#13 (Dylan takes a stand with Sheila…)

Dylan Davenport paced throughout the library of the Davenport Mansion while he sipped a glass of iced tea. He hadn’t intended on visiting his mother today, but now that he was no longer the Chief Executive Officer of Davenport Technology, he had all the time in the world. As Dylan surveyed the first editions of tomes by Morrison, Fitzgerald, and Walker carefully displayed on perfectly decorated bookshelves, he lost himself in the moment.

“I am sorry I’m late,” Sheila stated as she walked into the library. She placed her alligator handbag on an ottoman as she gave Dylan a hug. “You look good, Dylan. I’m glad to see you’ve lost those pesky fifteen pounds. An athletic form suits you.”

Dylan smiled through his mother’s backhanded compliment. She provided these toxic bon mots so regularly he rarely noticed them anymore. “It’s nice to see you, too, Mom.” He cleared his throat. “You said you wanted to talk about something important…”

Sheila pursed her lips. “I’m not happy with the way Meredith is running Davenport Technology.”

“The Board of Directors selected her as the new CEO of Davenport. She’s just started her three-year contract. Give her time.”

“In theory that sounds lovely, but I’m concerned, Dylan. The stock price rose from thirty-eight dollars a share to one hundred and fifty dollars a share thanks to the pandemic, but now it’s languishing around eighty-four dollars a share.”

Dylan eyed his mother carefully. While Sheila claimed to be the steward of Davenport Technology, she was more concerned about a steady stock price and quarterly dividends more than anything else. “Mom, the company is in fine shape. It’s better than when I left it.”

“You provided the groundwork for Meredith. I fear that once she’s done coasting on your strategy, she’ll be adrift and take the company down with her.” Sheila wrung her hands together as she often did when she was forming a plan. “Dylan, I think you should come back to Davenport as the Chairman of the Board.”

Dylan shot his mother an incredulous stare. “No!” he exclaimed. “My days at Davenport are well and truly behind me!”

“Dylan, be serious. This is your legacy! It’s Faren and Oliver’s legacy, too!”

“Mom, don’t talk to me about legacies. My marriage fell apart because I spent four years trying to save the company from hostile takeovers, bad business deals, and rapacious investors. I’m not willing to give up my life for Davenport. Not this time.”

Sheila narrowed her eyes on Dylan. She knew he was right, but for Sheila, the good of the company always outweighed the family’s personal lives. “I think your father would want you to be the guiding force at the company…”

“Mom, don’t even…”

“Larry always wanted you to be the steward of Davenport Technology. We knew it may not be easy once we took the company public, but you exceled in the role. I think it may be time for you to, well, reclaim your birthright.”

“No, Mom. I’m out. Lisa, Nicholas, or Eli can assume the position!”

“Lisa is busy at the auction house. Nicholas has a life — if you can call it that — of his own in Manhattan. As for Elijah, I’d rather sell the company before he had any role in it.”

Dylan shook his head with great disappointment. “Eli is smarter than all of us put together. He’s proven himself as a Silicon Valley investor. He’s been on the covers of Forbes and Fortune on his merit and acumen alone. If you want one of us to become the Chairman of the Board, then call Eli.”

“That’s out of the question,” snapped Sheila, hotly.

“But it’s perfectly fine to call him when you want someone to persuade India Montgomery to stay out of town.”

Sheila’s eyes went wide. “Did he tell you that?!?”

“No, Lisa told me.” Dylan placed the crystal glass on a coaster. “Mom, you can’t use Eli for your personal use on one hand and shun him with the other. It’s cruel.”

“I don’t want to talk about Elijah, Dylan.” Sheila turned her back to Dylan as her eyes searched the grounds of her ten-acre estate.

“Fine. I need to get going anyway… I have a conference call in an hour.” Dylan reached for his keys and started for the doorway of the library when he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to his mother and said, “You and I both know that whatever happened when Dad disappeared may never be solved. Whether or not Eli had anything to do with it is beside the point. It’s been thirty years. He’s your son. He’s my brother. You can keep shutting him out, but one day, you may need him and he won’t be there.” Dylan took a deep breath as Sheila kept her back to him. “Have a nice day, Mom,” he said with a sigh.

When Sheila heard the door to the library close, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She wasn’t sure if the tear was for her, Larry, or Eli, but for some reason on that oddly lonely Monday afternoon, Sheila Davenport allowed herself to feel emotions she had suppressed for a very, very long time.

Dr. Connor Windsor climbed down from Will’s horse, Sir Galahad, with a heavy sigh. The blinding afternoon sunlight combined with the heavy humidity made Connor more irritable than he’d been in days. He removed his riding helmet, handed it to the groom, and made his way across the fields of the King’s Polo Club. When Will was in town, they often rode together providing Connor had time in his schedule. Now that Will was in Paris for an undetermined amount of time, Connor agreed to ride Sir Galahad as often as he could. However, being at the club and away from Will made Connor’s heart heavy with sorrow. While Connor hadn’t truly loved anyone before, he had loved Will from the moment of their first kiss. It was something Connor couldn’t describe, but he was truly, madly, deeply in love with William Montgomery.

Connor made his way into the locker room when he spotted Warren Montgomery putting on his riding boots. “Warren,” called Connor. “This is a nice surprise.”

Warren stood up, gave Connor a hug, and replied, “The big case I was working on settled out of court, so I decided to come for a ride before going home.” Warren surveyed Connor carefully. In all of their years of friendship, he’d never seen Connor so glum. “Are you doing all right?”

“I guess. Considering.” Connor removed his sweat soaked polo shirt, tossed it into the hamper, and wiped down his hairy chest with a towel. “I miss him.”

“Yeah. Billy’s missable.”

“I spoke to him on Saturday. He seems happy…like he’s calmed down a bit.”

Warren nodded politely. “If we give Billy space, he’ll come around. He’s just…in his feelings…or whatever they say now.”

Connor poured a glass of cucumber water. “I hope so. It’s such a mess. I didn’t want it to be this way.”

Warren gave Connor a curious stare. “Didn’t you?”

“What?”

“You had whatever relationship you had with India and then you date Billy. Going between a brother and a sister, Connor? That’s a little macabre, no matter the spin you put on it.”

Connor could feel the heat rising in his soul. “I didn’t have a relationship with India!”

“You have a history with her,” stressed Warren. “Everyone knows India’s fragile… But dating Billy? I know you two are serious, but you wouldn’t have kept it a secret for so long if you weren’t embarrassed by the whole thing, Connor.”

“Warren, I love Billy. Everything that happened in the past with India was a big mistake.”

“I guess.” Warren grabbed a towel as he started for the door of the locker room. “India and Billy have always had a fraught relationship. Always. You should’ve known that, Connor. If anyone is responsible for Billy going to Paris, it’s you.” With that, Warren strode out of the locker room leaving Connor to ponder his scathing words.

In our next installment, Barbara meets India…

Follow Kingsport on Twitter and Facebook.

Email us at Kingsport@SoapKast.com

© 2021; SoapKast, Inc. All rights reserved.