"I gave the baby away," Gwen said shortly, drawing herself up again. "The baby was mine and Jimmy's but he wouldn't have forgiven me for not telling him. And it was too late by then. So I gave the baby to people I trusted."

Stephen stepped up, pausing at her elbow. "Very dramatic," he murmured in her ear. "It was a boy," he continued for her. She turned a wild look on him, shaking her head vigorously. "You couldn't keep the boy without being married. And you didn't want the boy's father or his family to know. So you gave him to people you trusted." Stephen turned his gaze around the gathered Masons, settling on Jude. "And who did you trust more than anyone, Gwen?" He gripped her elbow, giving it a vicious squeeze. "Tell them who you gave your first son to," he demanded.

It came out as barely more than a whisper. "My brother," she admitted, sending a shiver of shock through the crowd as, one by one, each pair of eyes turned to stare at her brother's son, Jude Fontaine.

The color drained from Jude's face as he realized what they were saying. But it couldn't be true. His parents would have told him, he thought, feeling the pit of his stomach fall away. Of course, they weren't his parents anyway, he reminded himself with a jolt. Gwen was his...mother. That meant that Jamie and Ellen were his siblings. He had siblings. He shot a look at Jamie who looked as angry as he had ever seen him before. Jamie had a right to be angry. So did he, for that matter. They all did.  

Gwen twisted around and gave him a searching look. "You understand don't you, Jude? You know why I had to do it."

"Understand?" Jamie spit at her. "How could he understand? You robbed him of his name, his life and his family, Mother!"

Hallie stepped between them, a sickening smile on her face. "Perhaps we should continue this in private? I do have guests," she pointed out.

"Hallie is right," Gwen said coming to her senses and looking out at the silent crowd. "My apologies everyone." She started towards the ball room entrance, the guests parting for her. Neither Jamie nor Jude made a move to follow her.

"Jude?" Jamie raised his eyebrows questioningly. Jude shook his head.

"I can't Jamie. Not yet. Would you talk to her right now? I just need to think for a while." Jamie nodded in agreement, looking for Michaela. He spotted her just to the other side of Luke and motioned for her to follow him. They left the room together, their hands clasped tight. As the crowd began to rustle and murmur, Jude took the chance to slip out unnoticed.

The night was getting cooler by the minute. He shivered briefly before becoming accustomed to the frigid air. He paused long enough to look out at the grounds of Four Winds turning white with frost. This should have been his. What was Gwen thinking? He supposed he did understand why she had done it. After all, Jamie had been the light of Uncle James' life. To tell him after the fact that she had borne him another son previously would have doomed the marriage. It didn't excuse what she did, but he could almost understand it.

"Jude." He turned, catching sight of Cynthia approaching him.

"Who invited you?" He asked noting her evening attire. She shrugged, pausing next to him.

"Actually, Gwen did. I'm on the board at The Foundation. She invited all the board members."

"So you just decided, what the hell? I'll come? Thank you Cynthia. That was and is the most remarkable thing you have ever done," he said crossly, folding his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

Cynthia pulled back, startled by his tone. "I wanted to see if you were all right. That has to be quite a shock."

"I'm fine, Cynthia. Never been better."

"You're a terrible liar, Jude Fontaine. You always have been. You should be angry and bitter. Don't pretend everything is okay. It's Cynthia you're talking to."

"Exactly," he replied, dropping his arms to his side. "And that is reason enough to end this conversation right here."

"What have I ever done to hurt you?" She asked, wounded by his tone. "I just thought maybe you might like to vent a little about that scene."

"No, not really. And not to you. Excuse me," he added turning away from her. The last thing he needed was Cynthia Mitchell. He could barely handle his own thoughts let alone hers as well.


Scene 2:

Hallie could barely suppress the grin that emerged as she swept past her guests towards the hall, ready for Round Two of Gwen's humiliation.

"Yes, it is just terrible," she murmured to Rebecca Harrison at the doorway. "But do try to enjoy yourself anyway." She smiled graciously but a gleam of excitement twinkled in her eye.

Stephen had come through after all! And in such a grand fashion! She pushed the ballroom doors open and stepped into the deserted hallway, looking to see which way Gwen and Jamie had gone. Of course, they were likely in Gwen's office, she decided, turning that way.

"Maybe you should let them have a moment together." She started at the sound of Luke's voice, unsure where it was coming from. He stepped from the shadows of the stairway, gazing at her with what she thought looked like an expression of disdain. "Unless you would like to see your production to the end?"

"What are you talking about Luke?" She snapped, suddenly weary of his attitude lately. "I didn't have anything to do with this."

"Oh really? Then what was your trip with Stephen Roth all about then?"

Hallie swallowed, a momentary fear of being caught overtaking her. She chewed back her confession and held her head high. "I don't know what you're talking about Luke. Are you accusing me of something? Because if you are, maybe you should get your facts straight before you jump to conclusions like that!"

"What kind of proof do I need, Hallie? You left for a weekend and lied about where you went to. And then, strangely enough, Roth takes off for a few days as well. Awfully suspicious don't you think?"

"You are paranoid. I didn't have anything to do with this. Though it does give us the upper hand, don't you think?" She purred, stepping closer to him and laying her hand on his arm. "Just think, there's a wedge there now. Jude isn't going to want anything to do with Gwen. And Jamie...well, you saw how he reacted there. I think he could be convinced to walk away just to spite Gwen. God, Luke, can't you see! ME is ours for the taking. All we have to do is act."

"You're incredible," Luke muttered shrugging her hand off his arm. "Are you playing me for a fool? Do you really think I'll just let you use me while you plot with Stephen Roth? God, you must think I am a total idiot."

Hallie stepped back, his words stinging slightly. "I'm not using you. We made a deal. I certainly do not think you're an idiot."

"Then tell me the truth. Did you plan this with Roth? Or is this his doing completely?"

"I didn't have anything to do with this. Trust me, I would have chosen another day besides my wedding day to burst Gwen's bubble," Hallie replied with bitterness. "But it's done now. So we have to move forward. Seize the day. Are you still with me or do you want to dwell on something you think I did?"

"So, Conlan figured it out did he?" Both Luke and Hallie turned at Stephen's voice. He stood in the hall, just beyond them at the doors to the ballroom. "I'm rather glad it's out in the open, aren't you Hallie? No more sneaking around behind his back, right?" Hallie's eyes narrowed in a hateful glare as he walked towards them. "It was unavoidable Luke."

Luke's eyes flicked between Hallie and Stephen. "I'm sure that it was. But Hallie has assured me it's over. Haven't you?" Hallie nodded, her mind in a whirl. She hadn't planned on this event at all. Luke was acting like a hurt lover. God, they weren't in love! Why did he have to behave this way? "And as you see, I've forgiven her, you can leave now."

Stephen laughed, a hard brittle laugh. "Oh can I? Luke, she has you under her thumb. She doesn't love you. I hope you're under no delusions there."

"How Hallie and I feel for one another is none of your business."

"No? It might interest you to know, that not two weeks ago, your blushing bride was professing her love for me." Stephen smiled, arching an eyebrow at Hallie. "I'll leave you two together. But just remember who got you what you wanted Hallie. Remember who delivered the one thing you've been after for months while you enjoy your wedding night." He nodded his head and departed leaving Hallie staring after him. What was she going to do now?


Scene 3:

"Jude?" Maura shivered in the Virginia night air, stepping into the gazebo where Jude sat staring at the ground. She edged forward as if he were a wild animal she was trying not to frighten. "Are you all right?" She asked, pausing a few feet from him. He raised his head and looked at her with empty eyes.

"I don't know," he replied. "You look frozen though. Here," he said stripping off his coat. "Put this on. It's warmer than that shawl."

"Aren't you cold?" Maura asked, keeping her hands from reaching out for the coat.

"I can't feel a thing right now. A little frost bite might be good for me."

"Jude..." He shook the coat at her.  

"Maura, take it, please?" She nodded, doing as he asked, slipping it over her shoulders. "Now don't you feel better?" He rubbed his arms in the chilly wind, smiling at her. "I know you came to see how I am and I'm very glad of your company, but if it's all the same, I'd rather not talk about it."

"I saw you with Cynthia a few minutes ago. Is that what she wanted?" He nodded dropping down to the bench. His hands splayed open on his knees looking strong and capable to Maura. "I guess you didn't talk to her either... I should give you back your coat, you know. Leave you alone, so you can think about it in peace." She sank to her knees, oblivious of what she was doing to the expensive dress she wore. Catching his hand up in hers, she raised it to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss. "I should leave you alone, but I won't."

"No? Oh Maura...I'm not decent company," he began.

"I don't care!" Jude that was pretty harsh in there. I can't leave you alone to let you replay that in your head. We don't have to talk about it. But, please, let me stay with you."

He sighed and patted the seat next to him. She scrambled up, getting as close as possible to warm him and herself. There was a tightness in the way he held himself, Maura noticed, sliding closer to him. She could hardly blame him after Gwen's revelation. If she were in his place, she would react the same way.

"I've lived my whole life as Jude Fontaine," he said suddenly, in a voice barely above a whisper. "Now who am I?"

"You're still you, no matter who your parents are, Jude."

"What about who I could have been?"  

"I think you would have been the same person, no matter how or who raised you," Maura said, squeezing his fingers in hers.  

"Maybe." He looked back towards Four Winds. "I can't go back in there."

"Where do you want to go? I'll go with you."

"Somewhere safe, somewhere she won't find me," he said nodding at the big house.

"You mean Gwen?" Maura asked, knowing there was no one else he could be referring to. "Would you like to stay at our home? Dad wouldn't mind. And, there's an empty room now that Luke is gone."  

"Would that be all right?" Jude asked quietly.  

"Of course. More than all right. I'll even make you breakfast and I don't make breakfast for just anyone, you know."

"All right," he agreed. "Just for tonight though. I'll find someplace else to stay tomorrow."

"You can stay as long as you need to. At my house you're just Jude." He smiled, the first one since the scene inside, but it was a bittersweet smile. 

"Just Jude? Somehow I don't think I will ever be 'just Jude' ever again."


Scene 4:

"How could you do that?" Jamie's voice was a cold whisper as he stared at his mother. "You took his name, his family..."

"I didn't!" Gwen cried, stamping her foot like a petulant child. "I gave Jude everything I could at the time! You don't know what it was like, Jamie. Your grandfather was so unforgiving and moral! I couldn't keep Jude and hope to marry your father after that. Mr. Mason would never have allowed it." An angry red flush crept up her neck as her emotions raged. "I wanted to tell Jimmy, I did! But you came along and he was so happy with you, I just couldn't..."

"Mother. That is the weakest excuse I have ever heard. Jude deserved to know all of this. He deserved to hear it from you and not from a vindictive boyfriend of Hallie's. He folded his arms across his chest, watching her. "I deserved to know too. I've lived my whole life knowing that I would inherit all of...this! And I didn't want one goddammed bit of it. When all along, it really belonged to Jude. Christ, when I think of how Uncle Doug practically forced Jude in politics because he was a 'Fontaine' it makes me ill."

"Doug did the right thing!"

"No Mother, neither of you did," Jamie returned as the door swept open and closed again quickly. Ellen stood in the doorway, her face a jumble of emotions. God, what a rotten day for the Masons, Jamie thought as Ellen glanced nervously between them.  

"I just thought you might like to know that Jude left," she told them.  

"Are you happy now, Mother?" Jamie spat.  

"Maura Conlan left with him," Ellen cut in quickly. "I think he'll be okay."

"Thank god for small miracles anyway." Jamie paced the room, ignoring the three most important women in his life as they all looked at him. Michaela had been quiet since the whole scene in the ball room. He wondered what she was thinking. Maybe she was regretting coming to his home. She'd been miserable for the longest time, and then he had dropped the situation with Kerri on her, and now this. If he were in her shoes, he would leave the first chance he got. He took another look at her and realized he knew exactly what she was thinking. Be calm, be reasonable, don't get bent out of shape yet. That's right.

"All right. So, I guess you should start at the beginning," he said stopping in front of her. "I'm not going anywhere and neither is Ellen. You'll have to repeat all of this for Jude when he's ready to hear it, but for now, explain."

"I've already told you everything. Your father and I broke up. But I was pregnant with Jude. I didn't want to tell him because I didn't want him back out of pity. And if your grandfather ever found out, it would have been the end of me and Jimmy. Morgan took me to New York and helped me have the baby. I thought I would tell your father when we made up. But I didn't get the chance. We married quickly and then you came along... I don't expect you to understand. But I did do the best I could for Jude. When Doug and Jenny died, he came to live with us here. And we doted on him, treated him like a son!"

"How ironic," Jamie interrupted. "Mother, I honestly don't know what to think. I am so angry with you."

"Jamie, please. Please forgive me. I never thought it would come to this," Gwen said, the misery coating her voice.  

"No, you thought you could lie to everyone forever. Well, you can't lie forever. The fact of it is, Jude is the Mason heir. Not me. Everything I have should be his. How can I run Mason Enterprises now, when I know Jude should be at the helm and not me? This changes everything." He exchanged glances with Michaela, adding, "Nothing stays the same."

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 71