He nodded and selected one. As he handed it to me, tears welled up in my eyes. It was certainly Handsome and Arnold Lee near the old limo. Jessica’s face was in the foreground of this drawing.
“My favorite. I will put it on my refrigerator.”
Dolly Jane pulled her legs up in her chair and said, “I was there that night, Avery. I saw Jessica vanish. I was dancing and everything was perfect, and then she was gone.”
“Did she say anything to you before? Anything at all? What about you, Lucas?”
“I didn’t get to speak with her, but she was smiling, like she saw someone she knew. I thought she was smiling at Aunt Summer, but she kind of looked past her. You know how she sometimes got that dreamy look on her face? Well, it was like that. And then she started running and then…it was kind of like she walked through an invisible door.”
Lucas said, “I didn’t pay attention, I’m sad to say. Sorry I can’t be more help.”
“What about you, Danforth? Did you see Jessica that evening?” Reed asked.
Danforth’s face reddened, and I wondered if he would walk out of the ballroom. The older man did not appear comfortable with this topic of conversation. “I wondered why you wanted me here. I guess I know now.”
“Did you see her, Danforth?” I echoed. I had to know.
“Yes, I saw her. It’s like Dolly Jane said. One minute, she was running, and the next, she was gone. I told Summer all this. Where is she? She should be here.”
I glanced at Reed suspiciously. Didn’t Danforth know that Summer had left Belle Fontaine? Was he drunk, or did he just not remember? “As far as I know, Danforth, Summer is in Georgia and in no hurry to come back home. I wish she were here too, but she’s not. It’s just us now.”
“I knew that. I just thought she would be here.”
I addressed the whole group. “Time is not on our side, family. I thought the police would be able to find Jessica, but it’s apparently not within their power. It might be in yours, though.”
Reed added, “Which is why you all are here. Avery and I hope that together we can get to the bottom of this. We want to know what happened to Jessica Chesterfield. We refuse to let another tragedy happen on our watch.”
Lucas pulled Arnold Lee into his lap and said, “I don’t know how my son can help, except to show you his pictures. What do you want from us?”
I sighed. That was a good question; I didn’t really know what we expected. This had been Reed’s idea to begin with. Thankfully, he picked up the reins of the conversation.
“Each one of you is a Dufresne, and with that bloodline sometimes comes special powers. Not every one of us has these, but you four do: Avery, Danforth, Dolly Jane and Arnold Lee. No, make that five.” He eyed Lucas, and even though he didn’t say what he was thinking, I knew what he meant. And even you, Lucas, if only you were willing to admit it. “If we work together, maybe we can figure out where Jessica is and bring her home.”
“How do you propose we do that, Reed? I’m no ghostbuster,” Danforth spouted off snidely.
Reed continued, ignoring Danforth’s attitude. “Tomorrow, Mike DeLuca from the Paranormal Channel will arrive at Sugar Hill. He’s going to be investigating the house, looking for clues. I think it would help if you all stayed here at the house while he’s here. You’ll be like paranormal antennas—if you see or hear anything, you’ll tell us.”
“You think she’s still alive?” Dolly Jane asked me in a quiet voice.
“Jessica really believes that she went back in time before the ball, and she was trying to do it again. She even left a video recording. She said that time moved differently in the past, that what felt like days there was only a few minutes here. I would say yes, there is a chance.”
“But it’s been weeks, Avery. What if we can’t find her?” Dolly Jane brushed a tear away. I had no idea that Jessica’s disappearance had affected her like this. How insensitive of me!
“I don’t know, Dolly Jane. I don’t know what that will mean, but we have to try. Jessica is a special person, a sweet soul. I can’t walk away from her without at least giving a rescue attempt a shot.”
“What if she doesn’t want to come back, Avery?” Danforth asked quietly. “What if she never wanted to come back?”
“She doesn’t belong there, not in that time. Jessica belongs with us. She has a life, a beautiful life ahead of her. We can’t let her vanish. What about the people who love her? No. I’m not going to give up. Will you help me, Danforth?” I stared right at him. He wasted no time in nodding his head.
“Yes, I’ll help. I’ll stay for a few days.”
“Thank you. What about you, Dolly Jane? Do you think your mother would mind if you guys stayed a little longer?”
She twisted her lips and asked, “Are you going to be here?”
“Yes,” I replied as I smiled at her, “I’ll be here.”
“Okay. I’ll tell her. We will stay.”
“Thanks. Let’s all meet back here for an early supper. Around five?” Everyone agreed except Lucas. Dolly Jane and Danforth left to make their arrangements. I could see Lucas wasn’t happy at all, but he let Arnold Lee out of his lap. The boy skipped and hopped around the ballroom. I watched as he spun around in circles, singing a song he couldn’t possibly know.
What was that? Pennies from Heaven?
“I might lose him, Avery. I might lose Arnold Lee if I let him stay here. Alice Marie wants to take him from me. She thinks he’s crazy. My boy isn’t crazy. I could lose him. You understand that, right?”
“Okay, Lucas. If you can’t do it, you can’t do it. I understand. But he’s drawing Jessica. His help could be important.” He nodded as he flicked tears away. I didn’t blame him for being reluctant, and I wasn’t going to push the issue. Not with so much at stake. “Anything I can do to help you keep Arnold Lee out of harm’s way, I will. You say the word. You are a Dufresne, Lucas. A one-hundred percent, dyed-in-the-wool Dufresne. You and I are blood. Fight for your son and don’t let him go and let us help you. Even if you can’t help with this, I will still help you. You belong with us.”
He wiped at his eyes and nodded with a smile. “Thanks for saying that, Avery. I guess I’ve been kind of stubborn about the whole thing. I don’t want to take something that isn’t really mine. I’ve never been one to ask for help.”
“More proof that we’re related. But the name is yours, Lucas, through Susanna. It matters not at all that we don’t look alike. It’s the blood that flows through our veins. That’s what matters.”
“I know that. It’s just…I guess I’ve been so afraid of losing my son. I kind of lost sight of that.”
“Well, it is understandable. Your life has changed a lot recently.”
“I’ll go home and pack our bags. We can stay one night, but then it’s back to school for Arnold Lee. I have temporary full custody of him, since his hospital stay, and I can’t imagine Alice Marie would ever come here. But if I see he’s afraid or hurting in some way…”
“I would not want either of those things, Lucas.”
“All right. Arnold Lee! Come on, son. We have to go pack. How would you like to stay at Sugar Hill tonight? We could fish in the pond.”
“Yeah! Can I bring my hat too?”
“Sure you can.”
They left us alone in the ballroom. It felt cool in here now. And it was quiet.
“That went better than I expected,” I confessed to Reed. “Especially Danforth. You never told me about him. What is it that makes him so necessary for this project? And Dolly Jane, does she see ghosts?”
“Danforth? Have you ever heard of wicking?”
“You mean with candles?” I asked with a confused expression on my face. I really had no idea what he was talking about.
“Uh, no. Some people can handle objects and tell you exactly who handled them. It’s called wicking. You have to see him in action. When he’s on his game, it is incredible.”
“I see.” I didn’t quite know what to
make of that.
“And don’t underestimate Dolly Jane. That young lady is strong, probably the strongest of us all.”
“How do you know that?”
“After dealing with Dufresnes all my life, I have a kind of sixth sense about these things.”
Obviously, he didn’t want to tell me everything, and I was too tired to push him. My leg ached, my medication was wearing off, and I needed a nap. “What about you, Reed? What are your superpowers?” I asked as he pushed me out of the ballroom.
“I’m your husband. That’s superpower enough.”
“Are you trying to say it takes superpowers to be married to me?”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Are you hungry? Want to grab some lunch?”
“Yep, I’m starving. But let me drive this thing. If nothing else, I’ll get one heck of an upper-body workout.”
“I know of better ways to do that,” he said with a wink. Yep, it had been awhile.
“Why don’t we skip lunch, then, or postpone it for a little while?” I asked him as I slid the wheelchair into the service elevator. He stepped in beside me and smiled as I pushed the button for the second floor.
“Sounds perfect.” Reed picked me up and kissed me. The doors opened, and he carried me the rest of the way. We left the chair behind.
Chapter Seven – Dominick
I had no explanation for the phantom knocker that so rudely made its presence known last evening. Of course, Madlen took this opportunity to insist that she and Devon remain at Sugar Hill with me. Confused by the whole experience, I was in no shape to argue with her, but neither would I feign hospitality. I made it clear to the nervous governess that if she were to seek shelter in my home, she would tend to herself.
“I have no servants other than Lemuel, and he is too old and feeble to carry water or wait on you hand and foot. There is no one to wait on you here. I insist you leave at first light.” And then I added with some measured steel in my voice, “And you will remain on this floor. Do not come upstairs. My wife needs her rest, and I will not tolerate a child racing up and down the hallway.”
Madlen hastily agreed to my terms and hurried the boy away into one of the dark rooms past the ballroom. I wondered at myself. Why should I care one whit what happened to Champion’s son? If he wished to kill his spawn, who was I to stop him? What a fool the man was! The devil himself could not be more evil than my own brother! Why should I care about the child when Champion had stolen my happiness? Ophelia! It would be justice if I returned the favor. But how? How would I do it?
Despite all my heartache, I would never harm the boy with Champion’s eyes. But my mind was such a poisoned place now that I dared not trust it for too long. Taking the gun and the candle, I walked back up the stairs and returned to my wife’s bedside. As I expected, she had not moved an inch, and now her sheets were soaked with sweat. I immediately set about the task of caring for her. At least she no longer bled.
How many days had it been since I’d seen her open her eyes? How many days had gone by since she’d taken any food or water? How much longer would she live without either one of those things? The doctor cleaned the wound every few days, and at least the man had removed the bullet; beyond that, there was nothing else to be done but wait. The old physician gave me a bottle of medicine that would ease Ophelia’s suffering, but she had not the presence of mind to ask for relief. In her fever, she mumbled things I did not understand, words that were strange to me. Hearing such confusion did not ease my soul.
My back hurt and my mouth felt dry from drink, but I tended to my wife as if she were a child. I piled the soiled laundry outside the door. Lemuel would retrieve the sheets in the morning and clean them in a boiling pot before hanging them out to dry. Bless the old man. He had refused to leave my side, such was his devotion to me.
The hour had grown late, and I heard the whippoorwill calling in the yard below. “Do you hear the birds, my love? Can you hear me?”
The days move so quickly now, Ophelia. Please, come back to me.
I would use all my strength, all my will, and force her to come back to me! She could not deny my love forever. She must return to me. “Ophelia, please, wife. Open your eyes.” I dragged the chair next to the bed and clutched her hand as I folded the blanket under her arms. “Please, dearest. Awaken, my darling. Come back to me.” She neither moved nor answered. I touched her hair and arranged it around her face. I would have to brush it tomorrow. How I used to love to watch her brush her hair, her long slender fingers working the curls with her ivory comb in her careful hands. I laid my head on the bed next to her and closed my eyes. I had no strength left to cry. But at least I could feel her breathing; the bed moved slightly with each breath.
“Please, Ophelia. Come back to me.” A lazy breeze caught the hem of the curtains, and they brushed across my face. I welcomed the cool air even though it doused the only light in the room. Soon, night ceased its sounds and everything grew still; even the whippoorwills had stopped their calling. The only sound I heard was Ophelia’s soft breathing. At least she was still here, in the land of the living. I could not sleep. I would not. What if she slipped away while I slept?
Suddenly, I had an idea, a strange idea but one that might work. I had to at least try.
No, it is wrong! You are a good man! Do not do this. Never make a deal with the devil! the quiet voice in my mind warned me sternly, but desperation choked that voice into silence. How many nights had I prayed? How many times must I plead? And then I decided I would no longer fight the rising tide of despair that wanted to swallow me, to take me under. I would embrace it.
Taking Ophelia’s hand, I did something I had never done before. I spoke to the darkness…
Chapter Eight – Arnold Lee
Arnold Lee loved this palace—well, he knew it wasn’t really a palace, but it looked like one. Sugar Hill was much larger than either of his parents’ homes and even larger than the one they used to share. Arnold Lee got the distinct impression that he belonged here, that this place was a part of him. And even though he couldn’t quite understand what it was he felt, he welcomed it. Yes, it felt just fine being here. He even liked the name, Sugar Hill. He had been here before when he came to the big wedding and saw lots of people; some he knew and some he didn’t, but that didn’t matter because the food was delicious.
But this time was different. Arnold Lee hadn’t been invited as a party guest. He was here for a different reason now. Arnold Lee belonged here. This was home. It would always be home.
“Daddy, are we going to live here now?” he asked hopefully as he unpacked his overnight bag and obediently placed his clothes neatly in the open dresser drawer. He liked this room; it was purple. No, make that lavender, like his favorite crayon.
“No, Arnold Lee. We are not going to live here. We’re just spending the night. Is that okay with you? Why would you think we were moving in?” Arnold Lee’s father chuckled as he put their slippers under the bed.
“I was just wondering.” His father sat on the edge of the bed and patted it. Arnold Lee hopped up and sat beside him. He could see his reflection in the big mirror across the room. Yep. They looked just alike, just like his mother always said.
“I thought you understood why we are here. We’ve come to help Avery find Jessica. Have you forgotten already?”
Arnold Lee frowned. He hadn’t forgotten; he just wanted to talk about it. “Is she lost in the house? There are a lot of rooms here.”
His father shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not really sure. What do you think?”
“I think she is lost. I think she is hurt real bad too.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m working on a new picture. Would you like to see it?”
His father furrowed his brows and studied his face like Arnold Lee was hiding some secret. He smiled back at him, hoping to reassure his father that everything was a-okay. He didn’t believe he was successful because Daddy’s frown never disappeared.
&n
bsp; “Why don’t we take a walk first? I thought I might show you around if you’re up to it.”
“Yes! I would love that.”
They walked around the second floor, and Arnold Lee could not help but be amazed. There were indeed many rooms, almost as many as his school had. And the rooms they were able to open were painted different colors, mostly soft pastels like spring flowers. That’s what he needed to add to his picture! As his father talked about different things, like who was in that painting and where this and that came from, he tried to listen, but the music in his head grew louder and louder.
Sometime during the night, the lady began to sing a different song. He didn’t really like this song very much. It felt sad and kind of scary. He fought the urge to sing along and smiled up at his father as if he heard every word he was saying.
Sunday is gloomy
My hours are slumberless.
Dearest, the shadows
I live with are numberless.
“This way, son. Let’s go outside and take a walk by the pond. It’s a beautiful day.”
Arnold Lee felt more upset by the second. No, he didn’t like this song at all. What did she mean singing about shadows? Was she trying to tell Arnold Lee that there were dangerous shadows here? Yeah, he knew that. He could feel the shadows huddling close together like they wanted to pounce on him.
And now he didn’t like this house so much either. He wanted to go outside with every fiber of his being, go outside and step into the sunshine just for a few minutes. But he couldn’t actually leave. Not yet. Not without Jessie.
Little white flowers
Will never awaken you.
Not where the black coach
Of sorrow has taken you.
Angels have no thoughts
Of ever returning you.
His Lovely Garden Page 4
