Jack continued taking the deadbolts off the front door. He answered her with an astonished look on his face, “Let him! He’ll be dead the second he crosses my doorway. And who the hell is going to want to break in?! If they drive all the way up the mountain just to steal from us, I will personally load up their car with the Morrow ancestral china! Steal from us! We’re an hour away from the main road! Not to mention everybody is afraid of this place!”
Catherine stormed out of the room with great irritation, as Jack followed behind her, deadbolt in hand. The truth of the matter was, though Kendricks had shown up here before, Jack didn’t believe that he would have the guts to cross his threshold. In time, Bernard Kendricks would prove him wrong.
*
Stubbornly, Jack and Angus insisted upon taking the head and foot of the table for themselves. On the left side of the table, in between Angus and Jack, sat Catherine, Blake, Bridgette, Shane, and Moira. On the right side of the table sat Frank, Adam, Liam, Thomas and Dr. Lapidus.
With a mischievous look on his face, Jack began to speak to his father on the opposite end of the table.
“So,” Jack begins, “I hear you had a pleasant trip up from Philly.” Angus, still chewing a mouthful of ham, shot his son a nasty glare, as Jack smiled broadly. Catherine, Bridgette and Moira all glared at Jack with eyes full of contempt. Moira's thoughts exploded. Why does he have to get him riled up already?!
"Horrendous! Absolutely horrendous," Angus began, a look of sheer disgust on his face, "Your sister decided to stop in no less than seven, yes, seven stores on the way. Your mother insisted upon feeding your hooligan brood of boys breakfast and lunch. Your brother-in-law didn't have the pass salted for our trip up the godforsaken mountain. You didn't shovel a path to the front door so my penny loafers are now soaked! Do I have to do everything myself?! Oh! And I wasn't going to mention this but I may as well now: your children did nothing but argue and complain the entire way!"
All at once several people at the table starting arguing back at Angus. Bridgette threw her napkin on the table and raised a finger indicating for him to hold on a minute. Moira rolled her eyes profusely behind her broad rimmed glasses, as she shook her head in disgust. Adam, Liam and Thomas squirmed anxiously in their chairs, hoping they could avoid their father's wrath. Catherine's eyes were opened wide, and she tapped her leg nervously under the table. Oh please don't let them argue throughout dinner. Frank and Jack snickered to themselves at Angus' appearance. Usually very well put together, Angus' graying hair stood on end, the bottoms of his pants were still wet, his penny loafers nowhere to be found.
"I'm sorry… How do I respond to a full-blown outburst like that?" Jack wondered out loud.
Frank inserted, "I think you should go in order."
"Gentlemen! Can we not argue?" Catherine pleaded. Clearly ignoring Catherine, Jack began to address his father’s complaint.
“Fantastic suggestion, Francis. In my sister’s defense... living up here in 'No Man’s Land,' there aren’t many stores, so Bridgette was being proactive and getting what she needed before coming back up here... What was his next problem?”
“I don't have a problem!” claimed Angus, giving a volatile stare at his youngest son.
“I think it was because Mrs. Morrow…” Frank started, but was interrupted by Moira, “It’s Moira, Francis.”
“Right. Moira, wanted to feed 'your hooligan brood of boys' two of the necessary meals of the day.” That jogged Jack's memory.
“Ah, yes! Tell me, Doctors Morrow and Lapidus, Nurse Kilpatrick, how many meals a day does one need to maintain a healthy diet? Ow! Catherine what was that for?!” said Jack, nursing his left leg. Catherine’s swollen foot rammed into Jack’s leg hard. She ignored his complaint, focusing on her dinner plate.
"That's not the point!" argued Angus. "We’re having a big dinner, we do not need to waste time or money getting lunch. Walt, don't you entertain his foolish inquiry."
"How many meals do you eat on a daily basis, Walt?" Jack asked to Dr. Lapidus.
"That's not the point," insisted Angus.
"I'd like a second opinion please, Dr. Lapidus, Nurse Kilpatrick. Someone speak some logic into this man," requested Jack, the smile on his face getting broader with each passing moment.
Bridgette smiled widely at her brother, “Gladly! They are growing boys. They should eat when they are hungry, and eat at least three meals a day.” Jack was quite pleased with her answer, at this he turned to Walt again.
“Why, thank you, Nurse Kilpatrick. Dr. Lapidus, do you concur?” Walt had a furrowed brow and gave his oldest friend Gus an apologetic look.
“Jack, why must you drag me into this?” asked Dr. Lapidus with a sheepish look on his face.
Angus, beginning to get truly agitated, inserted, “Walt doesn’t have time for this, Jack!”
“I simply wanted to know how many meals a day Dr. Lapidus generally eats,” said Jack innocently. Jack's reply changed the expression on Dr. Lapidus' face, no longer a look of confusion, but to mild amusement.
“Oh, I suppose I can answer that then…”