Rhea was steadily cutting sandwiches and stirring a fresh batch of vegetable soup while wondering what was going on behind the closed door across the kitchen. They had been in there awhile and it was starting to make her a little anxious. If she was honest with herself, the fact that Victoria was in the house was making her anxious.
Eli had said that Victoria was going to be in the movie that Cassie and Mason were making and Rhea had a sneaking suspicion, because of the way Mason had responded, that this was a new development. The door opened and Rainer exited the room, shooting her a smile. "That smells delicious, I'll be back to try some in a few minutes so save me some." He shot her a charming smile, and Rhea couldn't help it when her eyes narrowed in suspicion at his easygoing manner.
"What's going on?" Rhea asked.
"Not much," Rainer said as he kept on moving.
She turned back towards the stove and started to stir the soup when the door opened again and Cassie appeared, shooting her a smile.
"I don't suppose you want to tell me what's going on?" Rhea asked, her eyes still narrowed in suspicion.
"It's a surprise!" she squeaked before she followed Rainer's trail out of the kitchen.
She was beginning to think that Mason and Cassie had already started filming their movie and it was a farce that she was secretly starring in, she looked around her, searching for a hidden camera. Then she realized she was being ridiculous and shook her head. She shot a look over at Otto who was still steadily munching away on his sandwiches while watching the show around him.
"Well, what about you?" Rhea accused, but he only shrugged in response.
She needed to bake something, it was the only thing that would calm her. She moved to the fridge and started to pull out the necessary supplies for pie crusts, the following day was Thanksgiving and she was going to get a head start. She closed the fridge door and turned to lay her supplies on the counter, her body jumping in response to suddenly seeing Victoria standing in front of her.
"M-M-Ms. Hewitt," Rhea stuttered as she laid her stuff on the counter with shaking hands, she darted a nervous look at Otto who was fiddling with his phone, oblivious of the situation once again.
"I thought this was where I'd find you." She gave a smile that was anything but friendly and Rhea felt trapped in her gaze.
Rhea looked over at the closed door to the servant's room, wishing that the others would appear and save her.
"Would you excuse us, please?" Victoria asked Otto.
Otto looked from one to the other before making a show of picking up is empty plate and carrying it over to the sink.
"So, it's finally just the two of us, alone. How have you been Rhea?" Victoria asked after Otto had left the kitchen via the backdoor.
"Fine," Rhea asked, knowing the normal response would have been to ask her how she had been too, but she felt that it was a trap so she remained silent.
"Why don't you ask me how I've been?" Victoria turned to look at her. She was just as beautiful as she had always been. Her golden hair was pulled back into a high and tight ponytail, her make-up was flawless, and her dress looked to be pure cashmere and matched the blue of her eyes perfectly. She towered over Rhea, making her feel short and dumpy by comparison.
But still, despite all of her powerful charisma, Rhea remained silent.
"I'll tell you, I've been desperate since my divorce, I love Eli so much and I was devastated that that he left me for you. The affair that you two had while you lived with us was...it broke my heart; to be betrayed like that in my own home." Victoria put a shaking hand to her chest and there were tears glistening in her eyes, they weren't falling because that would ruin her make-up. "To know that you and Eli talked Guy into telling those out lies about us having an affair in order to ruin my career. It wasn't enough that you stole my husband, but you also had to take away my career as well." She bit her trembling lip and her voice caught as she began her next sentence. "But I love him so much that I'm willing to forgive him and take him back."
Rhea looked at her, mouth agape, pale, and sweating. She couldn't tell that story, it was all a lie.
"Nothing to say in your defense?" Victoria's tears instantly disappeared and her voice returned to normal.
"What would be the point, you and I know that Eli and I never had an affair, and we also both know that you and Guy did, but no one will believe me with a performance like that."
Victoria grinned. "Yes, it was rather convincing wasn't it."
"So, you know Eli and I didn't have an affair?"
"Of course, I know, I know everything that went on in my house. You and Eli are both obnoxiously honorable, at least I know Eli is, for all of his hard rocker image he really is an unbelievably nice guy, an absolute bore. Oh, he was good at certain things, but it wasn't enough, there was no excitement."
"A nice guy that you're now going to hurt?"
"No, he won't be hurt, with his rocker image he'll be forgiven by his fans, but you won't, you'll be the one to take all of the blame." She shrugged as if it couldn't be helped.
"I suppose there's nothing that I can say to make you change your mind?" Rhea sat down heavily on one of the stools. She had been so close to having Eli but there was no chance of that happening now, she could see no way out of the current situation.
"No, I want my career back and this is the way to make that happen. I'll be the wronged one, everyone will be on my side."
With nothing more to say the women only stared at each other, when the door to the servant's room opened they both jumped. Rhea was glad that her back was to the door because it gave her a moment to gather her composure and act as if her world wasn't falling apart.
Victoria turned on the charm, her smile appearing sincere as she looked at Mason, Eli, and Elizabeth.
"There you are," she said softly. "I thought we would go somewhere, just the two of us, and talk about things." Rhea didn't turn around as Victoria walked behind her and put her arm through Eli's.
"Yes, you two go and do that. I'm going to help Rhea begin with tomorrow's dinner preparations," Elizabeth said to the room at large.
"No, I believe that I have said all that I need to say to you, Victoria. Why don't you go find your new best friend, Onyx?" Eli suggested, removing his arm from hers and stepping away from her.
Victoria frowned, it was not the response that she had expected from him.
"I think I've been clear enough in explaining the current situation," Eli added.
"But I don't think I have been, darling," Victoria insisted.
Cassie, Lizzy, and Dana all showed up in the doorway, stopping abruptly as they took in the scene before them.
"Where the hell were you guys!" Mason hissed. "You're too late now!"
Cassie looked at Rhea's down bent head and her pale face. "I can see that," she hissed back.
"Rhea, would you please go and find Laura. She'll want to help, Mason go and help Rainer with whatever he needs," she turned to Eli, "Eli, please go take care of your personal business." Elizabeth was commanding the situation.
"Now please!" she said in a commanding tone that allowed no room for argument.
Rhea was the first to jump up and start for the door but she only took two steps when Eli reached out and stopped her, turning her around.
When she wouldn't look up he did the only thing he could think of to keep her close, he pulled her to him and kissed her gently.
"Trust me, please trust me," he whispered before she pulled away and ran from the room.
"Cute Eli!" Victoria said, her friendly demeanor slipping. Realizing that she had slipped up she turned her friendly smile up a notch and looked around the room. She was able to meet everyone's gaze until she got to Elizabeth's frosty one. Her hard stare made her quickly look away.
The woman was Hollywood royalty after all, and she still had some major connections in the industry.
"Eli, take Ms. Whosit and do something with her, unless you would like to help us cook dear?" Elizabeth offered.
Victoria thought about it, weighing if it would be a good idea to earn a few brownie points, but as she looked around the room, at the unfriendly women who were watching her, she wisely decided against it.
They all waited until Eli and Victoria had left before breathing again.
"It's too late!" Cassie said as she slumped into a chair.
"Where were you, we told you to get someone and not leave Rhea alone for a single minute," Mason accused.
"Well I couldn't very well do both at the same time Mason!" she defended herself.
The backdoor opened and Otto walked into the heavy silence that had descended on the room.
"Is something going on?" he looked around at all of the serious faces. He still felt guilty and he was hoping that his plan to help Rhea had paid off.
"You could say that, Victoria and Rhea had a private conversation and, by the look of it, it didn't go well." Mason frowned.
Otto nodded as he reached behind the cookie jar next to the sink. "Maybe this will help." He picked it up pushed a few buttons. "I didn't like the way Rhea looked when Victoria Hewitt joined us, but when she asked be to leave and Rhea didn't ask me to stay, there wasn't a whole lot I could do, but I did mange this." He hit a button a they could hear running water then the door close before Victoria's voice could be heard.
They listened and when the conversation was over Mason stood up with a shout. "We have her!"
"It won't stand up in a courtroom," Otto said with a shrug.
"But it will with the tabloids, which is all that we care about." Mason grinned. "We go on with the plan?"
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "But we can't leave Rhea alone for a minute, if Victoria gets to her again the poor girl will make a run for it."
They all nodded in agreement as Rhea entered the kitchen with Laura.
"Wonderful, now we can prepare for dinner. Mason, go save Eli," Elizabeth instructed as she put her arm around Rhea's shoulders and pulled her into the family circle. Not allowing her to dwell for long on what had happened with Victoria. She would have to rely on Eli to keep her mind off it later this evening when the cooking and entertaining was done.
Elizabeth was certain that he was up to the task.