CHAPTER 40 B
Patricia was able to contain her questions until after dinner and the dishes were cleared away and cleaned. They relaxed with after dinner drinks in the living room. Kate and Kacey, by Patricia's orders sat on the love seat. Liam took the chair. Anya and Natalia along with Patricia sat facing the sisters. The girls lay on the floor reading, not paying attention to the drama about to play out a few feet away.
Patricia looked from Kate to Kacey several times. Her look made them both uneasy. Her voice was soft yet stern when she spoke.
"All right you two, I want to know everything you have kept from your father and I."
Twin sighs came from them. "Mom" Kacey said. "There were only three times when we kept something from you and dad. Kate kept me from getting into trouble when I was a teenager." She paused and looked at her mother before continuing. "The first time was when I was twelve, I took the transport to visit Kate at the Academy and did not tell you. She borrowed someone's speeder to get me home before either you or dad realized I was gone. The second time was after orchestra practice. One of the members was able to get several cans of spray paint. There was this big ugly blank wall by the music room that we decided to decorate. We did not think of it as any sort of vandalism. We just wanted to put up a picture to represent music. Kate came along just as I picked up the can. She reminded us that spray paint was illegal without a permit and that we could all be arrested for just having it in our possession. Not to mention the trouble we could have gotten in for what may have been considered doing damage to school property. Kacey stopped and took a sip of her drink. "She said she would not say anything if I promised never to do that sort of thing again. I promised and have kept that promise. Kate kept her end of the bargain and did not tell you or dad, because she did not want to see me get into trouble with you both."
"I seem to recall a beautiful mural on that wall." Patricia stated.
"There is. We did put up the mural after we got permission and without using any sort of contraband material. Kate talked to the principal and music teachers and got permission to do it. She bought the paints we used. The entire orchestra chipped in and reimbursed her for the credits she spent on the paint." Kacey stopped again.
"Oh no, young lady. Do not even think about stopping now. What else did you do?" Patricia asked.
"The last time was a little bigger mistake on my part. I knew dad let Kate use his speeder when she came home. One day I took his speeder without his knowledge or permission. I backed it into a tree. I don't know who called Kate, but she came to my rescue. She blasted me a new ass..., that is she yelled at me for a long time. Because I was fifteen she told dad she was driving."
"Kate you lied to us?"
"Yes mom. That was the one and only time I have ever lied to either of you." Kate said softly.
"Ye paid for the damage, Katie."
"I paid for the damage, dad. Once Kate found out how much it would cost to fix the speeder, I transferred the credits to her." Kacey stated. "That is or was my entire criminal career. I am truly sorry for those youthful indiscretions." Kacey stated.
"I am sorry for keeping these from you both." Kate said contritely.
"Are we still in the dog house, mom?" Kacey asked.
"What do ye think Patsy, darling? We can not ground them and they are too big to spank." Liam stated.
Patricia quietly looked from one daughter to the other. "Kacey are completely sure there is nothing else you failed to tell us about?
"That was my entire criminal career, mom." Kacey stated. "I don't know if Kate had a criminal career but that was mine."
"Very well. I believe you. You are no longer in the dog house. But if either of you ever think of keeping anything from us again, you will not get off so easily. Do you both understand?"
"Yes mom." They answered together.
Anya and Natalia had a hard time not laughing as they watch Patricia totally intimidate her daughters. "I think you were wrong Liam."
"How so lass?"
She stood up and motioned for Kacey to change seats. "I think a spanking might be a just punishment for these two miscreants."
"Anya? What are you saying?" Kacey yelped which caused Anya and Natalia to lose control of the laughter they had been trying to hold back. They were joined by Patricia and Liam as they laughed at the look on Kacey's face. Kate remained quiet as she tried to judge if Anya was serious. She could not stop the blush as Anya gave her a very pointed look, which caused everyone to laugh harder.
"Lass what you two get up to in the privacy of your bedroom is your business." Liam stated. "You do what ye think best."
"Dad", Kacey cried out. "There are innocent ears in the room."
"Do those innocent ears include yours dear?" Patricia asked.
"Mom."
"Yes dear?"
" Contrary to popular opinion," she looked at Kate. "I am not an innocent. I am a Marine Colonel, a married woman who drinks, curses and I even have sex."
"Totally vanilla." Kate whispered.
"Kate behave." Anya warned.
Everyone laughed louder than before. Natalia took the opportunity to lean over and whisper. "You are indeed an innocent sweetheart, but we will work on that later. That way no one can ever accuse you of that again."
"How about a change of subject?" Kacey asked.
"I agree. Anya stated. "Kate told me about what you want to give," she pointed to the girls. "It is all right with both of us if you are absolutely sure that is what you want to do."
Kate picked up the pad and pen from the coffee table and wrote down what Anya was talking about. She handed the paper to Patricia who read it and gave it to Liam, as he returned with a tray of drinks. He read the paper and put it in his pocket.
"Tis a grand idea, Kacey. Maybe Katie will give it another try." He said.
"That is not going to happen Liam. We all know that Kacey is the one that gained all the musical talent in this family."
"Don't belittle your talents lass. I always wanted to be able to draw like you and your mother. Me mam was an artist also. Me da passed on his tenor voice to me."
"I have always loved listening to you sing dad. I remember there was this one lull-a- bye you used to sing when I was a child. You also sang it to the rug rats a few times."
"Hearing you sing to them made both Kacey and I tear up." Kate added.
"Mama?"
"Yes Erin." Anya responded.
"Erica and I have finished reading our books."
"Then you can both come over here with us." Anya told her. The girls picked up their books and joined their mothers on the love seat. Anya pick one girl up, Kate the other.
"How do you do that Anya. Unless I am looking at them, I don't know which one is talking to me." Kacey asked.
"It takes practice, Kacey. If you listen closely you will notice that Erin's voice is just a little higher than Erica's. Kate has actually learned how to pick the correct one now. We used to have wagers, if she could tell which one was talking to us.Wagers she seldom won. It took a long time to get her trained, but she did learn eventually."
"You should have seen the look Anya gave me the day I gave up trying to tell them apart and just said twin. It was enough to peal the paint off the bulk head. I never did that again."
"What is the trick to telling them apart?" Natalia asked.
"We will let you figure that out Natalia. Telling you would be easy, but you would not learn." Anya told her. "And no cheating with the peanut gallery next to you."
"Hey I resent that remark, Anya." Kacey said which brought on another round of laughter. "I am no one's peanut gallery."
"What ever you say, Kacey." Anya told her.
Natalia patted her knee, as she leaned back in Kacey's arms.