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Authors: Ruth Ryan Langan
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is finished with his examination." The dark eyes pinned her. "I know you think you’ve returned to a simple childhood home. But now that your education is complete, and you are grown, it’s time you knew the truth."
Annalisa fidgeted. "What is it, Hattie Lee? What are you trying to tell me?"
A young woman’s head poked around the doorway. "Has Jimmy come down yet?"
Hattie Lee seemed annoyed by the intrusion. "Not yet."
Seeing Annalisa, the girl stepped into the parlor. "What’s this? A new cousin?"
"Annalisa Montgomery," Hattie Lee said, "this is Gabrielle."
The stunning creature was tall and regal. She wore her lush black hair swept on top of her head, making the creamy column of throat appear even longer. Black eyes were a brilliant contrast to ivory skin. She was wearing a long silk robe of palest pink trimmed with crushed velvet roses. It was obvious that she wore nothing beneath the sheer wrap. Annalisa had never before seen a woman unselfconsciously display her body in such a fashion. She tried not to stare.
"Montgomery. Is this Sara’s daughter?"
Annalisa nodded, enjoying the musical Creole voice. "Who is Jimmy?"
"Dr. James Lynch. He visits our house regularly," the older woman said quickly.
"To check on my mother?"
While Gabrielle smiled, Hattie Lee answered, "He sees to the medical needs of everyone in the house."
"When he comes down, tell him I’m waiting to see him," the beautiful Creole woman said, walking from the room. Beneath the robe, her hips swayed provocatively. At the doorway she turned. "Welcome home, Annalisa. We’ll be seeing each other often."
When she was gone, Annalisa turned toward the frowning black woman. "Does Gabrielle live here, Hattie Lee?"
"Yes."
The girl’s eyes grew dreamy. "I remember a lot of cousins and aunts. Is she related to me?"
"Child ..." The woman stopped as she heard the footstep on the stairs. Both women turned toward the doorway as a tall, handsome man entered. Though he was probably no more than forty, his hair was completely white. It was a strange contrast to his ruddy complexion and piercing blue eyes.
Seeing the stranger, he lifted an inquiring eyebrow. Hattie Lee immediately handled the introductions. "Dr. Lynch, this is Annalisa Montgomery, Sara’s daughter."
He accepted her outstretched hand and studied her for long, silent moments.
"What’s wrong with my mother, Dr. Lynch?"
"Her heart, I suspect. Your mother has always been a fragile woman. The slightest exertion seemed to cause her great distress. In recent years, I’ve noticed her frail strength diminish even more." He glanced at the black bag gripped in his left hand. "Some people think I can conjure magic with my medicine." Exhaling softly, he added, "Damnation! At times like this, I wish I could."
Annalisa held herself very straight, refusing to give in to the icy fingers of fear that gripped her heart. "Are you telling me there is nothing you can do for my mother?"
"I’ve done all I can, Miss Montgomery. Your mother has fought long and hard against her weak heart. But I can offer you little hope."
He saw the fear a fraction before little flames of defiance flashed in her eyes. This one, he knew instinctively, was a scrapper. She turned to Hattie Lee. "I wish to see my mother at once."
The black woman glanced at the doctor, who wearily nodded his head. Resolutely, Hattie Lee lifted her skirts and said, "Follow me." As they began climbing the stairs, she paused and spoke to the doctor. "Gabrielle is waiting for you." Without waiting for his reply, she led Annalisa up the stairs to her mother’s bedroom at the back of the house.
Pausing outside the closed door, Hattie Lee whispered, "Don’t ask too many questions of her, child. Talking seems to tire her."
Annalisa stared at the door, then met Hattie Lee’s sharp gaze. "I’ll be content just to see her. To see if she’s the woman I’ve carried in my memory for so long."
The black woman opened the door, then took a step
Annalisa fidgeted. "What is it, Hattie Lee? What are you trying to tell me?"
A young woman’s head poked around the doorway. "Has Jimmy come down yet?"
Hattie Lee seemed annoyed by the intrusion. "Not yet."
Seeing Annalisa, the girl stepped into the parlor. "What’s this? A new cousin?"
"Annalisa Montgomery," Hattie Lee said, "this is Gabrielle."
The stunning creature was tall and regal. She wore her lush black hair swept on top of her head, making the creamy column of throat appear even longer. Black eyes were a brilliant contrast to ivory skin. She was wearing a long silk robe of palest pink trimmed with crushed velvet roses. It was obvious that she wore nothing beneath the sheer wrap. Annalisa had never before seen a woman unselfconsciously display her body in such a fashion. She tried not to stare.
"Montgomery. Is this Sara’s daughter?"
Annalisa nodded, enjoying the musical Creole voice. "Who is Jimmy?"
"Dr. James Lynch. He visits our house regularly," the older woman said quickly.
"To check on my mother?"
While Gabrielle smiled, Hattie Lee answered, "He sees to the medical needs of everyone in the house."
"When he comes down, tell him I’m waiting to see him," the beautiful Creole woman said, walking from the room. Beneath the robe, her hips swayed provocatively. At the doorway she turned. "Welcome home, Annalisa. We’ll be seeing each other often."
When she was gone, Annalisa turned toward the frowning black woman. "Does Gabrielle live here, Hattie Lee?"
"Yes."
The girl’s eyes grew dreamy. "I remember a lot of cousins and aunts. Is she related to me?"
"Child ..." The woman stopped as she heard the footstep on the stairs. Both women turned toward the doorway as a tall, handsome man entered. Though he was probably no more than forty, his hair was completely white. It was a strange contrast to his ruddy complexion and piercing blue eyes.
Seeing the stranger, he lifted an inquiring eyebrow. Hattie Lee immediately handled the introductions. "Dr. Lynch, this is Annalisa Montgomery, Sara’s daughter."
He accepted her outstretched hand and studied her for long, silent moments.
"What’s wrong with my mother, Dr. Lynch?"
"Her heart, I suspect. Your mother has always been a fragile woman. The slightest exertion seemed to cause her great distress. In recent years, I’ve noticed her frail strength diminish even more." He glanced at the black bag gripped in his left hand. "Some people think I can conjure magic with my medicine." Exhaling softly, he added, "Damnation! At times like this, I wish I could."
Annalisa held herself very straight, refusing to give in to the icy fingers of fear that gripped her heart. "Are you telling me there is nothing you can do for my mother?"
"I’ve done all I can, Miss Montgomery. Your mother has fought long and hard against her weak heart. But I can offer you little hope."
He saw the fear a fraction before little flames of defiance flashed in her eyes. This one, he knew instinctively, was a scrapper. She turned to Hattie Lee. "I wish to see my mother at once."
The black woman glanced at the doctor, who wearily nodded his head. Resolutely, Hattie Lee lifted her skirts and said, "Follow me." As they began climbing the stairs, she paused and spoke to the doctor. "Gabrielle is waiting for you." Without waiting for his reply, she led Annalisa up the stairs to her mother’s bedroom at the back of the house.
Pausing outside the closed door, Hattie Lee whispered, "Don’t ask too many questions of her, child. Talking seems to tire her."
Annalisa stared at the door, then met Hattie Lee’s sharp gaze. "I’ll be content just to see her. To see if she’s the woman I’ve carried in my memory for so long."
The black woman opened the door, then took a step
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