"So have you ever tried to sneak a sip of the good stuff?" Maddie asked.

Both she and Audrey were in the the massive walk-in liquor closet to retrieve the top-shelf whiskey the senior Westinghouse preferred. Alcoholic options were lined high on the wall, so a ladder had to be utilized. Maddie held the bottom while Audrey searched one of the literal highest shelves closest to the ceiling.

"Yeah, right." Audrey said, her eyes fixated on the task at hand. "I learned early on they've got surveillance cameras tucked under every nook and cranny of this mansion. I may be reckless, but I'm not stupid. The second I pilfer even a sip of some lighter fluid tequila, I'd be laid high and dry because I'd be caught red-handed."

"Cameras...?" Maddie eyed her surroundings suspiciously. Since she had set foot in Westinghouse Manor she had not seen a single camera. She was tempted to ask Audrey if she was pulling her leg, but got distracted as she watched Audrey carefully descend the ladder.

When Audrey's were planted firmly back on the ground, she gave Maddie a wry smirk. "Were you checking me out?"

"No!" said Maddie, averting her gaze, but then waited a beat to speak again. "Well...your maid outfits don't leave much to the imagination. Sorry."

"You little perv!" teased Audrey, punching Maddie playfully on the shoulder, then leaned in to speak softly in her ear. "If you wanted to take a peek, all you had to do was ask..."

Mortified, Maddie's face went bright red. "Is that the top-shelf stuff?" she asked, pointing to the bottle of liquor nestled in Audrey's arms and desperately trying to change the subject.

"No..." Audrey said, slightly frowning. "It's strange, I could've sword he had half a bottle left, but there was nothing there when I went to search. Perhaps one of his kids drank it and didn't bother to replenish."

"It's after 4," said Maddie. "He's probably inside the mansion now."

"Right, guess this will have to do," said Audrey. "Come on, Red."

Maddie obeyed and followed Audrey out of the room. Normally she despised the nickname Red - it was a cruel moniker imposed upon her early in her time at Ivoree Gates. Anytime it was uttered, she knew it was out of malice. Disdain for her existence, for a student body who couldn't be bothered to learn her first name. When she hit puberty and her weight grew, other more cruel names started to gain prominence, but "Red" never really went away...

But with Audrey, it was different. It was the first time she heard where she could detect the affection in its bestowment. It was like a new identity for her. Or an old, powerful identity that had always been present, but required someone like Audrey to truly unlock its hidden potential.

Maddie and Audrey had only worked together for a few weeks, but they had spent so much time in each other's company that it felt like she knew her for years. It quickly blossomed into a relationship that she held in high regard, and through it she felt powerful feelings she hadn't experienced not since Tawny had set foot for the first time in her dorm room...

While lost in thought, Maddie thought she saw, in the corner of her eye, a familiar spector traversing the halls as they passed an open corridor.

"Was that...?" thought Maddie. She swore she had saw Prudence hastily walking down the hall. Her old best friend. Her mind was muddled with thoughts of old and new she convinced herself that she must have imagined her.

Maddie shook her head. She needed to stay focused on the task at hand, after all. The Patriarch of the Westinghouse had arrived, after all. And in the next few hours, depending on how things played out, things could change for all of them, forever.

---

Maddie and Audrey arrived outside just as Rebecca and Eugene (Professor) McCurdy emerged from the luxury sedan that chauffeured them to the event. Both were looking as dapper as ever, with Rebecca wearing and emerald green gown and matching scarf around her neck, and her husband donning impeccable black tie attire.

"Sorry we're late," apologized Rebecca.

"Not at all," said Sarah. "Actually it looks like you're right on time..."

The McCurdys stood beside Sarah and Dylan; Maddie and Audrey took position beside them just as the sedan moved and a black Cadillac Escalade crept to a stop in front of the manor.

One of the security detail went to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. A hush fell, as one suited leg emerged from the dark car, then another, until a man that appeared taller than his transport stood in front of the expectant guests.

Handsome, stately, and broad-shouldered, he was a man who all in attendance could immediately see carried himself with a high level of austere decorum. Though his body language conveyed seriousness -- that he was not someone to be trifled with -- and his smartly-styled grey hair telegraphed his years of experience, behind his eyes there was a distinct shadow of sadness, as though the light of life had been extinguished a long time ago. Physically, he was a man; emotionally, he was all golem.

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Sarah was the first to break the silence, approaching the newcomer. "Hello, Father," she said. "Welcome home."

She extended her arms and the man mirrored her actions. Together they met in a very robotic embrace that lasted only a few seconds before Sarah stepped away from him again.

"Sarah," he said, in response. Dylan did not opt for a hug; rather, when the man's eyes rested on his son, he did a curt nod, to which Dylan responded in kind before quickly looking away again. "Dylan."

Sarah turned to face the group. "Everyone, I'd like to formerly introduce you to Bryce Westinghouse III, Esquire. My father."

He nodded stoically to the group, who cautiously did the same. All except Eugene and Rebecca, who were the only others who deigned to approach Bryce.

"Good to see you again," said Eugene, extending his hand. Bryce shook it firmly.

"It's been too long, Bryce," said Rebecca, smiling her award-winning smile. "Thank you for inviting us to your home at this important time. I simply can't wait to catch up with you."

To everyone's surprise, it was Rebecca who had finally connected a hit to Bryce's armor of reservedness; the frown supplanted on his face softened into a firm line as he reached for her hand and tapped it gently between his own.

During this exchange, Sarah's eyes darted to Maddie. Concerned was etched on her face as she attempted to telepathically convey the thought that was on everyone's mind. "Where's Tawny?"

Maddie shrugged, her eyes answering back. "No clue."

But there was no time to belabour the matter further; Sarah headed toward the entrance. "This way, everyone - dinner is to be served shortly in the West Wing dining hall."

---

After a few minutes, the party arrived in the dining hall, where several of the on-duty Dylantantes were standing at attention at each corner of the space. For each guest, the table was impeccably set, staggered in such a way as to evenly distribute each person to accommodate the table's immense size.

Sarah gestured for Bryce to enter the dining room first, which he did, but instead of heading for his end of the table, he first went to the opposite end, where a seat was literally covered in white lilies. He paused in front of the seat, and picked up the portrait of his wife that rested on the plate.

"My mother's favourite flower," explained Sarah in a hushed voice. "And her namesake."

Rebecca placed a hand over her heart. "Lily Westinghouse....Rest in Peace."

Finally, Bryce went to his respective seat, and the rest of the guests followed suit. Audrey and Maddie, meanwhile, stood at the periphery, near the door.

The first course was served immediately as everyone sat down. One of the Dylantantes went from guest to guest and ladled onto their empty bowls a healthy serving of cream of fois gras soup topped with caviar.

"Thank you," Rebecca replied. "This looks divine."

"The whole menu is based upon all of my mother's favourite dishes," Sarah explained. "All the ingredients are either locally sourced or flown in fresh."

When the Dylantante ladled the soup onto Bryce's bowl, he scoffed. "Dylan."

Dylan had a spoonful of soup halfway to his mouth before pausing and looking at his father.

"I thought you had outgrown the wet-nursing."

Audible gasps rang throughout the space. Rebecca, caught off-guard by the remark, began to cough and covered her mouth with her napkin.

"I mean, really," Bryce continued, "The girls were only supposed to be employed to help you temporarily."

"Excuse me," Dylan said icily, "But the only reason I had the maids was because of you. YOU insisted I have the help after Mother died."

"Only because I didn't want to burden Sarah with your grief."

"News flash, Father - we were ALL grieving!" Dylan said, slamming his spoon into the bowl so the creamy soup splattered like a culinary crime scene. "I was upset! Sarah was upset! Even you were, when you still had a heart and were capable of emotions, instead of the shriveled, walnut-sized excuse of an organ that pumps blood in your chest! So don't you dare blame me for your shortcomings!"

"Watch your tongue, boy," cautioned Bryce.

"Oh, screw you, Old Man!" snapped Dylan, standing up and ripping off his napkin off and throwing it to the ground. "Screw this whole arrangement. I knew this was a bad idea..." he stood up from the table and stormed out of the dining room.

"Dylan!" Sarah cried as her brother left.

Bryce, too, had stood up, but in a more measured, controlled manner. "I need to make a phone call," he said; before Sarah could protest further, he too exited the room without another word.

Sarah brought her hands to her head, shaking it slowly. "This is a disaster...."

"Audrey, Maddie," said Rebecca. "A word, if you wouldn't mind..."

The two girls looked at each other, confused, but followed Rebecca has she excused herself from the dining room. When the three of them were in the hallway and out of earshot, she looked at them with grave concern. "This hasn't gone well at all, has it?"

"Understatement of the century," Maddie said, sighing.

"Perhaps I'm mistaken," began Rebecca, "but wasn't your friend Tawny supposed to assist with today's events?"

"She was, but she went missing shortly after everyone started to arrive," Audrey said.

"That's very unlike her," Rebecca said. "My husband used to remark that Tawny was the pinnacle of punctuality to his classes. Do you suppose something may have happened to her?"

"Not to my knowledge," replied Audrey.

But Maddie was deep in thought, replaying the events of the day. "Actually..." she said. "I had gotten a weird feeling earlier. I swear I saw Prudence sneaking through the mansion, like she was up to no good."

"Prude?" Audrey said. "That's odd. She paid off her debt a while ago."

"Yes, but since rejoining Ivoree Gates, she's been hanging out with Elaine and Violet," said Maddie. "And they were all definitely here today. I can't shake the feeling that they were plotting something."

"Can I task you girls to get to the bottom of this?" asked Rebecca. "I know things are looking grim, but perhaps if you could locate Tawny, then the three of you could retrieve Dylan and this whole sordid affair could be salvaged."

Audrey shrugged. "It's worth a shot. What do you say, Red? Want to locate a missing maid?"

Maddie nodded. "Let's do it. This dinner party can be salvaged yet."