Read Online Dreadful Sorry by Kathryn Reiss - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathryn Reiss
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in the dark van, but she sensed Paulette was peering over at her with worry. "No, as long as I don't have to go swimming in it, water's fine," she reassured her stepmother. She smiled in the dark van and felt herself relax for the first time, it seemed, in weeks. Her father wouldn't pressure her at all. She wouldn't mind the sea as long as she didn't have to go near it. She breathed deeply, listening to her stepmother's chatter. She looked contentedly out at the dark road and the dark shapes of trees, smelling the salt in the night breeze through the open window. Paulette was friendly and seemed happy Molly had come. Things would be all right now.
Suddenly the van lurched to the left and started up a rutted road. "We've got to do something about this," said Paulette. "Maybe gravel? Or should we pave it? What do you think?"
"Is this the road to your house?" asked Molly. "I didn't even see the town."
"Hibben's just farther along that road, but we turned off to go along the headland. We'll be home in a sec. Watch nowâyou'll see the house."
Molly straightened up in her seat. They had left the coast road and were jerking along a dirt road lined with evergreen trees. Molly could see them outside the van window, black shapes whipping back and forth in the sea wind that reached all the way up here on the headland. Ahead of them the trees gave way to a tangle of overgrown grasses. And rising out of the dark grass was the house.
It was a massive shadow with stone steps leading up to a wide porch in front. Lights burned in several windows like lighthouse beacons through the night.
Molly's contentment vanished.
"We've got to buy a tractor mower to deal with all this grass," Paulette was saying. "Another thing to put on my list!"
Molly watched the blowing grass and pressed her hands to her mouth to contain her sudden cry ofâof something. Fear? Not exactly. But as they stopped in front of the porch and Paulette cut the engine, Molly felt her body trembling slightly and thought:
I've been here before!
But that was impossible.
"Home sweet home," trilled Paulette. "Let's run in and see if my wonderful, sweet Billy has been knocked out by his painkillers yet. We can bring your stuff in later."
She jumped out of the van and ran lightly up the steps of the porch, then stopped and waited for Molly. Molly unlatched her seatbelt slowly and opened her door.
What's wrong with you?
she asked herself.
"What is it, Molly?" asked Paulette.
"Nothing." She stepped up onto the porch after Paulette, fighting down her growing unease. Paulette led the way into a big, paneled hallway with a staircase leading straight up ahead of them to a landing with windows. There was a narrow table against one wall, with a lamp on it sending out a welcoming glow. Several closed doors led off the hallway into other rooms. A drop cloth and buckets of paint sat on the floor next to the stairs. The house smelled old and musty, overlaid with the sharp freshness of new paint.
"I'll show you around after we say hi to your dad," said Paulette, flicking on the light at the foot of the stairs. "Watch out for the mess." She stepped over a wallpaper roll on the first step and headed up. "There are eight bedrooms, can you believe it? We'll use five or six for guests and keep the rest for ourselves."
Molly followed, her stomach tense. Somehow she knew it was coming, sensed it, but didn't know what to do to stop it. The fear, along with the exhaustion, had not been left behind in Battleboro Heights after all. Both had followed her here. At the top of the landing the stairs curved to the left, and she climbed them after Paulette's light step with heavy dread.
She clenched her teeth so hard that her gasp sounded only in her head. Straight ahead of her stretched the oak-paneled hallway. There were four doors along either side. Their brass doorknobs gleamed in the soft light from the overhead chandeliers. And at the end of the hall was a door standing open. Molly
Suddenly the van lurched to the left and started up a rutted road. "We've got to do something about this," said Paulette. "Maybe gravel? Or should we pave it? What do you think?"
"Is this the road to your house?" asked Molly. "I didn't even see the town."
"Hibben's just farther along that road, but we turned off to go along the headland. We'll be home in a sec. Watch nowâyou'll see the house."
Molly straightened up in her seat. They had left the coast road and were jerking along a dirt road lined with evergreen trees. Molly could see them outside the van window, black shapes whipping back and forth in the sea wind that reached all the way up here on the headland. Ahead of them the trees gave way to a tangle of overgrown grasses. And rising out of the dark grass was the house.
It was a massive shadow with stone steps leading up to a wide porch in front. Lights burned in several windows like lighthouse beacons through the night.
Molly's contentment vanished.
"We've got to buy a tractor mower to deal with all this grass," Paulette was saying. "Another thing to put on my list!"
Molly watched the blowing grass and pressed her hands to her mouth to contain her sudden cry ofâof something. Fear? Not exactly. But as they stopped in front of the porch and Paulette cut the engine, Molly felt her body trembling slightly and thought:
I've been here before!
But that was impossible.
"Home sweet home," trilled Paulette. "Let's run in and see if my wonderful, sweet Billy has been knocked out by his painkillers yet. We can bring your stuff in later."
She jumped out of the van and ran lightly up the steps of the porch, then stopped and waited for Molly. Molly unlatched her seatbelt slowly and opened her door.
What's wrong with you?
she asked herself.
"What is it, Molly?" asked Paulette.
"Nothing." She stepped up onto the porch after Paulette, fighting down her growing unease. Paulette led the way into a big, paneled hallway with a staircase leading straight up ahead of them to a landing with windows. There was a narrow table against one wall, with a lamp on it sending out a welcoming glow. Several closed doors led off the hallway into other rooms. A drop cloth and buckets of paint sat on the floor next to the stairs. The house smelled old and musty, overlaid with the sharp freshness of new paint.
"I'll show you around after we say hi to your dad," said Paulette, flicking on the light at the foot of the stairs. "Watch out for the mess." She stepped over a wallpaper roll on the first step and headed up. "There are eight bedrooms, can you believe it? We'll use five or six for guests and keep the rest for ourselves."
Molly followed, her stomach tense. Somehow she knew it was coming, sensed it, but didn't know what to do to stop it. The fear, along with the exhaustion, had not been left behind in Battleboro Heights after all. Both had followed her here. At the top of the landing the stairs curved to the left, and she climbed them after Paulette's light step with heavy dread.
She clenched her teeth so hard that her gasp sounded only in her head. Straight ahead of her stretched the oak-paneled hallway. There were four doors along either side. Their brass doorknobs gleamed in the soft light from the overhead chandeliers. And at the end of the hall was a door standing open. Molly
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