Getting the news on Cascade Hall

Thad Pierce

January 20, 2012 11:42 AM

Getting the news by Thad Pierce

Thad frowned at the letter he had just received from his parents. There were two very significant pieces of information in it and he wasn't quite sure how to take either of them. Somehow, between when he left yesterday morning, and when this letter was written earlier today, the entire structure of his family had changed. He was not sure if he should be more impressed that Berta had predicted exactly this shift in the order of descent, or to be glad that how it had come about was a little different.

The first part wasn't surprising. There had been a fifty-fifty chance that Wesley's kid would be a son, and if he'd had a daughter, Wesley would just inflict more children on the world until he did get a son. So the existence of Winston Pierce was mildly threatening, but not anything that Thad hadn't already planned for. It improved Wesley's position, but Thaddeus was still ranked higher by his father's birth order if not his own. Nobody would elevate Marcus's family over Father's unless Thaddeus or his parents did something exceedingly stupid. Thad did not think that was very likely. He was being very good and consorting only with those on the approved list unless it was completely unavoidable, and then he remained politely distant. He believed his behavior to be completely above reproach here at Sonora.

He'd made sure of it because of the second item in his parents' letter. Derry Four was no longer a New Hampshire Pierce. He hadn't been disowned, however, which was how Thaddeus had expected that to come about, and it left him feeling both relieved and confused. There was a very clear code of conduct for interacting with disowned family member: it was forbidden absolutely. It had been the worst part about Berta's prediction that Derry would be leaving them. Thad liked Derry. He was an idiot, but he was Thad's favorite idiot.

Divorce, however, was not disownment, and the code of conduct was, well, Thad didn't know how he was supposed to interact with somebody who had been divorced from the family. Divorce, after all, was something that was generally Not Done in their circle. It wasn't, he was pretty sure, as severe as a disownment. He could still acknowledge Derry's presense and talk to him directly. The problem was that he and his mother were aligning themselves voluntarily with the Boston Pierces, who were disowned. That made things difficult, and remaining too friendly may provoke the precise excuse Wesley was waiting for to pull his coup.

Thad would not, could not risk that. He was the only remaining person from his generation standing between Wesley the Annoying and Wesley the Patriarch. For the best interest of the New Hampshire Pierces and the world at large, he could not let that happen. Derry would just have to become a polite acquaintence. Maybe later, when scrutiny had lessened, they may be able to sit together at lunch or something once in a while, but right now Wesley would be looking for openings and everyone else who had any kind of interest with the New Hampshire Pierces would be watching the new heir apparent to take his measure. Right now, he just couldn't afford to be seen doing anything remotely questionable.

Derry Four had always been questionable.

He rubbed his fingers gently against his temple, but made himself smile at the other people he'd been sitting with when the owl had arrived at the end of dinner. Faking cheer, because a new generation to the family was always portrayed as a good thing when expressed to outsiders, Thaddeus said, "My cousin's baby was born. A healthy boy. His name is Winston."

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Jhonice Trevear

January 23, 2012 9:33 PM

Stealthily Lurking by Jhonice Trevear

Jhonice was having an excellent dinner, she had found a seat not terribly far from Thaddeus Pierce II of the New Hampshire Pierces. From this vantage point she could eat while reviewing the letter her mother had sent her earlier and keep an ear on what was going on in the Pierce world. Momma's letter had some exciting news in it, Aunt Gwen was getting very close to having her baby and there had been some kind of big drama on Mt. Pierce. She didn't know what exactly had happened, but maybe Jhonice would hear something about it. Her seat just got all the more exciting as she cast some looks towards Thaddeus. He was reading a letter! Had she missed an owl dropping a message for him? Shucks, who had sent it? She was learning which of the owls belonged to which families and that could be very critical information.

She examined his features as closely as she could without being outright to overt. He didn't look particularly happy at the news, this could be something related to what her mother had been referring. What could it be? She knew that Wesley and Alicia Pierce were expecting a child very soon as well. The talk going around was that if it was a boy, it could potentially upset things on Mt. Pierce. Perhaps that was what all the excitement was about, a moment later Thaddeus confirmed her suspicion by announcing Winston's birth to his neighbors. She immediately got out her notebook and jotted down this information. Something was missing though, he had been reading that letter for an awful long time for just a birth announcement. If her memory and notebook served her correctly, it did put Thaddeus in a bit of a tricky spot, but still... She wondered briefly if she could get a hold of that letter. It would be great to have first hand evidence, even if it was just Winston Pierce's birth announcement. She may have to try and get closer.

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