Champagne Problems (Ransom Drysdale)

Chapter 26 - Harlan's Birthday

He'd only been there for a few hours and he was bored. Ransom was settled in his usual seat in the corner and kept the drink flowing through his veins. Anything to get him through the whole thing. Darkness had fallen over the Thrombey Mansion and he checked his watch. Almost time to leave, however this was now being stopped by his grandfather making his way over to him.

"And here was me thinking that you wouldn't come tonight." Harlan said, coming to sit by his grandson.

"Yeah, well I almost didn't."

"What changed your mind?"

"Effie" Ransom said, taking another swig of whiskey.

Harlan nodded, "Now that seems plausible – yet she is not here, and neither is my great granddaughter?" he looked around the family kept drinking, dancing. All the while Ransom seemed to be the only one not having a good time. "Here I was hoping that I would at least get to see the latter?"

"I didn't want them here. You know how these occasions get like? Suffocating." His eyes darted around the room at his family who were turning more into drunken fools by the minute. "Besides, I wasn't about to have Walt make stupid comments towards them." He saw Harlan look at him. "Oh come on! You of all people know he thinks my kid will be just as much of a brat as me or Eff."

"And yet you never appeared to care before?"

Ransom snorted. "You really think I care about him? about anyone here and what they say? I don't, but Effie does."

"You've distanced yourself from the family these last few months." Harlan stated. He'd barely heard from Ransom before, however the last time he'd seen him had been at the Blood Like Wine ball. Of course there had been arguments, he'd heard about it all from Richard. Harlan had hoped that the marriage would have made Ransom a better man, and at one point he thought it had – but then things had changed from then on, the pair choosing to isolate themselves away from the family. Had it have not been for Richard asking about the baby then no one would have even known when she'd been born.

It was a sorry state of affairs, but the more the family had changed in their ways and themselves, the more Harlan had found it easier to make his decision. Ransom was a survivor. Harlan was sure he could make something of himself once everything came to light. He'd have to for the sake of his child. The others? They were old enough to work things out for themselves.

Harlan stood up. It was now or never. "Well then, I suppose we need to talk. Come on." He gestured for Ransom to follow, and the pair made their way out of the party and to the study. The fire was already lit and warming the room nicely as Ransom closed the door and turned to Harlan, who was settling himself behind his desk.

"So? You wanted to talk, and you never make it civil so just come on out with it." Ransom stood in front of the desk.

"My will..."

Ransom snorted. "What about it?"

"It's simple...I've cut you all from it."

Ransom let out a small laugh and shook his head. "You're bluffing."

"Have you ever known me to bluff before? These last few months have made me think about everything, revaluate just how much people have depended on my fortune for their own means. Never having had to build something up..."

Anger filled Ransom. He couldn't do this. He wouldn't? Not to his own family. Another year older had apparently made Harlan senile." "You can't be serious!"

"Not a red dime or word of my work to a single one of them, you included." Harlan told him firmly.

"You can't be that crazy. You would not just throw away your fortune."

"No. I'm giving it to Marta. All of it."

Marta? Marta! The nurse? Was he mad? Had she been slipping him different medications? Why the hell would he leave absolutely everything to her? They'd invited her into their home, treated her like part of the family – and she was to get everything?

Ransom put his hands on his hips, stifling a laugh as he was now reeling at the revelation he'd just been served with. "Ha. Your Brazilian nurse are you goddamn insane?"

"I'm sane for the first time in my life and I've done it...."

"Harlan if you think I'm gonna let this happen..." Ransom argued over him as he spoke.

"I've made the change to my will..."

"If you think I'm gonna stand here and wa..."

Harlan cut him off with a firm, "It's done!"

"I'm warning you!" Ransom bit back, the venom seeping through his words. He was all fired up over this. Fuming didn't even sum up just how much anger had built and was still doing so inside of him.

Without another word he stormed out, grabbing his coat as he did so and brushing straight past Great Nana, who asked whether he was leaving already. She was only met with the slam of the door as her answer.

Ransom got into the Beamer and started it up, everything circulating in his mind as he now sped off down the driveway and out of the estate. Clarity was beginning to wash over him, thinking that he'd have to make do for himself here on out. He had a child, and how the hell was he to even keep her alive, and what would Effie make of it all?

His foot was hard on the accelerator, until finally a plan formed in his mind. The car skidded to a stop on the country lane as he stewed it over and over until he was confident that it would work. It had to. It was the only way.

Marta needed to be out of their lives, and he needed his share of the will back – and the only way would be to give Harlan a taste of his own medicine. 

Effie felt Ransom climb into bed and sleepily rolled over to him. "What time is it?" she yawned and moved closer to him. His hands were cold as they now skimmed down her back. It was just after 4am and he'd only just made it home.

"Late enough...go back to sleep." He murmured and kissed her hair. "We don't wanna wake Adeline do we?" He felt her shake her head against him, body warming his through slowly.

What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her...

For now.