“You brought the Upton Place at Point Piper!!” came the opening line, the golden amber eyes sparkling delight in the acquisition.“Yes! I heard that it was to be put in the market from my private sources and then I went all ahead for a private deal,” he answered as a matter-of-fact manner.“I have been to so many wonderful parties there, all these years. I mean, though I must say that neither the Uptons, nor the ones who came after them, whose names I can’t seem to remember at the moment. But this I know that they could not maintain that house just like it should have been or decorated at all. I mean, it was definitely nice, and all upscale but it was missing on a class,” said Virginia as she took a sip of the juice from her own glass.“And what is that you want regarding that Mother?” asked Oberon again, drily.

 “And just when did you decide that Oberon? Because when the packet came from Bolivia informing about Cedric’s death, I know that you were still playing the field and that was not even three months ago. And are you trying to tell me that within such a short amount of time you have suddenly changed into a man who is dedicated to his wife and his son and not to mention has become monogamous as well?” asked Virginia…The package from Bolivia. The last and the only contact made by his father to him.Oberon could not believe that it had already been three months to that and in all this time he had not thought about it for once. It was a weird irony that he had barely given a thought to the package and letter from since the time that Rhonda had told him about Ruriel. However it as the truth that what was his father’s fantasy of the ideal life and family for his sake was now shap

 Rhonda was playing with Ruriel, as his morning ritual and singing rhymes to him as he was smiling and kicking his arms and legs in happiness. This was nothing akin to lullaby so she knew that she wanted her son to have the proper reaction pattern to all her verbal cues and she was also working on the hand and eye co-ordination of her son. There would be a lot of teachers who would come along later on but Rhonda knew that nothing, after all nothing at all beat what a mother’s love meant to the baby.So when the housekeeper came and informed her that there was a guest who had been shown the parlour and was waiting for her there, she was a bit shocked. Not a lot of people were aware of this new address and she had certainly not invited someone. Rhonda checked her appearance in the mirror, and saw that she was in a skin-tight denim and a pale aqua shirt of silk. She had chosen this combination because Oberon loved seeing the

 Something was wrong.Oberon could not understand what it was and neither could he put his fingers on it exactly but he knew that Rhonda was not being her usual self and that made him uncomfortable. During the hour before dinner which was designated as playtime with Ruriel, he always made sure that the three of them will be spending the time together. It was the time when they would interact with their son as a unit before he was put to his crib with a bottle. But tonight her eyes did not light up readily with the smiles and laughter. No amusing anecdotes of their son’s daily activities were offered.She seemed quiet, withdrawn and pre-occupied. Only joining in fun of playing with Ruriel when Oberon drew him in. And then he sensed that it was taking her real effort to feel or show any sense of pleasure at what they were doing in reality. Her mind seemed else where, miles away and not clicking with

 Rhonda sat at the dressing table in the master bedroom, brushing her hair, trying to calm her inner agitation with steady, repetitive action. She had her own furniture around her here, having it brought from her home in Randwick. It really did not match the room or the house and the colours clashed. But it at least gave her a sense of comfortable familiarity.She had put on a wrap-around silk robe, a blue silk and lace negligee which was the part of the lingerie set that she had brought around for their honeymoon. It was designed to look alluring but seduction was the farthest thing from her mind right at the moment. It was really not on her agenda tonight. She had felt too vulnerable for the uninhibited nakedness that Oberon had encouraged in their bedroom. Though the robe did not do much about taking away the nakedness but it at least took the chill away from her.The room, rather the entire house ha