The Daughters of Julian Dane

by Lucile McCluskey

  Addie turned the key quickly, opened the door and found herself on a small porch. She could barely see the few steps down to the ground. She hurried down them, keeping her gaze downward. Suddenly, she stopped. A man’s feet and legs were in front of her, blocking her way. She looked up, and there he was, a gentle smile on his face, his emerald green eyes piercing the fog, and red hair exactly the color of her own.

  His eyes held hers. Her pounding heart slowed to a normal rhythm, her fears seemed to vanish, her trembling body became calm, and she was at peace. All that mattered was his eyes. He raised his arms gently to her, and in her mind she heard him say, “Come. We can go now. Your Nicki is waiting.”

  Addie reached out to him with a longing she had never known before, an emptiness that was filled. Yes, she would go with him. She would go anywhere with him. Then she heard the voice of her mother scream, “NOOO! You can’t have her! She’s mine!” And she felt loving arms engulf her just as darkness overtook her.

  “You can’t have her,” Della pleaded as Addie collapsed against her. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t take her. Let me keep her.”

  Donnie was quick to grab both of them as Della swayed with the dead weight of her daughter falling onto her.

  Della looked into the blank eyes of Julian Dane – the same eyes that had troubled her for seventeen years. They seemed to again penetrate her very being just as they had then. “Please,” she begged. “I love her so much. Don’t take her from me,” she cried, the tears rolling down her face. Then she heard his words in her mind, “She’s yours.”

  Then the fog that surrounded them seemed to converge on Addie, and a heavy white cloud formed. It seemed to float away from her towards Julian Dane.

  Della and Donnie watched with horror as the cloud began to take on the form of a young girl with long blond hair, and wearing a white dress. She floated into the waiting arms of Julian Dane. They saw him smile tenderly, then turn and stoop to pick up what appeared to be a small boy in a white sun suit and lift him to his shoulder. Then the three of them disappeared into the fog.

  Della and Donnie huddled together around Addie. They stood in awed silence for several moments before Donnie whispered, “I don’t believe this! I saw it! But I don’t believe it!”

  “I know,” Della said slowly, quietly, almost reverently, “but she is mine now, all mine. She’s free!” she exclaimed through tears of happiness. “He has his children now, and my baby is free!” She cried, burying her face in Addie’s long, red hair.

  “It would sure seem that way,” Donnie agreed in wonder of what he had just witnessed. With his strong arms supporting the two of them, he said, “I don’t know what’s going on in there,” indicating the loud, excited voices of a man and a woman, and their running footsteps that could be heard through the open door. “But I think we’d better go.”

  He picked Addie up with ease and said to Della, “Hold onto me. Look down to see where you’re stepping. Come on. The fog will hide us, but walk on the grass, so they can’t hear us,” he cautioned as they made their way down the steep hill toward the gardener’s cottage.

  They heard the French doors shut. Then the faint sound of sirens reached them from off in the distance as they made their way around the stone cottage. They were approaching the gate that would lead them to where Donnie had parked the car when Addie began to stir in Donnie’s arms.

  “Addie. Addie, are you all right?” he asked softly, quietly.

  “Mama,” Addie moaned.

  “I’m right here, Baby,” Della answered as she stroked her daughter’s hair that cascaded over Donnie’s arm. “Everything is going to be all right now, honey. You’re free! Addie! You’re free!”

  Donnie lowered Addie to the ground when they reached the car, but still held her to him. She was content to rest in his arms, her head on his shoulder.

  The one siren, that they heard, had been joined by another and they most definitely were headed in their direction. Donnie listened for a moment. “Mrs. Martin, you and Addie get in the back seat. I don’t know what’s happened back there, but we’re going to get out of ...”

  “Oh, Mama!” Addie exclaimed weakly. “It was awful! They fell! Miss Willy and Nicki! They fell off the balcony!”

  “Oh! How horrible!” Della exclaimed as Donnie said, “Shh!”

  Della looked at the concerned Donnie. “Yes, honey. Let’s just get in the car. You can tell us about it then.”

  “When they were all three safely in the car and the doors closed quietly, Donnie said, “We’re going to wait here until they’re through the gates.” The sirens were growing louder as they advanced on River Road.

  Addie leaned against Della, her face in her hands as if to black out all that had just happened. Della stroked her head and shoulders to soothe her. She didn’t know all that had happened, but she had a feeling that her daughter had just been through the worse experience of her young life. And she knew that time and love would take care of it, regardless of how traumatic it had been. The important thing was that Addie was just her Addie now – Adelaide Martin – one person. She was sure of that from what she had just witnessed. And she had his word spoken in her mind. Della felt such gratitude for her daughter’s safety. She hugged the quiet, relaxed girl in her arms and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving.

  They could tell from the different wails of the sirens that one was a police car and the other an ambulance. They watched in silence as the lights of the vehicles shone on the trees as they moved quickly up the hill of Stone Drive and turned into the apparently open, waiting gates.

  Donnie started the car and turned on just the parking lights. He had to lean into the windshield for some visibility as he slowly moved the car around the corner of the Stonegate property and down Stone Drive. He and Della both held their breaths until they were on River Road. Donnie switched on the headlights and picked up as much speed as the fog allowed.

  “Is she okay?” he asked.

  “I think so,” Della answered. Then to Addie, “Honey, do you want to tell us what happened? You said ‘they’ fell off a balcony! Who? How? What happened?”

  “Miss Willy and Nickelos Dane fell from Miss Willy’s bedroom balcony. Oh, Mama, they must be dead!”

  “They fell off one of those balconies? They’re almost three stories up!” Donnie exclaimed!

  “Oh, Mama! It was awful! I think he just wanted to hug Miss Willy, but he stumbled against her and they both went over the railing. And I owe my life to him – to Nicki! She was trying to push me over the railing – not me, but Vicki Dane. Oh, Mama, they’re dead! Aren’t they?” Addie moaned.

  “Addie! What are you saying? Miss Willy tried to kill you?”

  “Yes. Yes. She did. Oh, all that I have to tell you – you won’t believe. You won’t want to believe it.” Addie sobbed and trembled as though she was having a chill.

  “Honey, I think you’d better wait to talk about it until you’re home and calmed down. Just rest now,” Della said, hugging Addie closer. “You’ve been through a terrible time I’m sure ...”

  “They landed on a porch or a patio. I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t help it. I just know they’re both dead!”

  Della could feel her tremble. “I think we can assume that Nicki is, but I want you to try to calm down now and just rest quietly until we get home.”

  “I don’t see how anybody could survive a fall from one of those balconies.” Donnie said.

  “Honey, you’re trembling. Please try to put it out of your mind for now. I want to know all about it – your whole day, but when you’ve calmed down.”

  “It’s been the worse day of my life, but I still feel sorry for them.”

  “You’re free now, Addie. No more Vicki inside you. You’re free, just my Addie,” Della said just above a whisper for she was so near tears of relief, and tears of happiness.

  Addie raised her head from Della’s shoulder and looked at her. “Are you sure, Mama? How do you know?”

  “We know,”
said Donnie. “Just take our word for it.”

  “Yes, honey, you’re free. We’ll tell you later ...”

  “Oh, Mama, I hope so. Please let it be. That would make everything I’ve been through worth it.” And Addie began to cry quietly.

  Della hugged her closer. “Cry, honey. I’m sure it’s good for you right now. We’ll be home just as soon as possible. I’m so exhausted, and I’m sure Ben is worried sick about us. And I do need to eat and rest. Donnie, do you think you could find a phone and call Ben for me? He’s probably at home wondering where we are?”

  “There’s a gas station just a little farther on,” he answered.

  “Good. I’ll get some change. And why don’t you try calling your aunt also. She was probably just upset because of her dishwasher.”

  “I can try,” he said wearily, “but I wouldn’t count on it.” He turned the car into the gas station and Della handed him change for both calls and asked him to tell Ben that they would be bringing chicken home for supper.

  When they were alone, Addie looked up into her mother’s face and asked softly, almost reverently, “I saw him, didn’t I, Mama? I saw Julian Dane!”

  “Yes. Yes, honey, you saw Julian Dane, but he’s gone now. He took Vicki and little Nicki with him. That’s how we know you’re free. We saw it. Donnie and I saw the three of them leave in the fog.” And realizing how close she had come to loosing her daughter, she took Addie in her arms again. “I’ll tell you all about it later.”

  “He talked to me like he talked to you – without moving his lips. I just heard him in my mind.” And mother and daughter looked at each other in understanding and love.

  Donnie returned and said, “Mr. Martin was awfully glad I called,” he said as he slid behind the steering wheel. “He cautioned us to be extra careful.”

  “Thank you, Donnie,” Della said as she searched her purse for enough money to buy their supper. They really couldn’t afford it, but she was too done in to prepare any food, or do anything but eat and go to bed. She too had had one of the worst days of her life.

  “And what about your aunt?”

  “She hung up on me.”

  “Oh, Donnie, I’m so sorry, but don’t you worry. I’m sure Ben can explain to Mr. Johnson, and he can get his wife to see reason.”

  “That’s not likely,” he said as he maneuvered the car into the stream of slow moving traffic. “She wears the pants in that family.”

  “Well, we’ll see,” Della said, and Addie wanted to know what had happened with Donnie and his aunt. Della explained as simply as she could and then asked Donnie to stop for their supper.

  Addie apologized to both of them for causing so much trouble. “You’re our daughter, honey. You don’t owe any apology. Your problems are our problems. We’re family,” Della assured her.

  “And you’re lucky to be a part of a family like yours,” Donnie said. “It doesn’t matter so much that Aunt Mel throws me out of their house. I can take care of myself, but I am worried about my mother. I just hope she’ll still let her come and stay at least until she’s able to walk again.”

  “Oh, my! I do feel terrible about this,” Della said. Ordinarily, she could count on going to the pastor of her church in such a situation, fully confident that he would find a solution. But she never wanted to see that man again. She didn’t even want to think about him. And that was something else she was going to have to tell Ben this very night, before he heard it somewhere else. She had no doubt that she, due to Evelyn Ann and her mother, was the topic of conversation in kitchens and around supper tables in far too many homes in Riverbend at that very moment.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  The three of them were very much relieved when they finally turned into the Martin driveway. Making their way home through the fog had become a perilous journey. Twice Donnie had run off onto the shoulder of the road. Once he had almost run into the back of an old pick-up without taillights, and the terrible screeching of tires and honking of horns behind them had caused some anxious moments.

  Della tried to help Addie, who insisted that she didn’t need any help, as they made their way to the light glowing from their front door. Ben had heard them drive in and was waiting for them in the open doorway.

  Addie rushed up to her daddy, who took her in his arms. “Princess, are you all right?” he asked with surprise.

  “Oh, Daddy, I’ve never been so glad to be home, and I’m more than all right. Mama says I’m free! It’s just me now, Daddy, nobody else inside me!” she announced happily, but felt guilty in her happiness because of Miss Willy and Nicki Dane.

  “Oh, Princess, that sure is a load off my mind,” Ben said as he hugged her tightly. “What happened, or how did it happen?”

  “Ben,” Della said from behind Addie, “some terrible things have happened, but let’s talk about it while we eat. I’m near faint with hunger. I don’t believe my legs will hold me up much longer.”

  “Della! You look terrible!” Ben exclaimed. “What on earth has been going on? Where have you been all day?” He wanted to know as he put his arms around her and helped her to the kitchen, and sat her down in a chair at the small table. “Honey, what can I get you?”

  “A cold glass of milk, please, while we spread the food out,” she answered weakly, handing Ben the sandwich she had made that morning to be disposed of.

  Donnie sat the packages down on the table and Addie began opening them while telling him where to find plates and flatware. Ben brought Della’s milk then sat down beside her. Addie filled glasses with ice and then poured water into them. When they were all seated, Ben bowed his head and thanked God for seeing them safely home and for the food. Then, raising his head, “Now, somebody tell me where everybody has been all day. I’ve tried calling you a dozen times,” he said to Della. “What’s been going on?”

  Della helped herself to a generous portion of creamed potatoes and gravy before she said, “First, I should tell you that Addie was not our Addie when she left here to go to school this morning. She was Vicki Dane, and you thought she was going to school with me, and I thought she was going with you.” Della paused to eat some of her food.

  The other three joined her in hungrily consuming the crisp fried chicken, creamed potatoes, gravy, cold slaw, and rolls. As Addie ate, she told them as much as she knew of her day up until the time she woke up on Wilhelmina’s bed. Donnie filled them in on his part, and Addie continued with all that she could remember of her encounter with Wilhelmina Stone. She didn’t want to leave out a word the woman had said.

  They were listening in awed silence, making very few comments, until she had to tell about the woman trying to push her over the iron railing of the balcony. Ben exploded in anger, and Della gasped in disbelief. “She must have been crazy!” Della declared.

  “I know she was,” Addie agreed, “and you wouldn’t believe how strong she was.” Then she told of Nicki coming out onto the balcony and saving her by the two of them falling over the balcony, and her flight out of the building.”

  “We got there just in time,” Donnie said.

  “Oh, Ben, you’ll never believe what we saw, Donnie and I.”

  “I’m having trouble swallowing a lot of this, and Addie I want you to write down exactly what that woman told you. We may never need it, but you never can tell.”

  “I will, Daddy.”

  “So, what else happened,” he asked Della, “and how do you know Addie is free of that little girl?”

  “I need to fill you in on my day first,” she said, and she begun with discovering that Addie had not been herself that morning. She included everything except her episode with Morris Kirkland. That would be explained in the privacy of their bedroom later. “I know you’re not going to believe what I have to tell you now,” she said. “But as Donnie said, we got to Stonegate just in time. We came so near to loosing Addie, Ben. If it hadn’t been for Donnie getting me there when he did ...” Della paused looking at their daughter. “We would have been too late. Juli
an Dane was there.

  “He had his arms out to Addie, beckoning her to go with him just like he did me that day ...” Della couldn’t say anymore. She just looked lovingly at her daughter. Ben put his arms around his wife and feasted his eyes on their daughter.

  “Mr. Martin,” Donnie said, “Addie fainted, and Mrs. Martin begged Julian Dane not to take Addie. And, and I saw Vicki leave Addie’s body just like Mrs. Martin did. Then she went to Julian Dane as he picked up a little boy, and the three of them just vanished in the fog. I’d say the boy was about the size he was when Miss Willy tried to kill him.”

  Addie looked at Donnie, then at her mother with relief and a sense of wonder, but she could see that her daddy was doubtful of what Donnie was telling him.

  “How can that be?” Ben asked in disbelief.

  “I guess it’s something you’d have to have seen to believe. I had trouble believing it even though I was standing there watching it, and I’m just telling it to you like we saw it.”

  “He’s telling you the truth, Ben.”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you, Donnie. It’s just ...”

  The doorbell rang loud and clear. They looked at each other. “I’ll get it,” Ben said as if glad of the diversion.

  He opened the door to Riverbend’s policemen, short, fat Buddy, and tall thin Cleo standing under the porch light.

  “Evening, Ben,” Cleo said. “We’d like to talk to your girl, Addie, if it’s all right with you?”

  Ben hesitated. “Look, she’s been through a very bad experience. You know that, or you wouldn’t be here. Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow?”

  Della joined him at the door.

  “Well, now we know she was at Stonegate when the accident happened,” Cleo said. “We want to know why she left in such a hurry, and a few other things like what she was doing at Stonegate?”