simarillion (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
simarillion) wrote2009-05-08 04:45 pm
simarillion) wrote2009-05-08 04:45 pm
FIC: "Pride & Prejudice" (5/9)
Pride & Prejudice
By Simarillion
Fandom: TV show RPS (Supernatural, Prison Break, House M.D., Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Coupling, Grey’s Anatomy, Numbers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ally McBeal, Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace)
Rating: G to PG-13
Pairing: of interest: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, Wentworth Miller/Hugh Laurie
Warnings: AU, slash, M/M, evil! Chad
Beta: draft version (unbetaed)
Summary: There's nothing of greater importance than gossip. Besides marrying your children off. So when Mr. Padalecki announces the opening of a new Padalecki gallery on Third Street, it comes as no surprise that both gossip and marriage plans are on the daily schedule.
Disclaimer: None of the herein presented happenings and events are true. Everything is 100% fiction and that includes the sexuality of the characters. We don’t claim to be in the know about their relations and private affairs and we don’t make any money with the creation of this story.
Notes: The idea of a Jane Austen AU cames to me a very long time ago, with a different Austen novel as the plot and in a completely different fandom. It re-surfaced this summer though, and when talking about it withduchess_of_hell, it soon became clear that the writing of this story would be my summer project.
I absolutely adore the cast of the fic and it took me and Susi hours to decide which actor would be the right one for which character. It was great fun though, and made us laugh so hard at times, that people were looking at us funny.
[Previous Parts]
Chapter Thirteen
During breakfast the next morning Sandra Morgan does not tire to compliment Ms. Patterson on her impeccable manners and her networking skills that allowed the young woman to make several connections at the party the night before.
The only reprieve comes when Jeffrey D. Morgan interrupts his wife to question the family’s guest about the progress of her Junior Partnership with Waterstein.& Co. This intervention results in another headache on Mrs. Morgan’s side and a verbose explication about the law system, networking and the importance of proper conduct.
As soon as is appropriate the Morgan siblings leave the table to escape the lengthy monologue and address themselves to other tasks more agreeable to them. Wentworth and Jensen decide upon driving out to San Diego and prepare for an escape from their mother and Ms. Patterson.
Wentworth’s preparations are interrupted when his mother calls him downstairs. The young man finds Calista Patterson waiting for him though and the anxious disposition alarms him. When the young woman takes notice of Wentworth’s presence, the pacing is stopped and a determined looks settles on her face.
“Wentworth. I come from a wealthy family and I made many connections with important people. My situation in life is such that I have achieved what only few women of my age have achieved. There is only one thing that I have failed to do and that is to look for a partner in life, a person that will value me the same way that I would value them. A companion to share my successes with and who has an understanding of the importance of my work.”
The oration bodes ill for Wentworth and the young man desperately wishes for a saviour to stop what is about to transpire in front of his eyes.
“After many conversations with your esteemed mother I came to the decision that a marital bond between the two of us would be most advantageous. There can be no doubt about the profitability of a connection between my family and yours since both of them are well-established in society.”
“I am afraid that despite all you conversations with my mother you failed to discuss the topic with the person who is of importance, namely me. I cannot recall giving any indication of being even remotely interested in a relationship between the both of us,” was Wentworth’s frosty reply.
“But surely you must see that I am well thought of in society and that my becoming a Junior Partner at Waterstein.& Co. will only increase my net of associates and partners. With your future field of profession being the law it is of great advantage to connect both of our families.”
“That may be so but I am not going to compromise my future happiness by entering a marriage just to become more agreeable to others or further my connections in society. Let me tell once and for all that I am not willing to get married.”
“But...”
“I will not agree to the connection. I am sorry but this answer will not change.” The words are underlined by Wentworth’s resolute departure from the room.
He is quite aware of the consequences his decision and his actions will have but he refuses to agree to a bond that ensures future infelicity and a life long sufferings in the form of Calista Patterson.
Wentworth’s expectations are met when only five minutes later Sandra Morgan’s wail can be heard throughout the whole house. There is a loud discussion between Mrs. Morgan and Ms. Patterson as Sandra Morgan tries to induce the young woman to stay.
Shamefaced about the whole incident Calista Patterson insists on leaving though and after much argumentation and pleading, Ms. Patterson can be persuaded to stay for the remainder of her sojourn with Teri Hatcher. Preparations are made and soon after a driver picks the young woman up and transfers her to her new place of residence.
“Wentworth!”
The angry wail has the other siblings gather on the stairs to listen in on the scolding and screaming that is to come. Only Jensen accompanies his brother to the door before taking his place on the stairs as well.
“Jeff, come here and listen to what your son has done.”
Jeffrey D. Morgan interrupts his perusal of the latest finance plan of the garage to hear what his wife is desperate to tell him.
“Your son refused Ms. Patterson when she asked him for his hand in marriage. He just won’t think about the connections we could have made, all the advantages of this bond between our family and the family of Ms. Patterson. In this abominable manner he has, he flat out told her that he will not have her and that he is not interested in her or her connections. Tell your son that he has to reconsider at once and that if he refuses to see reason I will not speak another word with him.”
“This is a grave matter indeed.” Mr. Morgan sets the papers aside and takes a long look from his wife to his son. “Do you understand what you mother just said?”
“Yes, but father…”
“Your mother said that she would not have a word with you in her life should you not marry Ms. Patterson. And I am telling you that I would not have a word with you in my life should you marry her.”
Wentworth Morgan’s relieved laughter was followed by another dismal wail from Sandra Morgan that followed the young man out of the room. It has to be said here that there have not been many times in the past where Mr. Morgan spoke against his wife so decidedly because he considered the resulting headaches and wails too tiresome. This time though he had deemed the topic important enough to put up with the consequences.
The two older Morgan brothers decide to go to Third Street instead of San Diego and so the afternoon has the two young men enjoying themselves as they meet with friends and plan the last two weeks of the summer holidays. Wentworth and his brother Jensen are in high spirits when they return home and find the house in an uproar once more.
“Wentworth you won’t believe what happened!” cries Charisma.
“Calista Patterson offered David Hatcher her hand in marriage!” Tom hurries to elaborate before his sister gets the chance.
“And he sent her home back to the East Coast, I can imagine.” The imagination of his good friend rejecting the intolerable offer of marriage has Wentworth laugh amused.
“No, he accepted. They are engaged and the wedding will take place next May.”
The shocking news throws Wentworth completely who never expected this being possible. Eager for some in detail information and more important reliable confirmation of the story he calls David Hatcher. The call is redirected to the mailbox and Wentworth leaves a message demanding a return call concerning the engagement.
It is evening when the long awaited call has Wentworth Morgan scramble from the dinner table and head for his room. He makes sure to have privacy for his talk with his friend.
“Hi, David.”
“Hi, Wentworth. I take it you heard about it from your younger siblings.”
“Indeed I have. David…” It is hard for the young man to find the right words to express his emotions without hurting his friend’s feelings.
“Are you mad at me, Wentworth?”
“No, of course not. Why should I be mad? I just cannot understand your reasoning for this action.”
“I am not like you Wentworth. I am not expecting eternal love out of a relationship for I do not deem it love to be necessary to make a relationship work. And the connections that Ms. Patterson has are very advantageous for my future career.”
After hearing this explanation Wentworth once more reassures David Hatcher that he is not mad but also stresses the inability to understand the decision. The two young men talk some more about what happened that day and only stop after promising to meet the next day.
After the phone call Wentworth Morgan refuses to expose himself to his mother’s wailing and his sibling’s curiosity and so he remains in his room and ponders some more about the implications of the day’s events. Thoughts and speculations about his friend’s decision follow him into the land of dreams much later.
Chapter Fourteen
After the beach party the upcoming party at the Laurie residence is the thing to talk about and many a mother and daughter spends the week until the much awaited event planning the right outfit. It is the general consensus that it is the perfect end to the summer holidays and that Mr. Jared Padalecki is particularly gifted in choosing dates for events.
The anticipation does not pass the Morgan household by of course. Sandra Morgan, who still occasionally suffers from a nasty burst of headache, focuses all her attention on the preparation for her family’s outfits for the party. Together with Charisma Morgan she peruses clothes and shoes and finds everything lacking.
Jensen Morgan is in particular anxious about the event for it will be the first time since Mr. Padalecki’s business travel that he meets Jared Padalecki again. He endures his mother’s fussing about the outfit and reservation at the coiffeur and eagerly waits for the date of the party.
Wentworth Morgan instead dreads the evening and the no doubt unavoidable presence of Mr. Hugh Laurie. Ever since the rude treatment of Ms. Calista Patterson, Wentworth has been spared the displeasure of having to converse with Mr. Laurie. Surprisingly the older man never showed up anywhere and so the Morgan son can enjoy his days without having to worry about either Ms. Patterson or Mr. Laurie.
The day of the great party Sandra and Charisma Morgan run amok with their preparations and when the servants hide out in the kitchen to avoid running into either of the two women Mr. Morgan forbids his wife and his daughter to continue with their excessive preparations.
For the rest of the afternoon there is a suspicious silence that has Jeffrey D. Morgan check on Sandra Morgan and Charisma to make sure both are unharmed and feeling fine. As the time draws closer to the party a certain restlessness spreads the house and by the time the family gathers to leave everyone is all excitement about the evening’s outing.
Upon the arrival the Morgan’s are impressed by the glamorous decorations and the steady stream of celebrities making their way into the villa. Since Jared Padalecki does not own any housing in Santa Monica he stays at the Laurie residence which is most advantageously located at a private strip of beach and direct access to the ocean. The premises are extensive and include a park-like garden that stretches from the entrance gate to the beach.
The entrance area is filled with guests and there is the sound of jazzy music being carried over from the terrace where a live band amuses the crowd. Wentworth has to admit to himself that he is awe-struck by the opulence that can be seen.
Almost immediately after their entering the building Jared Padalecki seeks Jensen Morgan out. It is obvious to Wentworth that Jensen is more than pleased about the attention he gets from the young man. Mr. Padalecki entertains the family with recaptures about his dealings in Florida and when he is joined by his brother Milo Padalecki the two brothers re-enact a particularly droll incident that occurred at one of the events they visited.
The whole time Wentworth keeps a watch out for Mr. Hugh Laurie but the man stays away from the group and there are only occasional glances he gets of him. When the rooms get too crowded Wentworth heads for the terrace where he enjoys the cool breeze that comes from the water.
Close to the bar out on the lawn are Charisma and her friends and nearby Tom entertains some of his friends with a ridiculous display of some occurrence. Wentworth Morgan turns his back on his siblings and follows a path down to a small square that faces the beach.
“It has been some time since our last meeting.”
The words pique the young man and upon turning he faces Mr. Laurie. The sudden and surprising appearance of the other man incites Wentworth and he has to forcibly reign himself in. He forces an impassive expression on his face before responding.
“Indeed our last encounter dates some days back.”
“I heard about the surprising engagement of Mr. David Hatchet and Ms. Calista Patterson. I hope that the transfer of the young woman’s affection did not cause you any pain.”
“I don’t see how this is any business of yours,” presses Wentworth out.
The impertinence of the question incites him further for he will not condone any questions of such intimacy from Hugh Laurie.
“I did not consider this question to be of such a provocative nature. I am sorry if I angered you. It has to be said though that a connection between you and Ms. Patterson would have not been beneficial and in general I do not condone marriages that are celebrated with the sole purpose of furthering one’s connections.”
“I am surprised that you would talk in such a way about marriages. It is rather hypocritical considering your own situation.”
With this words Wentworth makes his exit and heads back to the terrace and the crowd that enables him to disappear from Mr. Laurie’s sight. Passing the bar he notices Jensen who unsuccessfully tries to escape the clutches of a young blond woman. The strange woman has her body, which consists mostly of breasts, pressed against the older Morgan brother and the young man desperately tries to pull away.
Wentworth decides to come to his brother’s aid when an unfortunately familiar voice stops him.
“Well, it seems that at least one member of your family enjoys his time at the party.”
Mr. Hugh Laurie leaves before Wentworth gets the chance to answer the taunt. The dire situation Jensen draws Wentworth Morgan’s attention again and he heads to his brother’s help. Only with the combined effort of both Wentworth and Jensen are the two young men able to divert the young woman’s attention from Jensen Morgan to a new prey. They leave the bar in a hurry to seek for refuge far away from Joanna Krupa, for that is the young blond woman’s name.
The next hours Wentworth either follows Jensen and Mr. Padalecki, who they find inside with a group of his business partners, or he spends the time avoiding running into Hugh Laurie. He ends up being incorporated in a discussion about the presidential elections next year.
The argumentations are varied and well-thought and Wentworth enjoys himself to a great extend. The pleasant company has the young man even forget his wish to avoid Mr. Laurie. When the talk comes to the different candidates the young Morgan offspring is surprised to learn that Hugh Laurie is a good friend of Hillary Clinton’s and that he even supports her campaign.
This new information strikes him as most odd since he would never have considered Mr. Laurie to be liberal minded. He continues to discuss with the group for some more time before he is made aware of a completely different discussion.
Masi Morgan has gathered a bewildered crowd that he explains his theories about time and space to. To his utter horror Wentworth recognises the device his younger brother gets out of the suit jacket. His behaviour disturbs some of the ladies but Masi does not notice this and continues to elucidate his equation, going even so far as starting to demonstrate his self-constructed device.
Wentworth hurries over to stop his brother from causing an even bigger disturbance but it is too late. Masi starts to press different buttons on the box and an electric current zaps to the closest spectator who then jumps back spilling his glass of champagne on his neighbour, One of the women cries out in surprise and trips over the hem of her dress when she abruptly steps back and away from Masi Morgan and his faulty device.
Jeffrey D. Morgan arrives at the scene at the same time like Wentworth and it can be seen that he is most upset about the incident. A glare at the second youngest son has Masi follow quietly away from the upset group. Wentworth follows them from the room and the three Morgan men head out into the fresh air.
With decided words Mr. Morgan informs Masi Morgan that he will not tolerate another display of this kind. Only when the young man promises to not leave his father’s side and behave himself Jeffrey D. Morgan relents his tirade.
The peace does not last for a long time. As Wentworth and Masi follow their father around for some time, the three men are shocked to hear a familiar wail from the direction of the terrace. They hurry towards the sound only to find Sandra Morgan scream at Charisma who dances in the small pool without her dress on.
At first the spectacle that is Charisma and Sandra Morgan completely has Wentworth in its thrall but upon closer inspection of the situation he notices Tom sitting next to the pool clutching to the punch bowl. There is a disturbing content expression on his face. The drama is complete when Jensen and Mr. Padalecki join the staring crowd.
Wentworth has never been more embarrassed in his whole life and he feels very sorry for his brother who watches the display that is their family with a look of utter horror. There is a strange expression on Mr. Jared Padalecki’s face and when Wentworth glances at the people at the back of the group he finds Mr. Laurie watching everything with morbid fascination.
It takes Mr. Morgan some time to rein both, his children and his wife, in and he steers the group away and towards the entrance. Wentworth helps Jensen who hurried to his family’s help, to drag Charisma and Tom in the direction of their car. The curious and somewhat gleeful looks feel not half as hurtful as the focused stare of Hugh Laurie and the embarrassed glance of Jared Padalecki.
The drive back from the party is filled with the wails and cries of Sandra Morgan who does not tire to point out the repercussions this will have on her standing in society. There is not a word from Jeffrey D. Morgan and Wentworth fears this more than any social disgrace for he knows that even though their father never voices his fears and problems aloud, that these incidents are a hard blow and might even have professional repercussions.
When the family arrives at home the two younger children are taken to their rooms and Masi disappears before any of his parents can talk to him about the incident at the party. The parents retire but not together. While Mrs. Morgan disappears in her Yoga chamber, Jeffrey D. Morgan heads for the patio where he opens a bottle of whiskey before settling down on one of the garden chairs.
After contemplating to talk to his father Wentworth decides to wait for the next morning and follows his older brother upstairs. In Wentworth’s room the two siblings discuss the disaster that was today’s outing. For some time they complain about the embarrassing behaviour of their two youngest siblings but when the topic is talked out the two decide to retire and wait for the next day’s revelation about the consequences that are sure to follow.
Chapter Fifteen
At breakfast there is sober a silence at the table and only Teri Hatcher’s call to Sandra Oh brings some life. Mrs. Morgan’s best friend reports the rumours that are spreading about the happenings and surprisingly the whole incident is portrayed far less grave, than was to be expected. Mrs. Hatcher informs them about Mr. Laurie’s interference when one of the guests tried to inform the press about the happenings and Mr. Jared Padalecki instructed the personnel to keep quiet about the whole affair.
This fortunate turn of events lightens the mood somewhat but there is still a talk between the Morgans and their children. Charisma and Tom are grounded for the remainder of the holidays, and Masi Morgan has to hand over his construction and his book of calculations and notes about his experiments.
Jensen tries to call Jared Padalecki after the family meeting but for the longest time he only reaches the phone’s voice mail. This development worries the young man but Wentworth assures his brother that everything will be alright. Little does he suspect what they will be informed of some hours later.
A completely different piece of information reaches him around lunchtime when he gets a call from a friend, who tells him about Chad Michael Murray and Katherine Heigl running away together. This news cheers Wentworth up and he rejoices for his friend.
Since every member of the family has retreated to a different part of the house, Wentworth settles down on the patio and continues to read the Harry Potter novel. He already knows everything that will happen since everything has been written and talked about everywhere already, but he decided despite the spoiling to finish reading the book.
He spends the next hours ensconced on the sunlounger and a feeling of peace settles over the young man. It is the first time during the holidays that he can take a rest from his family, Ms. Patterson, and Mr. Laurie.
Later in the afternoon the young man is joined by his older brother and soon the two young men are to be found in deep discussion about next term’s syllabus, and the classes they want or have to take. Jensen Morgan excitedly talks about his next internship, and expresses the wish to work with older children than the last time.
The two brothers spend some more time in this companionable way before Jeffrey D. Morgan returns form works and settles down on the recliner, listening in on the conversation and occasionally participating. There is a tired edge to his posture and voice but both sons prefer to not address the matter.
In the evening after the family had dinner, Jensen gets a call from Milo Padalecki. With growing despair he listens to the news the younger Padalecki bears. Once the call is over the young man makes for the patio where he settles heavily into the lounger.
He stays at this location until Wentworth finds him in the exact same spot some time later. The younger Morgan recognises the devastation that has the other young man stare out into the garden. After some consideration he braves the silence and asks about the phone call, which he suspects causing this particular reaction from Jensen.
“Mr. Milo Padalecki just called to inform me about the departure of his brother, Jared Padalecki.”
“But surely Mr. Padalecki will call you soon and return to Santa Monica before the holidays are over and we have to leave for university again.”
“I was told that Mr. Padalecki has no intention of coming to Santa Monica anytime in the near future and he will be out of the country for some time.” Jensen’s explanation is quiet.
It strikes Wentworth as odd that the charming young gallery owner would treat Jensen in such an abominable way. From the impression the younger Morgan brother got during his acquaintance of Mr. Padalecki, the man had appeared quite smitten with the oldest Morgan son.
“I am sure that you will get some explication for what happened here. He completely adores you, Jensen. He feels very deeply for you, of that I am sure.”
“But you do not know that for sure. He certainly never told that implicitly, how he feels about me, and even though his attention was on my person constantly, he did not deem it necessary to inform me about his departure. From his actions I must assume that I judged the situation wrongly.”
“I don’t believe Mr. Padalecki to be of such a deceitful character,” cries Wentworth, “Call him and tell him about your feelings towards his person.”
“It would not be appropriate to do so after his latest move.”
Wentworth Morgan argues that there is most definitely a misunderstanding and that it would behove Jensen to contact Jared Padalecki and sort the situation out, but the older brother prefers to leave things like they are. It irks Wentworth somewhat that his brother gives up so easily but he can read the hurt in Jensen’s eyes and chooses not to bother the other anymore for the time being.
His resolve to let the situation rest lasts for about four days, and then he once more approaches Jensen about contacting Jared Padalecki. Once again the older of the two brothers refuses to do so and in the end Wentworth has to admit defeat when Jensen starts to avoid him.
The last week of the holidays the two brothers are busy preparing their return to college and another term of studies. The strained relationship returns to the deep affection that used to exist between the two brothers before the Padalecki affair, as the whole business has been titles by the Morgan family.
On the last day Wentworth Morgan and Jensen Morgan say their goodbyes to their family and then leave for Palo Alto. Some of their friend’s already wait for them upon their arrival and with some pairs of helpful hands the two young men are settled quickly in their apartment.
In no time at all Wentworth and Jensen are once more caught up in the normal course of college life. There are times when it becomes quite obvious that Jensen Morgan still smarts from the rejection he suffered from Jared Padalecki. Every attempt Wentworth makes to mend the bridge between his brother and Mr. Padalecki fails, and so he can only watch Jensen pine after the man.
Shortly after Halloween Jensen receives his acceptance for his internship with the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital the following summer, and the success is celebrated quite excessively. During the celebration Jensen finally admits his still feeling strongly about Mr. Padalecki. It is then that two brothers come up with the idea of asking their uncle and aunt to invite Jensen to New York for the Christmas break, for it will be the same time that Jared Padalecki will be back in the United States and hosting a charity event at one of his New York galleries.
Arrangements are made and after some persuasion both Sandra Morgan and Jeffrey D. Morgan agree to let their son celebrate Christmas away from the family. Patrick and Samantha Dempsey suggest coming to California before the holidays, and after their aunt visiting her two brothers, the couple will take Jensen with them to New York City.
By Simarillion
Fandom: TV show RPS (Supernatural, Prison Break, House M.D., Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Coupling, Grey’s Anatomy, Numbers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ally McBeal, Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace)
Rating: G to PG-13
Pairing: of interest: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, Wentworth Miller/Hugh Laurie
Warnings: AU, slash, M/M, evil! Chad
Beta: draft version (unbetaed)
Summary: There's nothing of greater importance than gossip. Besides marrying your children off. So when Mr. Padalecki announces the opening of a new Padalecki gallery on Third Street, it comes as no surprise that both gossip and marriage plans are on the daily schedule.
Disclaimer: None of the herein presented happenings and events are true. Everything is 100% fiction and that includes the sexuality of the characters. We don’t claim to be in the know about their relations and private affairs and we don’t make any money with the creation of this story.
Notes: The idea of a Jane Austen AU cames to me a very long time ago, with a different Austen novel as the plot and in a completely different fandom. It re-surfaced this summer though, and when talking about it with
duchess_of_hell, it soon became clear that the writing of this story would be my summer project.I absolutely adore the cast of the fic and it took me and Susi hours to decide which actor would be the right one for which character. It was great fun though, and made us laugh so hard at times, that people were looking at us funny.
[Previous Parts]
Chapter Thirteen
During breakfast the next morning Sandra Morgan does not tire to compliment Ms. Patterson on her impeccable manners and her networking skills that allowed the young woman to make several connections at the party the night before.
The only reprieve comes when Jeffrey D. Morgan interrupts his wife to question the family’s guest about the progress of her Junior Partnership with Waterstein.& Co. This intervention results in another headache on Mrs. Morgan’s side and a verbose explication about the law system, networking and the importance of proper conduct.
As soon as is appropriate the Morgan siblings leave the table to escape the lengthy monologue and address themselves to other tasks more agreeable to them. Wentworth and Jensen decide upon driving out to San Diego and prepare for an escape from their mother and Ms. Patterson.
Wentworth’s preparations are interrupted when his mother calls him downstairs. The young man finds Calista Patterson waiting for him though and the anxious disposition alarms him. When the young woman takes notice of Wentworth’s presence, the pacing is stopped and a determined looks settles on her face.
“Wentworth. I come from a wealthy family and I made many connections with important people. My situation in life is such that I have achieved what only few women of my age have achieved. There is only one thing that I have failed to do and that is to look for a partner in life, a person that will value me the same way that I would value them. A companion to share my successes with and who has an understanding of the importance of my work.”
The oration bodes ill for Wentworth and the young man desperately wishes for a saviour to stop what is about to transpire in front of his eyes.
“After many conversations with your esteemed mother I came to the decision that a marital bond between the two of us would be most advantageous. There can be no doubt about the profitability of a connection between my family and yours since both of them are well-established in society.”
“I am afraid that despite all you conversations with my mother you failed to discuss the topic with the person who is of importance, namely me. I cannot recall giving any indication of being even remotely interested in a relationship between the both of us,” was Wentworth’s frosty reply.
“But surely you must see that I am well thought of in society and that my becoming a Junior Partner at Waterstein.& Co. will only increase my net of associates and partners. With your future field of profession being the law it is of great advantage to connect both of our families.”
“That may be so but I am not going to compromise my future happiness by entering a marriage just to become more agreeable to others or further my connections in society. Let me tell once and for all that I am not willing to get married.”
“But...”
“I will not agree to the connection. I am sorry but this answer will not change.” The words are underlined by Wentworth’s resolute departure from the room.
He is quite aware of the consequences his decision and his actions will have but he refuses to agree to a bond that ensures future infelicity and a life long sufferings in the form of Calista Patterson.
Wentworth’s expectations are met when only five minutes later Sandra Morgan’s wail can be heard throughout the whole house. There is a loud discussion between Mrs. Morgan and Ms. Patterson as Sandra Morgan tries to induce the young woman to stay.
Shamefaced about the whole incident Calista Patterson insists on leaving though and after much argumentation and pleading, Ms. Patterson can be persuaded to stay for the remainder of her sojourn with Teri Hatcher. Preparations are made and soon after a driver picks the young woman up and transfers her to her new place of residence.
“Wentworth!”
The angry wail has the other siblings gather on the stairs to listen in on the scolding and screaming that is to come. Only Jensen accompanies his brother to the door before taking his place on the stairs as well.
“Jeff, come here and listen to what your son has done.”
Jeffrey D. Morgan interrupts his perusal of the latest finance plan of the garage to hear what his wife is desperate to tell him.
“Your son refused Ms. Patterson when she asked him for his hand in marriage. He just won’t think about the connections we could have made, all the advantages of this bond between our family and the family of Ms. Patterson. In this abominable manner he has, he flat out told her that he will not have her and that he is not interested in her or her connections. Tell your son that he has to reconsider at once and that if he refuses to see reason I will not speak another word with him.”
“This is a grave matter indeed.” Mr. Morgan sets the papers aside and takes a long look from his wife to his son. “Do you understand what you mother just said?”
“Yes, but father…”
“Your mother said that she would not have a word with you in her life should you not marry Ms. Patterson. And I am telling you that I would not have a word with you in my life should you marry her.”
Wentworth Morgan’s relieved laughter was followed by another dismal wail from Sandra Morgan that followed the young man out of the room. It has to be said here that there have not been many times in the past where Mr. Morgan spoke against his wife so decidedly because he considered the resulting headaches and wails too tiresome. This time though he had deemed the topic important enough to put up with the consequences.
The two older Morgan brothers decide to go to Third Street instead of San Diego and so the afternoon has the two young men enjoying themselves as they meet with friends and plan the last two weeks of the summer holidays. Wentworth and his brother Jensen are in high spirits when they return home and find the house in an uproar once more.
“Wentworth you won’t believe what happened!” cries Charisma.
“Calista Patterson offered David Hatcher her hand in marriage!” Tom hurries to elaborate before his sister gets the chance.
“And he sent her home back to the East Coast, I can imagine.” The imagination of his good friend rejecting the intolerable offer of marriage has Wentworth laugh amused.
“No, he accepted. They are engaged and the wedding will take place next May.”
The shocking news throws Wentworth completely who never expected this being possible. Eager for some in detail information and more important reliable confirmation of the story he calls David Hatcher. The call is redirected to the mailbox and Wentworth leaves a message demanding a return call concerning the engagement.
It is evening when the long awaited call has Wentworth Morgan scramble from the dinner table and head for his room. He makes sure to have privacy for his talk with his friend.
“Hi, David.”
“Hi, Wentworth. I take it you heard about it from your younger siblings.”
“Indeed I have. David…” It is hard for the young man to find the right words to express his emotions without hurting his friend’s feelings.
“Are you mad at me, Wentworth?”
“No, of course not. Why should I be mad? I just cannot understand your reasoning for this action.”
“I am not like you Wentworth. I am not expecting eternal love out of a relationship for I do not deem it love to be necessary to make a relationship work. And the connections that Ms. Patterson has are very advantageous for my future career.”
After hearing this explanation Wentworth once more reassures David Hatcher that he is not mad but also stresses the inability to understand the decision. The two young men talk some more about what happened that day and only stop after promising to meet the next day.
After the phone call Wentworth Morgan refuses to expose himself to his mother’s wailing and his sibling’s curiosity and so he remains in his room and ponders some more about the implications of the day’s events. Thoughts and speculations about his friend’s decision follow him into the land of dreams much later.
Chapter Fourteen
After the beach party the upcoming party at the Laurie residence is the thing to talk about and many a mother and daughter spends the week until the much awaited event planning the right outfit. It is the general consensus that it is the perfect end to the summer holidays and that Mr. Jared Padalecki is particularly gifted in choosing dates for events.
The anticipation does not pass the Morgan household by of course. Sandra Morgan, who still occasionally suffers from a nasty burst of headache, focuses all her attention on the preparation for her family’s outfits for the party. Together with Charisma Morgan she peruses clothes and shoes and finds everything lacking.
Jensen Morgan is in particular anxious about the event for it will be the first time since Mr. Padalecki’s business travel that he meets Jared Padalecki again. He endures his mother’s fussing about the outfit and reservation at the coiffeur and eagerly waits for the date of the party.
Wentworth Morgan instead dreads the evening and the no doubt unavoidable presence of Mr. Hugh Laurie. Ever since the rude treatment of Ms. Calista Patterson, Wentworth has been spared the displeasure of having to converse with Mr. Laurie. Surprisingly the older man never showed up anywhere and so the Morgan son can enjoy his days without having to worry about either Ms. Patterson or Mr. Laurie.
The day of the great party Sandra and Charisma Morgan run amok with their preparations and when the servants hide out in the kitchen to avoid running into either of the two women Mr. Morgan forbids his wife and his daughter to continue with their excessive preparations.
For the rest of the afternoon there is a suspicious silence that has Jeffrey D. Morgan check on Sandra Morgan and Charisma to make sure both are unharmed and feeling fine. As the time draws closer to the party a certain restlessness spreads the house and by the time the family gathers to leave everyone is all excitement about the evening’s outing.
Upon the arrival the Morgan’s are impressed by the glamorous decorations and the steady stream of celebrities making their way into the villa. Since Jared Padalecki does not own any housing in Santa Monica he stays at the Laurie residence which is most advantageously located at a private strip of beach and direct access to the ocean. The premises are extensive and include a park-like garden that stretches from the entrance gate to the beach.
The entrance area is filled with guests and there is the sound of jazzy music being carried over from the terrace where a live band amuses the crowd. Wentworth has to admit to himself that he is awe-struck by the opulence that can be seen.
Almost immediately after their entering the building Jared Padalecki seeks Jensen Morgan out. It is obvious to Wentworth that Jensen is more than pleased about the attention he gets from the young man. Mr. Padalecki entertains the family with recaptures about his dealings in Florida and when he is joined by his brother Milo Padalecki the two brothers re-enact a particularly droll incident that occurred at one of the events they visited.
The whole time Wentworth keeps a watch out for Mr. Hugh Laurie but the man stays away from the group and there are only occasional glances he gets of him. When the rooms get too crowded Wentworth heads for the terrace where he enjoys the cool breeze that comes from the water.
Close to the bar out on the lawn are Charisma and her friends and nearby Tom entertains some of his friends with a ridiculous display of some occurrence. Wentworth Morgan turns his back on his siblings and follows a path down to a small square that faces the beach.
“It has been some time since our last meeting.”
The words pique the young man and upon turning he faces Mr. Laurie. The sudden and surprising appearance of the other man incites Wentworth and he has to forcibly reign himself in. He forces an impassive expression on his face before responding.
“Indeed our last encounter dates some days back.”
“I heard about the surprising engagement of Mr. David Hatchet and Ms. Calista Patterson. I hope that the transfer of the young woman’s affection did not cause you any pain.”
“I don’t see how this is any business of yours,” presses Wentworth out.
The impertinence of the question incites him further for he will not condone any questions of such intimacy from Hugh Laurie.
“I did not consider this question to be of such a provocative nature. I am sorry if I angered you. It has to be said though that a connection between you and Ms. Patterson would have not been beneficial and in general I do not condone marriages that are celebrated with the sole purpose of furthering one’s connections.”
“I am surprised that you would talk in such a way about marriages. It is rather hypocritical considering your own situation.”
With this words Wentworth makes his exit and heads back to the terrace and the crowd that enables him to disappear from Mr. Laurie’s sight. Passing the bar he notices Jensen who unsuccessfully tries to escape the clutches of a young blond woman. The strange woman has her body, which consists mostly of breasts, pressed against the older Morgan brother and the young man desperately tries to pull away.
Wentworth decides to come to his brother’s aid when an unfortunately familiar voice stops him.
“Well, it seems that at least one member of your family enjoys his time at the party.”
Mr. Hugh Laurie leaves before Wentworth gets the chance to answer the taunt. The dire situation Jensen draws Wentworth Morgan’s attention again and he heads to his brother’s help. Only with the combined effort of both Wentworth and Jensen are the two young men able to divert the young woman’s attention from Jensen Morgan to a new prey. They leave the bar in a hurry to seek for refuge far away from Joanna Krupa, for that is the young blond woman’s name.
The next hours Wentworth either follows Jensen and Mr. Padalecki, who they find inside with a group of his business partners, or he spends the time avoiding running into Hugh Laurie. He ends up being incorporated in a discussion about the presidential elections next year.
The argumentations are varied and well-thought and Wentworth enjoys himself to a great extend. The pleasant company has the young man even forget his wish to avoid Mr. Laurie. When the talk comes to the different candidates the young Morgan offspring is surprised to learn that Hugh Laurie is a good friend of Hillary Clinton’s and that he even supports her campaign.
This new information strikes him as most odd since he would never have considered Mr. Laurie to be liberal minded. He continues to discuss with the group for some more time before he is made aware of a completely different discussion.
Masi Morgan has gathered a bewildered crowd that he explains his theories about time and space to. To his utter horror Wentworth recognises the device his younger brother gets out of the suit jacket. His behaviour disturbs some of the ladies but Masi does not notice this and continues to elucidate his equation, going even so far as starting to demonstrate his self-constructed device.
Wentworth hurries over to stop his brother from causing an even bigger disturbance but it is too late. Masi starts to press different buttons on the box and an electric current zaps to the closest spectator who then jumps back spilling his glass of champagne on his neighbour, One of the women cries out in surprise and trips over the hem of her dress when she abruptly steps back and away from Masi Morgan and his faulty device.
Jeffrey D. Morgan arrives at the scene at the same time like Wentworth and it can be seen that he is most upset about the incident. A glare at the second youngest son has Masi follow quietly away from the upset group. Wentworth follows them from the room and the three Morgan men head out into the fresh air.
With decided words Mr. Morgan informs Masi Morgan that he will not tolerate another display of this kind. Only when the young man promises to not leave his father’s side and behave himself Jeffrey D. Morgan relents his tirade.
The peace does not last for a long time. As Wentworth and Masi follow their father around for some time, the three men are shocked to hear a familiar wail from the direction of the terrace. They hurry towards the sound only to find Sandra Morgan scream at Charisma who dances in the small pool without her dress on.
At first the spectacle that is Charisma and Sandra Morgan completely has Wentworth in its thrall but upon closer inspection of the situation he notices Tom sitting next to the pool clutching to the punch bowl. There is a disturbing content expression on his face. The drama is complete when Jensen and Mr. Padalecki join the staring crowd.
Wentworth has never been more embarrassed in his whole life and he feels very sorry for his brother who watches the display that is their family with a look of utter horror. There is a strange expression on Mr. Jared Padalecki’s face and when Wentworth glances at the people at the back of the group he finds Mr. Laurie watching everything with morbid fascination.
It takes Mr. Morgan some time to rein both, his children and his wife, in and he steers the group away and towards the entrance. Wentworth helps Jensen who hurried to his family’s help, to drag Charisma and Tom in the direction of their car. The curious and somewhat gleeful looks feel not half as hurtful as the focused stare of Hugh Laurie and the embarrassed glance of Jared Padalecki.
The drive back from the party is filled with the wails and cries of Sandra Morgan who does not tire to point out the repercussions this will have on her standing in society. There is not a word from Jeffrey D. Morgan and Wentworth fears this more than any social disgrace for he knows that even though their father never voices his fears and problems aloud, that these incidents are a hard blow and might even have professional repercussions.
When the family arrives at home the two younger children are taken to their rooms and Masi disappears before any of his parents can talk to him about the incident at the party. The parents retire but not together. While Mrs. Morgan disappears in her Yoga chamber, Jeffrey D. Morgan heads for the patio where he opens a bottle of whiskey before settling down on one of the garden chairs.
After contemplating to talk to his father Wentworth decides to wait for the next morning and follows his older brother upstairs. In Wentworth’s room the two siblings discuss the disaster that was today’s outing. For some time they complain about the embarrassing behaviour of their two youngest siblings but when the topic is talked out the two decide to retire and wait for the next day’s revelation about the consequences that are sure to follow.
Chapter Fifteen
At breakfast there is sober a silence at the table and only Teri Hatcher’s call to Sandra Oh brings some life. Mrs. Morgan’s best friend reports the rumours that are spreading about the happenings and surprisingly the whole incident is portrayed far less grave, than was to be expected. Mrs. Hatcher informs them about Mr. Laurie’s interference when one of the guests tried to inform the press about the happenings and Mr. Jared Padalecki instructed the personnel to keep quiet about the whole affair.
This fortunate turn of events lightens the mood somewhat but there is still a talk between the Morgans and their children. Charisma and Tom are grounded for the remainder of the holidays, and Masi Morgan has to hand over his construction and his book of calculations and notes about his experiments.
Jensen tries to call Jared Padalecki after the family meeting but for the longest time he only reaches the phone’s voice mail. This development worries the young man but Wentworth assures his brother that everything will be alright. Little does he suspect what they will be informed of some hours later.
A completely different piece of information reaches him around lunchtime when he gets a call from a friend, who tells him about Chad Michael Murray and Katherine Heigl running away together. This news cheers Wentworth up and he rejoices for his friend.
Since every member of the family has retreated to a different part of the house, Wentworth settles down on the patio and continues to read the Harry Potter novel. He already knows everything that will happen since everything has been written and talked about everywhere already, but he decided despite the spoiling to finish reading the book.
He spends the next hours ensconced on the sunlounger and a feeling of peace settles over the young man. It is the first time during the holidays that he can take a rest from his family, Ms. Patterson, and Mr. Laurie.
Later in the afternoon the young man is joined by his older brother and soon the two young men are to be found in deep discussion about next term’s syllabus, and the classes they want or have to take. Jensen Morgan excitedly talks about his next internship, and expresses the wish to work with older children than the last time.
The two brothers spend some more time in this companionable way before Jeffrey D. Morgan returns form works and settles down on the recliner, listening in on the conversation and occasionally participating. There is a tired edge to his posture and voice but both sons prefer to not address the matter.
In the evening after the family had dinner, Jensen gets a call from Milo Padalecki. With growing despair he listens to the news the younger Padalecki bears. Once the call is over the young man makes for the patio where he settles heavily into the lounger.
He stays at this location until Wentworth finds him in the exact same spot some time later. The younger Morgan recognises the devastation that has the other young man stare out into the garden. After some consideration he braves the silence and asks about the phone call, which he suspects causing this particular reaction from Jensen.
“Mr. Milo Padalecki just called to inform me about the departure of his brother, Jared Padalecki.”
“But surely Mr. Padalecki will call you soon and return to Santa Monica before the holidays are over and we have to leave for university again.”
“I was told that Mr. Padalecki has no intention of coming to Santa Monica anytime in the near future and he will be out of the country for some time.” Jensen’s explanation is quiet.
It strikes Wentworth as odd that the charming young gallery owner would treat Jensen in such an abominable way. From the impression the younger Morgan brother got during his acquaintance of Mr. Padalecki, the man had appeared quite smitten with the oldest Morgan son.
“I am sure that you will get some explication for what happened here. He completely adores you, Jensen. He feels very deeply for you, of that I am sure.”
“But you do not know that for sure. He certainly never told that implicitly, how he feels about me, and even though his attention was on my person constantly, he did not deem it necessary to inform me about his departure. From his actions I must assume that I judged the situation wrongly.”
“I don’t believe Mr. Padalecki to be of such a deceitful character,” cries Wentworth, “Call him and tell him about your feelings towards his person.”
“It would not be appropriate to do so after his latest move.”
Wentworth Morgan argues that there is most definitely a misunderstanding and that it would behove Jensen to contact Jared Padalecki and sort the situation out, but the older brother prefers to leave things like they are. It irks Wentworth somewhat that his brother gives up so easily but he can read the hurt in Jensen’s eyes and chooses not to bother the other anymore for the time being.
His resolve to let the situation rest lasts for about four days, and then he once more approaches Jensen about contacting Jared Padalecki. Once again the older of the two brothers refuses to do so and in the end Wentworth has to admit defeat when Jensen starts to avoid him.
The last week of the holidays the two brothers are busy preparing their return to college and another term of studies. The strained relationship returns to the deep affection that used to exist between the two brothers before the Padalecki affair, as the whole business has been titles by the Morgan family.
On the last day Wentworth Morgan and Jensen Morgan say their goodbyes to their family and then leave for Palo Alto. Some of their friend’s already wait for them upon their arrival and with some pairs of helpful hands the two young men are settled quickly in their apartment.
In no time at all Wentworth and Jensen are once more caught up in the normal course of college life. There are times when it becomes quite obvious that Jensen Morgan still smarts from the rejection he suffered from Jared Padalecki. Every attempt Wentworth makes to mend the bridge between his brother and Mr. Padalecki fails, and so he can only watch Jensen pine after the man.
Shortly after Halloween Jensen receives his acceptance for his internship with the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital the following summer, and the success is celebrated quite excessively. During the celebration Jensen finally admits his still feeling strongly about Mr. Padalecki. It is then that two brothers come up with the idea of asking their uncle and aunt to invite Jensen to New York for the Christmas break, for it will be the same time that Jared Padalecki will be back in the United States and hosting a charity event at one of his New York galleries.
Arrangements are made and after some persuasion both Sandra Morgan and Jeffrey D. Morgan agree to let their son celebrate Christmas away from the family. Patrick and Samantha Dempsey suggest coming to California before the holidays, and after their aunt visiting her two brothers, the couple will take Jensen with them to New York City.