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Authors: Joan Lowery Nixon
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inhabited island.”
“You can’t!” I exclaimed.
Madelyn scowled. “I thought you said it was too far away. Are you a good swimmer?”
Kurt shrugged. “Fair. I can hold my own in the water. That’s about it.”
She looked at me. “Didn’t you say there are sharks in the water?”
“Yes,” I said, “and barracuda too.”
“Then we’ll rule that out as totally impractical,” Madelyn told him. “It would be stupid for you to take such a desperate chance and probably lose your life.” Maybe she realized how harsh she sounded, because her voice softened a bit and sheadded, “Although the offer was a gracious gesture on your part.”
Norton glared at her. I knew he wouldn’t care who did what as long as he got off this island.
“Look out ahead,” Ellison called, and as the men in the doorway parted he came in laden with the lanterns and flashlights he had promised. Each of them took what was wanted, which left me with candlelight.
“Sorry,” Kurt said. He held up his candlestick to show that we were both at the bottom of the list. “There weren’t enough to go around.”
“Candles are fine if I can have a spare,” I said.
I hung my camera strap around my neck, picked up one of the lit candles in its holder, two others, and a book of matches and walked toward the stairs, carefully shielding my candle flame, which jumped so wildly that it threatened to go out. “See you in the morning,” I said to the others.
“Where are you going?” Madelyn asked me.
“To bed,” I said. “I don’t think there’s anything else left to do, is there?”
“Why, no, I guess not,” she answered.
Benita scurried to catch up with me. She held her lantern carefully out in front of her, where its beam of light slammed into shadows and sent them sprawling. “Wait for me. I’ll go up with you.”
“I will too,” Madelyn suddenly decided, and joined us on the stairs.
At the door to Benita’s room we practically had to peel her off and show her how to lock her door.
Then we came to mine.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Madelynasked me, and I could see the real concern in her eyes.
“As all right as it’s possible to be.”
“You can sleep in my room if you want to.”
I knew that was offering a lot. Madelyn was right when she said she valued her privacy. I touched her arm. “Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate the offer, but my door has a good lock on it too.”
“Be sure you keep the veranda doors tightly locked also.”
I nodded, but I had no intention of doing so. Without the breeze from the sea the room would be suffocatingly hot.
Madelyn rested a hand on my arm. “Perhaps I should have paid attention to your hunch,” she said. “I’m sorry that I brought you into this.”
“You couldn’t have known what would happen,” I told her.
She took a long breath. “I know I must seem harsh to you, but the Sartington—my position as curator—they mean everything to me. Maybe I should have left room in my life for other pursuits, but …” She stopped and shook her head. “My life is my work. There’s no place in it for much more. Your mother—you—I do care for you. Oh, Andrea, I hope that you understand.”
I still didn’t feel comfortable with Aunt Madelyn, but I told her that I did understand. It seemed to be what she needed to hear, and at this moment I felt terribly sorry for her. “Good night, Aunt Madelyn,” I added, and for the first time gave her a tentative kiss that landed somewhere in the air near her left ear.
“Thank you, Andrea,” she said, looking pleased. “Good night.”
I went into my room, still carefully shielding my candle flame, and firmly locked the door. The veranda doors were wide open to the night, as I had left them. I placed the candle holder, the extra candles, and the matches on the chest of drawers next to my bed and closed the veranda doors, locking them and making sure that the shutters were snugly shut.
Then I sat on the edge
“You can’t!” I exclaimed.
Madelyn scowled. “I thought you said it was too far away. Are you a good swimmer?”
Kurt shrugged. “Fair. I can hold my own in the water. That’s about it.”
She looked at me. “Didn’t you say there are sharks in the water?”
“Yes,” I said, “and barracuda too.”
“Then we’ll rule that out as totally impractical,” Madelyn told him. “It would be stupid for you to take such a desperate chance and probably lose your life.” Maybe she realized how harsh she sounded, because her voice softened a bit and sheadded, “Although the offer was a gracious gesture on your part.”
Norton glared at her. I knew he wouldn’t care who did what as long as he got off this island.
“Look out ahead,” Ellison called, and as the men in the doorway parted he came in laden with the lanterns and flashlights he had promised. Each of them took what was wanted, which left me with candlelight.
“Sorry,” Kurt said. He held up his candlestick to show that we were both at the bottom of the list. “There weren’t enough to go around.”
“Candles are fine if I can have a spare,” I said.
I hung my camera strap around my neck, picked up one of the lit candles in its holder, two others, and a book of matches and walked toward the stairs, carefully shielding my candle flame, which jumped so wildly that it threatened to go out. “See you in the morning,” I said to the others.
“Where are you going?” Madelyn asked me.
“To bed,” I said. “I don’t think there’s anything else left to do, is there?”
“Why, no, I guess not,” she answered.
Benita scurried to catch up with me. She held her lantern carefully out in front of her, where its beam of light slammed into shadows and sent them sprawling. “Wait for me. I’ll go up with you.”
“I will too,” Madelyn suddenly decided, and joined us on the stairs.
At the door to Benita’s room we practically had to peel her off and show her how to lock her door.
Then we came to mine.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Madelynasked me, and I could see the real concern in her eyes.
“As all right as it’s possible to be.”
“You can sleep in my room if you want to.”
I knew that was offering a lot. Madelyn was right when she said she valued her privacy. I touched her arm. “Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate the offer, but my door has a good lock on it too.”
“Be sure you keep the veranda doors tightly locked also.”
I nodded, but I had no intention of doing so. Without the breeze from the sea the room would be suffocatingly hot.
Madelyn rested a hand on my arm. “Perhaps I should have paid attention to your hunch,” she said. “I’m sorry that I brought you into this.”
“You couldn’t have known what would happen,” I told her.
She took a long breath. “I know I must seem harsh to you, but the Sartington—my position as curator—they mean everything to me. Maybe I should have left room in my life for other pursuits, but …” She stopped and shook her head. “My life is my work. There’s no place in it for much more. Your mother—you—I do care for you. Oh, Andrea, I hope that you understand.”
I still didn’t feel comfortable with Aunt Madelyn, but I told her that I did understand. It seemed to be what she needed to hear, and at this moment I felt terribly sorry for her. “Good night, Aunt Madelyn,” I added, and for the first time gave her a tentative kiss that landed somewhere in the air near her left ear.
“Thank you, Andrea,” she said, looking pleased. “Good night.”
I went into my room, still carefully shielding my candle flame, and firmly locked the door. The veranda doors were wide open to the night, as I had left them. I placed the candle holder, the extra candles, and the matches on the chest of drawers next to my bed and closed the veranda doors, locking them and making sure that the shutters were snugly shut.
Then I sat on the edge
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