This chapter is set in the "Altered Genesis" world created by the wonderful DorineHighcoven. I am indebted to her for her inspiration, advice, editing help, and of course, her kind permission to "spin off" from her marvelous series. Thank you!
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Penelope Gynogarde walked into her living room with a cup of tea and a plate of the delicious petite vanilla and chocolate cupcakes for her video call. It was 3:30 p.m. in New York, meaning it was 1:30 in Idaho, where Lady Amy Edenfemme and her son Dillon were getting ready for her call.
Penny's vid screen came to life, and there they were, Lady Amy with her thick salt-and-pepper hair loosely pulled back, and Dillon, with his big dark eyes wandering and uncertain. They sat together on a couch.
Penny started with a jovial, friendly tone: "Well, hello there you two! How are you doing this afternoon?"
Amy said, "We're fine, just fine, Lady Penelope! How are you?"
"I'm doing well, thanks. It's good to see you both." She added, "And Amy -- may I call you Amy? -- call me Penelope, or just Penny."
"All right, Penelope," Amy said, "thank you. And 'Amy' is just fine for me."
"Good," Penny said. "How are you today, Dillon?"
Snapping out of a reverie, Dillon gave Penny a frightened look. "Um...I'm all right."
"Good," Penny said. "You look so nice, Dillon dear." Amy had apparently gone to some trouble in preparing Dillon for the call. Penelope could see he had a nice, form-fitting crop-top knit shirt on (she could just see a bit of his exposed abdomen, which teased her into wanting to see more), and the pale blue coloring set off his dark eyes and hair very well. Penny wondered what he might be wearing below the waist, and how much skin the outfit showed.
Again, Dillon reacted slowly to his surroundings; he gave every indication of wanting to be anywhere but on the call. Dully, he said, "Uh...thanks."
"So, Amy..." Penelope started, "I wanted to tell you again how nice it was meeting Dillon and you at Grandmother's estate. I do love our ranch out there -- it's my favorite family property to visit. And now, it has the wonderful memory of meeting your handsome son to go along with it."
"Well," said Amy, "Dillon was delighted to meet you both." He looked at Amy, without trying to hide his surprise at this statement. "It's a tremendous compliment to us both, your interest in taking my dear Dillon in wedlock."
"Yes, well," Penny said, "he's a charming young male, and a wonderful worker. I was quite impressed by how he went about his duties at the ranch."
"He's always been such a good boy and very energetic," Amy said. "I'm glad you noticed that."
"Yes," Penny said, "you always want a good effort from staff and associates, even the boys. Or maybe especially the boys...Amy, I have learned that your Aunt Ruth is an important person in the Dibellan coven in -- where is it? -- Salt Lake City?"
"Cheyenne," Amy said. "And she's my great aunt. My grandmother's sister."
"Does Cheyenne have a big Dibellan congregation?"
"Cheyenne is the center of the Intermountain Council of Covens," Amy said. "Aunt Ruth is the Senior Gynarch. The congregation is strong there, although it doesn't have as many followers as Salt Lake or Denver of course. But Great Aunt Ruth had enough influence, you know, to make Cheyenne the spiritual center. You can find a lot if you look up Senior Gynarch Ruth Edenfemme."
"Hm," Penny said, "I'll have to do that..." Penny had not heard of Ruth Edenfemme before, although she sounded quite impressive. "So, your property is next to Grandma Elsa's in Idaho...do you have other operating farms or ranches?"
"Our family has a number of interests," Amy said. "The Idaho spread is one of them, and a personal favorite of mine and Dillon's. There is an intermodal freight company on the Eastern seaboard, a few specialty manufacturing plants in Louisiana and Texas, and we have a hand in some retail shops as well, scattered about. I've spent time working at most of them. My aunt thinks it's good to have knowledge of each of our enterprises, and I agree."
"Oh, I see," Penny said. "You folks are quite diversified, it sounds like."
"We are," Amy said, "but we have nothing compared to the Gynogarde empire. Your grandmother is a household name."
"She's well known," said Penny, "and I think many femme admire her business acumen, but strikes me that it comes at a cost. She drives herself and those around her very hard."
"I think she would have to," said Amy. "A business as large and prominent as yours? She must be working 24/7...so many people depending on her."
"Yes," said Penny, "and this week she's concerned about what will happen with interest rates. She -- we, I should say, I'm getting some responsibilities in the business too -- have a number of lines of credit which we use from time to time...she's worried about interest expense."
"Yes, I can see why," Amy said. "Some of our businesses also have to borrow now and then, but the bank in Denver gives us preferential treatment -- Great Aunt Ruth is on the board. We don't necessarily get a break in the interest rate, but repayment terms are very generous, I have to admit."
"Oh, well that's good," Penny said. "The best place to borrow from is yourself, if you can manage it."
"Absolutely true."
Penny said, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you how secure and well cared-for Dillon will be. We'll probably have a period of time where I give him the tour of the different properties and residences he will have available to him. I have a feeling that Park Avenue would be a big adjustment for him. Not much like Idaho at all."
"Dillon's a country boy," Amy said. "I'm sure you saw that when you met him." She laughed as she said, "If you take him to Manhattan, he'd probably never leave the apartment!"
Through this Dillon sat and listened. His eyes wandered every now and then, especially when Penny and his mother talked about business.
"What do you think, Dillon?" Penny asked. "Do you think you could get by in the big city?"
Dillon stared at Penny's image in the camera as the two ladies waited for him to respond. Finally, a little petulant, he muttered, "Uh...I don't know..."
"Of course you don't," Amy cut in, "you've never been in a bigger city than Pocatello, sweetheart." To Penny she said, "You'll have to ease him in slowly I think, Penelope. Get him used to things, introduce him to your friends for a get-together at home, that sort of thing. But of course, we wouldn't want Dillon to venture out into Manhattan unaccompanied, would we, Penelope?"
"No, of course not," Penelope said. "We couldn't let that happen, because there are stories every week of a boy, even one that someone had already taken in wedlock, who went missing and they're almost never heard from again. So just understand, Dillon, that you'll be safe with me at all times."
From Amy's statement and her tone, Penny thought Amy was very receptive to her suit to take Dillon in wedlock. She wanted to reinforce the idea that no harm would ever come to her Dillon.
She said, "So Dillon, you look so wonderful sitting there, so quiet and adorable. Have you had a big day at Grandma's ranch?"
"Um, yeah..." he replied, "it was a regular work day. I have to go back after this call."
"Your shoulders look extra nice today," Penny said. "That shirt really shows them off. Did you pick it out special for this chat with me?"
Dillon said, "...Well, my mom helped me..."
"I wanted Dillon to look his best when we talked to you today," Amy said. She turned to look at Dillon. "I do think it's important to send the right signal to nice folks, like Lady Penelope here, who take a special interest in us. In you."
Dillon stared into the camera and Penelope started in: "So I'm interested to know, Dillon, you work a lot at Grandma's ranch. But do play any sports, like running or tennis, to keep your beautiful shape?"
"I..." (clears his throat), "I do some running in the roads...I get most of my arm and shoulder training doing the ranch work -- herding the cows back and forth, getting 'em milked, fixing rails in the fence line..."
"Does your mom have chores for you when you get home?"
He sighed. "Sometimes..."
"Are they hard?" Penny asked. "What does your Mom have you do at home?"
"I have to work on the machinery," he said "-- update the apps that run them, fuel them up and lubricate them. Sometimes there's a repair that needs doing..."
"That's probably not as much fun as herding and milking the cows," Penny said. "Is it hard to come home and have more chores after you've worked all day?"
Dillon stared into the camera, uncertain how to answer. Penny said, "Don't worry about working a ranch in New York, honey. You'll have plenty to do right in the comfort of your own home."
"Well, I will say," Amy said, "that Dillon does excellent work in the kitchen, and he cleans and does the laundry while I'm tending my own businesses. He's a very busy boy, with his part-time duties at your ranch. In the last six months or so, he's made great strides planning and preparing meals. Haven't you, hon?"
Dillon acknowledged this with a half-shrug.