“Hey, Dolly. Your mother can join us too, if she wants to.”
“She’s busy at the moment. We’re heading back home in just a little while, but we’ll be back for the holidays. Try not to miss me.” Her backpack purse plunked on the ground, and she sat in the chair opposite me. She took out her cell phone and began tapping on it.
“I’ll try,” I replied jokingly.
“Have you talked to Aunt Summer recently?” Dolly Jane asked. She ignored Danforth, who snorted like he had something to say but wisely chose not to say it.
“I left her a message earlier but haven’t heard anything. Have you?” It didn’t surprise me that Dolly Jane would ask about Summer. Those two had a unique connection.
“No.” Dolly Jane shook her head, making her hair shimmer. “If you do talk to her, tell her to call me.” She finished her text or whatever it was and shoved her phone in her shiny purse.
“Okay,” I replied, trying not to feel like I’d been passed over for cool “Aunt” Summer. Dolly Jane was technically our cousin, but the age difference made it appropriate for her to think of us as her aunts. “Hey, Lucas! Arnold Lee! Glad you could make it.”
Arnold Lee headed our way with a big grin on his face. He had a stack of artwork in his hands, and I could tell he was dying to show me what he had created. He was such a sweet boy. He reminded me so much of his grandfather, who had been one of a kind. Like Handsome, Arnold Lee lived in his own world and was quite happy there.
Like Jessica, too.
“Wow. Look at these beautiful pictures. You’re really turning into a regular Picasso, Arnold Lee.” I couldn’t help but notice an odd character in each of these pictures, a familiar-looking young woman with large eyes and thin arms. Her green dress and pink lips were captivating. “Is this…who is this, Arnold Lee?” Better not to put words in his mouth. Let him tell me.
“Jessie,” the boy answered. He sounded kind of hurt that I didn’t immediately recognize her.
“I knew that. I was just teasing you. What is she doing here, Arnold Lee? Lying down on a bed? And this one. Ooh, I like this one. Tell me about this one.” A black shadow hovered behind her, and a dark hand reached for her shoulder. Her cartoon face had no smile, and her lips looked as if she was going to scream. It could be just his imagination. Right?
“I’m not sure. That’s just what I saw. She doesn’t talk much.”
I glanced at Reed, who was also studying the pictures. We passed them around, and everyone took a seat in the circle of chairs Reed had arranged in the center of the ballroom. He had been careful to put them around the spot where Jessica had disappeared. “Arnold Lee, thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures. It really means a lot. Are you going to let me keep one?”
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. Summer wasn’t wrong about that.”
“Did she say anything to you before? Anything at all? What about you, Lucas? What did she say?”
Dolly Jane answered me. “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 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 for this. She is stronger than all of us, or most of us, at any rate.”
I glanced at Reed suspiciously. Didn’t Danforth know that Summer had left Belle Fontaine? Was he drunk, or did he just not remember? Or was he intentionally trying to hurt me? “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 she left. I’m old, but I don’t have Alzheimer’s. I just thought she would come back to settle this matter. It’s not good that we leave this girl where she’s at. It’s not right.”
I addressed the whole group. “That’s my thinking too, and obviously all of you agree, or you wouldn’t be here. 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. That’s what Reed tells me. ”
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 since 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.”
“I’m on board, but how do you propose we do that, Reed? I’m no ghostbuster,” Danforth spouted off snidely. One minute he was kind, concerned about Jessica and the next, well, he was Danforth.
Reed continued talking, 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?” That’s the million-dollar question.
“She doesn’t belong there in that time. Jessica belongs with us. She has a life, a beautiful life ahead of her. We can’t let her walk away and just vanish. What about the people who love her? I’m not going to give up. Will you help me find her, 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 i
f 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 key to cracking this.” 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 Dufresne family thing. I don’t want to take something that isn’t really mine. I’ve never been one to ask for help.”
I chuckled in response, “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. I guess I’ve been so afraid of losing my son, and I kind of lost sight of that.”
“Well, it’s 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, we’ll have to leave.”
“I wouldn’t want either of those things, Lucas.”
He smiled, but it wasn’t a cheerful expression. More like a sad smile. “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? Do you think Grandpa would mind?”
“He would love that. Sure you can, but you’ve got to bring your toothbrush too.”
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? I thought Summer held that honor.”
“After dealing with Dufresnes all my life, I have a kind of sixth sense about these things. Summer isn’t the strongest.”
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 my wheelchair out of the ballroom.
“I’m your husband. That’s superpower enough,” Reed smiled evasively.
“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 Dufresne
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. There would be no servants to cater to her every whim.
“I have no servants other than Lemuel, and he is too old and feeble to carry water or wait on you hand and foot. 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 for any reason. My wife needs her rest, and I will not tolerate a child racing up and down the hallway. Do you understand?”
“Yes, we understand. Devon will stay with me every minute. Thank you.” 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 own 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. I waited to see if she would speak, if she would move. She did not.
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, 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 whippoorwills calling in the yard below. “Do you hear the birds, my love? Can you hear them at all? They sing their lonely song. Lonely, as I am lonely for you.”
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 co
me 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 she took.
“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 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 wept as 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.
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