Hallow House - Part Two (15 page)

"I don't think you should be telling the children such things," Samara said.

Adele's face flushed. "You are as bad as Theola. Always lecturing me. I must send her to the kitchen to fetch something for me, or I never get to speak my mind. It is the truth, after all."

"Run along," Samara told Johanna and Brian, her tone brooking no argument.

When they were gone and the door firmly shut behind them, Samara said, "You mustn't talk about that room to them." Despite her effort to remain calm, her voice shook. "It could be dangerous."

"Nonsense. The black door is locked--what harm can come of my words? Kevin, for one, seems quite interested. He has asked me many a question since I first mentioned Tabitha. He has even read several of her journals, which is more than you have ever done." Adele's tone was petulant.

She's old, Samara told herself. She doesn't understand. "Please, Aunt Adele, don't tell the children things that might frighten them."

"Very well. Next I imagine you will worry that I might be frightening the doctor." She snickered.

"He's an adult. All I'm trying to do is protect children." Actually she didn't want Adele to discuss Hallow House with anyone, but she had no right to object to her conversations with Kevin.

Theola came into the room with a covered tray, out of breath, her lips bluish.

"Here, let me take that," Samara said. "You shouldn't climb the stairs, especially carrying things. That's why Daddy put the chair lift--so you wouldn't have to."

"I have no faith in contraptions," Theola told her, easing down into her rocker alongside Adele.

Seeing the tray held enough for the two of them, Samara carried two small tables close to their rockers, set the tray on a larger table and began distributing the food, constantly corrected by one or the other of the old ladies.

How old were they anyway? No one was quite sure. Adele was somewhere in her nineties, though, and Theola not much younger.

When they were finished eating, she gathered up the dishes, replaced them on the tray, then asked, "Would you like me to help you to bed, Aunt Adele? Theola's tired herself out."

"If you must," Adele said.

Once she had Adele comfortable, Samara returned to the outer room and picked up the tray, intending to leave it on the landing for Susan to pick up. Theola got up and walked outside the door with her.

"Has she been telling Johanna about the magic again?" she asked Samara.

Samara nodded. "She promised me she'd stop."

Theola shook her head. "She cannot remember promises, her mind is not what it was. I will try to watch her."

In her room changing into jodhpurs, Samara told herself she never wanted to grow old. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, running a hand through her black curls, reassured that she was still young--if shabbily dressed.

What she needed was several pairs of those new western riding pants she'd seen in San Diego--her jodhpurs were not only literally old, they were old-fashioned as well. And today's skirts were definitely longer than any she owned. It was past time to shop for clothes.

She donned a salmon colored pullover with a high neck to wear under her riding jacket and tied a matching scarf around her head.

Part way down the stairs, she saw Kevin was in the foyer talking to Corinne again, making Samara wonder if Corinne deliberately arranged to be there when he entered. She was laughing up at him, standing much closer that she needed to. Though Kevin's back was to the stairs, as if he felt someone watching him, he turned. Samara hurried down the rest of the steps.

"I sent Johanna and Brian out of Adele's room," she said to Corinne. "I really don't think they should spend so much time with her."

Corinne's lips tightened. "I'm sorry," she said, in a voice that denied she was. "I'll try to keep a better check on them." She walked away with a staccato click of heels.

"Don't you like her?" Kevin asked.

Samara frowned. "What?"

"I wondered if you liked Corinne," he said.

"I'm sure she's a capable teacher or my folks wouldn't have hired her."

"That's not liking her."

Samara stared into his hard green eyes. "I don't want Aunt Adele filling the children full of old superstitions. That's why I asked Corinne to keep them away from her room."

"My impression was you ordered her to. Hers was, too, I imagine."

"If you think I was curt, it's because you have no idea of the danger involved. You listen to Adele telling you about the black door and you read Tabitha's journals and you hear about the curse and think it's entertaining." To her consternation she found tears in her eyes. "You just don't know...." She couldn't go on without her voice breaking. Turning away from him, she blinked the tears away and struggled to regain control of herself.

If Kevin noted her distress at least he had the tact not to comment on it. "I find Adele quite sharp for her age," he said, "I enjoy her and spend as much time as I can listening to her yarns about the past. Why shouldn't I, if it pleases us both? Whether I believe every word she says isn't the point. I do agree children shouldn't think family curses are real. Is that what she's telling them?"

Having recovered herself, Samara said, "I'm afraid so."

"About the headless skeletons and Tabitha practicing black magic."

"Something like that, yes."

"They've never heard any of this before?"

"Not Johanna. I have no idea what Uncle Vince or Marie might have told Brian before he came here. I'm sure the twins don't know."

"In other words, your family doesn't discuss these matters."

"No, we don't."

"So, as an outsider, you think I've overstepped my bounds in encouraging Adele?"

"If she hadn't begun to talk to you about it, she wouldn't be telling the children." Samara felt her control slipping. "I don't care if you know--everyone in the valley seems to know anyway--but I won't have Johanna frightened. She's had enough of that to last a lifetime."

"I seem to be upsetting you again." He eyed her a moment. "Were you going riding?"

She nodded.

"I'll go with you."

"But," she protested, "you're wearing a suit."

"Do you think the horse will mind?"

She gave him a reluctant smile.

"Then let's go." He took her arm and led her to the door.

Outside, he paused to lock his medical bag in his car while she wondered why on earth he'd decided to go riding with her. As he turned their glances met and held. She found she couldn't look away from what flickered in the cloudy green depths of his eyes. When he finally moved and broke the spell, she found she'd been holding her breath.

Don't be so susceptible, she warned herself. Haven't you learned anything. You know better. Or ought to. Still there was something about the way he looked at her that set her on fire.

Samara rode her father's newest purchase, an Arabian mare named Tanya. Kevin chose a palomino named Tolstoi. How odd he looked riding in a business suit.

"To the grove of sycamores and back?" He pointed.

She nodded and soon they reined in by the stream that cut across the property. The sky had clouded over and the bare limbs of the trees promised winter.

Kevin dismounted and so did she. Without any warning whatsoever, he took her in his arms and kissed her. His lips were hard and uncompromising, but at the same time sensual. She found herself returning his kiss without restraint, molding her body to his. Warmth shot through her and she fought to regain her senses, knowing she was in danger of being swept away.

At last he raised his head to look into her eyes, still holding her. Desire darkened the green of his eyes, a desire she herself felt. Something she'd sworn would never happen to her again.

"No," she whispered involuntarily, struggling to free herself.

He let her go, his eyes hardening.

"Kevin," she began, but he gave her no chance to go on. "I should have expected it." His voice was flat. He turned away, mounted Tolstoi and was gone before she could move.

She didn't follow, instead riding into the hills until she grew chilled, her mind a kaleidoscope of confusion and fear. Her feeling for Mark had been like this--sudden, urgent. Kevin was as much of a stranger as Mark had been, how could she trust him? Men who could evoke such a response in her were dangerous.

It wasn't until she rode back to the stables that her mind fastened on what he'd said when she broke away.
I should have expected it.

Good heavens, he must have thought she'd rejected him because of his disfigured face, as another woman had already done.

"No!" she said aloud. "Oh, no."

But when she got to the house, his car was gone.

In the days that followed, she couldn't seem to find a chance to talk to him. For one thing, Corinne always seemed to get there ahead of her and Samara shied away from joining them.

She lay in bed at night reliving the moments in the sycamore grove. What was it, exactly, that she'd felt? A physical attraction or something more? She'd once believed what she'd felt for Mark was love--now she knew better. She'd been infatuated, that's all.

Was her surging need to see Kevin the same thing? How was she to tell? The warm affection she had for Sal was safer, less demanding. Sal's kiss had been merely pleasant, though he'd suggested he could make her love him. Samara shook her head. She might not trust love, but she knew in her heart that desire had to be involved. What she felt for Kevin was almost frightening in its intensity, though.

Dear God, she couldn't afford to make another mistake.

As for Sal, he hadn't called her, she somehow knew he wouldn't unless she initiated a different relationship. If she tried to, she might spoil his chance with Rosita while not being able to give him what he wanted from her. Because it wasn't Sal she wanted. More than she'd ever wanted anything, she wanted Kevin..

On December seventh, Samara rose early. Four years ago today she'd been in Palo Alto listening to the broadcast about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kevin had gotten his injuries at Anzio--that was May of '44, if she remembered right. She'd been a WAVE at Balboa Naval Hospital then. If Kevin had been in the Navy he might have been sent there to recover and she might have met him. Then they'd have had a chance to get to know one another before she got caught up in such intense feelings about him.

A silly daydream, she said to herself as she pulled on a red skirt and twin sweater set dyed to match. He's here, I'm here, and somehow I have to reach out to him if there's to be anything further between us. I can't let bitter memories of Mark destroy the rest of my life. Whatever happens between Kevin and me, I already know he's not like Mark.

Checking her image in the mirror, she added red lipstick and told herself he couldn't overlook her in this outfit. Before going down to breakfast, she knocked on Aunt Adele's door.

Theola opened it, obviously surprised to have a caller at this time of the day.

"I know it's early," Samara said. "Is Aunt Adele awake."

Theola shook her head. "It was one of her bad nights. When she gets short of breath she becomes frightened and that makes everything worse. She finally fell asleep about an hour ago."

"Hasn't Dr. Cannon left any medicine for when she gets short of breath?"

"She is that stubborn! Adele has always believed drugs of any kind were for the weak-minded. I tried, but she refused to take the medicine he left, the way she often does."

"I'll have a talk with her when she wakes up. She must be made to realize she needs to do what he tells her to."

Theola sniffed. "I wish you luck. I have talked and argued and pleaded. I have had Frances in here warning her of the dire consequences of not following doctor's orders, but Adele has a mind of her own and she will not listen."

"Would you like some coffee?" Samara asked. "I'm going to run downstairs and get some and I'll bring extra for you, if you like."

Theola smiled. "Such a nice girl, Samara--you always were. I would enjoy coffee."

When she was returning to the room with a tray--Irma had insisted on including muffins hot from the oven, along with butter--Samara promised herself she'd pay more attention to the two old ladies. It was all too easy to forget about them shut away in their suite. It made her feel guilty to know she was using them today in order to be sure of meeting Kevin apart from Corinne.

"This is nice and cozy," Theola said. "It reminds me of Celia. She was a thoughtful one for all she was so head strong. Often she went out of her way to include Adele and me in her teas and luncheons. And how she did love her coffee. I liked Celia--she was your grandmother, you know."

Samara nodded.

"Much as I dislike speaking ill of the dead, Celia was a better mother than Delores ever knew how to be. Favorites she might have had--we all saw how she doted on Vincent after his twin died--but she did her duty by your father, too."