#52 (Alison places the blame on Nicholas…)
Due to the fact that the summer season had officially ended, the Kingsport Country Club went through its usual rounds of draining the outdoor swimming pools, putting the pool chairs into storage, and preparing for autumnal festivities. As Nicholas Davenport watched the ground crews work from the comfort of his table in the dining room, he couldn’t stop thinking about Will. No matter what had happened between them years ago, Nicholas never would have wished that sort of sheer humiliation on him. Nicholas didn’t know Connor at all, but he knew Will and Will wasn’t the sort of person to be callous that he deserved to be left at the altar.
“May I join you?”
Nicholas was startled from his reverie to find Alison Farrell Montgomery standing across from him. He sat up straight before saying, “Of course.” Nicholas eyed Alison carefully as she sat down, waved over a waiter, and ordered a vodka martini. “How’s Will?”
Alison let out a defeated sigh. “He was much better before you came back to Kingsport,” charged Alison. “I want to know what went on between you and Billy.”
“Hold on, Mrs. Montgomery! What happened on Will and Connor’s wedding day has nothing to do with me.”
“How can you be so vapid? It has everything to do with you,” spat Alison. She took a deep breath as the waiter dropped off her martini and vanished. “You know how much Billy loves you!”
Nicholas avoided eye contact with Alison. He’d known this woman his entire life. She was his mother’s best friend. He was Will’s mother. However, despite those two things, Nicholas couldn’t stand Alison Farrell Montgomery. He found her to be cold, aloof, entitled, and without any genuine feeling. Furthermore, she valued her life in Paris over the lives of her children, which she’d proved time and time again. “Mrs. Montgomery, I haven’t seen or spoken to Will in years. He and Connor have been together for, what? Two years? Whatever happened to cause Connor to walk out on Will has absolutely nothing to do with me! The fact that you would even suggest I’m to blame is insulting.”
“I know how my son feel about you.”
“How? It’s not as if you’ve ever taken an active role in his life.”
“How dare you!”
“How dare I? Come off it, Mrs. Montgomery. I dated Will for four years. I know how toxic you are to your children, especially Will. The games you play with them to gain your affection… How you drift in and out of their lives when it’s convenient for you! It’s a wonder Will is as well-adjusted as he is. It’s a shame the same can’t be said about India.”
“You leave my daughter out of this!”
“I will as long as you leave me out of the detritus that is Will and Connor’s relationship.”
“They were happy before you came back to town, Nicholas. Can’t you see that something must have shifted?”
Nicholas instantly remembered the kiss he shared with Will on Labor Day. It felt like old times. It felt right and wrong at the same time. Even though Nicholas had pulled away seconds after it happened, he would have been a liar to say he didn’t enjoy every minute of it. “I can’t see how anything has shifted because I haven’t been here to witness it.”
“Then talk to Billy…”
“What? No!”
“If you two are supposed to be friends…”
“I’ve already talked to Will.”
“You have?”
“Yes. I talked to him before the wedding and on Labor Day.” Nicholas stopped himself before adding, “Mrs. Montgomery, Will and Connor were already having problems. Other than that, you need to talk to Will.”
“Billy won’t talk to any of us. He won’t even talk to Warren.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do.”
“I think there is. Nicholas, according to my son, you were his first love. That kind of love leaves a lasting imprint on one’s heart. Maybe seeing you stirred up those old feelings which made Billy uncertain about his future with Connor.”
Nicholas let out an exasperated sigh as he finished his beer. “You’re clutching at straws.”
“I want my son to be happy.”
“He will be. One day. Who’s to say he didn’t dodge a bullet by not marrying Connor?”
Alison chewed on this for a moment. Yes, she’d voiced her own concerns about Will’s marriage to Connor, but she never thought their relationship would end up like this. “I suppose we’ll never know,” she replied stoically.
“Look, if you want my opinion, give Will space. From what I know about him, he needs time to process everything. Once he does, he’ll open up. Until then, just leave him alone.”
“I can’t!”
“You’ll have to!” Nicholas opened his wallet, dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the table, and stood up. “If you want to be there for Will, then be there for him. Don’t try to blame me or anyone else for Connor’s actions. Your son is a wonderful man and, one day, he will find his soulmate. Until then, I can’t help you, Mrs. Montgomery. Have a good day.”
As Alison watched Nicholas Davenport walk out of the country club’s dining room, she pondered his words. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Nicholas knew Will better than most people in the world. With the demise of Will and Connor’s relationship on her mind, Alison couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Nicholas was the one to blame because, little did anyone else know, she’d witnessed the kiss Will and Nicholas shared two days before the wedding…
In our next installment, Barbara deals with an emergency…
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