CARBON COPY

Chapter 16: Another Long Cold Night

Chapter 16: Another Long Cold Night

The Windward Estate, Southbound, Hillcrest Way, Baltiney, New York...

      Finally arriving home due to Simon's expert driving in the wake of the downpour, both Silas Windward II and his rather tipsy wife Beth filed out of the car in the middle of the night and amid the still pouring rain. She'd been still upset with him about everything which included his knocking out her lover at the hotel. She stumbled as she attempted to climb out of the car and Silas II did his best to guide his drunken wife into the large house they shared with their children. It had been a sixteen-bedroom mansion by all accounts with an outdoor pool, and other recreational areas in a rather fine gated area. They had servants on the clock but they had been more or less living off the estate due to Beth's preference. There had been a court of sorts and a courtyard with a water fountain a good bit of decor to Beth's liking as Silas II attempted to make it as close to her dream home as possible. She had not believed he'd be able to make it a sixteen-bedroom mansion but he'd done it just to please her. The astronomical costs had been nothing to him as he'd been a multi-billionaire after all. He had tried his best during their marriage to make her feel every bit as loved and appreciated as he could despite her later resentment of him. 

They stumbled into the dark house careful not to awaken the children or security as Beth shoved passed him, nearly falling in the entrance hall as she shuffled off toward their formerly shared bedroom. She couldn't stand the sight of him once the heavy mansion door had been closed and she no longer had to play pretend. He had left her in the master bedroom in the wake of Kathy's death and slept in one of the spare guest bedrooms if he had even slept at all. Most of the time he'd spend a good deal of his time in his study closed off from the world and the rest of the house working until he collapsed due to his inability to get much sleep. 

"Don't touch me...I don't need your help...I can get to bed on my own." hissed Beth as she marched passed him. 

Silas II stood in relative silence as he took care to lock up before slowly trailing behind her far enough to not alert her to his being behind her but close enough to rush to her aid should she need it. 

He watched her head into their formerly shared bedroom and slam the door behind her. He stood at the top of the stairs outside the door for a few moments knowing all too well that she locked the door. He stepped away from it and headed toward his study without a word knowing he'd been in for a long night given he had not been tired. As Silas II made his way toward his study he didn't notice that his youngest child had come toward the door of his bedroom and peeked out into the hall.

The chubby young man with messy hair in wild curls had caught a glimpse of his father's retreating form as he made his way to the study knowing all too well that he'd only linger for breakfast and it would be only a matter of time before his mother and sister started in on him about their issues and throw Kathy's death in his face the moment he didn't agree with something they wanted, it was how every morning seemed to play out ever since that eventful afternoon when they'd gotten that awful call. 

Everett "Rhett" Silas Elrod Windward had been the only son of Silas Windward II and the youngest child but he'd been more sensitive when it came to the atmosphere of the household and much more perceptive than anyone gave him credit for. He had not hated his father as his mother and sister claimed to whenever they'd gotten the chance. It had been the exact opposite for him, he loved his father very much and looked up to him quite a bit. 

Despite being a relatively unremarkable and quiet boy given to social awkwardness, Rhett had taken note more often than not of the times his mother and sister had been outright cruel towards his father which always prompted him to leave early or arrive so late that everyone had gone to bed. He spent a good deal of time at the office or his study behind a closed door and preoccupied himself with paperwork. Rhett couldn't even recall the last time his father had even smiled since his elder sister Kathy's death and the brazen tactics of his mother and only living sister had not made it any better.