The Twelve Tables

Authors Note: Thank you to everyone left comments or sent me feedback about the resumption of the story. Thank you again to blunajana who offered to help me with proofreading. Taking her advice I would like to mention that I have made mention of the Poem "My Country" by Dorothea McKellar for anyone interested in this as they read. I have also used a uniquely Australian phase "Doing a Bradbury" which a quick google search will explain. Thank you also to Margaret who also gave it a quick proofread for me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. ~ellie

Josh had run back through the house to the Athenaeum when his father had finally summoned him back. The call he had received to confirm that he knew what the trial would entail had worried him. It was not the question so much as the tone of his father's voice when the call had ended. Entering the room he looked around and a bad feeling formed in the pit of his stomach.

"Where is she?" he asked trying to keep the wild mix emotions he felt out of his voice.

"Come on in and sit down Joshua," Joseph said pleasantly.

"Where is she?" Josh demanded.

"You need to think about who you are talking to," Joseph growled at his son. "Now sit down before I knock you down."

Josh sat reluctantly and stared at his father becoming angry with his refusal to answer his simple question. "Where is she?" Josh asked through gritted teeth.

"Do you honestly have any doubt about the answer to that question?" he asked his son.

"I was so sure she would understand. It never occurred to me that she might leave. I need to go and find her," he began to stand. "I need to explain."

"Sit down Joshua! Or should I start calling you WahWah again?" Joseph was enjoying his son's reaction. If he had any concerns that the relationship had happened too fast or that it was lust over love they were squashed now. He noticed Josh's jaw working as he ground his teeth. "If you were so sure she would accept the trial why are you worried now?" he asked reasonably.

"Papa, where is Peri?" Josh said slowly and calmly.

"She has gone with your mother to help with the Christmas baskets," Joseph said with a shrug, "Perhaps if you had come and sat down as I asked in the first place you could have saved yourself the worry. If you were sure, why would you think she would leave now?"

"There was always a chance she would leave. She hadn't known what to expect here. I believed she would stay, though," he said regaining his confidence in the love he had for Peri and, more importantly, she for him.

"I think she had some idea's, more perhaps than the girl who ran from here and your brother. You prepared her well with the work on these books," he tapped the leather bound volumes still at his side, "and introducing her to your siblings. She is intelligent and asks questions. It was quite a refreshing change from the women who seek us out for employment."

"You seemed unhappy with her questions," Josh frowned at his father.

"Not at all, I believe she will make a good wife who is loyal and seeks to understand not just accept. She will be an asset to you and the family," Joseph said noting the look of surprise on his son's face. Joseph gave praise sparingly so when he did compliment someone it was true.

"She has agreed to return and start the contract on the first?" Josh asked with both pleasure and dread. He would miss her terribly and not enjoy the restrictions her contract would place on their relationship.

"I have started her contract as of today," he smiled and held up his hand as Josh began to protest. "I will not interfere with your time together during the holidays, and she will return home to speak to her mother and prepare some items I would like her to bring with her when she returns. These are concessions I have made in return for her service."

"You do not make concessions easily," Josh sat back and considered his father.

"This is not a woman looking for employment, nor is this a woman who has links to the family and knows what is expected. It is reasonable for her to ask for what she needs because she doesn't know another way. She may love and trust you, she does not, however, know me as a man. She respects me as your father, but she does not yet trust that I have her welfare at heart. The concessions I have made will go a long way to building trust between us and make her time here easier."

"Thank you, Papa," Josh said having considered his father's words and the wisdom of his actions.

"I would like her work on this," he tapped the books she had given him, "to continue while she is here. I will have your cousin, CJ, prepare a new laptop for our network and have it delivered to you. She will have any reference materials from your brother's repository that she will need sent here to me. I will be overseeing her trial personally. We have not had an instance of a true outsider joining our family in my memory. It will be important for her to understand the power of my authority and that of the other twelve chairs."

Josh was surprised. He had assumed that the Masters and Mistresses who oversaw the day to day work of the slaves in the various areas of the farm would also oversee Peri's trial. He had considered that his oldest brothers could be part of the trial but out of respect for him would mostly be supportive of her. His father's personal interest in Peri was something he had not expected, and he was unsure of how he felt about it. It was his right under traditional law, and Josh knew that to bring up his hesitation could be detrimental to the goodwill she had obviously gained from him. Still it seemed wrong that his father would use his future wife as a personal slave.

"Peri has agreed to all of this?" Josh asked carefully.

"She has and she has already signed the contract. You may propose to her at any time and announce your intentions to wed to the family over the holidays while they are all assembled if you like," Joseph said magnanimously. "Your mother would enjoy the celebration. I believe her heart aches with Veronica's illness."

"It's not the same without her," Josh said sadly. "I am truly sorry that I didn't see what was happening to her."

"She shunned tradition unless it suited her not to," Joseph said thoughtfully. "Each of us bears some guilt, but she was secretive and devious in her choice to turn her back on traditional values. We love her, and that doesn't change, but now our influence over those choices must change." His voice had hardened as he spoke.

"I will take the issue up with the twelve chairs before word spreads to them and we are shamed. Perhaps there is a strong man who will enjoy the challenge of a spirited wife," Joseph spread his hands.

"Where is the meeting this year?" Josh had forgotten about the meeting of the heads of each family that occurred each January and July. He considered putting his plans on hold a while longer so he could come and spend that time here with Peri.

"Adelaide," Joseph smiled. "I am looking forward to seeing your cousins." Joseph's twin sister had married into the South Australian table over fifty years ago, and he looked forward to their reunions. He understood more than most why Josh had allowed Veronica to use him as she had and the guilt he now felt.

"That's good, it's been a while since you have been able to make it down there," Josh nodded understanding his father's enthusiasm.

"I am pleased that you are setting your future on track. Tell me of this publishing house, you will professionally finish the history no doubt?" Joseph changed the subject abruptly away from their feeling regarding their sisters.

"Yes, they have a small but regular clientele that should keep the income trickling over until a few of my plans and projects take off. It would possibly help if you took those examples to show the chairs and suggest that they might like something similar done for their tables," Josh suggested slyly.

"I had thought much the same, it is a well thought out idea and allows the reader to find an exact point in time easily within this layout. Most of the previous histories have been bogged down by spurious links and large volumes making the lines of succession hard to follow," he agreed. "Still she will finish her work with our family before considering taking on any other challenges. I believe she also impresses your brothers with her work at the repository. I imagine each of our homes will need to be catalogued as well to see that important items remain in the right hands."

"I imagine she could start here during her trial if you are going to enable her to work on the histories," Josh looked around the Athenaeum. It lived up to its name with its eclectic collection of books and antiques.

Joseph steered the conversation back to Josh's plans for his future, pleased that his youngest son was finally embracing being a family man in the traditional sense. He had high hopes for Joshua but only time would tell if he was the man his father hoped he would become.

*****

Antonia brought out another box of favours and set it on the table. Small colourful games of either a barrel of monkeys or a jumping frog game were the next small item to be placed in every basket. She watched with a smile as Peri lifted the hem of her dress making a small basket and loaded it to overflowing with the trinkets before walking back to the first table and beginning to distribute them. The girl seemed genuinely happy to be helpful and kept busy here while the rest of her children were all out decorating the tree.

When she had gone to collect Peri from the Athenaeum, her husband had sent the young woman to explore the bays of the room and spoken to her quietly about his impressions of the girl and his approval. He had explained the terms of the contract he had given the girl and his involvement in her trial. Joseph didn't ask for her approval, but he preferred to know that she approved of any decision that would affect her and the family.

In all honesty, she had not been surprised. The girl was sweet natured, intelligent and despite having a vulnerable air that reeked of insecurity she had a backbone and could stand up to men like her husband and son when she needed to. She was also physically appealing in that curvier pin-up model way which she knew was very much reason for Joseph's decision to be involved in her trial. He had of course spoken of the histories and her work and the fact that an absolute outsider was a rarity that needed to be monitored closely, but Antonia has noticed that Peri also had perfectly rounded large breasts that had not been ruined by age, pregnancy or children as yet. She had the firmness and pliability of youth that she could not blame her husband for being attracted to.

Her husband rarely bothered with the Kept anymore finding them wholly unattractive as of late but the look in his eyes as he followed Peri's movements around the room told Antonia that he was feeling his virility return. Over the last few years, she had seen him become older and tire more easily as the pressures of staying on top of such a large extended family became strained by several dreadful incidents the worst of which was Veronica's descent into wickedness. If Peri could add a spring to his step again, she was happy with his decision.

Her only concern was Josh and the effect sharing the woman he loved with his father, even for such a short time, might have on their relationship. She consoled herself with the fact that Josh would have known that this would be part of her trial and that someone would be training her in the carnal arts. She worried though that it might cause a rift in their usually close relationship. She considered how this could be avoided and sighed heavily thinking of how the rift between Veronica and Josh's betrothed could be smoothed over as well in time.

"Are you okay?" Peri asked walking toward Antonia for another load of the toys. "I can do this if you need a rest. It's fun making gift baskets like this. I bet the people receiving them will be surprised. Do you deliver them to a hospital or something?"

"Oh darling girl," Antonia smiled. "We did the baskets for the hospital last week. These are for the festival. We invite our friends and family who live close enough to come every Christmas Eve, and this is like a goodie bag for coming to our party."

"Wow," Peri looked around the room at all the baskets full of treats and trinkets. "You're expecting a lot of people."

"We have a big family!" Antonia laughed. "Plus we invite our neighbours and the people of the small town just a bit further north."

"There is a town? Dante made me think that there was nothing in the shape of a town near here," she gushed.

"It's more of an intersection than a town, there is a hotel, a post office and a school that services the general population," she explained. "You would have to look very hard to find it on any map, but it's a central place for the people in the area to gather in emergencies. You know droughts and flooding rains," she laughed again quoting Dorothea McKellar's famous poem about the outback.

Dante wandered through, on his way to the Athenaeum and stopped seeing the two women chatting as they worked. With the speed at which Josh had left he had assumed the worst and breathed a sigh of relief seeing Peri here.

"So you survived the meeting with the big bad wolf," Dante grinned walking into the room, "and Mama has put you to work already!"

"Oh stop that," Antonia scolded him with a look. "Peri offered to help me with this, unlike my selfish children."

"It's women's work," Dante lowered his voice to groan, "We men are out climbing trees," then he grinned, "and decorating them in the most divine way for your pleasure, Mama Dearest." He put on an effeminate voice.

"Make sure you leave enough decorations for Romeo and Jules to do with their children," Antonia waggled her finger at him despite her laughter.

"Ben said something like that but in my opinion, you snooze you lose," he laughed. "They'll be here soon I expect. Lio has stayed behind to play Santa and set up the kids presents at their city homes, so I expect he is hounding them to move faster."

"He's such a nice boy, I just don't know what happened to you," she patted his cheek with a laugh.

"He stole all the good genes while you were evicting me. It's entirely your fault for pushing me out first. I was all warm and toasty then wham spanked as soon as I took a breath, no smiles or cuddles from my mama because Lio took all the attention," he said dramatically. "You set up my future bad attitude with that one foul move. He had it easy. I'd paved the way. He got the smiles and cuddles while I was left traumatised."

"Don't you believe a word he says Peri," Antonia continued to laugh. "They were an hour apart, and he got more love and attention than he deserved demanding to come into the world as early as he did. He was a dreadful boy to his Mama, even then."

"She doesn't mean it, she is just trying to hide the fact that I am the favourite child," he winked and scooted out of his mother's way as she went to smack him. Peri couldn't help but laugh. Seeing Josh's family interact with each other as she had over the last weeks had totally amazed her. They were all just like big kids themselves. She had been surprised there hadn't been a full on food fight at lunch when Ben flicked his olive across the table at Josh.

"Listen? Do I hear the buzz of cupids wings or could that be the Valentine brothers winging their way home?" Dante cocked his head and put a hand to his ear.

"Oh, wonderful!" Antonia exclaimed. "Come on Peri let's go welcome them."

"I can stay and finish this, I don't mind," she said not wanting to get in the way of a family reunion.

"Nonsense, come on," Antonia ordered, and they went out of the front door to watch the plane approach the runway that ran parallel to the road but on the opposite side to the farm. Peri had arrived at the farm house in a rush and hadn't noticed the huge tree when she arrived, and she looked up seeing Ben and BJ in the basket of the cherry picker getting a bird's eye view of the plane.

Antonia hurried down the stairs and across the lawn as the plane landed and taxied to a stop opposite the front gate. She was soon surrounded by a gaggle of noisy chirping children all vying for her attention. Carmen and Romey soon joined in, and Peri was surprised that there was no sign of Jules and Bianca as she walked across the forecourt and lawn with Dante.

"Ah the summoning power of grandchildren," Dante said dryly and nodded toward the side of the house where Josh and Joseph had appeared walking toward the growing crowd near the plane. Josh turned his head spotting her and murmured something to his father and veered off in her direction. After what had happened between Joseph and herself, she was concerned about his reaction and she slowed her pace making Dante look down at her and follow her eyes to Josh.

"I thought you two would be running into each other's arms right about now," Dante said confused by her apparent unease and the seriousness of Josh's face. "You're staying right?"

"If Josh still wants me to," she said nervously.

"I don't think that is ever going to be an issue," Dante chuckled but realised something must have occurred that cast the doubt in her mind. It was new territory inviting an outsider into the family and while his attempt had failed at the first hurdle he had believed Josh and Peri were absolutely devoted to each other and could overcome whatever stipulations Joseph put on her admission to the family.

"Mine," Josh said picking her up and kissing her deeply.

"Guess that answers that question," Dante chuckled and wandered off towards the arriving family members.

"Are you okay?" Josh put her down looking into her face seriously.

"You could've warned me," Peri said quietly. "It's not a normal part of getting engaged you realise. Normally there's a ring and maybe a party not being placed into servitude for months."

"I couldn't, and it wouldn't have mattered if Papa hadn't given us his blessing. So there was no need until then," Josh tried to explain walking her away from the house and the rest of his family. "I thought he might ask us to wait considering what happened with Nik and other family issues lately."

"That's understandable I guess. What would have happened if he had refused?" She dreaded the answer knowing that Dante had not seen his girl since her flight from the farm.

"We would have returned to the city after Christmas and talked about our options. I am glad we don't have to do that," he admitted turning to look at the people gathered in front of his family home. "I can't imagine my life without this place and these people."

"I know," Peri said softly. "I would never make you choose between your family and me. I signed the contract."

"I know, Papa explained his conditions to me," Josh turned to look at her. "I'm not exactly happy about all of it," he admitted. "Were it one of the Slave Masters who oversaw your trial I would not have to face them over the dinner table. At least, I know he will treat you well, and you will get to know more about the extended family than you would have otherwise." He spoke as if convincing himself that it was best this way. "Plus this way it is only three months rather than the expected six."

"It's such a short time when we are talking about a lifetime together," she reminded him of his own words. "You said that to me, and it is how I had the courage to accept and agree to everything your father said. Signing that contract meant I could look forward to a future with you." He bent and kissed her softly then knowing everything she said was true for him as well.