THE GANG'S ALL HERE!

Dinner Party......the Gang's All Here! By Terri..............

Rosamond looks over at the clock.
"Oh, no, we have to start getting ready for the party!"
Daniel just grins. "What say we just blow off this party? Party on our own?"
Rosamond kisses him. "I would love to. But we have to come up for air sometime. It wouldn't do to get Eleanor in a snitfit. It is just possible that she won't tell. But John, how can we ever go back to what we were? We can't pretend anymore. I guess you will have to make an honest woman out of me."
Daniel looked shocked. "What are you talking about?"
Rosamond looks at Daniel with big eyes. "You said you LOVED me. That you would do anything to be with me. Didn't you mean it?" Tears start to fill her eyes.
Daniel begins to stand up and reaches for his pants. "Guys say alot of stuff, Rosamond.
You should know that!"
The light begins to dawn in Rosamond's mind. "Are you trying to say you DON'T love me? That it was all talk so you could ...could...you BLACKARD! You SWINE?"
Rosamond grabs the vase next to the bed and hurls it at Daniel's head. She misses.
Daniel ducks. "C'mon Rosie, you know the score! After all, you were with the best of them! You consorted with kings..princes....un, un, babe, I never said anything about marriage!"
Rosamond picks up a lamp. CRASH!

Eleanor and Bethia are sitting at the dressing table in Bethia's room. Bethia had promised to do Eleanor's hair in an updo. They hear the crash and muffled screaming and swearing. Eleanor looks at Bethia. "Oh, yeah...that's about right!"
Bethia bites her lip. "Do you think we should do something about it, El?" Eleanor just waves her hand. "Heavens no!" Eleanor looks at her watch. "In fact, Rosamond is just a tad bit early. I expected this scene oh, about six o'clock. It's 5:45 now. I expect it will be quiet in about ooh, five more minutes. After all, Rosamond has another hour to kill before she has to start getting ready! They will kiss and makeup."

"You KNEW what I went through in England. How can you ever mention that again! Where is that wonderful man who held me in his arms after that night?!"
Daniel is astonished. Wait a minute! Could I have been wrong? Could my brother and Rosamond have been lovers at one time? Were they still lovers? Have I once again gotten John's leftovers?
Rosamond starts yelling, "If only I had that dagger I left in England! You are just like Henry!"
Daniel puts his hands up, palms out. "Wait a minute, love. We can discuss this later tonight. OK? OK" Daniel crawls on the bed. Rosamond is wrapped in the sheets.
"C'mon, honey. No more furniture throwing, OK? Besides, we have an hour before the party."
Rosamond buries her head in the pillow and starts sobbing.
Daniel bites his lip. This was certainly not the way he planned this. Marriage? I thought Rosamond was just fun and games....he certainly didn't intend it to get so serious.
Oh, well....I'll think of that later.
He strokes Rosamond's hair. "Do you want me to go, Rosamond?"
Rosamond lifts her head up and brings Daniel's face to hers. "NO! I never want you to leave me!"

Eleanor smiles triumphantly at Bethia. "What did I tell you? All quiet on the western front!"

Daniel opens the door cautiously and looks both ways down the hall. He slips out and opens the door to John's room. Creeping over to John, he pulls back the comforter. John is still asleep. His breathing is regular. Daniel sighs with relief. Sorry, John old buddy but you are going to miss the party. Not to mention the party you missed out on this afternoon. Daniel throws the comforter back on John's face.
Daniel looks through the closet and finds an Armani suit with a custom shirt.
Whistling, Daniel goes into the bathroom and starts the shower. He dries off and dresses with care. Hey, John...sorry, but this promises to be one hell of a night!

Rosamond fills her bath with jasmine scented bath oil. She hums to herself.
I am in love! Passionately, ecstatically, rapturously in love! She slips beneath the scented water. At last.....my love has come along. And he was worth waiting for!
She thinks fleetingly. I must ask him about that scar on his chest. The jagged one.
I never noticed that about John before. It looks like the one Henry has...the one he got from that battle..
* * * * * * * * *

by Coralynn......

Bethia is hoping her dinner party to repay Eleanor for all her recent help will be a big success.
Everyone is coming!! The guest list is so long that Bethia has hired caterers to prepare the food.
This will be Eleanor's Night to Shine.
Since both women purchased a number of beautiful gowns almost a year ago, that they have yet to wear, they are choosing the lovliest of the collection. My, how angry Rosamond was when she found out that El and Beth both had bought 4 gowns apiece to her just one.
"That seems so long ago, now," Bethia thinks, as she zips up the back of the emerald green gown, "So much has happened, so much has been learned."

She hears the music coming from Henry8's castle next door through the open window. Looks like the boys are jamming over there. Acutally has a nice sound to it. Not quite classical, not quite rock, not quite jazz, but music that borrows from them all. Bethia is impressed. Ludwig may get his desire for a comback!!

Bethia descends the stairs to the dining room where many leaves have been added to the table to accomodate 15 people, 12 adults and 3 children. As she puts the place cards around the table, she counts them off: William, Eleanor, Rose, John, herself, Henry8, Bill, Ludwig, Celeste, Grace, Vinnie if he can make it, and then the 3 children. But that makes 11 adults, not 12. She wonders if there is some portent in her having set the extra place setting. She shrugs it off: better too many than too few.

The caterers are setting up in the kitchen, keeping some of the pre-prepared food warm, and all the many things caterers have to keep track of. Bethia is glad she bowed out of the cooking part of this. Now she can enjoy herself and make sure that this is Eleanor's Night to Shine.

Bethia hears Eleanor coming down the stairs and turns to see her,
"That blue gown is fantastic on you!" she exclaims, "This is your night, El, my friend."
"I love the table......what beautiful flowers......and the tablecloth is exquisite. You've been shopping I take it," Eleanor comments.
"I did shop a bit, trying to spend some of my fortune," Bethia grins.
"Did everyone say they could attend?" Eleanor asks.
"Pretty much so," Bethia tells her as she straightens out a place setting, "Vinnie said he might be late, and the guys jamming at the castle said they'd probably come over before the meal was served if they could drag themselves away from their rehearsal. It sounds better than I expected, can you hear it?"
"I can hear it from here, too. Not too bad. Who ever would have thought that Ludwig VanBeethoven, Henry8 and Bill Clinton would form a band? Wonder what they're going to call themselves."
"I haven't heard yet," Bethia says, "but you know they'll come up with something catchy!"
Grace and the children have been outside, as Tim wanted to play with little Will, but now enter the house.
"Ohhh, good, Grace, come with me!" Bethia takes her hand and pulls her upstairs, "I have the perfect dress for you!"
Eleanor sits on one of the chairs with the levers on the side and kicks off her shoes. Heels are not easy to walk in, she decides, and the more she can kick them off the better.
William enters the room, "My goodness, Eleanor, but you are a vision of lovliness!"
"Thanks, William, you're pretty dapper yourself. That a new suit?"
"Yes, I thought the occasion warranted something new and special. Where's Rosamond?"
"In her room getting dressed, I believe. This time she can wear a gown and not have someone yell 'Gone with The Wind' like last year. Remember? I thought I'd never stop laughing."
"It appears our household is very harmonious now that you and Rose and friends. I haven't gotten to know Grace very well yet, have you?"
"Noooo, she lives in the blue house a few streets over and from what Bethia tells me, spends most of her time trying to learn to read. Has a private tutor. Beth is lending her a gown. It'll be interesting to see how Grace adjusts to all this luxury after living in 1650 Southold."

Soon they hear voices and see Bethia and Grace descending the stairs.
Grace is wearing a bright red gown with a low neckline that she is holding up as high as she can.
"But you can let go of it, Grace. It won't fall down or fall off, believe me, trust me,"
Bethia is pleading.
"My bosoms are showing, which leads to sin!!!" Grace insists.
Eleanor approaches her.
"Grace, dear," she says gently and kindly, "Most of your bosoms are covered and I know, I promise you, this dress will not lead to sin. Can you relax your grip on the dress, please?"
Grace lets go of the dress, then immediately looks down at it to make sure it's still on.
William tells her, "You look very lovely and not sinful at all, Grace. I know these things, so please trust me. No one will think you're sinful."
Grace's face begins to relax. She refused to wear heels, as it was too drastic a change for her, so she is in sparkly flats. She sticks one out from under the dress and smiles at it.
They hear the sound of animated conversation coming closer. Ludwig, or Luke as he insists on being called now, Henry8 and Bill come in through the patio. They're still discussing what a great jazz band they've formed.
"You really wailed on that trumpet, Henry! I never heard anything quite like it!" Bill exclaims.
"Ohhhhh, pardon us, ladies," Ludwig says as he looks around the room, "We didn't mean to be so noisy. Did you hear our rehearsal over in the Castle?"
Everyone nods yes and compliments the group on their wonderful sound.
Henry8's eyes go to Grace, someone he hasn't seen before. He is stunned. Where did that beautiful woman come from? Is she from this timeframe? He wracks his brain for information and comes up empty.
Ludwig is also impressed. "What a pretty woman when she's all fixed up," he thinks. I wonder.......

Celeste breezes in, wearing a lovely flowing white gown with pink flowers in the design.
"Ohh look at you!!" Eleanor and Beth go to her and turn her around and around, admiring the delicate material.
"Now, dearies, this is Eleanor's night, let us not forget. She is the Guest of Honor," Celeste reminds them.
There's a loud noise coming from upstairs. Sounds like a crash. They all turn.

"There go those bookshelves again!" Eleanor says in exasperation, "I put 'em up, they fall off the wall. Oh well, I can deal with them later." But in her mind she's thinking, "Oh no, not those two again! I thought the War of the Roses was over for the night! John's personality seems to have undergone a transformation, and not for the better!"

She hears a very loud burp and turns to see Grace polishing off a glass of wine.
Bethia hears it also. Grace is now reaching for a second wine goblet. She takes it down in 3 or 4 swallows.
"Ooooops," thinks Bethia, "This can't be good!" and approaches Grace, smiling.
"Thirsty, Grace?" she asks, hoping to substitute water for this red wine.
Grace sits on a chair with a thump, "Thaaaaa wine, as you caaaaaal it is surrrrrrre good!"
Bethia makes a note to try to keep Grace away from alchoholic beverages. Her system can't handle it after never having consumed any back in 1650 Puritan Southold.
"Where's John?" William asks those around him, "and for that matter, where's Rosamond?"
Bethia is uncertain how to answer that question, but before she decides what to say, she sees movement out of the corner of her eye.
Oh no!! Grace is draped all over Ludwig and he looks like he's enjoying it immensely!!
There has been music playing on CD since the guests began to arrive, and "Bolero" is now sending out it's sensual rhythm into the room.
Grace begins to respond to the music and is pulling Ludwig into some very unconventional dance moves.
Everyone gapes.
Bethia groans.



By Terri......

Daniel ties his tie very carefully. He splashes on some of John's aftershave. Hmmm..some stuff called Aramis. He looks over at John and salutes. "Hey, thanks for everything, bro...and I do mean everything!" He quietly closes the door after him.

Rosamond dries off and reaches for her gown. The black velvet was new. Startling, too. It was form fitting with a slit up the side to mid-thigh and the neckline barely covered her. If this doesn't drive John wild and make him want to marry me, nothing will! Rosamond adjusts her boobs. Yeah, that's about right! She uses her blush to give her chest a rosy glow. Might as well glow all over! Rosamond peers into the mirror. There is a gleam in her eye and a smile on her face that only John will understand. She looks over at the broken lamp and vase. Guess I will have to clean it up later. Sure wish I didn't throw stuff when I was mad. It gets expensive.
She brushes her hair. Best to leave it loose. John likes that. She sprays on her perfume. POISON. That's a good fragrance. As she backs out of the door, she feels a hand smacking her bum. "John! You look fantastic! You look great in clothes...I mean..." Rosamond starts to blush.
Daniel can't take his eyes off Rosamond..or her dress or lack of it. "Honey, you make a pretty great package! Shall we go down together or will William say anything?"
Rosamond takes his arm and murmurs, "Almost makes me wish we weren't going."
Daniel stops and kisses her. "You could always change your mind!"
Rosamond exclaims, "NO! I bought this dress and I am going to make everyone eat their heart out. Especially Eleanor..and Bethia too."
As they descend the stairs together, they come across a scene they aren't prepared for. That woman, Grace, is hiccupping and getting randy with a guy neither has seen before.
William looks at Rosamond's dress and can't believe she could be so brazen.
Grace looks at Rosamond's neckline and slurrs out, "I can't believe it! Your...your..your..bosom is showing even more than mine!"
Rosamond says, "Well, we all know it leads to sin!" she smiles wickedly at Daniel.
William begins to get purple in the face. It's beginning to dawn on him...the whispers, the glances, the fact that both Rosamond and John came down together.
Not to mention the matching hickeys each seem to be sporting.
William grabs Rosamond. "Is what is going on what I think is going on? "
Just then there is another crash.
Eleanor sighs. "I am going to have to togglebolt those shelves to the wall!"
Bethia claps her hands. "Now that we are all here, I want to honor Eleanor for all her hard work! I know it hasn't been easy."
Bethia sits down. Eleanor stands up. "I want to say how much I respect..most of you."
With that she glances at Daniel and Rosamond. Rosamond and Daniel put their heads together and laugh intimately.
Then Eleanor lets out a gasp. Bethia goes white in the face.
William looks like he was snake-bit and shot.
John Gwinnett stumbles towards the table. His hands are still tied together with his J. Garcia ties. He has a two day old beard growth. His eyes are unfocused.
Standing at the table, he falls face first into the soup tureen.
Daniel just says, "AWW, HELL!!!"


Part 117: Hell Breaks Loose.........by Terri

"Awww, HELL!" is right. Because that is what breaks loose.
William and Henry VIII rush over to pick John up out of the soup tureen. Bethia and Eleanor hurry over to administer first aid. Rosamond sits there totally shocked.
Daniel just puts his hands behind his head and leans the chair back. "Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted!"
Bethia turns to Daniel. "What have you done!" Panic is in her voice. "Tell us what you did to John!"
Daniel just grins. "Beat him at his own game this time. He tried to slip me something to make me pass out but I just switched the glasses. Something called Xanax. Guess it was the liquor on top of the pills."
Bethia is horrified. "Didn't you realize you could have killed him?"
Daniel just smiles. "Get over it, Bethia! Let me tell you a little something about John and myself. There is something called Jimsonweed. We would get it from Little Feather. The Indians would brew the plant and use the drink in coming-of-manhood and religious rites. Captain John Smith and his soldiers ate the plant as part of their salads. Guess it gave new meaning to the word 'salad days'!" Daniel smiles. "Well, Little Feather taught us how to make the brew and also how to use your mind to pull yourself out of the stupor it causes. An old Indian trick." Daniel frowns. "He wasn't supposed to come out of it for another 24 hours. Guess he used his 'mind over matter Indian trick' to pull himself out of it."
Bill Clinton looks him over;. he checks John's pulse. "He'll be OK. Just give him some orange juice and put some Allman Brothers on. He'll come out of it."
John is starting to come around. Eleanor is trying to force water down his throat, causing John to choke. He coughs and pushes Eleanor's hand away.
"I'm OK, I'm OK." John tries to stand up but falls back in the chair.
William thunders, "Bethia! Since John is incoherent, suppose you explain exactly what is going on!"
Bethia is scared. She has always been William's pet. "Well, it's like this..."
She goes on to explain how she and John had gone to Southold and found out that Daniel was killed 'and not exactly in the line of duty' and how they took the coin to rescue Daniel and planned to bounce him into 1650 Virginia after 48 hours to at least give him a fresh start. "But we had to hide him for 48 hours while the coin recharged. We didn't want anyone to know."
Daniel just sits there and casually pours himself another brandy and possessively strokes Rosamond's back, so John will get the message. Rosamond is positively catatonic.
John rallies long enough to put more than two words together. "So tomorrow morning the coin will be charged enough and we can get this womanizer out of our lives and out of this century."
William mumbles something.
"What? What? What are you saying? We can't hear you!" Everyone is saying at once.
William explodes. "That won't be possible!"
"Well, why not?" Eleanor wants to know.
William yells, "I saw the coin had been used. I didn't want any unauthorized use of it anymore so I put it in a safe deposit box under a fictitious name."
Everyone says at once, "Well, let's go tomorrow morning and get it and send this..this...satyr away!"
William gets red in the face and bursts out, "I forgot what name I put it under!"
Henry VIII exclaims, "Well, why didn't you write it down?"
William sputters but no words come out clearly.
John is still weak and in no shape to do anything. He just stares at Daniel and Rosamond, trying to figure out how long he had been out and what had happened meanwhile.
Rosamond stands up. Daniel stands up, too. He puts his arms around Rosamond and whispers, "Hey, babe, this doesn't change anything between you and me. I guess this means I am sticking around! Come on, let's blow this party and go back to your room. I can pick up some more of that claret..."
Rosamond turns around, drives her knee into Daniel's groin and coldcocks him in the jaw. "HENRY drank claret, too..."


Part 118: The Dungeon.......by Coralynn

Daniel writhes in pain while everyone looks in amazement at Rosamond.
"I will NOT be made a fool of," she yells, "this is so humiliating! This guy needs to be taught a lesson!"
Grace, who has been silently wrapping herself around Ludwig, now detaches herself long enough to suggest, "We could do something so that we can tell these two men apart! Shave Daniel's head?" and with that she commences giggling uncontrollably.

Bethia, who is still stinging from William's rebuke adds, "I know!! There's a bottle of hair bleach in the bathroom........I''ll get it!" and she rushes off to fetch the bottle.
The other men by that time have Daniel trussed, his hands bound behind him with duct tape.
"Scootch him over by the sink!" Bethia tells them, "And we'll pour on this stuff," which they proceed to do.
As the bleach penetrates his hair down to the scalp, Daniel lets out another "Awwww hell!"
Everyone smiles at his discomfiture.
It takes but a few minutes before his hair begins to pale from brown to blond to almost white.
"That ought to do it!" Bethia roughly yanks Daniel's head, by the hair, out from above the sink and leers at him. "You scumbag!"
A new voice is then heard, "Who's a scumbag? Have I arrived at de wrong party?"
Vinnie enters the house. "I rang de bell and no one answered, hope ya don' mind me crashing de party!"
Eleanor rallies, "We were just having a hair-bleaching party, Vinnie. Daniel here volunteered." This is a stupid explantation she knows but how can anyone fully tell Vinnie what the scoop is? He's the one who is totally ignorant of the time travel which has brought this motley crew together.

Grace, being ignorant of that fact, sidles up to Vinnie, who is cute, even though short and stocky.
"I don't remember you from Southold. You're cute!"
"Southold?" Vinnie is confused.
Everyone inwardly groans. This is not the time to let Vinnie in on the secret.
"Have a glass of wine," Eleanor hands one to Vinnie, then goes to the CD player and, shuffling through the collection, finds an Allman Brothers CD and slaps it on.
Bill starts singing along. Grace and Ludwig begin some sort of dance again, while Rosamond and Bethia confer about the most recent disaster.
"What are we going to DO with this guy?" Rosamond is tearing up again, feeling so humiliated and embarrased and furious that she should be betrayed once again by another man.
John is close to being fully cognizant by this time and slowly, hesitantly makes his way over to Rosamond.
"I can't begin to apologize enough for my twin brother's behaviour," he says earnestly. "He was never supposed to be let loose from my room. I should have known he'd find a way, but I didn't. Can you ever forgive me?"
Rosamond sees how sincere John is and tries to smile.
"I wanted YOU John, not that imposter! YOU!"
Eleanor joins them.
"The problem remains: what to do with this sack of rotting garbage in male form."
Henry8 yells out, "I have me dungeon completed. Let us toss him in there and throw away the key!"
Everyone turns and looks at Henry8 in surprise.
"A dungeon?!" they all ask.
"Yea, what's a castle without a dungeon into which to pitch your enemies? Would you say this guy is our enemy?"
"YES!" comes the unanimous answer.
Vinnie is wrinkling his forehead. "Am I missing something here?"
Eleanor tells him "It is a long story, Vinnie, but suffice it to say that this man was trying to pass himself off as John. They're twins, you see."
"Ahhhhhh, I see!" Vinnie nods his head.
Well, hopefully that's enough to satisfy him, Eleanor thinks.

William needs to get back in charge again after feeling like a fool for having put the coin in a safety deposit box and then forgetting which name he'd registered it under.
"Alright, men, let's take this interloper over to Henry's castle!"
All the men but Ludwig then push, shove, kick and abuse Daniel as he is marched out of the house, across the side yard toward Henry8's castle.
"See? I told you this castle would come in handy!".....the women hear as the voices fade out.
"Where's Ludwig, I mean Luke," Bethia asks, "And where is Grace?" this is frightening, as Bethia feels responsible for the woman.
They search the house. Not in there.
They turn on the outside floodlights and go into the back yard to look there.
As the light illuminates the yard, there is sudden movement behind a bush.
"Ohhhhhhhhh Luke!" a woman's breathy childlike voice is heard.

Same page, part 2..........by Terri

All the men stand still in the garden. "What's that sound--it's like Betty Boop!"
There is unmistakable rustling from the shrubbery.
William ventures forth gingerly. Then he gets red in the face and says, "Move along, move along....nothing to see here!" and repeats it even louder for the women to hear, as they are closing in on the scene. His statement stops them, though Bethia is still very worried and suspicious of what Grace and Ludwig may be up to in those bushes.
The women go back to the house.
But William says to himself, "I guess Ludwig is making music of a different kind!"
Daniel is trying to wrestle free of the bonds. "Hey, this isn't my fault. And you can't do this! This is the United Colonies of England! I thought dungeons went out with Bloody Mary!"
Henry turns purple. "Don' t you dare speak about my daughter that way...even if she was a bloody Papist!"
Daniel is dragged down the stairs. William and Henry have him under each arm. John is too spaced out still, all he can do is unlock the dungeon door.
Daniel is thrown unceremoniously into the cell. Only this isn't a typical dungeon cell.
"Nice going, Henry!" William exclaims. Henry decorated it in soft colors, with a stereo, a nice waterbed, TV and a private bathroom.
Henry explains, "Well, it's not your typical dungeon. You just never know when the Big One will be dropped. It's really what they call a 'panic room'.
Henry goes in and loosens Daniel's ropes. Daniel sits there and chafes his wrists.
"I don't know quite what to do with you, Mr. Gwinnett. Perhaps by morning we will decide. For right now, we can't send you to Virginia." William says.
Daniel dissolves into laughter. "And all because you forgot your alias!"
Henry and William turn to go. John lingers back. Daniel beckons to him. John creeps cautiously forward and Daniel whispers, "Give Rosamond a ..."
John slams the door as Daniel finishes "...a great big kiss goodnight from me!"
Then Daniel hops on the bed, puts his hands behind his head and smiles to himself.

Inside the house, Daniel, William and John traipse back in.
Bethia and Eleanor are sitting at the table with Rosamond. "Where are Bill C. and Vinnie?"
Bethia answers, "They left. It got too weirded out for them. Where is Luke and come to think of it, I haven't seen Grace."
The three men looked at each other. "I guess Luke went to show Grace the bed of roses. He probably escorted her home. Nonetheless, I don't think we will see either of them the rest of the night," William says.
William says sternly to Bethia, "We will discuss the events tonight and what led up to them in the morning when we are all calmer. John, you too, but it looks like you are in no shape to discuss anything. Take a hot shower, drink lots of water, you should be OK in the morning."
John heads for the refrigerator. "I think spring water will do it. Maybe some Lynyrd Skynyrd would do my head better than the Allman Brothers."
William sighs. "Whatever. Goodnight all."
"Goodnight," they all mumble.
Bethia turns to Eleanor. "I am so sorry for the fiasco. I so wanted this to be a nice party for you." Bethia hangs her head in shame.
Eleanor smiles and hugs her. "Honestly, Bethie--it was the most fun I had in a long time! Are you coming upstairs? Beth? Rosamond?"
Bethia looks at Rosamond.
"I'll be OK. I just want to relax and figure out how I got to this point. In fact, I prefer to be alone."
Bethia and Eleanor say, "Well, if you need us just knock."
Rosamond looks down at the floor. A tear trickles down her cheek. "I appreciate it. I AM sorry for acting the way I did today."
Bethia and Eleanor leave the room. Bethia says to Eleanor, "El, will she be OK?"
Eleanor glances back. "I think so. John is hanging around in the shadows. I think he wants to talk to her."
They leave the room and go upstairs.

John leaves the room and goes upstairs to take his shower.
Rosamond goes to the blender and mixes herself a margarita, extra heavy on the salt.
She had already gone upstairs and changed into her swimsuit. I just have to work all this out. Nothing like exercise to clear the mind. And as long as that swine Daniel is locked up, I can think. How could I have not known that was John..but how COULD I have?
There were so many signs, though...the cigarettes, the bourbon, the scar....the libido!
Rosamond slips into the water and begins to swim laps. She becomes weary after twenty minutes of vigorous exercise. The alcohol has begun to take its effect.
She climbs out of the pool and strips off her wet suit. She reaches over and puts on her coverup. As she turns, John emerges from the shadows. He says quietly, "Rosamond, we need to talk."
Rosamond walks over to the patio table and pours from a pitcher of margaritas.
Slurring her words slightly, she says"Well, I don't want to talk to YOU! How long have you been here, spying on me, John?"
John tries to explain. "I just wanted to make sure you were allright. You had quite a shock."
"A shock? A SHOCK?! Is THAT what you call it? I thought it was YOU! I thought it was YOU who was loving me. Only to find out that I was horribly used by still another man--AGAIN! I know what all of you are thinking--Rosamond the slut! Rosamond the whore! Well, I will tell YOU something, Mr. John Gwinnett! I never DID give myself casually to any man, regardless of what you all thought! I was in love with Henry. My dalliance with Richard was the result of too much wine on a Saturday night.
Aside from this brother of yours, those were my only two lovers. How do you think I feel, John? I thought it was YOU. I thought I finally found the man of my dreams. Now I find it's the Twin from HELL!"

John reaches out to touch her.
"NO! Don't even come near me!" Rosamond leans against the pergola post. She puts the cold margarita glass to her forehead and shuts her eyes. "Just go, will you? You've done enough. Just leave me in peace."
John puts his hand down. Quietly he says, "I AM sorry, Rosamond..more than you will ever know."
Rosamond just whispers, "Just go. To hell, John."
John turns and walks up the outside balcony steps. He unlocks the sliding glass door to his room and surveys the mess. Of his room and his life.

Rosamond sits there slamming back margarita after margarita. Unsteadily she gets to her feet. The liquid courage she's getting is giving her strength. She squares her shoulders and marches over to Henry's castle. She knockson the door.
No answer. She tries
the knob. It turns and she goes in.
"Henry? Henry!" She calls out.
"Down here!" Rosamond goes down the cellar steps following Henry's voice.
There is Henry sitting at the table in the "dungeon" with Daniel playing poker!
"What do you think you are DOING? Do you not know how this man has ruined my life?"
Henry and Daniel have had quite a few drinks. There are two empty bottles of Wild Turkey sitting there, they're starting on a third.
Henry and Daniel look at each other and burst out laughing!
"Aw, come off it, Rosie!" Henry says. "What does it matter to you? At least it gave you something to do!" Henry slurrs.
Rosamond is in no better shape than the two of them. With as much dignity as she can muster, and trying to act sober, she puts on her most proper voice. "I wish to converse with the pris-pris-prisoner. Please, Henry. This is a pirate--private--conversta-
shun." Henry heaves himself to his feet and leers at Daniel. "By all means, 'pirate'
away!" As Henry leaves, he smacks Rosamond on the bum. He shuts the door behind him. Daniel is still in the "dungeon" and Rosamond is standing on the outside talking to him.
"What was that all about?" she angrily demands of Daniel.
Daniel flips his cards down and then takes a peek at Henry's hand and smiles.
"Oh, just guy talk. Poker is always conducive to testosterone talk."
She begins to berate Daniel. "I don't enjoy being the butt of your conversation!"
which makes Daniel laugh harder. "Honey, what makes you think your 'butt' was our conversation?"
Rosamond looks dejected. "Why, Mr. Daniel Gwinnett? Why did you do this to me?"
Daniel stops laughing. "Why, Miss de Clifford? I will tell you why! When I was a young boy in England, my mother had a book she hid from us boys. It was called, 'Concubines of England'. I used to sneak into the library and read it. Fascinating reading! Chapter seven was all about you. And guess what? You were the object of my adolescent desire! I used to wish to find a woman like you. I suppose it was the equivalent of what they call the 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue' that I found in John's room. When John brought me back here, and I found out who you were, it was like finding a blonde in a white T-bird! I had to have you! I guess you could say I worshiped you from afar. Eight hundred years afar. And to possess what Henry II possessed--you were the Holy Grail of women!"
Daniel leans back and smiles wickedly. "I must say it was not hard..not hard at all. I rather enjoyed playing the cat and mouse games."
Rosamond feels her face getting hot with embarrassment. "Is that all I was to you?
A trophy? A game prize? I thought you were John. I fell in love with you."
Daniel gets up and walks to the door. He says softly, "Did you really? Fall in love with me? Or was it John you were in love with?"
Rosamond looks confused. "I don't know!" she wailes. "I was in love with John..but he was so steady, so proper. When I met you, it was...wild!"
Daniel leans against the dungeon door. "That's because you met your match in me, Rosamond. Now a team of wild horses couldn't drag your heart away."
Rosamond starts to mist up. "You think you are so bad, driving the womenfolk in Southould wild. Shoot them all down with the flash of your pearly smile and green eyes, looking better than any man has a right to! Well, Daniel, you are going to go down in flames. You think my heart will cry 'Indian' and I'll be begging for more.
Well, let me....tell...you..hell will...freeze.."
With that, Rosamond slides to the floor, totally passed out.
Daniel laughs softly. "Henry! Package pickup for you!"
Henry staggers back, looking dubiously at Rosamond. "Want I should leave her here?"
Daniel gets a vengeful thought in his head. "No, call John and have him pick her up!
That way he will know that she came to see ME!"
Henry is thinking clearly. "No, let's call William. I don't want any blood shed on my nice new carpet."
Henry calls William on his direct line. "You'd better come down here...alone."

William puts on his sweatpants and sweatshirt and goes over to Henry's. "What the devil is this commotion about? Did our prisoner get loose?"
Henry takes him downstairs. "No, Daniel had a visitor. You'd better take her back put her to bed."
Daniel grins. "Oh, if only it were me..."
William turns on Daniel. "Haven't we had enough trouble tonight?" William sighs and picks Rosamond up gently. "Get the door for me, Henry, please?"
Daniel just smiles. "Love got me in and love will get me out!"

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