her? Or neither? Had someone else merely found the necklace and decided to be cruel? Dozens of questions detonated in Shae’s head, each one more disturbing than the last. Before she could begin to form a plan, her mare was trotting, of her own volition, toward Austin Street and the prospect of a meal.
There must be something at her family’s home, Shae thought . There had to be. Something, anything, to begin answering the questions. Something to help her mind shout down the suspicion she could not yet bear to put in words. The nameless one that had haunted her nightmares from the first, six years ago. The one she’d never quite been able to deny.
Time, today, to stop pretending . It was time to give that fear a name, to wonder if her mother had really run away at all. Or had her father killed her and then covered up his crime? As if the thought lifted a floodgate, all the pieces seemed to flow together now: the change in King’s demeanor from difficult to dreadful, her mother’s disappearance without possessions or goodbyes, the fact that, in all these years, Shae had never heard a word from anyone to let her know that Glennis Rowan lived.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Shae pulled the horse to a reluctant stop . Heedless of the mare’s past mischief, she let the reins drop, then slid down and vomited into the gutter. Though she sensed eyes on her, she couldn’t bring herself to look up at the rows of white frame houses. Instead, she staggered like a drunk back toward Delilah, who spooked at her approach, as if she’d never seen Shae. Shae wasted several minutes catching the vexing beast.
After her sudden bout of illness, Shae felt different . Empty of her fears and numb. She slipped her foot into the stirrup and once more pulled herself into the sidesaddle. She knew she could go on now, could go back to the house and bear to look. She would do it because she must. Because she could no longer hide from her suspicions. Because she had to know the truth.
*
The moment Phillip saw his two sisters together, involved in solemn conversation, a chill of premonition dashed up his spine. Ordinarily, without Mother here to force them together, the twins quite naturally avoided one another at most times. They may have shared a womb once, but for years Justine and Lydia had recognized that they had little else in common.
Even more alarming, when Lydia looked up, her dark eyes glittered brightly, as if with exultation over someone else’s disaster . Beside her, Justine’s brow wrinkled with concern.
“Phillip, please come in and sit with us,” Lydia invited.
“What’s wrong? Has something happened? Did you receive some sort of note? Or is Mother ill, or
Rache l ?”
“Of course not,” Justine interrupted, but her expression assured him this conversation would be nearly as painful . “They’re in perfect health.”
“I know about Rachel because I saw her just this morning,” Lydia barreled on, apparently oblivious to the gentling hand her twin placed on her arm .
“Then she’s safely home.” Phillip sighed relief . Sometimes Lydia could be so ridiculous. This was nothing after all.
“I heard,” continued Lydia, “that Rachel never left town in the first place.”
“Don’t be ludicrous. She’s been away for weeks.” Though his words came in a torrent, Phillip almost instantly felt the room grow warm and close.
“In hiding, so it seems.”
“Lydia, have a care,” warned Justine.
“If there’s some accusation you would bring, I’d like to hear it.” Phillip frowned down at both sisters and tried to ignore what sounded too much like his own suspicions . Still, he continued, adding heat to his denial. “Then we can get past whatever nonsense you’ve dreamed up.”
“It isn’t nonsense,” Lydia insisted . “I’ve heard she’s quite upset about this labor rubbish, and about a certain member of society’s betrothal.”
“Why would she care about anyone’s engagement ? The two of us are
There must be something at her family’s home, Shae thought . There had to be. Something, anything, to begin answering the questions. Something to help her mind shout down the suspicion she could not yet bear to put in words. The nameless one that had haunted her nightmares from the first, six years ago. The one she’d never quite been able to deny.
Time, today, to stop pretending . It was time to give that fear a name, to wonder if her mother had really run away at all. Or had her father killed her and then covered up his crime? As if the thought lifted a floodgate, all the pieces seemed to flow together now: the change in King’s demeanor from difficult to dreadful, her mother’s disappearance without possessions or goodbyes, the fact that, in all these years, Shae had never heard a word from anyone to let her know that Glennis Rowan lived.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Shae pulled the horse to a reluctant stop . Heedless of the mare’s past mischief, she let the reins drop, then slid down and vomited into the gutter. Though she sensed eyes on her, she couldn’t bring herself to look up at the rows of white frame houses. Instead, she staggered like a drunk back toward Delilah, who spooked at her approach, as if she’d never seen Shae. Shae wasted several minutes catching the vexing beast.
After her sudden bout of illness, Shae felt different . Empty of her fears and numb. She slipped her foot into the stirrup and once more pulled herself into the sidesaddle. She knew she could go on now, could go back to the house and bear to look. She would do it because she must. Because she could no longer hide from her suspicions. Because she had to know the truth.
*
The moment Phillip saw his two sisters together, involved in solemn conversation, a chill of premonition dashed up his spine. Ordinarily, without Mother here to force them together, the twins quite naturally avoided one another at most times. They may have shared a womb once, but for years Justine and Lydia had recognized that they had little else in common.
Even more alarming, when Lydia looked up, her dark eyes glittered brightly, as if with exultation over someone else’s disaster . Beside her, Justine’s brow wrinkled with concern.
“Phillip, please come in and sit with us,” Lydia invited.
“What’s wrong? Has something happened? Did you receive some sort of note? Or is Mother ill, or
Rache l ?”
“Of course not,” Justine interrupted, but her expression assured him this conversation would be nearly as painful . “They’re in perfect health.”
“I know about Rachel because I saw her just this morning,” Lydia barreled on, apparently oblivious to the gentling hand her twin placed on her arm .
“Then she’s safely home.” Phillip sighed relief . Sometimes Lydia could be so ridiculous. This was nothing after all.
“I heard,” continued Lydia, “that Rachel never left town in the first place.”
“Don’t be ludicrous. She’s been away for weeks.” Though his words came in a torrent, Phillip almost instantly felt the room grow warm and close.
“In hiding, so it seems.”
“Lydia, have a care,” warned Justine.
“If there’s some accusation you would bring, I’d like to hear it.” Phillip frowned down at both sisters and tried to ignore what sounded too much like his own suspicions . Still, he continued, adding heat to his denial. “Then we can get past whatever nonsense you’ve dreamed up.”
“It isn’t nonsense,” Lydia insisted . “I’ve heard she’s quite upset about this labor rubbish, and about a certain member of society’s betrothal.”
“Why would she care about anyone’s engagement ? The two of us are
Similar Books
