by H. M. Wolfe
Mallory Stark, Ramsay's boss, had recommended the house. He was in charge of all the details for their move, and the rent was incredibly cheap for a residence that size. In the short week, since they'd moved, the two children had thrived. Tarann's progress was fantastic since he didn't feel excluded anymore. He was pulling out of his shell bit by bit, each day more than the previous one.
However, the teenager still hadn't started to paint again, and that worried Ramsay to some degree, but Roderick was confident. He kept saying that all the boy needed to be the right motivation, an impulse, something that would make him rediscover the pleasure of painting and to make him connect with his art again.
''Where are you guys going? What's with all the bags and suitcases?'' the man heard his daughter's voice, most likely talking to her brother.
''From Monday on, everybody at the office is on Christmas vacation, so we're accompanying dad to that Connecticut mansion he was invited to for the holidays. You better grab a bite and start packing your bags, too.'' Ramsay answered. ''First things first. Do you want something to eat? I can fix a quick plate.'' he offered.
''A sandwich would be great. I could eat it on our way there, and you could make one for each kid, too.'' Mattie kissed her brother on the cheek. ''You are the best in the world!''
''Yeah, yeah.'' the man smirked. ''Once a sweet-talker, always a sweet-talker. Tess will be more than happy to help you with your bags so that you can finish quicker.''
''These two are the last ones.'' Tarann came downstairs, carrying two heavy suitcases. ''They are grandpa's. Hello, Mattie, you're coming with us, too, aren't you?'' he asked, his dark-green eyes shining with hope.
''Of course, sweetie,'' the woman kissed her nephew on the forehead. ''I'll change my clothes, and then we can go. If you guys are ready?''
About twenty minutes later, the Stanfords loaded the trunks of Ramsay and Roderick's cars with all the bags, then took off to their destination. A million questions about their host and the reason behind the invitation were roiling inside Roderick's head, but the man managed to push them back. He kept telling himself that he would find out all the answers once they got there.
The mansion was one of the most imposing residences Roderick had ever seen in his entire life. The harmoniously combined design elements were offering a pleasing visual effect. The beautiful scenery was completed by all the foliage and trees surrounding the mansion. And by the perfectly manicured lawn in front of it.
The cold season had stripped the place of its lush greenery, but Roderick could easily imagine the splendid view they must be offered all summer long. He and Ramsay parked their cars on the long, wide driveway, and the passengers started to get out one by one.
Meanwhile, a man in his early fifties, judging by his appearance, appeared at the top of the stairs. He was accompanied by an older, fragile lady who was leaning on him. The two started to slowly go down the stairs; until they reached the bottom.
''My name is Alastair Stark, and together with my mother Zoe, I have the honor of welcoming you into my home and heart,'' he said in a pleasant voice, completed by a charming smile. ''Please, follow me inside.''
''T
he pleasure is entirely ours.'' Roderick returned the smile, heading to go up the stairs. ''Let me help you, ma'am.'' he turned to the lady, whose face was graced by a warm, maternal smile.
''Thank you, my dear,'' she said in a soft voice, looking into the man's eyes. ''You turned out to be a fine gentleman and a very handsome one. Your mother must be very proud of you,'' the lady commented.
''Well, I hope she is watching me right now, ma'am.'' Roderick sighed. ''My mother passed away when I was twelve, but she was an angel even when she was alive.''
''I'm very sorry to hear that, dear.'' The lady's voice was genuinely sad and sincere, and all of a sudden, she looked fragile and vulnerable.
''Bat, come back here! Give me that garland!'' the amused voice of a boy came from the inside, making Alastair shake his head, amused. ''Dargon, you are not playing nice, mistletoe garlands are for...shit!''
The unfortunate teen tripped over his own feet, and, had he not been caught by Tarann, the blond would have fallen down the stairs. The two boys stared for a second into one another's eyes, pure innocence, and sweetness written on their faces. Ramsay's son's pulse quickened, his breath becoming slightly labored.
Without a word, Tarann helped the blond back onto his feet, making sure he was steady enough before letting him go. The emerald eyes examined each part of the other boy's body, searching for signs of discomfort or pain. A faint smile appeared on the young man's face when he didn't notice any.
''Uh-oh!'' Alastair winked, ''last time I checked, mistletoe was for decorating rooms during Christmas, so people who kiss under it could live happily ever after, not for shit, Kellin.''
''Sorry for the not-so-elegant expression.'' the blond violently blushed, lowering his gaze. ''But the bat...Never mind.'' he extended a hand in Tarann's direction.''Kellin Braginsky. Nice to meet you.''
''Tarann Stanford, nice to meet you, too.'' the redhead tentatively touched the hand, then lightly squeezed it. ''You have a fascinating name.'' he smiled.
Alastair cleared his throat, his eyes veiled by emotion. ''With your permission, boys. We need to move inside. Otherwise, all of us risk turning into ice statues.''
''Mister Stark is right.'' Kellin nodded. ''Everyone else is inside, even that rascal of a mistletoe-stealing bat.'' he gave Tarann a small, shy smile.
''It is cute and doesn't look like a bat at all. It rather looks like a miniature dragon, with a little tail and everything. Does it spit fire too?''
''No, Dargon is a wimpy bat, and that's all. Alasdair is the Spitfire.'' Kellin wrapped an arm around Tarann's waist, gently guiding him to the grand reception hall. ''He yells at everyone and keeps all the guys at the base in line. Even Seymour, Landon, and Lothier, who's kinda scary.''
''Hey, cute face! Where do you think you are taking my brother? He stays with the rest of us.'' Tess hissed protectively, examining her brother's expression.
''To decorate the great reception hall and meet the others. Where do you think?'' Kellin shrugged, his voice soft. ''Come on, you can join us, too. Natalina will welcome you with open arms. Let's leave the grown-ups to talk...grown-up stuff.''
''Yes, children. It's ok; you can go with this very well-behaved, nice young man.'' Roderick smiled benevolently, while Ramsay nodded in approval. He was thrilled to see Tarann interacting so well with kids his age.
''Come on, they will be happy to see you.'' Kellin grinned, showing the way. ''Here we are.'' he gestured around the vast reception hall. ''Welcome to the chaos.''
''Hey, new kid! Can you help me with this?'' a pair of sky-blue eyes insistently stared at Tarann. ''All the boys around me are shorties.'' the little girl said in a theatrical voice, rolling her eyes.
''Thank you very much, cousin.'' a black-haired teen, with the bluest eyes Tarann and Tess had ever seen, put his hands over the left side of the chest, in a dramatic gesture. ''To call me shorty...now that hurt.''
''Sorry, not sorry, Gabriel.'' the blond little girl huffed. ''But you and the other tall guys are never in sight. You are too busy having Gerrard's back when he goes kissy-kissy with Claran. I saw them.'' the girl pointed an accusative finger in an apparently random direction.
''Just ignore Carrie-Louise, and everything will be fine.'' the teen extended a hand in the Stanford siblings' direction, a pleading look on his face. ''She's a nice kid, but sometimes...''
''The little ones tend to exaggerate some things a lot,'' Tarann smirked, scratching the back of his head and winking in the little girl's direction at the same time. ''Let's see how can I help you, little lady.'' he bowed a little.
In a matter of seconds, the newcomers were at the center of attention. Each child wanted a piece of them, especially the Brentano triplets and the Bloom twin girls, Salome and Margot. With a triumphant grin, Carrie-Louise took Tarann's hand, dragging him t
o the section she and the Bloom-Ballard triplets were decorating.
Lazarus was also there, but, to the little girl's chagrin, the only tall boy was taken by her cousin Lochlin. He kept asking him for help every time he couldn't reach a spot that, in his opinion, needed a decoration. Emery and Julien did their teamwork without complaining about harder to reach places, because they knew that the tall boys would come behind them, finishing the work.
''Peyton will arrive at the mansion today,'' Carrie-Louise informed Tarann and Tess, in a know-it-all voice. ''They are bringing baby Christopher here for the first time. Have you seen him? Everyone else has. Mom says he's really tiny, but healthy and hungry all the time.''
''Oh, really?'' Tarann smiled, amused by the little girl's attitude and the number of words she spoke per second.
''Really!'' she nodded slowly. ''His name is Christopher because he was born right before Christmas, and also Benjamin. Li said that was Uncle Thaddeus's name before, and Peyton thought to give it a fresh start.''
''Good. Everyone deserves a second chance.'' Tarann tentatively touched the little girl's head. ''Well, almost everyone.'' he continued, saddened, thinking about his step-mother and her children. ''Some people are plain mean.''
''Yes, you're right.'' Carrie-Louise's voice was sad and small. ''The bad man, for example. Mom couldn't stay with me because of him, and I had to be quiet most of the time, so he wouldn't come and take me away. Uncle Ardan would have killed the bad man, he was very angry when Li told him, but that was a long time ago.''
''Well, I'm glad the bad man didn't bother you after that.'' Tarann picked the girl up, hugging her in his arms. ''Because your uncle stayed out of trouble. I would have killed him, too, had he tried to harm you.''
''Carrie-Louise, I'm going out with Kieran, maybe I'll paint a little, too. Do you want to come with us?'' a fragile, blue-eyed, black-haired boy appeared from nowhere. ''Hi, I'm Colin.'' he extended his hand. ''Nice to meet you.''
''Glad to meet you, too. I'm Tarann.'' the teenager smiled, crouching and putting the girl down. ''Can I accompany you? I want to watch you paint,'' he asked in an excitement-filled voice.
''Yes, Uncle Thaddeus brings the painting supplies, and he also finds the best spots with the most beautiful views.'' Colin nodded solemnly. ''He's grandma's older brother, the best uncle in the world. Second best, actually. Quinlan is in the first place, together with Uncle Ardan.''
Tarann smiled, listening to the little boy's stories about his Uncle Ardan, a sort of defender of the weak and helpless. He even climbed the tallest tree with agility and disentangled all the kites with incredible skill. He also had the difficult task of finding the little one's toys when they were losing or forgetting them.
And then there was Lorcan; he'd kick the ass of anyone messing with him or Kieran. Colin continued his story in a solemn voice, mostly to Tarann's delight. And of course, there was Cousin Alasdair, who was special just because. His hair was red as a flame, and Uncle Ardan cared very much about him. Alasdair was the little boy's hero, and he had the super-power of healing everyone in their family.
The little boy's voice was a balm to Tarann's still aching soul, and he could listen to his stories about the incredible men in that family for hours, without getting tired or bored. The teen couldn't stop wondering where all those children came from if they belonged to the same family and where their parents were. The boy felt he could spend all day surrounded by the happy, laughing kiddies.
Meanwhile, Alastair, Mallory, and Zoe took Roderick, Ramsay, Duncan, and Mattie on a tour of the whole mansion, with the library as the final destination. There, the guests were invited to try the refreshments and sandwiches Willa and Donna Rosa had prepared specially for the occasion. After trying a little bit of everything, the Stanfords were relaxing into the comfortable seats and examining their hosts.
''Thank you for the hospitality.'' Roderick broke the silence that had started to become awkward. ''But I'm dying of curiosity to find out the reason why we're here.''
''I don't know how to say this.'' Alastair cleared his throat. ''So I'll let the evidence speak for me. Here,'' he offered the man an envelope, ''is the genetic profile of my firstborn, Tyler, compared with that of your older son, Ramsay. The results speak for themselves.''
''65% match? Are they siblings?'' Roderick frowned deeply.
''No, first cousins.'' the former Supreme Dragon smiled tentatively. ''Their fathers are brothers. Half-brothers, to be more specific. You and I have the same father.''
''That's not possible. My parents were deeply in love; my mother would have known, she would have realized...''
''Dad, listen to Mister Stark, please.'' Ramsay lightly touched his father's arm. ''His words will bring light into this tangled matter. I think he wants to say the Earl of Stanford was not your biological father. Am I right?''
''Your parents were very much in love with each other.'' Zoe sighed heavily. ''But external circumstances put their happiness in danger. My husband and I were the only friends they could confide in, so we stepped up to help them.''
''Help them...how? By allowing my mother to sleep with your husband? What kind of help was that?'' Roderick was downright revolted at the thought.
''No,'' Alastair said, his voice barely audible. ''By giving your parents the chance to have a child, to have you. The Earl was your father from the beginning to the end. He must have loved you desperately, with every fiber of his being. Just as much as you love your own children.''
Roderick didn't reply. Eyes closed, head tilted back, the man recalled the few memories he had with his father. And he couldn't remember him other than smiling or laughing happily each time the then-three-year-old was around. He would pick up the small child and tickle him, wrap his strong arms around the little body, and cover his cute face in kisses.
And then, the image of two men talking to each other, spitting venomous words about the Earl, came to the surface. Roderick recognized the voices and the faces as belonging to his uncles, the Earl's younger brothers, who couldn't stand him or his mother. They were frustrated about not being able to get the little, weak pup and the obnoxious bitch out of the way because their influence didn't extend to New Jersey.
Several days after witnessing the scene, little Roderick was struck with grief at the news of his father's death. His body was too weak to fight against the devastating effects of the poison; his relatives whispered among themselves after the funeral. Surprisingly enough, the Earl's brothers were absent from the funeral.
''There was a tradition in the Stark family, in my husband's branch, to be more specific.'' Zoe's dreamy voice broke the silence, making Roderick focus on the immediate reality. ''The firstborns' names all started with A: my husband was Anthony, his older son, Adam, then Alastair. It was the same in the Stanford family, the name of the firstborns started with R.''
''Yes, indeed. My father's name was Randolph; my firstborn is Ramsay; Duncan's middle name is Rhett.'' Roderick slightly dipped his head in Zoe's direction. ''I always wondered why my parents gave me two names when all the Stanford men had only one, but now I know.'' the man lowered his head.
''Let me show you something.'' Alastair had just left his seat when Tyler, Rayne, and Ava appeared in the library's doorway, cheeks blushed from the cold, eyes shining.
''Sorry about not coming sooner,'' Rayne started to say. ''But I had an emergency. It was that poor kid Rusty again. I can't figure out what's inside him. Sorry if this situation I have at work casts a shadow on your stay here.'' he headed to Roderick, hand extended. ''Rayne Stark, nice to meet you.''
''Oh, dad! Look at those two.'' Mattie swooned, pointing between her older brother and Alastair's younger son. ''They look like twins, except for the beard.''
''Same as you and Ava, my dear.'' Zoe's maternal smile warmed the young woman's heart. ''But you inherited the facial structure of your grandmother, she was a stunning woman.''
''Am I missing something?'' Tyler stepped into the library, sporting a full,
bright smile. ''You're finally here.'' he shook hands with Roderick and Ramsay, stopping a little to examine Duncan. ''You are a very handsome young man. I've heard a lot about your strong will and determination. I'm proud to meet you in person.''
''Since all my beloved children are here now,'' Alastair spoke in an affectionate, pride-filled voice, ''I couldn't think of a better moment to show you what I intended to when they arrived. Please, follow me.''
Gesturing to the entrance hall, the former Supreme Dragon went ahead of his guests and children, holding Zoe's hand, which was slightly shaking. Once in the monumental hall, the group took a turn into the corridor where the portraits of the Stark family's ancestors were displayed. They then stopped in front of the last one in the row.