and you did it under my roof.”
“Yes my lord, I did.” Victor took a breath. “I was a footman in your household when it happened. I used poor judgement but I am proud of my daughter.”
“I can see that she is a remarkable young woman.” The Earl looked Cherry up and down. “Don’t worry, Caster. I won't sack you for something that happened so long ago. Where is your mother now, Miss Morgan?”
“She passed away.” Cherry looked down.
Victor put his arm around Cherry. “My lord I would like to take her back to the hotel then I will get to my duties.”
“Caster, take some time off and spend some time with your daughter.” The Earl nodded. “I have to deal with my daughter now.”
“Uh.” Cherry looked at Victor then back to the Earl. “You should probably know she’s in deep with a mobster named Vinny the Hat. I will give you his contact information so you can take care of her debt.”
“I have no intentions of taking care of her gambling debt. She will have to find a way to pay it herself.” The Earl started up the stairs. “I wonder how she will like it when she has to sell her jewels and get some work.”
Victor and Cherry looked at each other.
“Come dear, let him deal with his daughter. I will get you back to the hotel.” Victor led her to the door.
So you're coming to visit? Cherry smiled.
“Yes. It looks like I will be coming to New York City.” Victor smiled.
Fandom: Original
Characters: Cherry Morgan, Victor Caster, Lady Veronica Smythe, Montgomery Smythe, footman
Author: Sidhe_faerie
Rating: PG
Length: 1163
Content notes: #17 – Proof
Summary: Cherry makes good on her promise.
Cherry and Victor went to a small restaurant near the house. It was a favorite of the staff for good food and fast service.
The restaurant was nothing more than a storefront and not decorated as most restaurants are. The walls were plain and the tables and chairs were wooden and uncovered.
Victor helped Cherry with her chair then sat down. He picked up a menu then put it back down. “Cherry, there is something that we should talk about. I think its long overdue.”
Cherry looked up from the menu. “What would that be?”
“There will be some people that won’t believe that I am your father.” Victor played with the edge of the menu. “I believe I should take a test to prove that I’m your father.”
“Do you think that there may be a chance that you're not my father?” Cherry was confused. “Was my mother seeing someone else?”
“No but who would believe that your mother, a girl from a rich family, would want to have anything to do with me.” Victor looked at the table. “I was a footman with no money and no real future. I was never a proper suitor for her.”
“If you want to do it to make sure then I will pay for it. I don't want you to have doubts.” Cherry reached out and grabbed Victor's hand. “I believe you are my father. My mother wouldn't lie about that.”
“But that's not true.” Victor shook his head. “Greta did lie. She lied to everyone including you. I just don't want you to have the truth once and for all.”
“You mean ‘we’ not just me.” Cherry gave his hands a squeeze. “We will do it. For both of us. Now what's good to eat here?”
“The beef stew is good.” Victor smiled. The bread and the butter are made fresh here every day.”
“In New York, it’s called artisan.” Cherry smiled. “Here, I suppose it’s a normal thing.”
“Not as much as it used to be.” Victor sighed. “Every house used to make everything they needed now everything is brought in. The cook at the house now doesn’t even know how to make butter.”
“Things are changing.” Cherry looked at the menu.
“For me as well, if the Earl decides to sack me.” Victor played with the menu. “I’ve been in service all my life. I don’t know what I would do with myself.”
“You would retire and come live with your daughter in New York. Cherry chuckled. “You could spend time doing everything you always wanted to do.”
Victor nodded.
The server came and took their order and they enjoyed their lunch.
Montgomery Smythe, Earl of Crosswich, walked into his house and stared at the footman that opened the door. “Where is Caster?”
“Out to luncheon with his daughter.” The footman put the Earl’s bags in the service elevator. “He should be back shortly.”
“Caster has a daughter? I thought he was a bachelor.” The Earl shook his head in disbelief. “Is my daughter home?”
“Yes my lord. I’ll tell her you are asking for her.” The footman closed the elevator.
The Earl had just taken a few steps when the front door opened and Victor and Cherry walked in.
“Caster, why are you away from you post and who is this?” The Earl demanded.
“This is my daughter, my lord.” Victor started to explain.
“I'm afraid this is all my fault.” Cherry stepped forward. “I’m Cherry Morgan. I need to speak with you about your daughter.”
“Morgan? Of the New York Morgans?” The Earl asked as he looked Cherry up and down. “My daughter had a friend that married into that family.”
“Yes. That was my mother. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Cherry asked.
“Here in my study.” The Earl started walking towards a door. “Is there something in particular that you wish to speak to me about?”
“Oh, just blackmail and extortion.” Cherry said in as cheery a tone as she could.
The Earl stopped and turned around. “My daughter blackmailed you? I don’t believe you!”
Cherry pulled the two notes out of her bag and held them out. “I have proof.”
The Earl took the notes and looked at them.
Lady Veronica walked down the stairs. “Papa, you wanted….”
“Did you do this?” The Earl waved the notes at her.
“I … I don't know what you’re talking about.” Lady Veronica tried to act shocked but it was obviously an act.
The Earl tuned to Cherry. “What did she want?”
“She wanted five million American dollars to pay her gambling debts.” Cherry folded her arms in front of her. “She actually thought that I would give it to her.”
“Gambling debts? How in the world did you get that deep in with the wrong people?” The Earl was so red faced that looked like he was going to explode. “You promised me after Monaco that you had stopped.”
“I'm sorry Papa.” Lady veronica looked afraid of her father.
“Go upstairs and I will speak to you later.” The Earl handed the noted back to Cherry. “I apologize for my daughter's behavior. I still have one more question. How is she your daughter?”
“My mother and he were in love.” Cherry shrugged. “My mother was Greta Maxwell.”
The Earl looked at Victor. “You had a relationship with a woman above your station and you did it under my roof.”
“Yes my lord, I did.” Victor took a breath. “I was a footman in your household when it happened. I used poor judgement but I am proud of my daughter.”
“I can see that she is a remarkable young woman.” The Earl looked Cherry up and down. “Don’t worry, Caster. I won't sack you for something that happened so long ago. Where is your mother now, Miss Morgan?”
“She passed away.” Cherry looked down.
Victor put his arm around Cherry. “My lord I would like to take her back to the hotel then I will get to my duties.”
“Caster, take some time off and spend some time with your daughter.” The Earl nodded. “I have to deal with my daughter now.”
“Uh.” Cherry looked at Victor then back to the Earl. “You should probably know she’s in deep with a mobster named Vinny the Hat. I will give you his contact information so you can take care of her debt.”
“I have no intentions of taking care of her gambling debt. She will have to find a way to pay it herself.” The Earl started up the stairs. “I wonder how she will like it when she has to sell her jewels and get some work.”
Victor and Cherry looked at each other.
“Come dear, let him deal with his daughter. I will get you back to the hotel.” Victor led her to the door.
So you're coming to visit? Cherry smiled.
“Yes. It looks like I will be coming to New York City.” Victor smiled.