And the wind will tell

Will Tell

Another party, another soiree. Boston’s exclusive and opulent elect had all gathered to the townhome of William Jeffrey III. William was normally a rather private person. All though he occasionally hosted exquisite banquets, and small intimate dinner parties, he rarely invited people, let alone, a huge gathering into his townhome in Beacon Hill. He looked about his guest and smiled out of dutiful obligation. He adjusted his tailored black tuxedo and pulled his shoulders back. Briefly closing his weary pale blue eyes, he counted to five and took a deep breath, then opened his eyes to find his beautiful daughter Jade standing before him. Her long beautiful black hair was swooped in a low bun. Her green eyes beamed with mischief. “Mr. William Jeffrey, what was that? I counted only five seconds of deep breathing, not ten like Ive told you time and time again young man.” William’s smile broadened and reached his soul this time. He placed both of his hands on each side of her cheek. His rugged hands caressed the sides of her delicate, soft porcelain skin. Looking into the eyes of his daughter had revived his spirit within him. Her innocents, and compassion for life always reminded him of why he had to make the sacrifices he did and keep the secrets he kept. His forehead began to wrinkle as his eyes widened. “My darling Jade,” he placed a quick kiss upon her forehead, then softly, yet firmly spoke to her as he surveyed his guest, ‘’What on God’s green earth are you doing at a charade like this? There is no one here but old fools and scandalous politicians.” Jade amusingly rolled her eyes. His six-foot one-inch frame towered over her slender five-foot seven-inch body. William’s wife stood afar holding a flute of champagne. She gently taped her French manicured fingernails on her crystal glass in controlled anticipation. Her blonde hair was pinned up in a tight double bun. Her golden sequenced dress tightly hugged her statuesque frame. She studied the pair close enough to hear their conversation. He placed one hand lovingly on her arm and began to gently guide her to the corridor. “You should be back at Dartmouth focusing on your studies my love.” Jade discreetly yanked her free from her father. “Dad are you kidding me? What am I twelve?” His wife’s jaw began to tighten. Her soft, baby blue eyes had narrowed at the two. “Helen, oh, there you are.” Helen blinked and turned around to find that Agatha, the governor’s mother had finally cornered her. Helen smiled and embraced the older woman. “Oh dear, I’ve been looking for you all night as well. Helen had nodded her head in William’s direction, “We are both so thrilled to have you here Mrs. Conolly.”

 Jade turned to face her father with a cold, defiant look in her eyes. This was the gaze of her mother, her birth mother. She could gaze at you with the harmless eyes of a dove, then devour your soul with a deep-rooted insolence that had been passed on from at least five generations back. “Besides, dad, you’re the one who had your assistant to summon me here.” Holding the black and white, invitation, he carefully studied the old calligraphy of the on the satin invitation. He frowned and became puzzled at the old invitation. It seemed as if it were at least over fifty years old. Some how it had his same property address, and personal party details on the invitation. Yet, the language was of another time. Jade whispered something in his ear, but he had become incoherent. His heart began to pond, he looked up and Jade was gone. All he saw was her red, form fitting gown briskly passing through the crowd. He looked around for his wife. She was laughing with Eleanor, governor’s wife. When she noticed him staring at her with cold, unrestrained fear in his eyes, she smiled at brightly at Eleanor and excused herself. She flashed William a warning gaze, then nonchalantly took another glass of champagne and mingled with her guest.

William rubbed the side of his temples. He looked around his home. Lavish and modern. Marble floors were flown in from India to replace the old hardwood floors that once graced the townhome. Helen fought with him for months about replacing anything in the home. She insisted that renovating the old property would ruin its story. He never known her to be a superstitious woman until she aggressively challenged him about this particular property.

Their villa in Rome, beach front property in St. Thomas, or home in Vale Colorado had given her little interest. She was more invested in this townhome than any place else. Realizing he was becoming too lost in his own head again; he went to the bar and requested a glass of scotch neat. He sipped the fiery liquid and endured the fiery inferno burning his throat as if it were his pendants for a lifetime of deception.

Helen looked over in his direction and watched him closely. She marveled of how well she knew this man. When he is really perplexed, he will always go for the scotch. Smiling on the inside to herself, she raised her glass in his direction, capturing his attention. William regarded her suspiciously, she drank his scotch, then glanced up again. To his horror, he saw his first wife, Jasmine watching him from afar. Her black hair hung over the left side of her shoulders. She wore a black, long fitted sequined gown. He could see brilliant sparkle of her green eyes even across the room. “Jasmine? Jasmine?” he called out. His right hand began to shake. The glass slipped from his grasped and fell to the floor, breaking the spell of his beguiling enchantress.

The crowd continued to mingle as the band played on. Only a nearby waiter noticed his shaken demeanor. As the young man cleaned up the broken glass, William purposely charged toward his wife Helen. Discretely grabbing her by the arm he took her into his old study aggressively, almost causing her to lose her balance. “do you think I’m an idiot Helen?!! I know it’s you! I know its been you!! All along. I know who you are, who your family really is I know it all!”

Helen released her silent tears she’s held on for years. “You think bringing in Jade’s real mother is going to stop me from continuing to profit from your family’s assets?!! These secrete threatening letters, to me to Jade?! You set this up! And now your going down! Like your dad….”

Before he could finish, a distraught Jade runs away.