“And just when did you decide that Oberon? Because when the packet came from Bolivia informing about Cedric’s death, I know that you were still playing the field and that was not even three months ago. And are you trying to tell me that within such a short amount of time you have suddenly changed into a man who is dedicated to his wife and his son and not to mention has become monogamous as well?” asked Virginia…
The package from Bolivia. The last and the only contact made by his father to him.
Oberon could not believe that it had already been three months to that and in all this time he had not thought about it for once. It was a weird irony that he had barely given a thought to the package and letter from since the time that Rhonda had told him about Ruriel. However it as the truth that what was his father’s fantasy of the ideal life and family for his sake was now shap
Far from acknowledging his expression and the exit line that he had just thrown a few moments earlier, Virginia’s face suddenly lit up with the excitement of having seized an insight that answered everything on her terms. In her world and in her terms everything could be answered by money.“The inheritance!! That is what this marriage is about, isn’t it? You denied that Cedric had left you anything at all, but why would he send me a fabulous emerald necklace, and not give you, his own son anything at all? You deserve so much more…and he knew that and you knew that as well. So marrying Rhonda Grint is simply your ticket to the Hunter fortune,” said Virginia which was more like a triumphant declaration.Oberon’s stomach contracted at the sickening equation that his mother had been a
Rhonda was playing with Ruriel, as his morning ritual and singing rhymes to him as he was smiling and kicking his arms and legs in happiness. This was nothing akin to lullaby so she knew that she wanted her son to have the proper reaction pattern to all her verbal cues and she was also working on the hand and eye co-ordination of her son. There would be a lot of teachers who would come along later on but Rhonda knew that nothing, after all nothing at all beat what a mother’s love meant to the baby.So when the housekeeper came and informed her that there was a guest who had been shown the parlour and was waiting for her there, she was a bit shocked. Not a lot of people were aware of this new address and she had certainly not invited someone. Rhonda checked her appearance in the mirror, and saw that she was in a skin-tight denim and a pale aqua shirt of silk. She had chosen this combination because Oberon loved seeing the
By the time, Virginia Credence finally took her leave, Rhonda felt that the bottom had dropped out of her brave new world with Oberon and she was free-falling into the most miserable darkness of her life. At least she had cobbled up enough pride together so that she had not let anything show outwardly or Oberon’s mother could not have realized how much pain she had delivered but that was little solace for the total shattering of her private little fantasy.The whole black irony was that she had always believed that Oberon’s world and this marriage would never involve them in the property trap. After all, she did not have any reason to not believe him as well. There was nothing to be gotten out of property and they both had more than enough to last three life times. He did not need any part of her wealth and she did not need any part of his wealth. Rhonda had never in the word thought that there could be any other p
Something was wrong.Oberon could not understand what it was and neither could he put his fingers on it exactly but he knew that Rhonda was not being her usual self and that made him uncomfortable. During the hour before dinner which was designated as playtime with Ruriel, he always made sure that the three of them will be spending the time together. It was the time when they would interact with their son as a unit before he was put to his crib with a bottle. But tonight her eyes did not light up readily with the smiles and laughter. No amusing anecdotes of their son’s daily activities were offered.She seemed quiet, withdrawn and pre-occupied. Only joining in fun of playing with Ruriel when Oberon drew him in. And then he sensed that it was taking her real effort to feel or show any sense of pleasure at what they were doing in reality. Her mind seemed else where, miles away and not clicking with
Oberon thought that his half-brothers and sisters might have been adopted out, or led to believe that other men were their fathers, as he had once believed Roderick Lachlan was his. In which case the news of his death and consecutive letters from Bolivia could well be causing as much upheaval in their lives as had eventuated for him.“Possessions can be important to people,” Rhonda commented wryly.“They are certainly to my mother,” Oberon answered with feeling, frowning on her aid fixation with the Hunter estate. He did not care if it went to his other half-siblings It might make a positive difference in their lives.. A wonderful windfall. To him it would be always tainted…a gift from death, not from life. He had no need of it and he certainly wanted no part in it.“Well Virginia certainly knows how it was or what it was like to be without
Rhonda sat at the dressing table in the master bedroom, brushing her hair, trying to calm her inner agitation with steady, repetitive action. She had her own furniture around her here, having it brought from her home in Randwick. It really did not match the room or the house and the colours clashed. But it at least gave her a sense of comfortable familiarity.She had put on a wrap-around silk robe, a blue silk and lace negligee which was the part of the lingerie set that she had brought around for their honeymoon. It was designed to look alluring but seduction was the farthest thing from her mind right at the moment. It was really not on her agenda tonight. She had felt too vulnerable for the uninhibited nakedness that Oberon had encouraged in their bedroom. Though the robe did not do much about taking away the nakedness but it at least took the chill away from her.The room, rather the entire house ha
“November, 15th,” burst out of her tongue.“What about it?” he shot back.“That was the day you called me wanting to set up a meeting asking if I had come back from Las Vegas or not. You said that you had been waiting from me to get back from there. You said that you had missed me,” said Rhonda.“I did miss you but I did not say that I was waiting for you to be back from Vegas. I had said that Libby was back in Sydney so since you were her PR it was logical that you would be back with her as well. I thought that you were back home with her,” said Oberon.It jolted the swirling chaos in her mind to a stand still and calmer and sober re-assessment. His recollection of the words spoken were far more accurate than hers and he had not lied to her even then. But he had not spoken the truth either.
Rhonda lay very still, absorbing the passion pumping from Oberon deeply moved by it yet she was wretchedly unsure that how much of this caring was actually aimed at her. When his mouth crashed down to hers, ruthlessly aimed at making her feel it, she did not let its wild marauding, letting her lips respond to every pressure that he subjected them to, moving her tongue to the driving command of his, mentally registering every erotic sensation that he incited in her and feeling familiar bursts of desire deep inside her body.Just go with them, she told herself.Oberon might have just as well chosen her to marry for the sake of proving something about himself. He could very well be alive and continue to be satisfied with living as his wife of choice. As the situation stood---she and Ruriel were standing as the personal beneficiaries to the man that Oberon was which he was stood to become instead of contin
Oberon had planned to give this party before they left for Bolivia, its purpose to publicly celebrate their marriage which he still felt was the important thing to do. Their happiness together, he declared, would confound everyone and make it a scintillating affair, all the guests, glittering madly around them and trying to shine lights on cracks in their relationship and forced to concede failure because there were none.And that was certainly happening tonight, thought Rhonda, secretly amused by some of the outrageous questions that had been tossed at her and Oberon tonight as they stood arm in arm, greeting and chatting up with the guests who were rolling up despite the short notice. The whole A-list of Sydney society was agog with discussion to assess the newly married couple and how on earth had they been able to buy the place at Piper point as a family home.Besides, people generally wished them
Rhonda knew intuitively that he would retreat from her if she did not show her that she believed in him. Now was the moment to capture the intimacy that they had not reached before.”I am sorry that I listened to your mother. She conjured up things that have plagued my life and although I tried to look past them, I needed you to set them aside for me, to make me feel right with you again,” said Rhonda.“Have I done that?” asked Oberon, with blazing intensity in his gaze.“Yes,” she answered emphatically.” Yes, you have.”“Good!” A fierce triumph blazed from his eyes,” Because you are right for me, Rhonda. So very right for me. In every possible way that there is.”It would be easy now to revel in the rightness that he felt with her, to hold him to herself an
Oberon set down the towel that he had used to wipe down the water from his body and then drew Rhonda in a loose embrace as he focused his mind on speaking the truth on seeking the best path towards understanding. He rested his forehead lightly on hers and almost like he needed their minds to meet.“You have a family,” he started,” It may be dysfunctional but you have met every single member of it. You know what they are like. You know which cousins you like and which you hate. You know where they come from and you know what they can do. You can mix both freely with them, both on your mother’s side and on your father’s side.”Her shoulders pulled back, muscle tensing, whether in impatience or resistance he could not tell but she was in tune with this talk about her family.“That’s not to say that you were not alone, Rhonda. I know
Oberon felt too raw, too angry, too exposed, to be anywhere near Rhonda or near their son. He was not in the right state of mind to be taking care of Ruriel either. It was wrong to use his own fatherhood as a blindfold to the churning hatred stirred by his father’s attitude towards himself and his brothers and sisters…owing all of them nothing except their lives and not even each other. He had to deal with this all alone and then move past it…he had to step forward in the future.He sought out Karen, the nurse for Ruriel who was now an integral part of their household, finding her in the nursery quarters where Ruriel was due to have his morning nap. Having left his son in her care, he decided that what he needed at the moment was some of the hard mindless, physical exertion to get off from this sickening inner turbulence that was churning his insides.Oberon headed to the boatshed b
“Don’t you see it?” roared Oberon,” Don’t you get how obscene this is? We are not his sons and daughters.. we are not his children…we are just performing monkeys for him…who will perform the tricks and he will enjoy it from hell or wherever he is!!”He threw out his hands in furious disgust and then he advanced in the direction of Ferrera with his hands moving animatedly,” And you…you are the other director of the circus to make sure that we perform right, isn’t it? Having fun, are you? Seeing how well the outcast bastards are going to come back into Cedric Hunter’s fold when he dangles the carrot of money in front of all of us? Are you making sure of handing out the rewards to us like the good performing monkeys get peanuts when they finished their act?”Ferrera stiffened in the face of the oncoming attack and said,&rdquo
“Serendipity, yes,” Oberon bit his words concededly,” But my marriage to Rhonda had nothing to do with the conditions that my father laid down for inheriting a part of his estate which he supposed too be my worth and my share.”“The inheritance…” the lawyer gestured his hands indicating that it was simply an ambivalent factor.” Cedric simply used that as a power tool to drive you to re-appraising your life from the way that you were leading it when you received the letter a few months ago? It worked, did it not?”Breath hissed out from Oberon’s clenched teeth. He was steaming at this manipulation which was being orchestrated from the grave however Rhonda reasoned that it had actually done him no harm. Even if it was the rebellion against the way that Cedric Hunter had lived his life still then it had led them to here where they shared togethe
The furious words crackled across the room as Oberon charged through it, barely clothed in one of the white toweling robes kept at the dressing room of the terrace pool. It hung loosely at his shoulders, gaping at the front because he clearly had not stopped long enough to drag the edges together and do up the tie-belt. The brief black swimsuit that he wore underneath was clearly visible.Ruriel, probably still naked as he had been in the pool was wrapped in a towel and riding in the crook of his father’s arm, his little face looking brilliantly alert to the fascination of his father in steaming attack mode, his gaze following Oberon’s other arm as it stabbed out at Mr. Ferrera then swept back, pointing to the door.“Get out of our home!” he roared.“Oberon!!” The shock literally exploded from Rho
Rhonda was in the dining room, watching the apple-green silk curtains being put up. She had this warm snuggly feeling inside her that this was not a house anymore. And was gradually turning into their home. It was not a showcase of intimidating possessions but a place which soon become pleasing, harmonious and comfortable.Rhonda was not expecting any visitors. It was Saturday and morning was not a time for people to call, especially in their home not without an appointment. It surprised her greatly when their newly appointed housekeeper, Betsy came into the dining room to find her and to hand her a business card and announce,” I have put the gentleman in the parlour, Mrs. Hunter.”The gentleman. The rather old fashioned term and the respectful tone on the housekeeper’s voice immediately piqued Rhonda’s interest. The extremely efficient Betsy was only in her later forties and ha
We lie quietly for a few minutes more, and my hand now travels down your body, reaching your ass where I begin to lightly stroke you there. I know how much you like being petted there, and sure enough, after a few moments I begin to feel your nipples harden on my chest."Get up, sweetie," I whisper in your ear. You climb off of me, and sit on the bed, looking down at me. I can now see just how hard your nipples are, jutting out from your breasts hanging down on your body."Come up here," I say, pointing to the middle of the bed, "and kneel." You do as instructed, kneeling and facing the headboard. "Good girl - now bend over and put your head on the pillow." You comply with my instruction, putting you in one of my favorite positions. Your arms are folded, your head between them resting on the pillow, your pass pointing up into the air. I move around behind you, and gentle nudge your knees, moving them farther apa