Brystle at last made a friend in the Simmington mansion when she met and bonded with Burke’s estranged son Heathen for the first time.

Across town millionaire playboy Seth Dolby arrived back from living the highlife in gambling city Lucky Palms. His amorous rendezvous with DolbyDoh stewardess Minus Manners was interrupted by his uncle Cyril Dolby who convinced him that heiress Fathom Simmington wanted to get back with him. Cyril knows that his nephew has always loved Fathom and his secret plan to get inside information on business rival Burke Simmington’s company is one step closer.

WindenburgSimmington lawyer ,and good friend of Burke, Andre Wayward tried to convince Burke to have Brystle sign a prenuptial agreement prior to the wedding but Burke was having known of it. Andre also presented Burke with a dossier on Brystle which Burke refused to read. Andre secretly plans to get Brystle to sign the agreement with or without Burke’s approval.

Fathom reunited with her brother Heathen and the siblings reminisced about their lives together and where their long absent mother could be…

And on the eve of her wedding Brystle had a meeting with former flame, and current employee of WindenburgSimmington, Mayhew Drysdale. Mayhew declared that he was still in love with her but Brystle could not bring herself to say that she didn’t love him. Now in a state of confusion Brystle must make her choice before her wedding in a few short hours…

And now read on for the next exciting chapter….

---

Burke Simmington was in the west wing drawing room of Siloli, his mansion and family home. Preparations for the wedding were well under way and the staff, led by major-domo Joseph Flanders, were seeing to it that the day would go by without a hitch. Mrs Bummerson was preparing a gargantuan banquet, Nannette Bobbins was organising the flowers and assisting Brystle with her dress. Joseph would be taking care of every other detail and orchestrating the rest of the help at Siloli. Now that the wedding was taken care of, Burke was spending some moments contemplating the mega deal that his company, WindenburgSimmington, had just completed with the government of Shang Simla for the South Simla Sea leases. This contract would allow Burke’s tankers to pass through the waters of Shang Simla but had come at multi-million Simoleon cost. There was a lot hinging on the success of this deal, one wrong move and it could be disastrous for the company…

Burke shuddered at the thought and poured himself a drink. As he was doing that he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching from behind. A scent of  sweet fragrant  men’s cologne filled the air. Burke knew it to be his son, Heathen.

Burke considered this for a moment. He didn’t want to be too hard on the boy. Yes he had made mistakes in the past but he had come here in an effort to reconcile. Burke softened a little and guided his son to the nearest couch.

Heathen sighed, this was not going well. It didn’t take much for his father to get so irate with him. Yes he had written a non too flattering biopic of his father a few years back but Heathen thought Burke would have forgiven, if not forgotten, him for that. It was the fallout from that character assassinating book that had resulted in Heathen departing Siloli mansion and making his own way in San Myshuno city. 

A momentary silence passed between father and son before Burke spoke again. Heathen had always suspected his father did not approve of his attraction to male Sims and this just proved it. O.k. there had been several men in and out of his life whilst living in the city but so what? Heathen was absolutely comfortable with who he was as a fabulous Sim and he would not allow himself to be hurt by his father anymore. Without shouting or getting angry Heathen spoke with gentle authority. With that Heathen triumphantly left the room. At that moment Burke never felt so proud of his son as he did right now. No longer was he the meek and timid little boy he remembered but a strong, independent and fabulous adult.

---

Further down the corridor Andre Wayward had been just about to leave when he met Brystle as she arrived home form her meeting with Mayhew in the park. Andre decided to seize his chance about getting Brystle to sign the prenuptial and guided her quickly back into Burke’s study.

The money did not matter to Brystle, Burke surely knew that. So why was he getting his lawyer to force her to sign this prenup? Brystle shrugged her shoulders and signed the first screen. Andre smiled as she did this and he tapped with his well manicured fingernails each screen that came up with lines and lines of legal information. Brystle didn’t care at all. She came into Burke’s life with nothing and if she had to, she would leave with nothing too.

Fifteen minutes later they were done. Brystle gave Andre an icy stare before leaving the study and going upstairs.to her room. This had been one heck of a day.

---

Before dinner was served Brystle had had a change of clothes and was catching up on some alone time in one of the sitting rooms of Siloli. Her earlier meeting with Mayhew had made her realise that she was having conflicting thoughts about her feelings. She was torn between two men. One was Burke her fiancé and the love of her life. The other was Mayhew, her former lover with thighs that could crush walnuts. She always believed her feelings for Mayhew were through but seeing him again earlier in those tight shorts had gotten her all a quiver.

It was whilst having these salacious thoughts about the part of Mayhew’s body betwixt his hips and knees that Fathom strutted into the room with a smirk on her face. Brystle had been expecting this. Earlier that morning in the hallway Fathom had remarked she would be catching up with Brystle that evening. It looked like this was the time.

Fathom took the couch facing Brystle and regarded her the way a cat would a mouse.

Brystle rolled her eyes and shook her head. Fathom was being impossible as usual.

Fathom could see that Brystle was not going to listen but she continued on anyway. Her devil-may-care attitude gave her the courage in life to say things that she perhaps shouldn’t.

Fathom could see from the look on Brystle’s face that she was right. Andre had approached her to sign a prenup. She decided to move in for the kill…

There it was , murder! This was what Fathom had resorted to, claiming her father had murdered her mother and some of his other girlfriends and Brystle was furious. She knew it to be utter trash, a horror story in a last ditch attempt to frighten her off. Well Brystle was not having it and wasn’t going to hold back from telling Fathom so.

For once Fathom was lost for words. She hadn’t expected Brystle to bite back like that as normally she was too delicate and Fathom believed her to have no back bone. Would she tell her father? Fathom could not tell. Instead she gave a smirk and then left the room.

Brystle sat back and let out a sigh. Fathom was hard work but she felt she had won this battle, if not the war. Somehow she got the feeling that Fathom’s next attack would be stronger. Brystle didn’t have to wait long. Half an hour later as she was getting dressed in her evening attire for dinner Fathom barged into her room without knocking and round two commenced….

Brystle could not believe her ears! Fathom was actually prepared to buy her off. This cheap insult infuriated Brystle and she exploded in anger. Not literally of course but she had few choice words to say to her future step daughter.

By now both women were at boiling point and Fathom took a step forward jabbing her finger at her future step mother.

Brystle raised her hand as she prepared to slap Fathom across the face. She was so incensed with rage now. First she had been bribed to leave and now there were accusations that she was fake. But she took a deep breath and lowered her hand. She could not bring her self to hit Burke’s daughter despite feeling the overwhelming urge to do so. Instead she yelled at Fathom to leave.

Fathom took another step closer and with her face a snarl she hissed in Brystle’s face.

After Fathom left the bedroom, Brystle was overcome with emotion. She quickly crumpled into tears. Her sobbing filled the room and her crystal tears fell heavily to the floor.

---

A weary Mayhew Drysdale shut down his computer for the night and stretched his arms above his head. He had returned from his early evening rendezvous with Brystle and continued with some reports he had to write up in his role as business executive at WindenburgSimmington. Recently he had earned a huge promotion at the company, bypassing several rungs of the career ladder. Mayhew, whilst being a conscientious worker, found it incredible he had been promoted to such a high level.  But with the promotion came a tonne of more work leaving Mayhew exhausted most nights.

He left his study and checked in his sleeping daughter Mimsy. Mayhew smiled as he tucked her in for the night. She meant the world to him.

Mayhew quietly left the room and went through to the kitchen. It was late but he still felt the need for a coffee. As he was brewing it his mother, who had recently decided to move in with her son, joined him in the kitchen.

Mother Drysdale, as she liked to be called, was very protective of both her son and grand-daughter. That level of protectiveness however did not extend to her daughter-in-law. She felt Malaudia to be the wrong match for Mayhew from the very start of the marriage. Years later and after Malaudia’s multiple stays in a simitarium Mother Drysdale felt she had been right all along. The fatigue etched on her son’s face confirmed this. 

Mayhew sat beside his mother at the kitchen island and sighed.

Mother Drysdale could see her son was no longer happy or in love with Malaudia. It was time to make her feelings known about the woman.

Mayhew pondered on this for a moment. Whilst he would never leave Malaudia to rot in the simitarium there was no denying that he no longer was in love with his wife. But what to do about it? 

Mayhew bid his mother goodnight and went off to bed leaving the elder Sim alone with her wicked thoughts…

---

Burke, Brystle, Fathom and Heathen had gathered for dinner in the grand dining room of Siloli mansion. Both the Simmington siblings were in good form with Heathen laughing and joking while his sister had a mischievous glint in her eye. Brystle looked like her mind was elsewhere. Burke was happy to see everyone seated around the table for the first time.

Heathen sensed that Fathom was itching to pick on Brystle so he quickly moved to diplomatically ease the situation.

Fathom continued smirking and Heathen knew his sister was far from done.

Burke could see his wife-to-be was visibly uncomfortable and therefore decided to reign his daughter in.

Just then Joseph Flanders, the major-domo of Siloli, entered the dining-room and made his way over to Burke.

Joseph nodded and went to pour some of the finest nectar a Sim could by. As he passed Brystle, and being a snobby Sim, he couldn’t let an opportunity go by to subtlety test her lack of knowledge of the finer things in life.

Fathom was far from subtle though.

Brystle abruptly stood up and excused herself from the table. 

As Brystle made her exit Fathom seemed to delight in it.

And at this point Burke slammed his fist onto the table.

Burke got up and went after Brystle. Fathom merely shrugged her shoulders. Heathen couldn’t help but notice a sly smirk from Joseph to Fathom and he made a note of this. Outside Brystle hurried along the corridor as Burke came after her.

Brystle decided to be honest with Burke about her thoughts on Fathom.

But right now she was having serious doubts….

---

And so late that night as the household fell quiet, Brystle was alone in her bedroom. Burke was sleeping in a separate room as it was only proper to do so the night before the wedding. Brystle was about to go to bed when her phone rang. She recognised the number thought it wasn’t saved on her phone. It was Mayhew. She was in two minds as to whether to answer it or not but there was a voice inside her telling her she needed to hear Mayhew’s voice again. She pressed accept on the phone. At first the there was a bunch of static white noise coming through before a clicking noise and then at last she heard his voice.

It felt such a huge relief to finally admit that to Mayhew and the pair continued talking. 

Unbeknownst to Brystle, there was a reason for the static noise and clicking she heard when she answered her phone. That reason was because there was someone listening in on her conversation from another room in the house…

Brystle Hemmings is preparing for her marriage to billionaire Burke Simmington. She faces hostility from all sides in his mansion, either from the staff or from Burke’s spoiled daughter Fathom. Brystle is worried that a past indiscretion may come to light…. Fathom meanwhile was overwhelmed by Brystle’s cheap perfume and sought comfort with potential sugar daddy Cyril Dolby, business rival to her father Burke. Cyril brushed off Fathom’s amorous advances and urged her to marry her former boyfriend, who is also his nephew, Seth…. Meanwhile Burke’s estranged son Heathen returned to the family mansion for his father’s wedding and is unsure if he will be able to reconcile with his father….

And now, read on for the next juicy chapter….

.

Brystle knocked back the remains of her Brindleton Bay Iced tea and took a deep breath. This was the day before her wedding, she should be celebrating. Yet here she was all alone in Burke’s study in Siloli mansion with not a friend in the entire 48 rooms of the house. The snidey comments from Joseph the major-domo had stung. He referred to Brystle as replaceable, did that mean there had been multiple women in Burke’s life? Had they all been replaced whenever Joseph was displeased? There had only been 1 previous Mrs Simmington as far Brystle knew and she had abandoned her husband and children years ago, never to be seen or heard of since. But what part had Joseph in all of this? Was he such an influence on Burke? Brystle had no clue but the fact that Joseph knew, or implied he knew, something about Brystle’s past made her alarmed. For she knew her previous affair with married man, and employee of Burke, Mayhew Drysdale would cause a rift between her and Burke. The affair had been brief and it was before she and Burke got together but Brystle knew that any new headlines of the new Mrs Simmington sleeping with her husband’s employees would not sit well at all. There was only one thing to do and that was to see Mayhew.

Brystle left he study and walked through the never-ending corridors of Siloli mansion. It truly was cavernous. She still had trouble finding her way about and had once got lost for several hours just trying to locate the nearest bathroom. Eventually after much wandering she found herself in the grand ballroom, the most luxurious of all rooms in Siloli. It wasn’t where she needed to be and was about to turn to leave when she heard a soft male voice from behind her.

Brystle, at first startled, turned and faced the young man. His delicate features matched the softness of his voice. She knew who he was even though they had not met.

And so Heathen took his seat at the grand piano and started to play. Almost immediately Brystle was captivated by the melody, it was mesmerizing. She was also captivated by the very movements of Heathen’s fingers across the ivories.  Heathen continued to play effortlessly and with precision. Brystle took a seat beside him and waited until he had finished. 

Heathen took a seat by Brystle and the two started chatting away like they had known each other for years.  After spending time getting to know one another and brightening one another’s day Heathen started to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He even felt that there would be a chance to make amends with Burke.

At last Brystle felt that she had made a positive connection with another individual in the house other than Burke. It was a weight off her heavily shoulder padded shoulders but there was still the matter of Mayhew to sort out and that was where she had to go next. But first she needed an outfit change….

---

Millionaire playboy ,and heir to the DolbyDoh fortunes ,Seth Dolby was entertaining his latest female acquaintance, the delightful Minus Manners. He had met her only recently, about an hour ago to be precise, on a flight into San Myshuno International Airport aboard the private DolbyDoh jet. Seth had been returning from an extended stay in the hedonistic gambling city of Lucky Palms. Minus had just started her first day on the job as the DolbyDoh jet’s stewardess and couldn’t believe her luck when the handsome playboy began flirting with her. 

Once the flight landed Seth whisked her off in his waiting limo. In the back of the limo they could barely keep their hands off one another and smooched passionately all the way to Seth’s apartment. Once there they continued their afternoon amorous activities including a steamy shower together. Afterwards the flirting continued with Seth showing off his fine physique…

They took their canoodling to the couch where Minus proceeded to demonstrate the power of her hands by giving Seth a sensual massage.

As things got steamy in the apartment, Seth’s uncle Cyril was arriving to pay his nephew an unexpected visit following his earlier meeting with Fathom at the art gallery.

Being a very forthright man, Cyril let himself into the apartment without knocking. Seth was surprised but happy to see his uncle and quickly leapt up to welcome him. Minus was less than impressed by this intrusion not realising that Cyril was the CEO and founder of DolbyDoh. In other words her boss!

Seth then introduced Minus to his uncle. Minus spoke politely and hid her annoyance rather well. Cyril ,however, viewed the girl with disdain for he had come here on a mission -he had plans for Seth. No 2 bit, good time girl was going to get in his way. 

Seth offered his uncle a seat as he himself sat back down on the sofa. Seizing his chance Cyril leapt forward and positioned himself nicely on the couch in between the prospective lovers.

The penny dropped for Minus and she realised who this older man was. She quickly got up and scurried herself off to the bedroom. Cyril turned his attention to Seth.

Seth got up from the sofa. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his uncle. Cyril had never disapproved of Seth’s playboy antics before and had in fact actively encouraged Seth to go out and enjoy himself as much as possible. 

Cyril still had a plan to see through. As this stern father tactic was not working he decided to try a different approach.

Seth stopped in his tracks. Right then and there Cyril knew he had him in the palm of his hand. Seth had always loved Fathom and no other woman could fill the emptiness she had left behind when they broke up all those years ago. This was going to be easier than he thought.

And with that, Cyril left the apartment satisfied in the knowledge that he had successfully sown the seed of his deception in Seth’s mind. His nephew had never settled with any girl following the break up with Fathom when they were teenagers. His heart belonged to her. Fathom just had to play her part now. Cyril knew that deep down Fathom had feelings for Seth though she would not admit it. But she was a fickle girl and if Seth behaved like a love sick puppy then Fathom would probably run for the hills and his plan to take over Burke’s company WindenburgSimmington would be over before it had begun…

Seth was left in a state of total confusion. He had not seen much of Fathom these past couple of years save for what he read about her on online gossip columns. She had broken off with Seth claiming she was bored of him so to learn that she had been in love with him all this time seemed unreal. He staggered into his bedroom where the scantily dressed Minus waited for him but his thoughts were now of Fathom. 

Minus was about to say something but instead Seth took her in his arms and began intensely smooching her. Minus did not complain, not even when Seth whispered another woman’s name in her ear…

And then after a false start, Minus finally got her man into bed. He may have been thinking of another woman but Minus was determined to show Seth the time of his life and woohoo his brains out.

 

---

As it was the eve of his wedding Burke had decided to leave the office early. Being the CEO and founder of a global corporation meant he still had a lot of matters to see to and as such he had his right hand man with him in his study, lawyer and good friend Andre Wayward.  

Andre and Burke went back years and Burke had given Andre his first job straight out of law school. Andre had stood by Burke over the years and helped him build WindenburgSimmington into the mega global corporation it now was. A very resourceful lawyer, Andre has found the means to help Burke out of any sticky situation be it work or personal. It is this lifelong friendship that has made Andre look out for Burke and to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the billionaire. Including potential new wives…

Andre was of course referring to Burke’s first marriage. That Mrs Simmington had been paid off with a small fortune to leave Windenburg and never return. Whilst it hadn’t financially ruined Burke the scandal of it all almost did.

Andre hadn’t anticipated this response from Burke. His friend and client was always one step ahead of anyone at anytime, always pre-empting his opponent’s every move. That was how he had become so successful. To see him like this throwing caution to the wind was unheard of. Just what had Brystle done to him? Andre persisted with the prenuptial agreement.

Andre sighed, there would be no changing Burke’s mind. This was more like him, always sticking to his guns on something he believed in. Only this time Andre feared this would end up costing him dearly. And he wanted to state for the record his opinion on the matter. Burke considered the file momentarily before shaking his head.

Andre too shook his head but in pure disbelief that Burke was behaving like this. He shook his friend’s hand told him while he disagreed with his decision he wished nothing but the best for him and Brystle. But, as every good lawyer knows, keeping a poker face when hiding the truth is the key to being a success. Andre’s thoughts were not what he was vocalising.

---

Across town Brystle had gone to Central Park. She had gone there in the hope of meeting someone who she knew to frequent the park for his post work / early evening jog. She stood in the gazebo and gazed at all the happy couples casually strolling through the park. Everyone seemed so joyful, without any cares. Why didn’t Brystle feel this way? It was her wedding tomorrow, she was to be a bride, she should be euphoric. But there was something pressing on her mind. 

It was getting late, there were rain clouds rolling in. Just when she thought he wouldn’t show, there was the sound of footsteps on the wooden gazebo behind her. The smell of musky cologne filled the air, it was the type that had a ship on the bottle. Brystle salivated at the whiff of it knowing who was wearing that all too familiar scent. 

---

Heathen had been notified from Joseph that his sister Fathom had returned home and she was having cocktails on the lanai by the swimming pool. He had also instructed the house staff not to inform Fathom that he was here already as he wanted to surprise his sister. So after slipping into some outdoor gear Heathen made his way to the lanai.

After spending a few moments reminiscing the siblings sat down together. Heathen looked around at the house and a wealth of memories came flooding back, not all of them were pleasant.

The mention of Heathen’s boyfriend Fred was obviously a sore point. Fathom was keen to learn more but knowing that Heathen would clam up she decided not to pursue the subject for now. Heathen was already keen to move the conversation along.

The siblings laughed and joked like old times. Heathen made a promise to hang around for a while after the wedding which delighted Fathom. 

After a few cocktails they both ended up flat on their backs looking up at the towering trees that were in the Siloli grounds. The conversation by now was less frivolous and for the first time Heathen touched upon a subject that had always been taboo for them both.

They both lay in silence for a while after that for what else could be said about the woman who had seemingly abandoned them as children? It was something that had haunted them as they grew up, the absent mother who never made contact with her children again. Whilst Fathom seemed she could care less whether or not she would see her again, Heathen always believed that their mother would one day return. Perhaps that day would be sooner than he thought…..

---

Across town at Central Park, Brystle was with her former lover Mayhew….

Brystle turned and faced Mayhew. He looked super hot in his skimpy short shorts. She tried to avert her eyes.

Joseph’s insinuation that he knew something had fuelled Brystle’s anxiety and was the reason she had come here to ask Mayhew that question. That and to catch one final glimpse of those rock hard thighs….She was trying her best but her eyes were being drawn south…. 

Brystle felt that she was being torn in two. Her love for Burke was great but seeing those thighs of Mayhew’s again had set her pulse racing. There was only one way to deal with it and that was to cut Mayhew loose.

Mayhew looked crestfallen. Brystle felt so guilty for upsetting him. She sat herself next to him on the bench.

Mayhew was right. At that moment she realised she still had feelings for Mayhew all along. Was it love? Was it possible to be in love with 2 Sims at the same time? 

Sensing he had hit a nerve Mayhew got up to leave. A rain cloud suddenly burst in the sky over them and a downpour ensued.

With that he ran out of the gazebo into the rain and vanished from her sight. 

Brystle stood and looked out across the rain soaked city. A storm was fast approaching. And it appeared to Brystle at that moment that there would be no sunshine for her after all…..

 

Will Brystle ever get to see Mayhew’s magnificent manly thighs again? Can we just get to her wedding already?  What information has Andre discovered on Brystle? What is the name of the first Mrs Simmington? And will Seth make a total tit of himself declaring his love for Fathom? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!

---

 

So begins the tale of the Simmington clan. They are rich, they are powerful. It is a tale of glitz, glamour, woohoo, catfights, greed and more woohoo. Behind the walls of this mansion there is a family whose lives are both opulent and turbulent. A family whose life of privilege is mirrored by their scheming and double dealings. The family is led by one man who has built his empire from scratch. A man who is determined to continue building that empire no matter the cost. He has not built a dynasty, instead he has built a…… 

Burke Simmington, the richest man in Windenburg, stood outside the gates of his beloved mansion ‘Siloli’ and gazed proudly at the house his fortune had built. Beside him was his soon to be second wife Brystle Hemmings, his former secretary at ‘WindenburgSimmington’. Burke turned to his fiancé and smiled. At last he had found happiness with a woman who loved him for the man he was, and not for the money in his vault. 

And so after they had their smooch, Brystle and Burke went through the gates and walked towards the house and their future together. Brystle had of course been to the mansion many times before but today she realised that she would be crossing the threshold for the last time as Brystle Hemmings and from tomorrow it would be as Mrs Burke Simmington the second.

As they stood on the porch, Burke presented his wife -to- be with a single red rose, a symbol of his undying love for her. Brystle felt a swoon coming on but luckily Burke was there to catch her before going in for yet another smooch. There hadn’t been this much face eating since ‘Silence of the Sims.’

 

Half an hour later, once they had finished sucking face, they finally went through the front door. Once inside, in the grand hallway of Siloli, they were greeted by Burke’s twenty-something daughter, Fathom, who was at the top of the stairs. Now Fathom had always been very protective of her father ever since her mother had left him. Fathom was the apple of her father’s eye and had become a very spoilt young woman through her life of privilege. She never thought any woman was good enough for her father and had seen to it over the years that ,through her meddling ways ,all of Burke’s girlfriends were driven away. She had not been so successful with Brystle, and with the wedding only a day away she was inwardly seething that her father would marry this woman, his former secretary.

 

Brystle has never been able to bond with Fathom. She has made every effort to get to know her future step daughter but has been met with hostility and put downs every step of the way. But as Brystle has the good trait she always sees the best in people. She feels that Fathom is holding a lot of anger and resentment because of her mother abandoning both her and her brother Heathen when they were children. Her anger towards Brystle is stemming from that she believes. With perseverance Brystle hopes that Fathom will soon come around. 

However Fathom doesn’t appear to be warming to Brystle anytime soon.

With that, Burke and Brystle went off for breakfast leaving Fathom alone. They had no sooner gone before Fathom quickly changed her demeanour. After expelling a few choice expletives, and the aroma of Brystle’s dime store perfume diminishing,  Fathom was feeling a lot less pent up.

---

Siloli Mansion as you can imagine requires a lot of staff for the day to day running of the household and upkeep of the grounds. A lot of the staff have been with the Simmington’s for many years. Like Gilda Bummerson the head chef, and Nannette Bobbins, head housekeeper. Both were recruited many years ago by the first Mrs Simmington and still follow the majority of the schedules and menus that she created. Very little has changed for them and so when Brystle made a suggestion for a menu change one time, it did not sit well with Mrs Bummerson. In fact she still harps on about it every chance she gets to anyone who will listen. Today it’s Nannette who is the unfortunate victim who made the mistake of coming into the kitchen after clearing the breakfast plates.

Nannette, having worked for many years with Mrs Bummerson, was used to this type of whinging from her but none the less was sick to the back teeth hearing her go on and on and on……Mrs Bummerson was of course oblivious and continued with her rant.Nannette decided that today was the day to say NO to Mrs BummersonUnbeknownst to Nannette and Mrs Bummerson was that Joseph Flanders, Major-domo of Siloli, had been in the nearby pantry and overheard the entire conversation. Joseph has dedicated his life to working for Burke and has a strong sense of loyalty and duty to him. Therefore he will not stand for any idle gossip amongst the staff about the Simmington family and he approaches the ladies and quickly berates them.

Having made his point and reducing Mrs Bummerson to tears, Joseph left the 2 ladies in the kitchen and went about his duties. However, whilst he had done his duty by being a loyal servant and defender of Mr Simmington, Joseph had secretly his own opinion on the soon to be new lady of the house. With Joseph out of earshot, Mrs Bummerson regained her composure and wiped away her tears before glaring daggers at her colleague Nannette. Nannette simply shrugged her shoulders and left the kitchen too knowing that Mrs Bummerson was just an old whingebag whose bark was worse than her bite and that she held no grudges.

---

Later that morning, Siloli Mansion was bereft of any of the Simmington family. Fathom had gone for her secret appointment in San Myshuno, Burke had a company meeting in his office to attend and Brystle was visiting an old friend. 

Outside the weather had changed and it looked as if a storm was beginning to brew. It was with this foreboding skyline that Heathen Simmington, devoted brother of Fathom and estranged son of Burke, arrived at Siloli. He had been living for the past few years in San Myshuno city as he pursued his career as an artist and photographer. His love of the arts and the environment had been too much for Burke. He had wanted his son to follow him into the family business but when Heathen showed no tendencies in this area Burke all but disowned his son. 

Heathen had a good relationship with his sister and it was she who insisted that Heathen come to the wedding. So after much deliberation he had agreed and now as he stood outside the gates of the family home he was beginning to have second thoughts about it all.

So many memories came flooding back to Heathen and not all of them good. For a moment he almost went running back to the city but the thought of seeing his sister again and to maybe have the chance to reconcile with his father was enough for him to decide against doing so. With a deep breath he pressed the security buzzer and once the guard knew who he was the gates opened and he took his first steps back into the house…

---

Whilst Heathen had arrived in from the city, Fathom had gone there for her rendezvous. She had deliberately chosen this place to meet her mystery man as it was a public place and there would be a good chance they would be papped by the paparazzi. She wanted this because she wanted the world to know that she was meeting with Cyril Dolby, head of DolbyDoh Enterprises and her father’s arch enemy. The pair once had a brief secret romance which Fathom had never forgotten. She was determined now to declare her feelings for Cyril and wanted the world to know. And so what if it caused her father a bit of anxiety on his wedding day….?

 

So after knocking her back Cyril turns to Fathom and presents her with a counter offer.

Seth was Fathom’s boyfriend when they were teenagers. Fathom had broken up with years ago and had long since moved on. It appeared Seth still was in love with her. But why was Cyril forcing Fathom into marrying his nephew?

As he left her Fathom felt suddenly very alone. She wasn’t used to not getting her way especially where men were concerned. And now the very man she loved had knocked her back. There had to be a reason why he wanted her to marry Seth and it sure wasn’t out of concern for his nephew. But if it meant that she would get to see more of Cyril then maybe it was something she could make work….

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Brystle had returned from meeting up with her friend and had gone into Burke’s study to have a post lunch cocktail. She didn’t normally drink during the day but with the wedding only a day away she was feeling the nerves kick in. Burke had employed several wedding planners to take care of every single detail of the big day meaning that Brystle had little to nothing to do in preparation other than show up. However she was insistent that the wedding was not to be a big lavish affair with all of Windenburg high society invited. Instead she wanted something simple, more intimate. Burke knew that was more befitting of Brystle and had instructed the wedding planners to follow her wish on this.

Joseph, the major-domo of Siloli, entered the study carrying Brystle’s cocktail upon a silver platter. He placed it down without saying a word. Brystle smiled at the man who was Burke’s loyal man servant but sensed that he didn’t care for her very much. She sipped the cocktail but found it wasn’t to her liking. Joseph should have known this – was he deliberately making it this way to antagonise her? A more refined palate?! He WAS goading her afterall. Brystle decided to tackle this head on. The waspish Joseph sashayed out of the study leaving a visibly shocked Brystle alone with her thoughts and her Iced Tea.  His comments implied he knew something….

Does Joseph know about Brystle’s affair? Who is Mayhew? Will Heathen make amends with his father? What will Fathom do regarding Seth and Cyril? Will Mrs Bummerson change her menu? Find out in the next episode of Simasty!