Chapter Text
Spending a whole summer at Creswell Island was always a very intense experience for the entire Bradford family. Especially the Powletts, seeming as that part of the family bore the responsibility of carrying along with the family legacy. Every summer was different, but in a way, just the same. Same houses, same people, same routine.
Maybe the change was why most of the Bradfords were not so eager to spend the summer of 2011 on the family island anymore. A lot of outside people were invited to spend two first weeks of July for a pregnancy announcement party that was planned for Edith Withers, the older of the Powlett sisters.
Desideria Powlett Bradford could not be any less excited. Edith’s phone was glued to her hand, or it might have been as well, and it looked hilarious when she was trying to find a signal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Alan - Edith’s husband - seemed almost ashamed of his wife, hiding in the shadow of her tall, not so skinny anymore, figure. Dessie furrowed her brows while observing them. She would probably never understand why someone like her brother-in-law fell for her sister. Alan was calm, focused, and sweet, while Edith was the opposite - bitter like a lemon and absentminded.
”Is she serious?” Edith almost shouted, gaining strange looks from the twins, who were focused on the book Leo was holding (probably a gift from Alan, something to occupy them during the boat ride to the island). Eddie stood up and came closer to the only interested person - Lucienne Bradford, the mother, and the boss, at least until they would arrive. “How did she even post that? There’s no reception on Creswell.”
”Maybe Gramps finally realized that we’re living in civilization,” Desideria shrugged, uninterested in the drama. Edith was always stalking people on the internet and talking about them with their mother. It was no surprise that she was trying to do the same thing even on the way to the place that was long forgotten by God and internet companies.
Lucienne turned her murderous glance to her younger daughter.
Edith and Desideria could not possibly be more different from each other. Lucienne always told them that despite carrying the name, neither of them was true Bradford, not to the bone, at least. Edith was closer, though, and it was a massive shame that she chose to change her last name after getting married to Alan. Lucienne had a hard time understanding that decision, and Desideria still found hilarious the fight that the Withers had with her mother, basically forcing Edith to give her next child the Bradford name.
Even after that, Edith was still less of a disappointment than Desideria, but the younger sister was okay with that.
“Are you for real?” Edith snapped, narrowing her eyes. “When I tell him about that, Gramps will kill her.”
Desideria stiffened because throwing the K-word around the Bradford family was not the best idea. Someone might always get offended.
”He will be upset, that’s for sure,” Lucienne nodded. “Maybe you should text Rhiannon and suggest that she delete that picture.” Desideria rolled her eyes after hearing the younger cousin’s name.
“Yes, mother,” she sighed, “‘cause she will obviously listen to us.”
Lucienne pursed her plump lips but decided to stay silent. She slowly sipped coffee (no doubt spiked with Bailey’s) from the Stanley travel cup she carried everywhere. It had the family name engraved just beneath the famous logo.
Desideria smirked at her mother’s antics and turned her focus back to the book she was reading. She preferred In Bed with a Highlander ten times more than interacting with her mother or sister. Truthfully, she preferred it more than interacting with almost every family member.
She didn’t even finish the first paragraph of the page when Evelyn finally lost interest in whatever she was reading with her twin brother and turned her attention towards Desideria. With raised brows, glancing at the not-child-appropriate cover of the book, she asked:
”What are you reading?”
Desideria closed the book with a small sigh and put it back in her bag. She had no intention of introducing the twelve-year-old to smut.
”Historical book.” No one needed to know that it was only partially true.
Evelyn didn’t seem convinced, but now that the book was hidden, she wasn’t interested. The girl laid her head on her father’s arm and quickly fell asleep, using Lionel's waterproof jacket as a coat.
Desideria grabbed her phone and started mindlessly scrolling through old pictures to pass the little time they had left before arriving. Creswell Island was already visible in the distance, so from experience, Desideria knew they would be there in almost no time.
Ten minutes passed before Thomas Powlett finally emerged from under the deck, announcing that the kids should put their bright orange vests on so Henry wouldn’t scold them this year. Desideria smiled at her father, as always amused by the fear he still carried when the oldest Bradford was involved.
Everyone was already waiting for them at the docks. Maud was waving furiously at the twins, her white dress swaying in the strong wind. Desideria looked over everyone, noticing that no one had really changed since the last time she saw them during Easter. Then, her eyes found Rhiannon, and she nearly laughed.
“Am I imagining things, or this boy doesn’t look at all like her previous boyfriends?”
Desideria looked at her sister’s horror-struck face and blinked slowly. After a few seconds, she finally sighed and nodded. She could already sense the drama. “I’m starting to miss James. He was actually not the dumbest kid she dated.”
“He was the nicest of them,” Alan agreed, ensuring Lionel’s vest was correctly zipped.
Desideria looked at her cousin’s boyfriend again and pressed her lips tightly together to prevent a small giggle from escaping. He was tall and handsome, with thick black hair and a decent sense of style. But Desideria knew that her family wouldn’t accept this guy even in a million years, not with his dark skin and a tattoo showing from beneath his white, buttoned-up shirt. He looked cute enough for Rhiannon to fall for him, but as long as Henry Bradford was alive, this boy had zero chance in joining the family.
They all stepped off the boat, Desideria and her father helping the kids while Alan helped Edith. Dessie, as always, was the first to greet her Grandparents. She tightly hugged her Grams first. Cynthia checked out Desideria’s outfit, shaking her head at the high-heeled sandals. “I told you to put on some comfortable shoes for the boat,” Cynthia scolded. “One summer, you’re gonna break your leg, and you will spend the whole trip tied in bed.”
“Maybe I’m secretly wishing that it will happen’,” Desideria laughed, kissing Grams's cheek.
“You spoiled girl,” Cynthia pressed her lips tightly together and smacked her granddaughter’s arm, sending her off so she could fuss about Edith’s growing stomach.
Desideria stepped into her Grandfather’s open arms and inhaled. She sometimes complained about her family, but the comfort that her Grandparents always provided didn’t match anything she had back home in Connecticut. Gramps smelled like cigars and expensive brandy, two smells she hated, but she didn’t mind when the older man patted her back awkwardly.
“Somehow, you’re getting more beautiful with every visit,” he whispered, fixing her pearl necklace.
“I have great genes, Gramps,” Desideria smiled sweetly. She always knew what to say to her Grandparents to get what she wanted. “How are you feeling about…” She glanced at Rhiannon and her boyfriend, who were standing a few steps away from everyone, their hands tightly clasped together.
As expected, Henry Bradford didn’t feel the need to lower his voice when he answered his granddaughter’s question. “Not well,” he shook his head and ruffled Lionel’s hair when the boy hugged him after pushing Desideria away. “We never had cockroaches on Creswell before.”
She sighed, feeling amused by the older man’s antics. It was like watching Spanish soap operas but in real life. Every gesture had to be big, every emotion exaggerated, every sentence carefully thought through.
“It won’t last long, don’t worry,” Desideria tried to comfort her Grandfather, but he only scoffed loudly, as if he knew something she didn’t.
After the greetings in the docks, it was finally time for the cocktail hour at the Moonstone House. It was the building closest to the docks and the biggest on the island. Henry always took great pride in staying there with his wife and sister-in-law. Every summer, he told everyone the story about purchasing the island and immediately falling in love with the house, how he knew that he would start his legacy there.
According to Cynthia, that was exactly what happened. She discovered she was pregnant two days after spending her first-ever summer on Creswell.
Desideria found it more gross than romantic; she never ever wanted to imagine her Grandparents being intimate.
“We will have dinner today at seven,” Cynthia ordered as soon as the kids left to play in the garden and the adults found their seats in the living room. “Tomorrow, the guests arrive, and I want to spend at least one peaceful evening with my family.”
Desideria slowly sipped her frozen margarita, watching everyone.
Great Aunt Barbara looked displeased, but it was her permanent look since the year 2000 when her husband Harold died. She never had a good relationship with the rest of the family. Desideria knew that it was often discussed that Barbara should stop coming to the island, considering that she was only a Bradford by marriage. Ultimately, it didn’t matter - Bradfords cared for their own, and Henry would never leave his sister-in-law alone.
Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Frederick occupied a small sofa, distancing themselves from Rhiannon and her boyfriend as if their daughter was carrying some contagious disease. They were quiet, both wearing similar scowls on their faces.
Next to them, on a huge couch, sat Aunt Helene and Uncle George, wearing matching linen shirts and white pants. Desideria always found it hilarious that they always took it upon themselves to dress in similar outfits. They were quietly talking to Uncle Archibald, and Dessie could see the disapproving look on her Grandfather’s face when he was watching them. He never appreciated when someone talked when Grams was speaking. “It is all about respect,” he always said.
Aunt Annalise was sitting next to her husband, a distant look on her face. Desideria quickly looked away, a shiver running up her spine when she noticed her bloodshot eyes.
Dessie sighed, making herself more comfortable in the chair. She had a horrible feeling about the summer.