September Wind (33 page)

             
She wanted to remind him of the visitor who had called him away before he completed the rundown. “I’m sorry, but if it’s about the water, I – I didn’t realize we weren’t to go down there.”

             
“
If you didn’t know, then why’d you run from one of my men?”

             
“
I don’t know. The dogs? And, I – I guess I was following Nathan.”

             
He glanced to where the children were playing. “I’ll deal with him later.”

             
She realized what she had just done and pleaded on Nathan’s behalf. “Oh, but wait, Mr. Schillings, it wasn’t his fault. I asked him to go. At the time I–”

             
“
Shut up! I’m not interested in excuses.” He gripped the back of a chair and leaned across the table. “Your duties were to keep the children out of mischief, not get into it yourself. Damn you.”

             
He picked up the chair, ashes flying as he slammed it back down. “What am I gonna do with you, anyway? I’m sure you’re not interested in going back to the Palace, are you? But, wait a minute, you have nowhere else to go, do you? Unless…” He took another drag from his cigarette, forming rings of smoke that circled for a moment and disappeared.

Then he looked down at her calmly as if he were enjoying the fact that he owned her. “Unless I shipped you back to where you came from. I’m sure the Illinois police would be mighty happy. You see, Emily, if you didn’t already know, there’s a warrant out for your arrest. It’s all been checked out.” He leaned with one hand on the chair. “What a shame, I heard they’re going for Murder One. Oh, and by the way, Bruce won’t be taking you into town tomorrow.”

Emily was so furious she could barely think. Here she was caring for this man’s children, loving them, giving them the attention he refused to give while he screamed at her, jumping to conclusions without giving her a say before threatening to turn her over to the wolves. She was shaking, clutching her arms for support. Her gaze scanned the room for a way out, dropping suddenly to a knife on the table. She wondered what he’d do if she picked it up and ran a hand across the blade, maybe jumped up, and threatened him. With the spot she was already in that didn’t sound too bright, even as a thought. But he deserved it. She wanted to show him how angry she was, although she had a feeling he would laugh in her face and snatch it out of her hand before she had a chance to stroke the blade.

He pulled himself up, took a leisurely drag from his cigarette, and then mercilessly took away all of her hope. “Just to let you know, I’ve left instructions for Otto not to let you use the telephone again. And one more thing. Bruce won’t be mailing out any more letters.” With that, he turned and headed back inside.

              She leaped to her feet and started after him. “Mr. Schillings…” She wanted to ask him why, if he detested her so much, why he bothered to keep her here. But the door closed behind him, and she collapsed to the chair, cradling her head in her hands. All of a sudden, she had an awful headache.

             
“
You okay? Is it your head?”

             
The children had come to her rescue and Emily sat up and gave them a reassuring smile. “Oh... well, just a little,” she said, reaching for some water. “Maybe this’ll help.”

             
Maria brushed back hair that had fallen across Emily’s face. “I’ll get you something, if you like.”

             
“
We got aspirins?”

             
“
I think Pearl does. You want me to get some?”

             
Emily nodded and Maria headed inside and quickly brought her back two aspirins. She took both and finished off the glass of water. Then the three gathered up the dishes and took everything inside.

             
“
We’ve decided to help with the clean-up,” Emily told Pearl as they walked into the kitchen. She had already instructed Maria and Nathan, and they set about piling dishes into the sink.

             
Her idea was that this would take the children’s minds off what had just happened, though it didn’t help her in the least. She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, which wasn’t a simple task with the way Pearl kept giving her the evil eye, as if the upset had been all her fault. Yes, she took Nathan down to the water, but the rest, the way Donald had practically taken away her rights, was wrong. She understood what he was doing, keeping her anchored to him, but why he would go through all the trouble was beyond her. All the more she thought of the way he had blown up at her – and had probably ruined her chances of ever finding Samuel Dimsmoore – all the angrier she became.

             
Later, up in her room, she decided it was time to leave. She didn’t have a clue where she was going, but she was too upset to care.

             
She packed her bag, and then went to tell the children her plan. First, she went to Nathan. He told her he didn’t blame her for leaving, and that when he grew up and got himself a car, he’d go see her.

             
“
Oh, Nathan,” she said, giving him a hug, “I’ll see you before then.”

             
When she went to see Maria, it wasn’t so easy. “I hope you understand why I’m leaving.”

             
Maria’s eyes filled with tears. It was heartbreaking, and Emily almost told her she wasn’t going anywhere, but then the poor child related something shocking.

             
“
I don’t want you to go,” she said, “but... maybe you should after the way he yelled at you. Like he used to with Mommy. He used to–”

             
“
He used to what, Maria?”

             
“
He hit her sometimes.” Her lips were trembling, and her eyes filled with tears. “And… just before Sylvia left, he was screaming at her and... and he knocked her against a desk. I saw her lying on the floor with blood running down her forehead.”

             
“
You saw it happen?”

             
“
Well, I saw her on the floor, and I saw the blood.”

             
“
That’s terrible, I’m so sorry. Honey, are you okay?”

             
Maria nodded that she was, but Emily felt caught in the middle. She was terrified of making the wrong decision.

             
“
Oh, dear,” she said, half under her breath, “now what do I do?” One thing was clear; she wasn’t leaving until she knew the children were safe.

             
“
Listen, Maria. This is very important, so I want you to tell me like it is. Okay?”

             
“
Okay.”

             
“
Has he... has your father ever
hit
you or Nathan?”

             
“No! Never! He knows Uncle Bud would kill him if he did.”

             
“
Whew. That’s a relief. Honestly, Maria, I don’t know what I’d do if I had to worry about that. Take you away, I think.”

             
The little girl looked up and Emily didn’t miss the glimmer of hope. She thought of taking them along, but of course that was out of the question.

             
“
Uhm, let me ask you this. I’ve only had a chance to really talk with your tutor a couple of times, and she seems friendly enough, but, how do you guys feel about her?”

             
“
Mm, she’s nice. We like her.”

             
“
I mean, if something happened, do you think you could talk to her?”

             
“
Sure, I could.”

             
“
Good, that’s really good. Okay, so listen. I want you to promise me, if anything happens, or if you just need to talk to someone, that you’ll go to her, or even to Bruce, or Otto.”

             
“
Don’t worry, Emily, I will.”

             
“
You know that Otto and Bruce have been around for a while, and they care about you.”

             
“
They came with the house.”

             
“
Yeah, and thankfully your father kept them on.”

             
Emily took Maria’s hands. “Sooo, I’m going now. But I’ll be back.”

             
“
Before Christmas? It’s only two weeks off.”

             
“
That’s right. Well, don’t worry, I’ll see you before then.” She said this with such confidence that it even made her feel better.

             
She waited until the children were sleeping, and then stepped out onto the back patio. She stopped for a moment, looking around, feeling a strange calm in the air, hearing only a distant buzz of mosquitoes.

             
Even Harold’s dogs were quiet as she dashed across the lawn. A few feet from the fence, something caught the corner of her eye and she ducked behind a pine tree. She peeked around the trunk, listening. Then just as she was ready to continue on, a piercing cry sent her scrambling across the yard, along the fence and through the gate. When it came again from a distance, this time she realized it was the owl she heard on occasion, most likely angered by her intrusion.

             
The road to the highway was long and dark, the moon only a cold sliver behind tree branches as her feet crunched up the pavement, heavy at times, as her thoughts drifted back to the children and to the daunting task that lay before her.

             
About a quarter of a mile up the road, she thought she heard something come up behind her. She stopped to listen, but couldn’t force herself to turn around. The sound came again, and she began to run, faster and faster, until she was too tired and out of breath to go on.

             
She stopped to listen again, her sweat turning to chills, waiting for someone to pounce on her. But there wasn’t a sound except for the distant coo of the owl. She started up the road again, slower now, not quite as anxious to be going off by herself in the middle of the night.
What had she been thinking anyway?

She thought of Maria and Nathan back at the house, depending on her. She wondered if Harold was out there watching her and if he’d give her a break if she turned back.

* * * *

             
A knock on the door brought her out of her sleep the next morning. Pearl poked her head in the doorway. “Mr. Schillings wants to see you in the library. I wouldn’t make him wait too long.”

             
Emily crawled out of bed, trying not to think about what her boss might want. She had a sick feeling she knew, but her plan was to make the best of it. She splashed cold water on her face, dressed in a hurry, and then headed out into the hallway. She was surprised to see Gabriel waiting for her. “What, are you on guard duty or something?” she asked, half-joking.

             
Gabriel glanced up, nodding. “You might say that.”

             
Emily saw a spark in her eyes and expected something more, but the girl just turned away. She tried to work up enough nerve to ask her about the guy named Erwin. “How’s everything going?” she said instead.

             
“
Fine.”

             
The chill in the air must be Mr. Schillings’
don’t chum with the help
notion, Emily decided. She didn’t believe Gabriel was fine, and she knew if she could just get her to relax and open up a little, they could be friends.               “Let’s get together and visit sometime.”

             
“No time for that,” Gabriel said, almost snapping.

             
Emily didn’t believe that either. A few months back, she snooped in the basement and found Gabriel behind the furnace sleeping against the wall. She had left her to slumber and crept back upstairs. Now as they reached the library, she put a hand on the doorknob and turned to watch the troubled maid hurry back up the hallway.

             
She gave a quick knock and stepped inside.

Donald was pacing the rug in front of the fireplace. He leaned over the coffee table to put out a cigarette, motioning her to sit, and then took a seat across from her.

He didn’t seem like the wild angry man from yesterday. He looked rather like he must’ve felt, important, dressed up in a fancy suit and tie with his face scrubbed and his hair fashionably in place.

             
Then it struck her that with him in a better frame of mind, maybe now they would have a talk. It seemed that’s what he wanted.