Silken Revenge

Simon did not stay the night and it was not for want of trying. He sat with me all day and although our day was one of easy chat and even an enjoyable movie I was not about to allow him close to me. He waited until Maritka retired for the night before making his move but I deflected him saying I was unable to cope at this moment. I told him the truth that being part of the Dubois family made me feel unacceptable as a person although I did not add that removing them from Bishop Vale was the only redemption I could envision at this moment. Although he was all supportive I could see in his eyes a discontent which meant he was not going to be deflected for long and he kissed me in a long embrace, an unashamedly passionate kiss hoping no doubt to reignite our sexual past. For a few seconds when his strong arms were around me, when I felt his muscles tense with desire and the urgency of his kiss I wavered from my resolve. I wanted to throw myself into his arms, beg him to hold me, make love to me and remove me from this madness but then the thought of Gervais like some oily stain seeped into my mind flooding me with repugnance.

I called Zizi up to discover I was indeed the flavour of the day for Gervais had leaked out the news of our relationship and the town was fizzing with my life as the latest scandal. I mused how unlike Gervais it was to be so impatient and considered this to be a good portent perhaps he was not the omniscient being in absolute control that he liked to portray. Maybe he thought all my friends were so close to brain dead that any information I gave them would be parroted back to whatever obliging ear open to them. Gervais might have been correct in his assessment of the girls of his past acquaintance but this time he had grossly underestimated our resolve for we were determined not to be victims for anyone. I described my day with Simon watching Zizi’s eyes narrow into an intense gaze before she said maybe this was my way out as I could take up with Simon again for he was obviously not afraid of Gervais.

I did not explain their past to her for that was a closed topic and replied that taking up with Simon would solve nothing while only giving Gervais something else to destroy. She crossed her long legs looking more like a fashion model than a singer and her beautiful Nordic face smiled at my frown. I said it was time to approach Tiah and Zizi shook her head for she knew her half sister was not only unreliable but indeed was the vapid moron that Gervais suspected. The problem was not how to recruit Tiah as much as having her recognize that what she had endured in her night with Gervais was abuse as we wanted her to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. We sat on the terrace enjoying the sun after the rain of yesterday and threw suggestions in the air hoping one would open the door to Tiah’s cotton wool of a mind.

We sat there watching the afternoon drift away meditating on the problem of Tiah when Zizi said that maybe we were making this far more difficult than it needs to be. We should have her think our resolve was fait accompli but I was dubious as to anything actually registering with someone who could not recognize the vile abuse of Gervais. Silently we drove past the vineyard, approached the main house and the place looked so quiet for a second I thought it was deserted. We were let in by Braith who said we knew the way and left us to go up to his sister’s bedroom were we found Tiah in a disgruntled mess as usual--unhappy at Royce, happy at her father returning, unhappy with her mother and Caspar, happy at being a bridesmaid, unhappy at not being able to wear a gown of her choice.

Her conversation was a catalogue of her discontent and as she wandered up and down how the world was so unkind to her I folded my arms and restrained the urge to give her a good slap. Finally she paused to draw breath and we attempted to unveil the emotion of that night. Tiah brushed aside all our attempts to get her indignant and Zizi and I saw this was not going as planned as she kept returning back to how horrible I must feel being a Dubois. I contemplated this was the limit of Tiah’s anguish and her confession in the change room was about as much despair as she was ever going to reveal.

As Zizi gave the door a baleful look I knew she also considered this a failure and we should leave. Then a scrap of satin caught my eye, a fabric sample for the bridesmaid gown Jazz was organising sent an idea exploding through my thoughts. I knew she was excited about the wedding, a surprise since Tiah loved to be the focus of attention but Tiah had never been a bridesmaid before so the novelty had captured her attention. I picked up the fabric fanning it back and forth watching her eyes follow it as I revealed how Gervais celebrated our new relationship by calling me every day to torture me.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Zizi give me an exasperated look but I had an idea how to make Tiah sprackle and continued as if confessing something gruesome. I described how he would boast about all the harm he did to people, his voice creepy with delight and Tiah gave a small shudder saying she hated speaking to him. I knew how to draw her in telling her he had boasted he was going to stop the wedding and I was afraid he might succeed. Tiah jumped up protesting, her face pink and indignant as I reminded her that this was Gervais and he dared anything.

Sprackling, Tiah shouted “Bastard” her voice shaking with passion and I knew she was ready to hear our plan. I explained we were going to stop him because Jazz and Braith were the only people he had not yet ruined and it was time Gervais Dubois had a taste of his own medicine. Tiah folded her arms with the same defiance she showed when her father had tried to cut off her credit cards. She took the fabric sample from me and gazed at it weighing something in her mind before placing it on her bed smoothing it out carefully. Keeping her eyes on the fabric she said “So let’s stop him.” Her outrage finally had voice and Tiah was in.

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