Home » The Archives » Chapter 9 » Regrouping and Recouperation
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #264 is a reply to message #263] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:50   |
artisticrainey
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Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
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Field Commander
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During the party, Heather put her empty glass on a rapidly filling service cart. Tin-Tin and Kat followed her, and Tin-Tin, realizing, realizing Heather's dark red dress asked, "By the way, how did you find out that we were all wearing red dresses tonight? Did someone tell you about the party?"
"I found out about the party when I was shopping with Virgil and Kyrano on the mainland. I had no idea that all the women were wearing red. When I was at the Regis in Wichita, my girlfriend Andrea talked me into buying some gowns. At the time, I didn't think I was going to have any use for them--"
"Oh, there'll be need for them," Tin-Tin sighed with a grin. "Trust me!"
"So," Heather continued. "She picked out two of them for me, and I chose this one. It just looked comfortable, and flattering."
"Sure gives you some curves," Kat sighed. "All the men will be following you everywhere."
"Believe me when I tell you that is so not happening," Heather assured the gifted mechanic. To Tin-Tin she said, "It just happened to work out that my dress fits the color scheme quite nicely."
Why can't that happen to me? Kat thought to herself.
"It looks very nice, and I know Lady Penelope is going to really like it. That's a Lemaire design, isn't it?" Tin-Tin asked as she led the two women back over to where Jeff and Penelope were discussing something amusing. They were both laughing when Tin-Tin brought Heather up to Lady Penelope, introducing the redhead.
When the three young women walked up to them, Jeff smiled and drew Heather up closer. "Thank you for bringing her, Tin-Tin and Kat. Lady Penelope, I'd like to introduce you to our up-and-coming secondary Thunderbird 1 pilot. Let's see if I remember your bioscan correctly. She was born in Richmond, Virginia. Her father is James Kennedy and the finest architect I've ever seen. Her mother is Martha Kennedy and is active in high society. Heather's a former U.S. Navy Blue Angel pilot. How am I doing, Heather?"
With a delighted smile, Heather answered, "Very concise, Mr. Tracy."
"She moved to Wichita to be one of my finest test pilots only to lose her home to the tornadoes that hurt Dianne and my nurses as well as critically damaging Thunderbird 7."
Adjusting her pashmina, Lady Penelope took Heather's reaching hand, holding it with a comforting touch. Her ladyship's voice was rich with the cultured dialect of her English home. "I'm so sorry to hear this, Miss Kennedy. How very distressing."
Penelope lead her by the hand, much like an older sister might do, to a set of comfortable chairs where they felt more at ease. The boys' photos graced the back wall in front of Jeff's command chair. Heather longed to steal a look at them when they walked in, but it wouldn't have been polite. "I cannot imagine such a thing happening. Were you trying to decide whether or not to join International Rescue during that time?" asked Penelope, leaning forward.
Listening to the young woman intently, Penelope made rapid mental notes about her. Heather has breeding and knows what styles suit her. She has to have nerves of steel if she's been a test pilot for Tracy Industries and Jeff seems to truly like her.
"Yes," Heather answered. "I was. After the house was destroyed I went to the Regis Hotel in Wichita and made my decision there. I feel it might have been ill-timed."
"'Ill-timed'?" asked a surprised Penelope. "Why ever would you think that?"
Enjoying the way Lady Penelope's diamond earrings twinkled, Heather smiled. "I say ill-timed because I called to give Mr. Tracy my decision when Mrs. Tracy, Dr. Dianne, was injured so badly and had been airlifted to the hospital."
Standing close enough to hear, Jeff moved over to the three women. "We've had a rough time of it with Dianne's injuries and our nurses, but your answer couldn't have come at a better time, Heather. You are not to worry about it at all. I know Scott felt a lot better hearing from you."
"Yes, now you are not to worry about a thing," Penelope urged, looking up at Jeff. "You must allow her to come to the Creighton-Ward estates sometime, Jeff. I would love to have you, Heather. And I must say that your dress is especially becoming. It's a Lemaire design."
"Penny happens to know the designer personally and has modeled for him, too," Jeff replied to Heather's wide eyed looks.
"The color suits you very well. François will be most pleased when I tell him that you wore it."
"Now, if I can tear Heather away from you, Penelope, I need to ask Dianne if I can ask Heather to dance with me." His words had both women giggling.
"And I am going to go down see what wonderful selections there are at the buffet. Have a good time, Heather, and if you should lose his attention, tread on his toes firmly." With a smile, Heather received a kiss on the cheek and watched Jeff give Penelope his arm to help her out of her chair.
Laughing to herself, Heather mused, I told myself I would never allow anyone to charm me, and I've already blown it tonight. Lord have mercy!
Jeff offered his hand to Heather who accepted it. As she got up out of her chair, she asked, "How is Dr. Tracy doing?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" He leaned over and gave his wife a kiss, which she responded to. Then Dianne looked up and smiled Heather.
"Have a seat, Heather," she said, patting the empty chair beside her.
"Hi, Mrs. Tracy. It's nice to see you again. How are you feeling?"
"Oh, I'm doing better than I was," Dianne replied, glancing up to see Scott dancing by with Cherie in his arms. "I'm enjoying the party and being out and about again. Are you enjoying yourself?"
Dianne's softened accent was drawing out Heather's cultural blend of Virginian and Kansan accent. "Oh, yes. Ah haven't been to a good party in quite a while."
"Good! For a quickly thrown together event, it's turned out well," Dianne said firmly, nodding. "Have you met everyone here?"
"Not yet, but I'm making the rounds as I go," she answered as she got comfortable in her seat.
"Who have you met?" Dianne asked.
Trying hard to remember all the names, she wondered aloud, "Oh, all the boys save Gordon and Scott. I've been seeing Gordon a lot lately. I've seen the kids. I met Parker. He's such a wonderful character. I've seen Tin-Tin and Kat."
"Have you met Lady Penelope?"
Jeff answered her. "Just now."
"Ah, good. How about my nurses, Nikki and Dom? I know they haven't been out and about much."
"No, not yet," Heather thought out loud.
Jeff chimed in. "And have you met Elise, my personal pilot? You'll be picking up the flying duties of Thunderbird One from her, leaving her to concentrate on Thunderbird Two." He caught a glimpse of Brains fetching Tin-Tin a drink. "And Brains, our chief engineer? Have you met him?"
"No, I haven't."
Dianne turned to him and shook her head. "Love, don't talk business tonight, please? And please make sure Heather meets Brains, Dom, Nikki, Elise, and Joshua." She turned back to Heather. "Two of our members are home on leave. You'll get to meet them when they come back."
"All right, Dianne. I won't talk shop, and I'll see that she meets everyone--provided I can remember everyone you haven't met, Heather," Jeff laughed.
Making a mental list of all the names she'd heard, she said with a wry grin, "I'm beginning to think I should have brought some kind of PDA. You have a very large support staff."
"There aren't that many here on the island. You'll be seeing them around, training with them, and you'll get to know them pretty quickly."
"It will come in time," said Heather. It took awhile to learn everyone at the testing grounds. I wonder what they're all doing?
There was a moment of quiet between them, then Dianne asked, "Have you settled into your apartment? Perhaps ordered things for your décor? You do get a decorating allowance."
Heather woke up when Dianne touched her hand. "No, I haven't had much of a chance to do that and there's not much to add to it really. I really enjoy the computer system and the plasma TV. It's nicer than what I had at home."
Dianne smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Kyrano, my mother-in-law, and my mother all had a hand in choosing furniture and the basic décor. If there's something you don't like, let us know."
Heather smiled again. "The bedroom is so comfortable. I'm not quite sure exactly how you did it. I've never slept better, although I had a bit of a start the first morning I woke up."
"Why was that?" Dianne asked, curious.
"Well, I forgot where I was at. I expected to be in my suite in the Regis Hotel. The sunlight there in the prairies is different than the sunlight here. That was the first thing I noticed. Then the sounds were different. Instead of screeching cars and horns blaring, all I heard was the wind and ocean. I woke up with a start and ran to the window thinking I was dreaming."
"You realized you weren't in Kansas anymore?" Dianne asked, a mischievous smile on her lips.
Heather laughed. "I did! My girlfriend, Andrea, has started to call me Dorothy."
Tyler chose that moment to come running up. "Mom, when is Virgil going to cut the birthday cake?"
"Soon, son. Very soon," Dianne assured him. She fixed him with one eye and scolded gently, "You did interrupt our conversation."
He looked down at his shoes. "I'm sorry, Mom."
"There's someone else you need to apologize to."
Looking up at Heather, giving her a bashful smile, he said, "I'm sorry, Miss Kennedy."
"You are forgiven," Heather said with a grin. "I'd like a bite of that cake, too."
"Have you had a chance to get something to eat?" Dianne asked after hearing a rumbling coming from the younger girl's stomach.
"Not yet."
"Neither have I, for that matter," Jeff said. "Why don't we both mosey on down to the buffet and get something?"
"Sounds good to me," Heather agreed.
He stood up, and turned to Dianne. "Can I get you anything, love?"
"Some of those chocolate cherries would be nice," she said and then giving Heather a wink, she added, "Though after tonight, I'll have to work extra hard in the gym when I'm finally cleared for normal activity."
"You and me both," said Heather.
"Come along, Heather," Jeff said, offering an arm. "The buffets await."
With a smile, Heather nodded. "I couldn't have a more handsome escort."
Post by AmandaTracy on 2/11/2007
  
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