{{To Blackjack88: Despite the subject matter of this forum, I'm only human. The Earth-2 thread is less than 30 posts away from its 300th episode, but my bad on the faulty memory. Sorry.—tmw.}}
All the Andersons, along with the entire Lawson family and Samantha Twist were sitting in the Anderson family living room, discussing possible strategies to deal with an angry Benton Knight, when both Eric and Spencer's cellphones chimed the receipt of a new text message.
Both boyfriend and girlfriend looked at their messages, then Spencer read hers aloud.
EVERYTHING OUT WITH DAD, INCLUDING ME. DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT, BUT DEFINITELY AFTER JULIE'S TRIAL AT LATEST.—F.
"That's odd. I have more," said Eric, before reading what his text message had that his girlfriend's didn't.
WARN SKULK DAD TRYING TO TAKE OVER TACHIBANA THROUGH DUMMY CORPS.
"Then she signed mine," said Eric, showing everyone the message.
"Smart girl. She knows you're an honorary member because of us," said William Anderson. "I'll call Mrs. Tachibana and alert her immediately," he added, getting up to go to his den for a bit of privacy.
"Nothing else?" wondered Evan Lawson.
"No," said Spencer, after double checking her message against Eric's. "How is anyone's guess, but that first sentence can only mean her dad knows Frieda's bi. What do we do?" Spencer demanded to know. "Even if they didn't know about her sexual preferences, she's always been afraid her folks would send her to Europe or some place to be a proper lady."
"Legally, I don't think there is anything we can do," admitted Samantha Twist, "but that last line you both had shows Benton is smart enough to wait until after Frieda's part in the court proceedings is over so the Knight family doesn't get in any trouble with law. After all, the courts would only be able to demand Frieda stay in Moon Lake as a material witness until after the trial was over."
"Dammit. Frieda's in trouble because of us. There has to be some way to help her!" No one was surprised to hear Spencer curse, for there were times her parents knew their daughter could out swear Evan.
The only response anyone had was for Eric to give his girlfriend a comforting hug.
The group sat there in silence until William came back out of his study.
"Sorry it took so long. Had to explain everything to Mrs. Tachibana, which wound up including how Eric and Spencer know Frieda Knight in the first place. Anyway, she thanked all of us for the warning, said she and the Skulk were in our debt and if there was anything she could do to help..."
"While I'm sure that will come in handy if Benton Knight decides to attack us personally, everyone's big concern at the moment is Frieda," said Martha Anderson, as William sat next to his wife once more.
"Which is where we were when I left," he realized, before going back to pondering the unanswered question with them.
MEANWHILE...
When Frieda Knight heard her bedroom door open again, she quickly hid her cellphone, afraid it might be her father and/or mother coming back for another round. Instead, it turned out to be Jeffery the butler, with a sandwich and a can of soda.
"The cook thought you might be hungry," he said, presenting the food to her.
"Just Ethel?" asked Frieda in return, before thanking him for the meal.
"Actually, all of us," admitted the butler, standing next to his youngest charge. "When he leaves here, your father goes back to his study and slams the door shut. Other than John, who said he had to tell him everywhere you've been and who've you've been with that he's aware of over the last couple of days, your father hasn't talked to anyone else here; although we do hear him either on the phone or on his computer a lot," which was understandable, considering the entire household staff were also werepanthers too, although of a lesser pride than the one the Knights belonged to.
"Father demanded the truth, so I told him," said Frieda, between bites.
"Everything?" asked Jeffery in return.
"Everything. How's mother?"
"She has been in their bedroom since the initial confrontation with you. Only Rosie, her personal assistant, has seen her since then."
"Sometimes I wonder just what the two of them do in there," said Frieda with a sly smile.
"That is highly doubtful," replied Jeffery, knowing the Knight's daughter was bi. "You should also know that the entire household staff is prepared to resign, pending your father's actions against you."
"As you can without my parents knowing, thank them for me Jeffery. But while I hope it doesn't come to that, for I seriously doubt they'll get any references towards finding another job unless I write them myself, also tell them whatever my father's decision concerning me might be can't be enacted until after Julie Stovall's trial is over."
"I will... Frieda," he said, which brought a smile to the young girl's face before the butler left with the empty plate and soda can before her father discovered his presence in her room.