Unckown: The Willing Mrs. Talbot

Maggie gazed back and forth between father and son, noticing the almost identical look in their eyes as they faced each other. It was obvious to her, that many of the keys to her husband's personality lie in the old man, and she resolved then and there to find out how much of him had rubbed off on the man she loved.

The stalling contest concluded, E.G. Talbot shifted in his chair and faced his family. He lifted a glass of wine and laughed coldly. "To my birthday, though I can well imagine you're not going to wish me many more!"

"Ohh, dear, dear, don't say such a thing Father," hissed his wife. "Of course the children wish you lots more, we all do."

"Ohh, Father Talbot, you know how much we love you," gushed Nola Talbot, now, straining to clink her glass with the man's first. "Why, the very idea that you wouldn't be around for another fifty birthdays at least makes me want to cry!"

"Well, do it over your own bowl of soup," muttered E.G. Talbot, quickly clinking his glass with the others. "Mine has been salted and watered down enough."

Maggie laughed softly and the other woman gave her a sharp glance. "I for one do wish you a happy birthday, E.G.," she said evenly. "If only for the fact that you fathered such a marvelous, son as Dash."

The man laughed thickly, nodding his head. "You certain can toss those compliments around, Maggie," he chuckled coldly. "One would think you're buttering me up for something. Wonder what you have in mind, lady?"

"I'm sure she'll be glad to tell you, Father Talbot," Nola said, sweetly. "We all know that Maggie doesn't keep secrets, especially from her loved ones."

"I think you got your eyes on the same pie, woman," snarled the man, suddenly. "I believe you're all itching to dip your hands in that cake of mine."

The table fell silent once again, Nola and Winston lowering their heads, while Winston's mother mumbled in shock and horror at what his father was saying. Dash gazed off into the distance, a thin smile, on his lips, while Maggie's eyes were the only ones to meet E.G.'s head on.

"Go ahead, E.G.," she said evenly "What are you talking about, exactly?"

The father turned to his youngest on and smiled at him thinly. "You got any idea what I mean, Dash?" he said, coolly.

"Whatever it is, I don't imagine you'll keep us in the dark about it for very long," the young man replied, softly.

The old man laughed, sourly. "You're right about that, boy," his father hissed. He glanced around the table. "What we're talking about, of course, is my will."

He waited, a moment for the words to sink in, then smiled coldly at all of them. "Of, course, you must be wondering, all of you, who's going to get what."

While Nola and Winston protested that they had no desire to gain such information, Dash smiled in return to his father's knowing glare and nodded his head. "That might be interesting to know," he admitted. "Would save me a lot of useless worrying, if I knew you were cutting me out, E.G."

Worriedly, Maggie squeezed her husband's thigh beneath the table. She had never before feared E.G. Talbot's wrath as she did now. It was not just his thundering manner that bothered her anymore, but the pure sense of violence he seemed to project.

"Well, you are not going to be able to stop that worrying," E.G. hissed. "Because I'm not telling anyone anything other than a few small facts."

At this point, both of his sons and daughter-in-laws seemed to perk up and pay more attention. E.G. Talbot ran his eyes over them, enjoying the suspense he had them captured in. His smile grew broad on his lips.

"You see, I haven't made up my mind, yet," he told them simply. "I'm going to decide this weekend, who gets what. And you had all better be aware of that!"

He placed his big, square hands on the table and hissed at them coldly. "You know my standards are high, my demands, exact. Whoever meets them the best, shall get the most, and that is that!"

Nola and Winston glanced at each other, and Maggie gazed at her husband intently. She could see the smile thin and cruel on E.G.'s lips as he watched his words penetrate the family's mind. But Dash seemed oblivious to it all.

"Can we eat dinner in peace, now, E.G.," the young man sighed at last. "Or have you another little bomb shell you want to drop on this happy occasion?"

"Eat it before it gets cold, boy," snarled his father. "But remember how you were brought up. I'm a hard man, I need hard heirs. I'll be watching all of you."

At that point, Maggie thought she saw her husband shudder a bit. He seemed to pale at his father's words, as if he had some realization of exactly what the man meant by his careful choice of phrases.

The meal progressed without incident after that. They ate in measured silence, E.G. allowing no conversation for the rest of the meal. When the dinner was finished, Dash announced he bad a headache and left the table without even asking Maggie to join him.

She quickly excused herself and hurried after him, finding him already in bed by the time she reached their room. She tried to slip beneath the sheets beside him, but he pushed her away, savagely.

"Just let me alone, Maggie," he growled at her. "I want to try and get through this night without any more craziness, understand?"

Something in his tone of voice compelled her to leave him alone, and she curled up on the other side of him, on top of the sheets, listening as he quickly fell into a deep, rumbling sleep.

She must have fallen asleep herself at one point, for the next thing she knew, she could hear arguing in the room beside theirs. She sat up and pulled on her robe, slipping out into the hall. She moved down to the big white door of Nola and Winston's bedroom, and slipped down to her knees in front of it. Nola and Winston were seated on the bed inside the room, dressed in pajamas and hissing at each other anxiously.

"You have to, damn it," Nola snarled at her husband. "I don't see why you should care anyway, it's not you that suffers."

"I hate to do it, that's all," he moaned, shaking his head. "Can't you understand that? I hate to, that's all."

"Just like Dash hates to, huh?" she sneered back at him. "Are you going to be like him, too weak to get what you deserve?"

"You like it, that's all," he hissed back at her. "You've loved it ever since the first time, that's all you want out of it!"

Nola stood in front of her husband, now, trembling with rage. "You fool, of course I love it," she snarled. "It's about the only thing you can do well! About the only way I can get turned on with you, you fat pig!"

He jerked up his head and glared at her violently. "Keep your mouth shut, Nola," he warned. "I'm not in the mood for your insults tonight!"

"I don't think you have the guts for it, anymore," she laughed savagely. "I don't think you can stand doing what you have to do, any longer. You're too weak to get your fair share of that money! Too fat and weak!"

He was almost bellowing with rage as he leaped up from the bed and cracked his hand across her sneering lips. The force of the blow spun the woman around and his fist slammed into her head as she completed the turn.

"Keep your trap shut, Nola," he growled in a savage voice. "I mean it, I'll really give it to you, if you don't!"

"Prove it, fat boy," she sneered once more, licking the blood that was dripping from her split lip. "Show me how you can tame this bitch in front of you!"

Roaring with an almost bellowing rage, now, Winston leaped toward her once more and began to punch her viciously. He drove her against the dresser and pounded her face and belly with his fists.

"All right, bitch, all right, cunt," he snarled in a thick, tortured voice. "I'll teach you a lesson, I'll make you pay!"

Nola shuddered, her eyes bright, but without fear, now, as her husband took hold of her wrists and pulled her toward the bed once more. He shoved her hard against the back of the large bed and she grunted as she fell against it.