Read Online A Family Affair: A Novel of Horror by V. J. Banis - Free Book Online Page A

Mr. Kelsey still said nothing.
    Jennifer found herself wondering whether Wilfred was the hired man, or someone she hadn’t yet encountered. And what hadn’t he forgiven her anyway? The difficulty in talking with these people is that you were never sure whether their remarks were intended as answers to your questions or not.
    The others had followed this conversation silently and with polite attention. Now, at the sound of a footstep in the hall, they all looked in that direction. There was a sudden air of expectancy about the table, and Jennifer, sensing it, turned with them to look toward the door from the hall.
    There was a lengthy silence and then another footstep, further away. Whoever was there had, it seemed, decided not to come in, and with the moving on of that presence, something in the atmosphere seemed to relax subtly.
    Jennifer glanced toward her aunt. “We have another guest,” Aunt Christine said. “You’ll meet her in due time.” She looked pointedly toward her plate.
    As the night before, on her tray, the dinnerware was again spotlessly clean, Jennifer noticed; although, she realized unhappily, the chair she was sitting in was not. She ran a finger over a corner of the seat and the finger came away black with dust. She would indeed be happy when she could get in her car and leave.
    â€œMy car,” she said aloud, suddenly remembering where it was. “It was stuck down the road. I ran it into a creek. I wonder if your man couldn’t bring it around for me, if he hasn’t already done so?”
    Again she had addressed her remarks to Mr. Kelsey, and again it was Aunt Christine who answered.
    â€œYour car? I don’t really think you’ll have much need for that. The grounds are large, but there’s really no place to drive. Most of the land is wooded and has never been cleared, don’t you see.”
    â€œBut I will need it,” Jennifer argued, although she was careful to avoid sounding difficult, as her mother had used to put it. She added hopefully, “My clothes are in it. All my luggage. I left everything in the trunk.”
    â€œOh dear,” Aunt Christine said, appearing concerned for the first time. “Didn’t Abbie bring you a gown? I gave her specific instructions to bring one to your room first thing this morning.”
    Jennifer very nearly expressed her real opinion of the costume that had been provided for her, but she restrained herself. She knew from experience that too determined an attitude only created greater resistance. And she did not want to offend any of these people, however odd she thought them, if only because she needed help. She could not leave if she could not get her car out of that stream, and she could not do that without help, which she certainly would not get by angering them.
    So she said, lamely, “It didn’t fit.”
    Aunt Christine appeared quite relieved to learn that the difficulty was such a minor one. “Well, that’s no problem. I’ll have another sent up for you right after breakfast. Abbie will bring it to your room, won’t you, Abbie?”
    â€œOh, I’d be delighted,” Abbie said enthusiastically. She looked around the table, and the other women, who had remained silent, all smiled faintly and nodded their approval of this solution to the problem.
    â€œMy room,” Jennifer said, reminded now of the nightly incident and her mysterious visitor. “Aunt Christine, there was someone in my room last night.”
    â€œHow very nice. But I do hope, dear, that you will bear in mind, most of us retire fairly early here.”
    â€œBut it wasn’t....”
    â€œDo you say grace?”
    Jennifer caught her breath at the interruption. Now this was maddening. How could she get the first degree of sense out of them if they did not allow her to pursue a single subject to its conclusion? She started to object, but she saw that the others at the table were