📎A/N. Hello my lovelies... I am going to try out the new multimedia feature today... let me know what you think...

Don't forget to vote if you enjoy the chapter.

Take care,

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"I think those sleeves are supposed to be off your shoulders," Grace remarked after she popped her head through the curtains to the changing booth.

Once through the gates of the Faire in Tuxedo, they had made their way directly to The Bellrose costume shop to hire outfits for the afternoon. From the hordes coming through the gates and already at the fair, Sydney decided that it probably was a good idea as they would stand out in their street clothes.

"I don't know why you get the pretty gown and I have to be dressed as a serving wench," Sydney complained as she pulled the cord on the bodice of her dress to tighten it.

"Because I phoned earlier and had them put it aside for me. Now hurry up, Mason and Mac are already changed and outside."

Sydney glanced down at her gown. Underneath a tight brown bodice, she wore a white three-quarter billowed sleeve peasants blouse. The gathered front of the top hung a lot lower than she was used to, exposing the top of her bust, the cut of the bodice making them appear much larger than they actually were.

A full long blue skirt fell to the ground in waves, hiding her modern shoes that while comfortable, didn't match the outfit.

"How silly do I look?" Sydney asked.

Grace opened the curtains fully and glanced at the outfit. She reached forward and pulled the sleeves off Sydney's shoulder. "It actually suit's you," she said. "Now let's go."

Sydney trailed behind her cousin admiring the beautiful green and orange gown. Had Grace suddenly appeared in Elizabethan England, she would have naturally been mistaken for royalty.

As they exited the shop, Sydney immediately spotted Ethan and Mason. "I suppose you also phoned ahead for his outfit as well," she remarked as she noticed Mason's princely attire.

She was relieved to discover Ethan had also drawn the short peasant straw and was dressed in a tunic, red jerkin and tan pants tucked into knee-high black boots.

"According to this," Mason said, referring to his program. "There's a joust scheduled to start in a few moments. How about we check it out?"

Grace smiled and nodded. "Why not, it sounds intriguing."

Mason whipped the hat off his head and bowed low from his middle "Milady," he said, then righted himself holding out his arm for her to take.

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Who are you, and what have you done with my cousin?" she asked when Grace accepted his outstretched arm and they began to make their way towards the tournament field.

"Nice outfit," Ethan grinned, glancing down at her as they trailed behind the others.

Sydney raised an eyebrow at Ethan's mischievous look. "Eyes up. You can't talk," she teased. "Where's your codpiece?"

"Didn't have any in my size."

She was stopped from snapping out a witty retort, when the crowd surrounding the Roselawn, cheered as the first set of knights rode out into the arena. The noise was deafening as the spectators hurled out abuse and advice to their chosen horsemen.

https://youtu.be/H8u-KLmk8VQ

"I can't believe there are this many people here," Sydney had to raise her voice so that Grace could hear her.

"Over one hundred and fifty thousand people attend each year. It's also a great place for actors to hone their skills."

Sydney glanced up at her cousin with a frown. "And how is it you know so much about it?"

"I might sit on a couple of foundations with one of the owners," Grace admitted.

Sydney let out a small laugh. "I knew you wouldn't just decide to come here on a whim."

Grace shrugged. "The company that owns this Faire as well as a few others across the country donate a considerable amount of money to reading programs and blood drives. I thought it might be nice to see what the fuss was all about."

They were distracted when one of the jousting poles shattered on impact and a roar went up from the crowd. Sydney was surprised to discover both Knight still astride their mounts.

"Good lord that was grand. I really thought he was going to come a cropper," Mason declared once the show was over.

It didn't take long before Mason's excitement infected both Sydney and Ethan and she found herself enjoying the very different atmosphere of the fair.

The stalls in the marketplace were too much for Grace to miss, and she insisted on stopping at every shop and inspecting what was on offer.

It was while they were meandering around, something caught Ethan's attention and he broke off to take a closer look. Curiosity getting the better of her, Sydney followed him. From the medieval sign hanging from the front of the stall, she guessed it sold coin medallions.

"Walter loves old coins," he explained when Sydney peered at what he was looking at. "I thought I'd get something for him."

They spent the next ten minutes combing through the selection of high-quality metal artwork.

"What about this one," Sydney said, pointing to a beautifully handmade coin with a dragon emblazed on its face.

Ethan, unable to decide between the dragon and one with a Crusader Knight, which represented loyalty to a cause, chose to buy both.

As they exited, she noticed a hesitant expression wash over Ethan. "I think he'll love them."

His unsure expression remained as they weaved their way through the crowds to find Mason and Grace. "I hope he'll focus on the coins rather than me not seeing him next week."

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to go back to Beijing Monday morning, and will be away most of the week."

"I'm sure he'll understand. It's not as though you haven't missed your regular visits because you had to travel before."

As they caught up with the others, he didn't look convinced.

"Hey, Mac," Mason said as they drew near, "fancy trying out some archery? I can finally pay you back for last time."

Ethan groaned. "Are you still hung up about that? It was an accident and it was a lifetime ago."

Sydney frowned and glanced between the two men. "Dare I ask what happened last time?"

Mason grinned. "It was during our university days and Ethan here had had a little too much Guinness."

"It was your fault, you kept on refilling my glass," Ethan grumbled.

"Then what happened?" Grace prompted.

Ethan crossed his arms across his chest. "I really don't think you need to tell them the story."

Mason by now was laughing so much he was having difficulty getting the words out. "We were on our way back to our rooms and we passed the archery range. As you do when you're three sheets to the wind, we thought it a good idea to give it a go." He winked at Ethan. "Mac, here decides that he'll go first. Unfortunately, before he managed to fully draw the bow and aim, he lets go. My derriere just so happened to be in the flight path of the arrow."

Grace brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh my God. It didn't!"

Mason nodded and chuckled. "It did. I couldn't sit for a week."

Sydney couldn't help but burst out laughing. "No wonder you want payback."

"I think the statute of limitations has well and truly expired on that one," Ethan said, also laughing at the memory. "Besides, you can't talk. I've got a few stories of my own the ladies might like to hear about..."

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. By the time they piled into the car to return to New York, Sydney's feet and sides were sore. One from the walking, the other from all the laughing they had shared.

Sydney had discovered she enjoyed Ethan's sarcastic sense of humour, and he had often left her in stitches with his observations. Her inner warning bells had been clanging all afternoon; she had vowed to keep her distance, and yet, here she was naturally gravitating towards him.

When they returned to the city, it was early evening. Sydney was dropped off first. As she exited the car and waved them off, she realised it had been a very long time since she had enjoyed herself to that degree. Ethan and the others had even managed to let her forget the disturbing conversation with Jackson that morning.

***

Monday arrived all too soon. While she was waiting for Stephen, she decided to check her email. Having ignored it all weekend, Sydney knew she'd need to wade through it eventually.

As she scanned the list, Ethan's name flew out at her. Without thinking, she opened the message.

To: Sydney Regas

From: Ethan MacMasters

Subject: Walter

I'm just about to board my flight, but thought I'd better give you a heads up. Walter loved the coins. He also wanted to know everything about the fair. I told him you took photos, so expect him to demand to see them.

If there are any issues with Walter, let me know. The Internet access in China is a bit hit and miss, but I will be checking my emails when I can.

E MacMasters

P.S. Don't tell anyone, but I enjoyed myself on Saturday.

"At least, that explains the timestamp on the email," said Sydney to herself, referring to the five am time of receipt.

By the time Stephen turned up, she had memorised Ethan's email.

***

Tuesday rolled around and Sydney spent more time at the hospital with Walter than she intended. This then put her behind with the work she had committed to with Stephen, and it was well after eleven at night when she managed to come up for air. Before she turned off her computer, she checked the current time in Beijing.

Lunchtime on Wednesday.

Sydney stared at the monitor as if it would miraculously give her answers. Chastising herself for her childishness, she navigated to her email program and clicked reply on Ethan's message.

To: Ethan MacMasters

From: Sydney Regas

Subject: RE: Walter

You were right. He wanted to know every detail of the day and spent ages pouring over the photos. He insisted on printing the one of you on Robin Hood's bridge.

The coins were a big hit. I'm sure he polishes them every day since you gave them to him. We may have a problem, though; Walter wants to know when you're going to take him there. I tried to evade the subject, but I suspect he'll hound you about it next week.

How's the trip going?

Sydney

***

The first thing Sydney did when she woke up the next morning was to check her email. A feeling of disappointment washed over her to discover there had been no reply from Ethan.

"He said the internet connection was dubious at the best of times," she muttered as she forced herself to stop clicking the send and receive button a millionth time.

With reluctance, Sydney headed to the kitchen to pour herself a coffee. Her publicist was insisting on DB participating in a Twitter interview. To be safe from the eager hackers who would like nothing more than to determine the physical location of DB Myers, she was doing it from Stephen's offices. They had set up a proxy server so that they would think he was in London.

After the harrowing Twitter nightmare, Stephen had taken her to lunch when her phone alerted her to a new email. She had to suppress the sudden thrill when she glanced down and realised it was from Ethan.

To: Sydney Regas

From: Ethan MacMasters

Subject: RE: RE: Walter

I had a feeling that he would go down that path after seeing the photos. It's been a while since I've taken him out on a day trip. Perhaps it might not be a bad idea. Fancy another trip to Ye Olde England?

It's near midnight and I've just managed to get back to the hotel after a very long day. Hope you day has gone well.

Ethan

PS. I read Razor's Code on the flight over. Your boss must have an amazing research assistant to get to that level of understanding the nuances of the industry like that. Are you sure he's paying you enough?

Sydney inhaled sharply.

"What's the matter?" Stephen asked, seeing her sudden pale expression.

Sydney glanced up at him and cleared her throat. "Nothing. I was just thinking about a couple of the questions during the interview that's all."

Sydney quelled down her panic. Razor's Edge was the novel she had carried out extensive research on the banking sector, including Harvey Stein's role in it.

Why would he choose that book to read?

Sydney thought back to the previous Friday evening. Had she said something that had given her away?

Not recalling anything she had said out of the ordinary, she dismissed it as an errant thought and turned her attention back to Stephen.

The lunch seemed to drag on forever and it wasn't till late in the afternoon she managed to reply.

To: Ethan MacMasters

From: Sydney Regas

Subject: Ye Olde England

I suspect Walter won't give me a choice in the matter. Did you want me to let him know or did you want it to be a surprise?

What's Beijing like? It must be nice to be able to travel to different places all the time.

Sydney.

P.S. DB and I have a symbiotic relationship, which benefits us both.

Sydney was beyond surprised when Ethan's reply arrived in her mailbox a few minutes later. She glanced at the dual time zone clock she had set on her phone. It was not yet 5 am in China.

To: Sydney Regas

From: Ethan MacMasters

Subject: RE: Ye Olde England

Heading out to one of the provinces today, so I'll be offline for a couple of days.

You can let him know. I'll get my secretary to organise an outfit for him. I quite liked the one you wore. Perhaps you should see if you could get that one again? I think I might have enjoyed living in those times if that's an indication of the clothing.

Travelling gets old very fast. If you've seen the inside of one hotel, you've seen them all. As the years go by, the excitement of it wears off and your priorities change... your view on the world changes.

You won't believe how hard it is to get Spaghetti and Meatballs here. You'd think for a five-star hotel, they'd know how to make it?

Ethan

She quickly typed up a reply.

To: Ethan MacMasters

From: Sydney Regas

Subject: RE: RE: Ye Olde England and your inappropriate comment ;-)

You're not being smutty are you Mr MacMasters? I'll need to make sure you wear your codpiece when we go.

Meatballs and Spaghetti is one of my specialties. You'll have to try it sometime.

So what do you do when you're not working?

Sydney

The sound of his return email was music to her ears.

To: Sydney Regas

From: Ethan MacMasters

Subject: Who me? Never!

My driver is here, I need to go. In answer to your question, when I'm not working I visit Walter.

How about Monday? I'll bring the wine?

Ethan

Sydney halted.

Monday?

Somehow, their banter had turned into an invitation.

Before she came back to her senses, Sydney replied with '7?' and pressed the send button.

She nervously bit her nails waiting for a reply. When the ding from her laptop announced a new mail, she was disappointed when a GroupOn mail arrived instead of Ethan's. Thirty minutes later with still no reply, she realised that he had already left the hotel.

***

It was just after 8 o'clock Friday morning when Ethan's next email arrived.

To: Sydney Regas

From: Ethan MacMasters

Subject: 7 it is

How's your week been? I've been dreaming of Spaghetti and Meatballs for the past few days. Looking forward to a home cooked meal. I head to the airport tomorrow and hope to be back in time to get to Walter on Sunday.

Ethan

P.S. Will you be wearing that wench's outfit?

Sydney was fine the entire weekend. Monday however, was a different story. She spent the entire day distracted. In the end, she gave in trying to concentrate and headed out to the local market to shop for vegetables for the salad, as well as pick up some fresh pasta from the supermarket.

By six thirty, she had everything prepared. The meatballs were simmering in the pasta sauce and the water was ready for the pasta. Sydney was setting the table when her phone rang. Jackson's name came up on the display and she reached for it with her free hand.

"Hey, Jackson."

There was a pause before her brother answered. "I didn't catch you at a bad time did I?"

"No," she lied glancing at the wine goblet in her hand. "Just getting dinner ready."

Jackson cleared his throat. "Um..." he began after another long pause. "I've got some news, and I don't think you're going to like it."

Sydney laughed. "If you talking about heading off for a weekend with Stephen, he's already told me."

"Jackson? Are you there?" she asked after the line had gone quiet.

"It's not about the Bahamas."

"Oh? What is it then?"

"Mom and Dad were arrested in Turkey. They're being deported back home."

The glass she had been holding fell out of her hands and fell to the floor, shattering on impact.

https://youtu.be/gMXYoH18TSU

"Sydney?" Jackson called down the phone after she had failed to say anything about his revelation. "Did you hear me?"

Sydney was finding it difficult to breathe and brought up her now free hand to clutch at her throat. "Are you sure?"

"I just got a call from mom's lawyer. There's nothing he can do. As soon as they touch down, the FBI is going to take them both into custody."

"When?"

"Sometime tomorrow. He's tried to keep it as quiet as he can but the FBI is sure to hold a press conference once they have dad. After that, the press will have a feeding frenzy. Mom's going to be charged as an accessory and in receipt of stolen goods."

"What are you going to do?" Sydney asked. Of the two of them, reporters knew just how to track her brother down.

Jackson took a shaky breath. He hadn't fared so well the last time. She shuddered to think how he would cope a second. "I don't know."

"Make sure you warn Fred," Sydney warned, referring to his Narcotics Anonymous sponsor.

"That was my next call."

"If you need to get away, I can give you the keys to my place at the Vineyard. There's no way they'll track you there."

"Thanks, but let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Sydney didn't know how long she had been staring at her cell phone after the call had ended. Her mind was numb and she was beginning to feel the walls crowding in on her. Shaking herself out of her inertia, she took a step towards the couch to sit down, only to feel the broken shards under her shoe.

"Shit," she said as she bent down to pick up the shattered glass fragments.

Sydney was so distracted by the erratic nature of where her mind was headed, she wasn't paying attention and sliced her hand on a large jiggered piece, crying out, "Damn," as she pulled it away. She glanced down to see blood flowing from the wound. The angry sanguine fluid dripped to the carpet and she covered the gash with her other hand to stem the flow. Before Sydney could get up, the buzzer went.

Her mind snapped back into place and she realised the time.

Ethan

Panic again welled.

How could she face him?

He would want nothing to do with her once he knew her parents were to be front page news.

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📎A/N... OMG!!!! What do you think he'll do? Do you think she'll tell him, or ignore it and have dinner?

... And it had been going so well :-(

Don't forget to vote and see you next time.

Take care

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