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Simmers' Paradise / Sims Stories / The Inheritance: Chapter 5 - Part II (Updated 11/14)
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on: September 09, 2008, 02:50:54 pm
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The Inheritance
Chapter 3 - Part II
March 1964  All of Lady Thornycroft's friends gathered at her home for her funeral. Even Dante, who had been so busy earlier in the weekend, made the drive back for the funeral.  We listened as Father Bianchi practiced the funeral rites and prayed for the soul of Esther. After everyone else had filed away to the dining room for lunch, I stayed behind to pay my respects to Esther. After all, we had been friends for so long. She had been kind to me, had loved me like a daughter and Josephine like a granddaughter.
I was praying at the side of the coffin when I heard voices from the hall... It was Grant, first, and then Capricia Volante.
"No, Signora Volante, I know you were hoping but now it just seems wrong."
"But, my Lord," Capricia said in her lusty Italian way, "I know your mother was against it, but this is a very good opportunity for you. For both of us."
"What about your husband?" asked Grant.
"Never mind my husband. What he doesn't know can't hurt him. And it can't hurt us, either."
"I'm sorry, Capricia. I'm very flattered, very tempted, but no."
And with that, I heard a set of footsteps set off across the hall, followed by the reluctant click of Capricia's heels. The luncheon was lovely. We all sat and ate Lady Thornycroft's favorite dishes and shared stories about our experiences with her. It was a joyous occasion despite the sadness that enveloped us. As I walked home from the funeral, I found that one of the houses that had long been abandoned had a car in the driveway and a few people unloading it. As I walked by, the man gave me a friendly wave and I stopped for a chat. As it turned out, the man was Signor Esposito, and he had owned the house for some time, returning only now after spending many years with his sick wife in another town. She had died and so he and his family moved back.
A figure in military fatigues was at the trunk of the car, fiddling with boxes. "Is that your son?" I asked, gesturing towards the car.
"Oh, no," said Esposito. "My daughter. Gia, come over here." We were introduced and talked for a few moments more before I left them to their packing, and deciding that I should bring a casserole over later in the week.
One thing was clear. There was something strange about a family where a daughter wore military fatigues, but I detected nothing sinister. I bid them good day and returned home. |
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47
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Simmers' Paradise / Sims Stories / The Inheritance: Chapter 5 - Part II (Updated 11/14)
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on: September 09, 2008, 02:09:49 am
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The Inheritance
Chapter 3 - Part I
March 1964  Ever since Dante's victory in the election that everyone, including both of us, had expected him to lose, he had become quite a busy man. He had to set up a whole new life in Rome, coming home some weekends but spending most weeks away.
At first, we called each other at least once a day--I would call him in the morning after getting the children off to school, and he would call me in the evenings when he was done with his legislative duties. But lately it had occured that I was doing most of the calling. "I'm sorry, darling. I can't come home this weekend, we have a budget meeting that I have to go to. Perhaps next weekend?"
"Well, all right," I said, half-expecting yet another governmental obligation that would keep my husband away. "Andre was so hoping...well, it doesn't matter. He'll understand.""Apologize to him from me, would you? I wanted to make his recital but things have just gotten too busy here."
"I will."
"Are you having the ladies over tonight?"
"Oh yes, in fact I have a meatloaf in the oven." "I won't keep you, then, darling."
"All right. Good night, Dante." I paused for a moment. "I love you."
"I love you too, Betty. Good night." I hung up the phone and looked around my bedroom. Everything was neat and tidy, so much so that it felt like it was unused. It felt like no one even lived here, and indeed, I couldn't remember off the top of my head the last time I had spent the night here with Dante.
But I would have plenty of time later to dwell during the dark of the night. At this moment, I had a ladies' social gathering to host. We met that night as we frequently did, in the sunroom of the villa, eating and chatting and gossiping. But that night was different: a cloud hung over the gathering. Lady Esther Thornycroft was very ill. Her mental condition had, in the past several months, been accompanied by a striking, wasting illness. The empty chair that belonged to Lady Thornycroft stood empty, and Eleanor was gone as well, caring for her mother. But present were Mrs. Capricia Volante, Mrs. Adela de Luca, Judith O'Reilly, who had been granted an annulment after her husband fled from the authorities, and Angela Giorelli, who was technically still married despite the fact that her husband had been in a coma for two years. "I can't understand why the real estate company is causing such trouble," said Judith, who had been wanting to buy a building downtown with her savings in which to open a new business. "They keep saying it's administrative work, but it's been going on for weeks!"
"I've heard that," said Adela. "Rumor has it some new group of investors is trying to buy up some of the properties. Maybe they're holding out on closing your sale in hopes of getting a better deal."
"Whatever it is, I'm tired of it," Judith confessed as the phone rang. I excused myself to go and answer it. I hung up the phone a few moments later, feeling stricken. I couldn't put thoughts to words, nor convert the words I had just heard into actual meaning.
Slowly, I turned and walked back towards the sunroom. "Ladies," I said. Something in my voice must have told them that I had something to say, and their voices died down.
"Ladies, I'm afraid...I'm sorry to have to tell you... Esther--Lady Thornycroft--died just a few moments ago." |
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53
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Simmers' Paradise / Sims Stories / The Inheritance: Chapter 5 - Part II (Updated 11/14)
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on: September 01, 2008, 01:54:49 am
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The Inheritance
Chapter 2 - Epilogue
January 1962 That same day...  "You'll regret this," Eva Giorelli shouted at her uncle as he left the house.
"No, my dear. You think you're the fox, but you are but the hen. You see, it was you who greased the step that caused your aunt's accident. You are unwise to attempt to blackmail me, for I have an alibi."
"Where are you going?" she called. "I'm going to the office, then I'm calling your mother and telling her to come and pick you up. You are no longer welcome here," said Giovanni. With that, he turned on his heel and began to cross the street. "Uncle, wait!" cried Eva--but Giovanni didn't listen... ...much to his detriment. And that was the last any of us saw of David O'Reilly for a long time.At the Moretti villa... I arrived home to share the news with Dante. He was glad to have the affair sorted out and promised to talk to the police about keeping an extra close eye on the O'Reilly house in case David tried to come back. I looked over the living room of the villa in which I had lived for so many years and for the first time in months felt completely content. Yes, my daughter was in Switzerland, and my younger son was out running around, but my family still felt complete.  Night fell over the hills of Italy, and as Dante wrapped his arms around me and we settled in for a quiet night together with the children, I knew that there was nothing that we could not face together. But as Abraham Lincoln once said... ...a house divided against itself cannot stand.To Be Continued in
Chapter Three |
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54
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Simmers' Paradise / Sims Stories / The Inheritance: Chapter 5 - Part II (Updated 11/14)
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on: September 01, 2008, 01:29:44 am
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The Inheritance
Chapter 2 - Part XI
January 1962  The following day I went to Judith's and was surprised to find a moving van in the driveway, and boxes of things being packed into it. One of the movers said that the lady of the house was inside and I let myself in.
"Judith?" I asked, and she looked up from where she sat. "Can I come in?"
"Why not?" she asked bitterly. "We're going soon anyway." I sat down opposite her and said, "I'm sorry, Judith. I didn't...I had to protect my daughter."
Judith gave me a kind smile and reached across the table to pat my hand. Only then did I notice the wild look in her eye. "It's all right, dear. None of this, and I mean none of this is your fault. I should have known all along..."
I held her hands between mine and squeezed them, feeling her own anguish. "Judith, talk to me. What's happened?"
"It wasn't Donovan," she said simply. She was silent for a moment, and then she began to tell me a story... "We had a lovely little cottage in Ireland, near the border. It wasn't much, but it was enough for the three of us. David and I were very dedicated to the peace process, and we would have regular meetings between sympathetic types of all stripes--British, Irish, it didn't matter. One of these days, we were getting ready for a meeting of the minds. I was out, tending the garden, and David was getting things ready inside--or so I thought--with the help of Donovan's girlfriend, Jennifer Boyle. Oh, they weren't a serious item--not as serious as the papers suggested after the--but they were going steady, you could say. Donovan was out, getting groceries, but was walking home when it happened. He told me he was walking through the back yard and saw what happened through a window."  "While I was out in the garden, my husband, the pig, put the moves on poor Jennifer. Bless her heart, she didn't know what to do..."  "Other than push his lecherous arse away, of course. Donovan said she gave him a good shove and really embarrassed him."  "David, the Don Juan he thinks himself, was upset and they tuffled. Donovan said he had her by the throat and then she began to choke."  "Not such a brave man was he after that, no: he moved away, insisting that she was faking it. But as she continued to choke..."  "...he could see that this was not an accident that he could just explain away."  "The poor girl died, and for what? Because she bruised my lecherous husband's pride. He panicked and did what he thought he had to: began to cover his tracks. He hid the body in a wardrobe..."  "...went out into the shed and got one of the bombs he had confiscated while patrolling the border, and wired it there. And just before the English delegation was set to arrive, it went off."  "Several men ran in to look for Jennifer; my husband, who had escaped, said he had been unable to find her. I know now that this was all cover for his crime. And all those men died trying to save her, not knowing she was already dead..."  "When did you find this out?" I asked gently, offering her my kerchief. She dabbed her eyes gratefully.
"Donovan told me yesterday, after you sent Josephine away. He said that his father had now cost him two girls--two opportunities to find love, you know?--and then told me what he saw. And Elizabeth, I know he was telling the truth. A mother knows."
I nodded my head. "Yes, she does." Just then the door opened and I turned to see David standing there. I stood up; I didn't know what I could do, but I could at least try to defend myself if I was standing. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Visiting your wife," I said coolly. "And where is young Donovan?"
"Who knows what kind of trouble he's getting himself into?" David asked casually. "Not bothering your daughter anymore, is he?"
"You bastard." I turned to see that Judith had stood and was inching forward. "You lying, murdering bastard!" "I beg your pardon?" asked David, trying to seem collected and cool, but we could both tell that he was suspicious.
"You killed Jennifer Boyle. You blamed it on Donovan and told me what to tell the police, not to protect us but to protect you. You would have our boy accused of a crime that you committed!" spat Judith.
"Why you..." said David, striding forward.
"Not so fast," I said stonily, mustering all my bluster. "I know the whole story and I've phoned the police. Unless you want them to find two more of your victims here, you'll stand back. And you'll have to kill me to get to her."
"This is none of your business," said David. "When lying murderers go free, that's everyone's business," I said, not knowing where I was getting this bravery.
"Oh, stuff it. Judith, get your things. We're leaving now."
"No," said Judith. "You're leaving. Donovan and I are staying."
"Judith, you are my wife and he is my son, and you will do as I tell you. Now, get in the van!"
"No!" Judith shouted. "You get in the van and go far, far away. Don't ever come back."
"Judith--"
"I'm calling the police," she said. "We'll see what they say when they here that you're the one that murdered Jennifer Boyle and all those people who went in to save her, not Donovan?"
David took another step as Judith went to the phone. I moved with her, picking up a skillet out of a moving box and watched him closely. I would defend Judith if I had to, I knew.
Luckily, David knew it too. He turned and left. I hurried to the porch and watched as he climbed into the moving truck. It roared to life and he was gone.
Judith came out on the porch and put her arm around my waist. "Thank you, Elizabeth. If not for you, I don't know if I could have done that."
"You'll stay, won't you?" I asked her, putting my arm around her shoulder. "You and Donovan?"
"I think I'd like that." |
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Simmers' Paradise / Sims 2 Apartment Life Chat / I'm just not sure
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on: August 31, 2008, 01:07:50 pm
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Lilibet, I feel your pain. I recently had a computer crash and I was debating whether to reinstall Pets. I hate the animals, I find them insipid and boring. But my problem was that a lot of downloads require you to have Pets to work properly, so I installed. In the future, many downloads will probably require Apartment Life, so you'll have to balance whether the new features are useless to you versus the download and other benefits. Let us know what you decide!
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Simmers' Paradise / Sims 2 Apartment Life Chat / I'm a n00b lol. how do i build my own apartment complex from scratch?
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on: August 30, 2008, 01:57:49 pm
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Build a building in residential mode, then (before moving Sims in) use the cheatcode:
changelotzoning apartmentbase
After which you should be able to move families in the apartments.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. You must use the 'unique separator' door (with the doormat) as the only entrance in and out of the apartment. If you have another way out of the apartment, it won't work. All back yards, patios, decks, etc. must be enclosed.
2. Make sure you furnish the apartments that you don't intend to use for your playable sims, otherwise when you go to visit the NPC neighbors, they won't have any furniture!
3. Double-check before using the changelotzoning cheat, make sure you have stairs, doors, windows, etc. where you want them. You cannot build these things in residential mode.
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