Ivy’s Divine Revenge

Chapter Eight

The next morning I woke up later than usual, living on a base meant that i woke up at the c***k of dawn every single day and it had become ingrained into my system and I felt strange waking up so late, sleeping in my childhood bed felt better than sleeping pills and I had the best night in recent memory. as I listened to the birds chirping outside my window I felt the most peace I have felt in a very long time and i quickly went out of my room to the bathroom down the hall where I finished my toilet before going out in search of my mother, I walked into the kitchen pulled in by the aroma of breakfast being cooked by her, when I walked in she grinned at me and gestured towards a seat at the table which I eagerly pulled out and sat in and waited expectantly, my mother’s breakfasts were one of the things that I had missed all those years living away from her.

She placed a plate loaded with pancakes, hash browns, eggs, bacon and sausages and I eyed the plate in trepidation and my mother laughed at my dismay.

“My plan is to put some meat on those bones before you leave, I will not have a son of mine going around looking like his mother cannot cook and starves him.” She teased before patting my cheeks and bustling out of the kitchen leaving me alone with my hearty breakfast.

I dug in and despite my trepidation at the size of the meal I was served I polished it all off and leaned back in my chair with an audible groan, unable to move another inch from all the delicious food I had just devoured.

When my mother bustled back in she burst into laughter when she saw me and I raised my eyebrows at her.

“I think your are trying to do more than put meat on my bones, I think you are trying to remind me of how great your cooking is and fill me up with so much food so that I will not be able move an inch out of this house mom.” When I said that it felt like the happy atmosphere was deflated with my comments and her lips went from their smile to a downtown turn and I stood up quickly and went to her side,

“I am sorry mom, I did not mean that like that, I am very glad that you opened your door to me and I know you are not up to any tricks.”

She looked at me with a watery smile and nodded and I realized she was dressed up to go out.

“Where are you going mom?”

“Up to the house, you must have forgotten that I am the housekeeper, it is my job...” as she turned away then she stopped and looked back at me, “...infact why don’t you come along with me?” And when she saw the trapped look in my eyes she pressed on, “...there is a drawer in Mr Addison’s office that keeps giving me problems and I keep forgetting to ask the handyman to come take a look, you are still good with tools aren’t you Beau.” I shook my head at her backing away.

“Pleasee.” She said as she looked up into my eyes and I groaned.

“Okay ma, I will come with you and I will help you, let me just go get something decent to wear.” As I reached for my breakfast plate she showed me away.

“Just go and get dressed I will take care of this, hurry now or we are going to be late.”

I went into my room and wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and pulled on my boots and walked out of the room and I met my mother in the front room waiting for me.

“Do you have tools that I can use ma?”

“There are some up in the house, lets go.”

Then we went out to the old but clean truck that my father used to drive and she got into the driver’s seat while I got in beside her and we went up to the main house, as she drove and played old country music I looked out of the window at the large expanse of space of the Addison estate spread before us, I noticed some buildings which appeared to have been built after I moved away from town and some old ones that I recognized, I briefly thought of Ivy and pushed it down into the recesses of my mind.

After she parked the truck we went in through the kitchen entrance and there was a chubby smallish woman cutting vegetables at the sink and when she heard the door open she turned towards us and looked at me wide eyed.

“Lucy good morning, how are you doing?” My mother asked of the girl who was still staring at me and she snapped back to attention and reluctantly looked away from me to my mother before she answered in a clear sing song voice.

“Good morning Ms Bennett, I am fine thank you.” Then she went back to staring at me in curiousity, I smiled with amusement, I had always had that impression on women, old and young alike.

My mother looked between me and Lucy and then she did the introductions saying proudly, “Lucy, this is my son Beau, he used to be in the military but he is back home and will be staying here with me for a few days, Beau, meet Lucy the Chef.”

I inclined my head and said with a smile, “a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lucy.” To which she blushed and smiled shyly at me.

My mother led me out of the kitchen and while I waited in the hallway where she left me and went into the storeroom and came back out holding a toolbox.

“You will find everything you need in there and if there is something else you need but can’t find come meet me in the kitchen, I will be planning meals with Lucy.” Then she turned and left me to find my way.

I walked down the familiar hallway and looked at the paintings and family portraits which were exactly where they had been when I was nine and running through the hallways with Ivy, i lingered over the picture of Ivy in her graduation gown and swallowed, I had left town and did not get to see her graduate. With a heavy heart I turned and continued until I got to the heavy oak doors which I pushed open and stepped in then heard a shocked.

“Owen??”

I looked at the man seated in a chair in the corner of the office in the darkness as the curtains had yet to be drawn and there were no lights in the room except from the door I had yet to close, the figure in the chair slowly got up and i switched on the light and saw the ruddy cheeked friendly but currently shocked face of Ryan Addison as he looked as if he had just seen a ghost, he blinked when the light came on and sputtered. “Bbeau? Is that you? You looked so much like your father in the shadows right now, you looked exactly like him...” I winced when he said that and he seemed to not notice my discomfort but continued talking rapidly, “When did you get back? Why did your mother not say you would be coming back?” He reached forward and grabbed my hand in a hearty handshake.

“She did not know that I would be coming back, I just wanted to check on her before going on my way.” I answered.

“Ah yes, your mother would love that, how is the military then?” He asked.

“I left.” I answered shortly and there was an uncomfortable silence which Ryan eventually broke speaking nervously,

“Right then, right then. So what do you need son, did your mother ask you to give me something?” As he stared at the box in my hand and I remembered why I was here in the first place.

“She told me your desk needs fixing and I did not realize you were currently in the office, I can just go away and come back when you are not here.” I said about to turn and leave the room.

“Nonsense, i was just doing nothing, why don’t you come in and do what just that, I will come back when you finish.” Then he briskly left the room probably anxious to leave the awkward vibes of the room behind. I went round to the desk and using a flashlight I saw in the toolbox looked for the problem and found it, it was a simple enough problem and i would not need to spend too much time getting it fixed and I plugged in my ear phones and immediately got to work repairing it, some minutes later just as I was rounding up and about finished on the desk I sighed with pleasure at my finished work and finished packing up all the tools I had used to work and stood up ready to leave when I heard what I thought sounded like a scream even with my headphones on, I turned and was stopped dead by the green of Ivy’s eyes and my heart started to pound hard as she stared at me, her mouth open in shock and I was transported years ago to when i had come across her as she lay in a pram with her golden red curls and big green eyes, i had been entranced by her angelic beauty and had sat there for a long time admiring her, my mother had come out to look for me and had found me quietly in front of Ivy and when she tried to take me away i had bawled until she promised me that we could come and be with the baby the next day, over the years i had watched over Ivy, using my relentless teasing of her to cover the fact that i was madly in love with her, i knew it was futile because I was the son of nobody with absolutely no prospects at all while she came from a solid pedigree, her parents were wealthy and well educated pillars of Doylestown, there was no way they could ever be so i buried my feelings for her deep and stayed as close as I could under the guise that my actions were that of a mischievous protective older brother.

As I studied Ivy I noted the changes to her, she looked more robust and womanly, her green eyes were vibrant and her beautiful hair shone brightly, she wore a shirt and pants and they could not disguise her full figure and my mouth watered.

Later in the evening when my mother got back home I finally summoned my strength and asked her about Ivy.

“I thought you said she moved to New York after school, why is Ivy back home?”

“She left New York and came back to Doylestown with her husband just some months ago.”

“Husband?” I was aghast, I thought that I had accepted that I could never be with her but the thought of my Ivy with another man made me lose my appetite.

“Yes, husband, they come to the main house for brunch every Sunday, if you are here by then you will probably see them, they make such a lovely couple.”

I grunted nonchalantly, trying to hide my discomfort, I was suddenly very curious to see what Ivy’s husband was like, maybe I would stay here a little longer than I had planned, just a little longer then I would be gone from their lives forever.