The Almighty Dominance (by Sunshine) novel Chapter 859

The message came up to the breakfast room from the Baroness's maid while Serena was still drinking her coffee.

"The Baroness asks Mr. Gideon and his family to come to the great hall. All three of them. Now, please."

Gideon put down his cup so carefully that it did not make a sound. "All three?"

"What could she want?" said Marissa. "She never calls us anywhere. She sends notes."

Serena looked at Alex, then at her father.

"It's the house," she said quietly. "It has to be the house."

"No, no," said Gideon. "Mother knows it was a gift. Alex will just explain it to her again, nicely. Won't you, Alex?"

"Of course," said Alex.

The great hall of the Tiffany house had not been opened since the dinner for Victor Russell's fall. Now every chair along both walls was full.

The old aunts and uncles of the house sat in a row on each side like a jury, with their hands folded on their sticks and their handbags. Pauline stood at the Baroness's right hand. Patricia sat just behind her, turning the new ring on her finger so that it caught the light. Preston leaned against a pillar with his cracked plaster tied up in a sling.

And at the top of the room, in the high carved chair, sat the Baroness, with her cane across her knees.

Every face turned to the door.

Gideon seemed to get shorter with every step he took into that room. By the time he reached the middle of the carpet, he was looking at his own shoes.

"Mother," he said, in a small voice.

Nobody answered him. The Baroness looked over his head at Alex.

"Gideon," she said at last. "Tell me about the house on the hill."

"Oh. The house." Gideon brightened a little. "It was a gift, Mother. From Mr. Wolfe. Alex helped with his illness, and Mr. Wolfe was very grateful..."

"Helped with his illness?" Preston laughed from his pillar. "With what? Market medicine? Then we should all go and cheat old men! Line up, everybody. Thirty million a head!"

A low laugh ran down both sides of the hall. Gideon laughed too, because everybody else was laughing, and then stopped when he saw nobody was laughing with him.

"Now, now," said Pauline sweetly. "Mr. Wolfe himself said it was a gift. We heard him on the telephone. It's settled, Gideon. Nobody needs to explain anything."

Gideon looked at his sister-in-law with real gratitude. Pauline had never once spoken up for him before.

"The family has happy news," said the Baroness. "Patricia is engaged to the Hunt boy. And I mean to marry Preston to Nora Hale before the year is out."

"Oh, that's wonderful," said Gideon. "Patricia, congratulations. And Preston..." He stopped. He was an honest man, and it came out before he could catch it. "Only, Mother, I'm not sure Nora will look at him."

Preston came off his pillar. "What's that supposed to mean, Uncle?"

"Nothing! Nothing. I only meant the Hales are a very great family."

"They are," said the Baroness. "And the Hunts will come to this house to meet Patricia's family. So will the Hales. And they will look at this old place, and think the Tiffanys are finished." She tapped her cane on the floor. "We need the best house on the coast to receive them in."

"Mother, if it's money," said Gideon quickly, "I have some savings..."

"Savings." The Baroness almost smiled. "Your savings would buy the front gate, Gideon. No. Your family already has a house. The best on the hill. And I am your mother. Haven't I lived in this old house long enough? Honour me, Gideon. Let me live in it."

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