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Travis finally cleared the air and Will helped guide him through it. I’m sure Zach will have some clarity as well after lunching with Will. Love and monogamy and long distance are a difficult combination. Can Will and Travis find a workable solution? Great chapter.

Happy birthday young man. Age is always in perspective. I found that almost all cafes and bars in Havana and the surrounds that were open during the time Hemingway was in Cuba had pictures of him in the setting. There were even several pictures of him fishing with Fidel and one at a fishing competition which surprise, surprise Castro won!

I was there after Trump spread his rancid orangeness ; we were on a cruise that was educational and we were told we should stay together for our safety. The reality was different. I would love to go back.

I am looking forward to a visit to Cuba with CJ and Owen. I visited in 2019 and found it to be most welcoming. The architecture, the food, the vintage cars, the rum and even the cigars were wonderful, but most of all it was the people. Cuba is a country that educates their people. They have medical schools and universities that draw people from all over the world. The downside is the job opportunities are not abundant. There are lots of small businesses that are flourishing. Most of the income seems to be based on tourism. The tours that we booked were very interesting, though we had been told not to discuss politics with our guides; we found that was exactly what our guides were wanting to talk about. The guides were well educated and two of them were former college professors who had more than doubled their income by working as tour guides. Cuba is definitely experiencing a change and they are certainly ready to strengthen some economic ties. The Chinese have certainly replaced the Russians as the chief investors. The new vehicles that the tour company used were definitely Chinese versions of Range Rovers . I look forward to CJ’s Cuban adventures and seeing of this world through your eyes.

Now we know about the truck. Nice reveal! Now that incident makes sense. When will the airplane fire be solved? Luke is a good choice to liaise with Adler/Hayes. There might be a place Tony on the production side and Mason seemed to be interested in the administration of the business. Maybe they will be will find a future on the west coast. How did Claire’s dinner with John and Marie go? Well I imagine at least the first step to healing the rift. Now Jack needs to put his dick back in his pants if he wants to rebuild his relationship with Claire eventually. Will is right that Claire should learn how to be independent. She has been with Jack since high school no wonder her judgement was crap after Jack cheated on her. She needs a gap year before considering a serious relationship or even reconciling with Jack. What is next! I am looking forward to the next chapter as always. What a great story!

Thanks for the Will boost. I was impressed with his interaction with Claire that seemed to help her refocus. Tony and Mason were hot and Mason was definitely ready for a repeat performance. Frank continues to obsess over Zach’s fire trouble and Will’s part in it. Will stepped forward to befriend Zach and made a surfing date with Travis . His time in Malibu with Brad will be busy. I’m ready for an update on the entire Buck family. Curtis deserves close watching. What a nasty man! What a great way to start the weekend! Now could finish the weekend with George to make next week perfect?

Slashing Zach’s tires was a symbolic act referencing a previous situation. Zach would have known that it was a warning from Will. Burning his vehicle muddles the water. I suspect Will’s agents were not responsible. Maybe it does have something to do with Curtis Buck. Claire is a mess and Marie is going postal. Will is trying to calm her, but he knows she will have to work through her anger. Unfortunately Claire hasn’t had to deal with confrontations with her children. She should remember what happened to Brad and Will’s relationship when he tried to dictate Will’s behavior. Are her shoes safe? Tony and Mason are a good match. Perhaps Will can help them find solution that will keep them together in Malibu so they can strengthen their relationship. Another great chapter. Thank you!

Where there is a will there is a way. George is reaping the benefits because of his character and in the end his sense of honor and loyalty to the king are as much a source of power as the wealth he has accumulated. I do think that given his growing influence along with the newly inherited holdings, George be on the path to be elevated. He certainly is no longer an easy target and the family dynamic has changed. George has always been the moral compass for his family and it is fitting that his mother has become an ally since that has been her role as well. I do think we should consider attaching letters to our wills. I had an aunt who was equally outspoken and I can imagine what her letter might have said. Thanks for the chapter Mark. I too had several laughs, smirks, and chuckles! What a great read!

Thank you for a great start to my day! As always I’m a little sad to see those final words, but I know “The End “ will be followed by another by another world building story. CJ is hope for our future!

Great chapter and a day early! Thanks. Maybe Claire’s vote means more than removing Craig from the foundation. She could have taken JP’s assessment personally and has begun to reassess her behavior. Perhaps she even realizes that Will’s belief her plan to introduce Craig to John and Marie would indeed be disastrous. I look forward to the next chapter!

Mark you are amazing. I am so impressed with your prolific output . The chapters are always well plotted and polished for both sagas. I am particularly impressed by the Bridgemont series because seeing history from George’s perspective has made the French Revolution and the resulting Napoleonic Wars come alive. CAP is wonderful to me because it conjures up memories of events that effected me as I grew up. While I was born after WWII, probably the result of my parents celebrating the end of the war, I do have college memories of protesting the Vietnam War. I will await the next chapters patiently because I know your life must be a balance. Thank you for stories and the wonderful pleasures they provide!

Great chapter! The return of CJ and Owen to DC is stupendous! It is good to hear CJ speaking against the insurrectionists and the general hypocrisy that currently populate our politics. CJ stands by his political beliefs and supports individuals not parties. Pam, as usual, is not really listening to what is going on. It is only a matter of time before CJ will be forced to turn his attention to her behavior. CJ and Owen are the ultimate power couple, and they have begun building their path toward the presidency! Thanks for the Friday fix. My weekend is off to a positive beginning.

Sunday with George! Thanks Mark. As always you have provided us with an eventful and well written chapter. I love the interaction between Daventry, Cavendish and Granger. Such good friends! No doubt together they will help George restructure his life without Caroline. George is certainly going to inherit his aunt’s estate and probably get a new bed and/or bath partner as well. There’s so much to look forward to: extracting Caroline from his finances, bringing the children to London, dealing with his family and his naval career.

Claire had a rude awakening! First Marie then John called her out; despite her initial irritation with Will, she took his advice to slow things down and include her children to maintain her family. Will stepped up to confront Claire when JP failed to do so, and he did so in a productive manner and gave her suggestions fix the breach with Marie and John. Will seems to the conscience of the family. He is definitely maturing. I am looking forward to Maui and maybe some more drama! Another great chapter! A good start for the weekend!

I saw Mark gave you really good entry points to CAP, but I believe that the beginning is best. The characters are so layered and multigenerational that seeing their development and the impact of their histories adds even more to the wonderful stories. Enjoy the great reads wherever you choose to begin.

Somebody needs to talk to Claire. She not right. It seems as if she has worked herself into a situation that makes her unhappy. Casey helped Will see things from Travis’s point of view to give a different perspective of the rejection. Even so rejection is painful. Bongo’s report was accurate and things need to change. Jake is a good match to run the foundation and to redirect the grants to benefit people like Bongo as it was intended. I look forward to the board meeting. What happened to the plane, who caused it, and why? Thanks for the great chapter. There is so much to consider and so much to look forward to.

Sunday with George! Thank you. George has strong allies in Daventry and Cavendish. There is nothing like starting at the top to begin solving your problems. The king was most helpful with resolving the issue with the Catholic tenant, even asking George to bring the young tenant to court. As usual the king was impressed that George agreed that his son should not inherit his maternal grandfather’s title. He also indicated that he might keep Caroline out of London so George can separate his and Caroline’s assets. I would imagine that Caroline will be devastated when she realizes what her actions have wrought. This time the consequences seem to be irreparable. I am looking forward to finding out about George’s inheritance. Will the earl shift his support back to George? Has he not learned from his past mistakes and self serving justifications? Thanks again for the great chapter and the continued anticipation for the next update.

No! Not Jack and Claire! They were made for each other. Who but Jack could put up with Claire’s bossiness and her hyper awareness of her social status and her judgmental opinions? After all they have gone through from the high school pregnancy to helicopter parenting, I can’t believe they can’t work through their problems. Have they tried counseling? Surely their relationship is no more fractured than Brad and Robbie’s was. Way to go! What an ending to a great chapter. I hope Jake can find some answers. Will called Jack to reassure him that he wasn’t responsible for the blackout. Later Will ignored Frank’s effort to justify Zach’s behavior and his accusations regarding the burned out truck. I’m looking forward to the next update.

George! What a way to start the week. Money, power, and betrayal does not make the best homecoming. George is going to need allies to navigate these difficult situations and he needs his family’s support not duplicity. I am so glad Winkler was able lightly powder George’s hair and avoid the plastering effect. As usual Winkler comes through in making life better in small ways as well as providing unwavering loyalty that helps strengthen George in times of strife. Thanks the update. As always, you whet our appetite for more! Terrific job! What a pleasure!

Are the fires of Zach’s truck and Curtis’ airplane connected? Jake needs to figure out what is going on. Will doesn’t respond to the question regarding his involvement in the destruction of Zach’s truck because he assumes anyone who knows him would know that he would never do that while of course he would have canceled the insurance as part of severing the relationship. He is not the boy, who when provoked, destroyed Brad and Robbie’s clothes and cars. Clair and Jack have attempted to control their children, but Marie and John are growing up and standing up for themselves. Will has the support of his brothers and his cousins and he has a solution that works for most of the adults as well. All and all a pretty exciting dinner and probably the only one involving a shirtless family member followed by a hospitalization. What’s next! Each chapter surpasses the previous one. I love it and look forward to the next chapter. Thank you for the great read.

Patrick wins, the brothers dance, Travis sings, morning mushroom vomiting and then! Woah! Curtis Buck’s plane bursting into flames! What a dumb expensive way to kill Travis surely something more is going on. I’m looking forward to dinner at Escorial and the board meeting. Another great chapter and the anticipation for next one builds!

Now Will can look hotter than Darius without causing problems between JJ and Bellona while still irritating JJ! Patrick is turning out to be a great friend to Will and by association to Travis. Will always helps when friends and acquaintances are in trouble; it’s nice to see Patrick returning the favor. Great chapter! I’m ready for the party!

Thanks for the Saturday gift. So much is in the offing! Weekly chapters would be a wonderful bonus. Will, Darius, and JJ always have the most interesting interactions. Bellona and JJ’s competition should be interesting ; who will be the judge? Surely Bellona will think Darius is the winner and if she does won’t JJ agree?

Great chapter! Each story folds into the big picture, and your vision is remarkable. Few authors are able to create such multidimensional characters. CJ, Owen, and their family and friends have become people I feel that I know. Thanks for the experience. I look forward to the wedding and future stories and interludes.

Thank you for starting the new year with George! He has lots on his plate, but I know he has the recipe for success as well as beef stroganoff. Great chapter, there’s much to look forward to in 2023!