Family Dinner(Everyone Related)

[Lillian Montgomery]

Lillian smiled at her husband over the rim of the bathtub. It was an odd little smile and she wasn't sure why she gave it. Things were in shambles all around them, but perhaps whenever she looked at him she didn't think of it. Instead all she saw was the man whom she loved these many years, and would love for many many more.

In her world he fixed the things that went wrong, and she had every faith in him.

She reached for the towel and stood up wrapping it around her before getting changed for dinner.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Jul 7, 2009 15:32:09 GMT -5 Riley Neves said:

Just the thought of all those people was a little overwhelming, but they were being kind enough to let her stay without too many questions... she could manage to eat dinner with them.

She remembered Christopher and Anthony well. She practically grew up with them, too. In fact, Anthony was their age, wasn't he?

"Wait, whose Jarred?" She asked, not recognizing that name. "Never mind. I'll find out," she added, taking his hand and nodded to let him know that she was ready to do this.

He shrugged. "Jarred is... well, I guess he's my cousin. He just recently turned up... A long lost son of my uncle Edward. He has a little girl, too.... I haven't met either of them yet myself, actually."

He had to laugh, although it was a short, joyless laugh. "I don't know how it's possible, but our family just keeps getting bigger. I guess it's a good thing. Like Uncle Edward says, the more, the merrier. I just hope Christine decides to join us for dinner."

He led her out into the hall and toward the stairs. "Maybe we should stop by her room and see if we can get her to come down with us," he suggested.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine was actually getting ready for dinner anyway. She was still heartsick over Roland's death and hadn't really planned on going to dinner, except for Jarred. There was some shock over learning that she had another cousin, and not a small bit of ire as well. It was as if fate was trying to atone for taking one cousin by giving them a different one. Still she didn't hold it against Jarred.

She hadn't met him yet, and that was what she was looking forward to. Of course it wasn't up to her whether or not Jarred would be sticking around, but she was going to take a look first and decide whether or not she wanted him to.

[Riley Neves]

Riley raised an eyebrow. "You're uncle was a dog in his day, wasn't he?" The guy had kids from everywhere. Good for him. "I wonder what your cousin's like. And his little girl... how old are they?" She rather imagined the child had to be young, but who knew? Maybe he would bring his wife or girlfriend, too. Obviously, Riley didn't know that there was no woman involved.

"At least everyone's attention will be on him and not me. But yeah, let's check on your sister."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey laughed. "Yeah, I guess he kind of was. Except for my dad, it really kind of runs in the family, I think. Oh, but Christopher had a girlfriend or something. She was here for Christmas, too... her name's Andrea. She's pretty. I think you'll like her. Anyway, I think Jarred's daughter is just a baby. She's probably only a year or so... That's what Sam says, anyway."

As he spoke, he led Riley down the massive hallway until he reached the door to Christine's room. He glanced at Riley for a moment, as if looking for support, then he knocked on the door. "Christine? It's Geoff and Riley."

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine straightened. She was sitting at her vanity attempting to do something with her hair, she didn't know why sissors kept coming to mind but she paid that no attention before standing and going to the door, she opened it and gave a weak smile for her brother.

"Hi." the way she was dressed indicated she was going down to dinner, she just wasn't hurrying up about it.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

He was glad to see that she was getting dressed. It was a start, anyway. It meant she was trying to make an effort to be with the rest of the family.

"We were just coming by to see if you were planning to join us for dinner," he said. "But it looks like you are. Do you want us to wait for you?"

[Christine Montgomery]

She shrugged at him, "No need." turning she grabbed her wrap and turned to face them, "I'm ready." she announced, but she didn't need them to wait on her account.

She wasn't too focused as it was, though she might have mumbled a hello to Riley as well, her thoughts were, as usual, inward and silent.

[Riley Neves]

Riley was quiet, listening and watching the exchange between the two siblings. She was worried about Christine like everyone else. But even more, she was worried about Geoffrey. He was trying to be there for everyone, and wasn't giving himself any room to mourn. She wished she was strong enough to be the rock for him. He needed a shoulder as well.

Silently, she gave Christine a small smile. What else could she say? She put her hand in Geoffrey's, just squeezing lightly to let him know she was there.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey reached out to take Christine's hand. He knew her well enough to know that she was still not herself. She was doing this out of a sense of duty, not a desire to join the family or to socialize, and certainly not because she was feeling better. But whatever the reason, it was still a good thing. Any reason that got her to leave her room and join the land of the living had to be a good thing. It was certainly better than hiding away in her room.

Now he was holding Christine's hand on one side, and Riley's on the other. His sister and his best friend. He was so worried about both of them, and he didn't even stop to think about himself. He would be fine. They were the ones truly suffering.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting Jarred," he said conversationally. "Do you have any idea what he's like?"

[Riley Neves]

Riley smiled, forcing it like she was forcing everything but her tears these days.

"He's got a child... And he's related to you guys. He can't be all bad, right?"

She was worried about him, though, wondering if he was the outgoing type, or if he was going to be overwhelmed by all of the people present. She was going to be, and maybe she could relate to the guy.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine shook her head, " Sam hasn't said much about him." although Sam had been the one to talk to him the most. The girl practically hounded him with letters and pestered about when he would visit and come for dinner.

Still who knew what Sam related to her or not? She was often still caught up in her own mind, far too much to remember what Sam might or might not have said.

[Jarred Donnelly]

Jun 29, 2009 2:06:56 GMT -5 Samantha Montgomery said:

Samantha welcomed Andrea into the room and gave the girl a nod. Standing between her father and her uncle she was a picture of elegant content, that was at least until the door rang. Then something subtle in her appearance changed. She was anxious, nervous perhaps. Her first impression with her brother was her yelling at him...certainly not the best start. She was happy to receive his letter saying that he would come back, and even happier to note that he was bringing his daughter.

She knew instantly that it was him at the door and counted the seconds till he was shown into the dining room that they were using. When she saw him again that tensing began until she caught his eyes, and then the curly haired imp in his arms and all her nerves disappeared. It was as if she had known him for years.

"Jarred!" she said her voice rising a bit above what her mother would consider appropriate for a lady. She left her Uncle and her father talking as her excitement carried her over to where he stood, "And Evie!" she smiled at them both then tilted her head. "I'm glad you could come." she said warmly.

Jarred was greeted first by the storm that was Samantha... his sister. Well, half sister, but that was enough for Jarred. Evie pressed her head into her father's shoulder, not from being shy but from just having woken up.

"I wouldn't have missed it," he said, smiling just as warmly at her, and then nodded in the others' directions. "Edward, good to see you again."

And then he was at a loss. He didn't recognize anyone else, and he felt like something of an outsider.

[Christopher Montgomery]

Once Andrea came to his side, Christopher put his arm around her. After their argument and then make up, he couldn't have been in a better mood. Now he was going to meet more of his family, so that was even better.

He smiled as Jarred entered the house. Chris noticed how Jarred seemed to be a little out of place. He knew that he was probably going to be a little overwhelmed with everyone but he figured that he might as well introduce himself.

"Jarred," Chris said holding out his free hand for him to shake. "I'm Chris and this is Andrea. It's nice to finally meet you."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey shrugged. "I haven't heard much about him, either, but then, I haven't talked to Sam lately."

It seemed like a lot had been going on at home lately, and he felt like he was out of the loop. That was another reason why it was good that he was home now. He wouldn't feel quite so far removed from the rest of the family.

"Anyway, let's just head down and see if he's here. We don't want to be the last ones to show up, do we?" He smiled lightly, trying with all his might to keep both of their spirits up. He was still holding both of their hands as they started down the hallway.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam was practically bouncing, but somehow she drew on the reserve she had spent the last fifteen years learning. Her eyes fell from her brother, because half brother was a silly notion in her head, and landed on his daughter, her niece. She almost giggled. Almost.

In reality Sam had rarely been this nervous. She had hosted dinner parties for politicians, and royalty, but nothing it seemed had prepared her for this. She did so want to make a good impression. She wanted her brother to feel welcome, well she wanted much more than that, she wanted to lock him in a room and make him stay with them so she chould get to know him better. It was a good thing he couldn't read her mind or she'd probably have scared him to death.

But the truth was, she felt like just as much of an outsider as he did. Well a little better off perhaps since she was at least accusomed to the role, and she had lived here for a while now, still she understood what it was like to be thrust into a new world and feel alone in it.

Her poor father felt more helpless than anybody. If only there was a way to shrug off the uncertainty, but there wasn't, that would take time.

Pfft. Forget time, Sam wasn't about to make it awkward, " Oh she's so adorable Jay." she said her eyes softening.

[Andrea Fairchild]

Andrea was just as shy. She was an outsider, not related by blood or anything, but she knew Christine, and she knew Christopher, and the rest of the family had made her feel welcome which was surprising all things considered. Being from a wealthy family herself she knew that usually Prominent families liked to reserve good behavior for those they deemed prominent, she was just a lowly cabinboy...er girl, which spoke even less for her decorum and propriety.

To their knowledge she was a nobody, although Edward sometimes smiled at her as if he knew all her secrets, he was a disturbing man. One that she liked very much. In fact Andrea found that if she spent enough time there, and really she had already spent enough time there, that she could come to quite love them all.

She moved behind Christopher and when he finished introducing himself she smiled up at Jarred and gave him a perky expression, " I'm Andrea, and I've just gone through the outsider role, it's about time they had a new one. It's quite nice of them to only stare when they think you're not looking." she teased.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine nodded to her brother and applied a smile to her face, she was learning how to do it, though she had lost the will to care, but she could smile now if she used all her energy. She didn't like looking so downtrodden in front of her parents, and in front of Geoff, but there was just a sickening feeling in her stomach that had yet to go away, and it was hard to smile when it was there.

"I hear people talking...Jarred's probably here."

[Edward Montgomery]

Edward's breath had caught and held. That was his son, and in his son's arms was his grandchild. His very first grandchild, who of course if she stuck around would be spoiled quite completely. He didn't get to raise his own children, and it kept coming back to that particular heartache. He wasn't there, he wasn't allowed to be there, not for Sam, and not for Jarred.

It tore at him that he couldn't love them growing up, well he had loved Sam, but he wasn't able to show it to her, and now Jarred, whom he already felt such a deep bond for, he wasn't able to show his care to his boy growing up, and he hardly knew anything about him...well that wasn't true anymore. After Jarred left the first time Edward had flown into a determination that bordered on madness, he had the most discreet of detectives figure out who the hell his son was. He had Jarred's school records, where he had grown up, background checks on who his parents were. He didn't feel the least bit guilty, he still resented Jarred's adoptive parents for keeping him a secret all these years, but mostly he just wanted to know...needed to know, that his son grew up happy...unlike his daughter.

He nodded to Jarred when the boy...the man really, acknowledged him but he couldn't form words yet...he still felt so awkward himself, and still when Sam mentioned how adorable Evie was Edward's eyes latched immediately on his grandchild.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey didn't let go of Christine or Riley's hands until they entered the dining room. Of the three of them, he was the sort of self-appointed spokesperson, and when he saw the unfamiliar figure talking to Sam and Edward, he naturally assumed this was Jarred. He pasted on a smile as he approached them and held out his hand.

"You must be Jarred," he said. "I'm Geoffrey."