The Gilded Curse: Will the young heiress be the next victim of her family's curse?

by Marilyn Turk

  He returned to sit beside her again. “Lexie, I don’t think you should be alone. Whoever did this to Abner is dangerous, and he might not hesitate to harm you too.”

  She gazed up at him with sad eyes. “What am I supposed to do, Russell? I have no one here to stay with.” Her eyes filled with tears again.

  “I’ve thought about that, and I believe the Maurice sisters would be happy to let you stay with them at Hollybourne.”

  “I don’t want to impose on them.”

  “Then I will.” He leaned forward and closed his hands over hers. “Lexie, I care about you.” He searched her eyes, wishing he could tell her how much. But no, not now, if ever. “And I know the Maurice sisters do too. After they hear what happened to Abner, they’ll be eager to have you stay with them.”

  Lexie looked away and muttered. “Everyone will know there really is a curse on us now.”

  Russell sat up straight. “What are you talking about, Lexie? What curse?”

  She stared at him, eyes wide. “Didn’t you know? Our family is cursed, the island has cursed us. First it took my little brother Kenneth when he drowned, then Grandmother and Grandfather, Father, Robert, Mother, and now Abner, because he was close to our family. Mother always said the island cursed us. I didn’t want to believe her, but she was right, Russell, she was right.”

  “The island cursed your family? Lexie, the island is just an island.” Surely she didn’t believe in an island curse. She was too smart to believe in such things.

  She glanced away, her face coloring.

  “So why else would all these things happen to us, to our family?”

  “Lexie, bad things happen to people everywhere. That doesn’t mean they’re cursed. Sometimes people just get sick, or accidents happen.”

  She jerked her head toward him. “And what about Abner? Was that an accident?”

  Russell shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Look, sometimes people make bad decisions, and they affect other people. Unfortunately, there is evil in this world—people sin.”

  The phone on Russell’s desk rang, interrupting their conversation. He rose from the couch and grabbed the receiver. “Hello … yes, Doctor. I see … Thank you for calling.” He jotted down a number on a pad, glancing over at Lexie.

  “Abner’s at the infirmary. The doctor managed to stitch up his head wound. Abner’s still unconscious, but he seems to be better. Dr. Hoover’s going to call when he regains consciousness.”

  Lexie jumped up from the couch. “I must go see him.” She crossed the room for her coat.

  “Lexie, wait. He’s unconscious. He won’t know you’re there.”

  “But I’ll know, Russell. I need to be there for him. Who else does he have?”

  “Okay. I’ll go with you. But I’m going to talk to the Maurice sisters about you staying there.”

  The nurse pointed to the side of the room behind the curtained screen.

  “Just a minute, Lexie. I want to speak with the doctor a moment.” Russell waited outside the door as the doctor approached. As the men began discussing Abner’s condition, Lexie wandered into the room and over to the bed beside the window.

  The man lying in the bed looked so different than the Abner she knew, and for a moment, she thought it was the wrong person. Gray hair thinned across the top of his white head and disappeared beneath a thick bandage wrapping around his skull. It occurred to her that she’d never seen him without his cap.

  He also appeared so much older than before, and thinner. His baggy clothes had concealed how skinny he really was. Lexie watched his chest rise and fall. He was really alive. She lowered herself into the plain wooden chair beside the bed, staring at the patient. She owed him. But what could she do for him?

  Russell appeared at the foot of the bed, his brow creased with worry as he looked at her.

  “Are you okay?” He spoke in soft tones as he came over and rested his hand on her shoulder.

  She nodded. “I’m fine.”

  “The doctor says his vital signs are improving. He should regain consciousness soon. We’ll have to wait and see how the blow affected him.”

  They watched Abner in silence for a few moments, then Russell patted her shoulder.

  “Ready to go? I’ll take you to Hollybourne. The sisters are expecting you.”

  When did he talk to them? The last few hours were a blur.

  “No, I’m staying here. With him.” Lexie kept her eyes fixed on Abner.

  “But, Lexie, you can’t do anything here. Come on, the doctor will call when he regains consciousness.”

  “You go on, Russell. I’m staying here. I need to talk to him, need to be here when he comes to.”

  Russell studied her a moment, then sighed. “All right, but don’t leave here alone. Have them call me at my office when you’re ready to go, and I’ll come get you.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before walking out of the room.

  Alone with Abner, Lexie recalled the hospital where Mother had stayed. The sanatorium had been much nicer than this plain room. Of course, the sanatorium was a real hospital, a mental institution that had been Mother’s home for several years, like most of the other patients. What kind of place had Abner been put in by his parents? She shuddered to think he might have been in one of the notorious “hospitals” for the insane.

  She studied the veins standing out so prominently on the back of his hands, freckled and tanned by years of exposure to the sun. On impulse, she reached out and touched the one nearest her. The hand was cool to the touch, so she began to gently massage it. Tears trickled down her face as once again the heavy burden of guilt overcame her.

  “Abner, Mr. Jones, I don’t know if you can hear me or not. It’s Alexandra Smithfield, and I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that you got hurt.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with the handkerchief she still had in her coat pocket—Russell’s handkerchief. She had forgotten to give it back to him. Poor Russell. He must wish she’d never come back, since she’d caused so much trouble for him. As if he didn’t have enough to deal with already. Between the club responsibilities and the threat of German submarines … Alarm raced through her as she remembered that threat, followed by fear as she considered the implication. What if Abner had seen a German at Destiny and the man had hit him, tried to kill him?

  Her heart pounded. Did Abner see his attacker? Would he remember if he did? If he knew who it was, he could identify them. No wonder he was hit. And if they found out he was still alive, they might come looking for him to finish him off. Lexie scanned the room, large enough for two patients, but only Abner occupied it at present. The first floor window could be accessed from the outside with a ladder.

  As a nurse came around the screen, Lexie jumped, gasping as her hand covered her mouth.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just needed to check Mr. Jones. Would you excuse us for a moment?”

  Lexie didn’t bother telling her she’d assisted doctors with patients before. Besides, it might be embarrassing to Abner if he knew she saw him being examined. She stepped outside the room, eyeing everyone with suspicion. Were any of these people capable of harming Abner?

  She felt conspicuous standing in the hall. When the nurse came to the door, she studied Lexie. “You can go back in, ma’am.”

  “Is there anything I can do for him?”

  “No ma’am, except pray. That’s about all we can do now besides keep him comfortable.”

  Pray. If God really cared about Abner, why did he let him get hurt? On the other hand, Abner could have been killed, but he wasn’t. She went back into the room and plopped back down beside the bed. Abner looked comfortable enough—the nurse had adjusted his covers.

  All right, God, if you don’t mind listening to me, even though I haven’t been around you much for a while, I need to talk to you—not about me, but about Abner.

  She leaned forward, resting her forehead against the bed, and prayed.

  Chapter 35

>   Lexie awakened with a start as a hand shook her shoulder. Groggy, she lifted her head from the bed and slowly turned to see who had touched her.

  “Hey. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Russell stood beside her, his hand still resting on her shoulder.

  “I must have fallen asleep.” She straightened and looked to her right at the man on the bed. “He’s still unconscious.”

  “Yes, the doctor said it’s probably best that he is. They say that lying still will help his wounds to heal.”

  “Is there a chance he might not regain consciousness?”

  Russell shrugged. “I suppose so. We just have to wait and see. And pray he recovers.” Russell studied the motionless figure and blew out a breath. Facing her, he reached for her hand. “Are you ready to go now? It’s been a while since I left and I got worried when you didn’t call for me, so I came back.”

  “I—I guess so.” She stood and stretched her back, then jerked her head toward Russell, lowering her voice as she stepped away from the bed. “Russell, I’ve been thinking. What if Abner could identify his attacker? If they find out he’s alive and is here, they might try to kill him—again.”

  “The thought crossed my mind, too, so I’ve asked the staff to keep Abner’s room off-limits to all visitors except you and me. I also asked them to let me know if they see anyone suspicious lurking around.”

  Lexie glanced over at Abner. “Good. Thank you.” She went back to the bed and patted Abner’s hand. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Mr. Jones. You feel better, okay?”

  As she walked away from the bed to the other side of the screen, Russell eyed her. “Do you think he heard you?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? But if he can hear, I want him to know someone is here for him.”

  Russell’s tender smile sent warmth pulsing through her. He took her hand and led her out of the room. As they walked down the hallway, Lexie saw the maid named Stella hurry out of the building.

  “Wonder what she was doing here?”

  “Maybe Jack or her daughter is ill.”

  A vision of the cute little blonde girl came to Lexie’s mind. She’d only glimpsed her once since she’d arrived. The fair-haired child was like sunshine compared to her sullen mother—so different, they scarcely seemed related. Hard to imagine Stella as a cheerful child.

  “Oh, I hope it’s not the little girl. She’s so adorable. How old is she?”

  “I believe she’s about nine or ten, a real sweetheart.” Russell pointed to the desk ahead. “I’ll check with the nurse and see if she’s here.”

  They stopped at the nurse’s station where Russell inquired about the child.

  “Oh yes, Evie was here—had a fever for a couple of days, but she went home today.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear she’s better now.” Russell patted the counter. “Thank you.”

  In the car on the way to Hollybourne, they passed the chapel.

  Russell glanced over at Lexie. “You know, tomorrow is Sunday. Would you consider coming to church?”

  Lexie didn’t know how to answer him. “I prayed for Abner today.”

  “You did?” Russell’s smile showed he was happy with the news. “That’s good to hear. Abner can use all our prayers.”

  “But I’m not sure God really listened to me. I haven’t been keeping in touch with him, and he probably thinks I’m a complete stranger.”

  Russell laughed as he gripped the steering wheel and focused back on the road. “Lexie, I’m sure you’re not a stranger to God. He’s been keeping tabs on you even though you haven’t talked to him lately.”

  “Well, I hope he listened, for Abner’s sake.”

  “I’m sure he did. So, does that mean you’ll go to church tomorrow?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I’ll think about it, though.”

  They pulled into the driveway of Hollybourne and stopped in front of the steps.

  When Russell knocked on the door, the quick response of footsteps on the other side conveyed expectation. The beveled glass door swung open and Peg appeared. She gave a quick glance to Russell, grabbed Lexie’s hands, and pulled her into the house.

  “There you are, dear! We’ve been expecting you. When Russell told us about Abner’s accident, we knew you’d be upset.”

  Accident? Lexie shot a glance at Russell, who nodded. So he didn’t tell them someone hit Abner. Why wouldn’t he? She’d play along, though, if that was what he wanted. It was far too distressing to try to explain what really happened. Especially since she didn’t know.

  Marian met them in the foyer. “Come in, come in. Oh, we heard about how you found Abner at the cottage. What a shock that must have been. Poor man. Too bad he stumbled and fell, hitting his head like he did on the dumbwaiter. How is he doing?”

  Lexie resisted the urge to look at Russell, lest she give away his fib. Obviously he had reasons to keep the truth quiet. No need getting the island buzzing about poor Abner.

  “He’s still unconscious.” At least that much was true, though she wished it wasn’t.

  “Dr. Hoover says Abner should come out of it though,” said Russell, the eternal optimist. “Lexie’s been sitting with him at the infirmary all day.”

  “Bless your heart.” Peg gazed at Lexie with compassion in her eyes, then faced Russell. “Is the doctor going to move him to the hospital in Brunswick?”

  “Not yet. At least not until he regains consciousness.”

  Lexie glanced at Russell. He hadn’t mentioned that Abner might be moved. What would she do then—go to Brunswick every day to visit? One thing for certain—she wasn’t going back home until she knew he was well enough to go home himself. Her heart ached at the thought of his home—a dormitory room for workers on the island.

  “Oh good, here comes Hazel with the tea.” Marian watched the maid carry the tray with the silver service and set it down on the coffee table. The maid poured each a cup of hot tea, but Russell held up his hand to refuse.

  “Russell. You don’t want any? How about a tea biscuit?”

  Russell smiled and accepted one of the dainty cookies from the plate the maid offered. He held it up and nodded. “Thank you, this is all I need right now.”

  “Alexandra, one of the housemaids from the clubhouse brought your things over, so you don’t have to go back for them.” Peg spoke over the top of her tea cup.

  “Oh?” Lexie raised her eyebrows and looked at Russell.

  “Yes, I took the liberties. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, I guess that’s all right. I didn’t bring that much with me anyway.” She fingered the pearls at her neck, glad she wore all her jewelry. A thought jarred her mind. “Did you notice who brought them?”

  Marian glanced at Peg for an answer.

  “Yes, it was that unfriendly woman, I believe her name is Stella, that brought them. She acts like a smile would crack her face.”

  “Peg! That’s not a very nice thing to say. Please excuse my little sister. She seems to have forgotten her manners.”

  “Perhaps not, but it’s true, and you know it.”

  Lexie glanced back and forth at the sisters.

  “Well, maybe she has her reasons, and we don’t know what they are. Judge not, Sister.”

  Peg twisted her lip, a crease between her brows.

  Russell rose from his chair. “Ladies, I hate to leave such lovely company, but I must go. Will I see all of you at church in the morning?”

  Lexie knew his emphasis on the word all was directed at her.

  “Well, of course, you will!” Marian stood, as did the other ladies.

  “Please don’t get up.” Russell motioned for them to sit. “I can see myself out.”

  Lexie moved to his side. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  Russell grinned as he looked down on her. “If you insist.”

  They paused at the door, Lexie looking down at her fingers. Russell put his hands on her arms and squeezed them gently. “The sisters will see to it that you’re taken care of. Let t
hem—they enjoy doing it.”

  Lexie peered up at him, gazing into his eyes, so inviting as they twinkled at her. “Russell, I just want to say ‘thank you’ for all you’ve done for me.”

  He kissed her on the forehead. “You can thank me by coming to church tomorrow.”

  She managed a slight smile. “All right. I will, just for you.”

  “Fantastic. But it’s for you, too, Lexie. I think you’ll find it better than you remembered as a child.”

  “I hope so, Russell, I really do.”

  Sunday morning was overcast and chilly as the women scrambled up the front steps of the church, clasping their coats together at the necks.

  “Oh, I do hope the sun comes out and warms things up,” Marian said to Lexie and Peg.

  “It could be worse, Sister. At least we’re not stuck in the snow back home.”

  An usher held the heavy wooden barnlike doors open to the cedar-shingled building and the women bustled inside. Lexie stared at the interior, trying to remember how it looked when she was a child. Although somewhat dark due to the rich stained wood of the walls and pews, the room reminded her of a winter cabin. Deep scarlet carpet covered the floor, lending a cozy touch to the rustic atmosphere.

  “Here’s our seat.” Peg motioned to Lexie to follow and headed down the center aisle, entering the third pew on the left. Lexie complied, sitting between the sisters. She scanned the front of the room, noticing the arch over the altar where the pulpit was. Behind the pulpit, a beautiful stained glass window covered the wall. A memory of sitting there as a child trying to count the panes of each color drifted into her mind. Warmth filled the room and spread from one club member to the other as they came in and took their places in the pews. Everyone nodded at Lexie and smiled as if they were happy to see her. How odd.

  Lexie remembered there was another Maurice sister that had been married in the chapel. She pictured a bride and groom standing under the arch, and the image sent a thrill through her. What a cozy place to get married, so unlike the gaudy, extravagant weddings her college classmates had. Some of them had more attendants than would fit in this small chapel. As she pondered the differences, strands of a hymn emanated from a piano, barely visible in an alcove off to the left in the front. She caught a glimpse of the pianist’s back, a man, and her heart leaped. Russell?