#wschp2

Edwina had everything ready for the new arrival at Penngrove, and Thursday had finally arrived. On July 30, 1995, Theo made his journey from San Myshuno to Brindelton Bay...

WILLA- “Okay it’s time Theodopolis, someday you are going to thank me for this.”

EDWINA- “Sure, and if you would like to know anything else---

THEO- “Not likely, and you probably don’t know the answers anyway.  Thanks Miss Baker.”

EDWINA- “There is one more thing, Theo.”

THEO- “Oh, yes the integration. I almost forgot.”

EDWINA- “Yes, I spoke with Lionel Behrey  at the Yacht Club.  He said you could work in the kitchen as a dishwasher there during the summer, and then once school classes start back you can work on the weekends.  You should go over Monday after breakfast and he will show you what you will be doing.”

THEO- “Fine.  Can I go now.”

EDWINA- “Sure, Theo. I think you will like Lionel, he is a nice man.”

THEO- “Probably not, but does it matter?”

Theo left Edwina’s office, and left the file lying on her desk.

KATE-  “ I didn’t take on the job here to be a glorified babysitter, Charles.  If you are wanting me to take this baby on, I will not be able to actually be involved in the classrooms with the other boys. So you will need to find someone else.”

CHARLES- “I want you to take care of him. This is a very important child, Kate. He is going to keep this place afloat until the state decides if they are going to pay my price for this place. Plus there is a big pay raise in this for you..  And sometimes things do not always play out the way you thought they would.”

KATE-  “So are you saying that I do not have a choice?”

Charles approaches the beautiful young woman and caresses her cheek and kisses her passionately, then smiles at her.

CHARLES- “I think it would be in the best interest of the school for you to take on this responsibility.  This baby’s family is offering us a great amount of money to see that he is well taken care of, and that his parentage is held in strict confidence.  I think you would be the perfect choice for this boys nanny.  I will make it worth your while Kate, trust me.”

CHAPTER TWO- Secrets

FIFTEEN YEARS PRIOR

JULY 20, 1995 2:21 p.m.

      Charles Penngrove has recently taken over his grandfather’s pride and joy, the Penngrove Home for Boys. His grandfather built this home in 1943 when finding a homeless boy living on the streets. Since then numerous young men had a place to call home, to be educated and given a better chance at life.  However, since Jonathan Penngrove’s death, the home has hit some financial problems, and Charles is looking for any way that he can to keep the house afloat.  His current guest in his office may very well be the one that can assist with that.

       Wilhelmina Gray is old money, really old money and a lot of it.  A former resident of Brindleton Bay, she moved to San Myshuno after the death of her third husband, Thomas Littleton. 

       Her young daughter, Anita ... a fifteen year old promiscuous young woman became pregnant by ... in her words, a money hungry hormonal low life..  So now she has come to Brindleton Bay, where she lived with Anita’s father, Stuart Gray, a wealthy politician that died of a heart attack at forty-five to take care of “her problem”

       She doesn't want her name to be smeared through the mud, so she sent her daughter to Sunset Valley to give birth.  Now that the child has been born, she needs to find a place that will care for the child, without any repercussions to her or her family.  She takes a trip to Brindleton Bay to talk to Charles Penngrove to convince him to take young Theodopolis.

CHARLES- “Agreed.  But he is NOT to be adopted at least until this place is sold...and it will be your job to see that he doesn’t get adopted. You see As long as he stays here, we continue to get money from his family.  Once he is gone, that money is gone.  So you see how important this little boy is going to be for us.”

KATE- “I understand Charles, and the better chance to get rid of Edwina, when we can afford to pay a real head master to the house.”

CHARLES- “Exactly, now how about we go into my private room and seal this agreement.”

CHARLES- “I understand completely, Ms. Gray. If you are willing to finance his stay here, I can make it happen. And I can assure you that his parentage will be held in the strictest confidence.”

WILLA- “I thought maybe a healthy stipend and a nudge would get me the answer I wanted to hear, Charles.  I will have the child brought over to you Thursday morning, along with the first of the monthly installments for his special care. And again, no one is to know anything of where this child is from, including your staff.”

CHARLES- “As you said, I am very good at keeping secrets.  I give you my word, as long as I am running the Penngrove House, no one will know..”

WILLA- “I knew I could count on you, Charles.  It’s a shame you and my daughter didn’t work out. I will notify you when my guy leaves Thursday morning to bring the child.”

WILLA- “It’s Gray, I took back my former name.  Too confusing to have a different last name than my daughters.  Anyway, Charles…Jonathan Penngrove would not turn anyone away.  I knew your grandfather for years, and I know he would make the sacrifice. He is there watching us from the mantle. He would have done this, no questions…”

CHARLES- “As would I, Ms. Gray, but like I said, we do not have the financial stability right now to take on an infant.”

THEO- “That’s all she had, the file had nothing! I guess it isn’t meant to know my birth parents or family. I suppose that is the way they wanted it.  I was just really hoping---

MICHAEL- “You at least have her name now, you could always look her up if you wanted to. I mean you can find almost anything on google.”

THEO- What would be the point? They didn’t want me then, and they certainly wouldn’t want me to come into their lives now. No, I will just forget it.”

MICHAEL- “Listen, everyone in here has pretty much the same story.  But at least now you know why, and hell, .. your birth mother was probably right, you probably are better off here.  I mean you met me right?”

THEO- “Yeah, and that is really fucked up too.  No offense to you.”

MICHAEL- “So what about the job?”

THEO- “The yacht Club, as a dishwasher. I meet some guy named Lionel on Monday. Listen, I think I am just going to go to bed.”

MICHAEL- “It’s early, I mean way early.”

THEO- “Just not in the mood for anything or anyone. I’m sorry.”

MICHAEL- “It’s all good, I will just go over to my part of the room and read.”