by Beth Ziarnik
He did understand, but it wouldn’t help John Taylor if something happened to her. Somehow, he had to convince her to leave. At least until he returned to ensure her safety.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. Alice will be here any minute.”
“Wait.” He would at least make sure they stayed connected. “Keep your phone with you at all times. Text or call me anytime, and don’t take any unnecessary chances. Promise me.”
“Don’t worry. Just pray.” With those last pleading words, she disconnected.
Every muscle in his body and cell in his brain protested.
In the pre-dawn hours, while still snuggled in her warm bed, Jill had heard snowplows working in the streets. Now, with the sun up, she surveyed the brightness of new-fallen snow below her bedroom window and watched a hired plow clearing her father’s driveway. Before long, Dora would expect her to leave the house. She turned away from the window to unzip her suitcase, which still rested on the bench at the foot of the bed.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Lord, I hope I’ve heard you right.”
“Good morning.” Alice walked through the open door with a tentative smile. She focused on the suitcase, and her smile faded. Her voice softened to a disappointed whisper. “Oh, you’re leaving.”
Jill removed three outfits on hangers and strode to the closet to hang them up. “I’m staying. But only until we’re certain Dad‘s in no danger.”
Alice glanced into the hall and then lowered her voice. “You’re doing the right thing. It won’t be easy. Dora can be difficult to live with. And her two granddaughters—your half-sisters—well …”
Sisters. Jill savored the sound of it. She had read about them in a few old newspaper and magazine articles she’d researched before coming here. She had even dared to imagine them welcoming her the way she had seen on TV shows airing lost-family reunions. But after yesterday’s encounter with Dora, hope had faded to a barely glowing ember.
She returned to the business of unpacking her suitcase.
“Aren’t you the least bit curious about them?” Alice probed.
“I’ve always wanted sisters.” But she had to face reality. They might not want her any more than their grandmother did.
Alice stationed herself inside the doorway, speaking in hushed tones. “You’ll meet them soon enough. Just so you know, Lillian prefers to be called Lillie. She’s a lot like her mother, though Lillie never married and still lives at home. Her older sister Kat divorced two years ago. She’s the independent one.”
Kat. Alice must mean Kathryn. Jill liked the name. So elegant. Was her sister the same?
While placing remaining articles of clothing in dresser drawers, Jill remained alert for any further morsels of information from Alice. The more she knew, the more help she could be to her father.
“Kat owns a chain of fitness centers and lives in a condo, but she likes to keep her eye on what goes on around here too. She’s a regular watchdog.” Alice looked over her shoulder into the hall before resuming her briefing on the family. “As for Dora, try not to get in her way, and you’ll be better off.”
Somehow Jill doubted that.
As she shut the dresser drawers, Alice came alongside. “Anyway, while you’re here, you’ll spend time with John each day. You’ll both enjoy that.”
Jill’s attention lingered on the framed photo of her father propped on the top of the dresser. Lord, I want so much more. I want to know him … really know him. And I want him to know me. I want a place in his heart and life. Above all, I want him to know You. Does he know You, Lord? Does he love You?
She turned to her one ally in this house. “I promise. I’ll stay as long as possible.”
Alice nodded solemnly and took her hands. “I knew I could count on you. Together, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“I hope so.” And if they did, she also hoped Alice’s suspicions would prove to be wrong. Just in case the nurse was wrong, she would take extra care in probing among the family, careful to avoid damaging future relationships. Easy to do when she knew so little about them.
“Alice, I’ve been wondering why Dad is living here instead of in a home of his own.”
“Uh …” Alice tilted her head as if catching a sound from across the hall. She frowned. “Excuse me. I need to check on John.”
The woman returned a minute later. “I thought I heard someone in John’s room, but it was nothing. To answer your question, I wasn’t here at the time, but the story goes that the arrangement started when John learned his wife would never return from a mental health institute. John hoped placing Carolyn there would prove a temporary measure. Once he realized the severity of her illness, he had some decisions to make, especially regarding Kat and Lillie, who were very young at the time. Then Dora offered to care for them in her home. It seemed a good solution and worked so well that before long, he and the girls moved here. A few years later, he sold his house, and they’ve been here ever since.”
“So, this enormous house belongs to Dora,” Jill said, curious about the arrangement.
Alice appeared to be measuring her words. Maybe she didn’t want to divulge too much. “The house is Dora’s, but your father pays all the bills. Otherwise, Dora would be forced to sell.”
“No wonder Dora bent so easily to the will of her son-in-law, even though it must hurt her.” Jill hoped she would never experience the loss of a child as Dora had. But knowing the pain of growing up without a father, Jill ached for her sisters who had lost their mother. She lifted her suitcase from the bench and carried it to the closet. Lord, no family escapes pain.
“John will be glad you’ve decided to stay,” Alice said. “You’ll not only be a great comfort to him but more help to me than you know.”
The depth of sincerity in Alice’s eyes snagged Jill. How she hoped her father’s nurse was right. “May I see him now?”
“I think he’d rather you wait until I bathe him and he’s ready for the day. While you’re waiting, you might as well go down to breakfast. I’ll come for you as soon as he’s ready.”
Jill held up her phone. “Text me, and I won’t be a moment.”
“Good idea.” Alice pulled her phone from her pocket and entered Jill’s number while Jill added Alice’s to hers.
“Done.” Jill looked up and noticed the fine lines marring the woman’s face and the shadows under her eyes. Why hadn’t she noticed before? “You look tired.”
“It’s nothing. Last night, John asked if you were staying. When I couldn’t assure him, he remained restless. I stayed up with him most of the night.”
“I’m sorry.” Jill hadn’t meant to cause her father distress or give Alice a hard night.
“It’s no problem. You needed time to decide, and John will be delighted as soon as I tell him.” Alice moved toward the door. “I expect he’s awake by now.”
“Please let me tell him myself.”
When Jill moved a few steps forward, Alice put up one hand to block her. “Understand that John has always prided himself on his appearance. Let’s allow him this one dignity when his illness leaves so little else.”
Jill nodded and stepped back. “I’ll wait here in my room.”
“Why?” Alice appeared genuinely surprised.
“I doubt the rest of the family will welcome my intrusion.”
“Jill, if you’re going to stay, you’ll need your strength. And whether they like it or not, you are part of John’s family. Besides, you can help him best by getting to know them and their habits. Breakfast is your perfect opportunity to begin.” She tried to shoo Jill toward the bedroom door. “Besides, it’s not as if anyone but Lillie is in the dining room at this hour. She’s about five years older than you, and I think you’ll find her interesting.”
“Interesting?” That could mean many things.
Alice’s eyes brightened. “Go and see for yourself. Meeting Lillie will give you an idea of what her mother was like.” Stepping into the hall, Alice motioned fo
r Jill to take to the stairs. “Lillie is probably waiting.”
Jill straightened her shoulders and began her journey to the first floor. It was now or never.
Nothing prepared Clay for the authentic Haitian breakfast Noelle placed before him on the dining room table. Spaghetti with a hot dog? Dried herring and prickly watercress? Ketchup on the side?
He stopped himself from gaping, but she must have seen his eyebrows twitch upward. She quickly stepped near, clearly distressed. “This is often served in my country. Perhaps it is not to your liking? I will bring something more … American.”
When she reached for his plate, Clay was quick to stop her. “No. This is fine.”
She moved away but kept an eye on him as he prayed and then sampled the spicy concoction. He rolled the first bite around in his mouth before he chewed. He’d have to thank that friend at church who suggested he fortify his system with a healthy dose of Pepto Bismol if he ever visited Haiti. Still, the food was tasty.
When he tipped his head toward Noelle and smiled, the girl left him alone at a huge table, much too large for one person. It stretched on like the dull morning before him. Dull unless he found something to do, maybe something to speed up the process with his client-to-be.
He had nearly finished breakfast when an idea hit him. He swallowed the last bite and signaled the girl who stood in the shadows.
She hurried forward. “Monsieur?”
“I’m going into Port-au-Prince to inspect Madam’s hotel. If I’m delayed, please let her know where I am.”
“Oh, but monsieur, you must not go alone.” She looked down at her feet. “Madam would not be pleased.”
“You would get into trouble?”
Without looking up, she nodded, and a little shiver passed over her. “Alone on the streets you would be in danger, and she would not forgive me for allowing it.”
With years of experience in Army Special Forces, the possibility of danger didn’t frighten Clay. Now a civilian, his training would only heighten his awareness, preparing him to handle whatever situation might arise. Besides, the good-natured Haitians he had met so far didn’t seem a threat. Yet Noelle was deeply concerned, and he shouldn’t ignore that.
“If someone accompanies me, would that make a difference?”
Her brown eyes engaged his before she again lowered her head and nodded.
“Well then, come with me.” He did his best to conceal his amusement at the thought of her protecting him. But her presence would give potential troublemakers second thoughts. They surely knew for whom she worked. And from what he had seen so far, Francesca commanded great respect. He suspected that no potential troublemakers would want to mess with her. Noelle could also steer him from making unwise choices as they navigated the streets of Port-au-Prince.
She shook her head as if the thought terrified her.
“Inspecting the hotel would be a great help to me, Noelle,” Clay said. “You know where it is. Am I right?”
She barely nodded, clearly disagreeing with his plan.
“I don’t see the problem then.” He grinned at the young woman. “We won’t be gone long. I’ll use my smartphone to take pictures and notes as I examine the building, and with any luck, we’ll return before your mistress emerges for the day.”
“Please wait, monsieur.” Her brown eyes alive with fright, she snatched up his plate and fled the room.
Chapter Six
Clay stared as Noelle scurried away. What had he done now?
Minutes later, Manny strolled into the dining room. “Hey, Bud, I hear you need a guide to the boss’s hotel.”
“Uh … yeah.” Clay glanced behind the pilot, but Noelle was nowhere to be seen.
Manny grinned. “She has work to do and asked me to take her place.”
“Francesca told her to keep an eye on me.” At least that’s what he understood. He scrunched his brow. “She won’t get into trouble, will she?”
“Actually, as an unmarried woman, she would get into more trouble if she were seen in public with you. Such things are not done in Haiti, and her reputation would suffer. She might lose her job and be put back on the streets.”
No wonder the girl had been frightened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No harm done.” Manny rolled his shoulders and flexed his muscled biceps. “I have a couple of hours. Are you ready?”
“You bet, and thanks.” Clay strode toward the front entrance of the house. He would apologize to Noelle and thank her when next he saw her. For now, it felt good to be doing something productive toward getting that contract settled.
The piney fragrance of the stairwell garlands and Christmas tree infused Jill with a little holiday cheer as she made her way down the thickly carpeted stairs. This was, after all, the season of joy and goodwill. If Lillie was the sister she saw with Dora yesterday, she likely had nothing to fear.
From the stairwell’s first landing, she tried to look past the Christmas tree and across the hall into the dining room. The tinkling of ice in fine glassware witnessed that someone waited inside, even though from this angle she couldn’t see a thing.
Lillie? She could only hope.
Jill continued her descent to the second landing where the stairs turned to the left. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and stared at the arched doorway, hesitating to finish the final few steps into a spacious reception hall.
Coward.
She combed her fingers through her hair and turned to take it in. The architectural detail of this area of the house immediately delighted her. In her work of preparing house genealogies, Jill had examined other interesting homes, but this one where her sisters had grown up exuded a rich history in its choices of decoration. How she itched to grab her smartphone and begin taking pictures. But that was totally inappropriate at the moment. Perhaps one day …
For now, she scanned the hall with its beautiful tapestry wall covering in an expensive and rare embossed linen. At the end facing the beautiful entrance doors stood a raised area where, no doubt, musicians had offered melodies to entertain guests. A handsome fireplace with an oak mantelpiece in a German renaissance style filled the expanse between two arched doorways, one of which she would soon have to pass through. She trembled at the thought and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she gasped.
What on earth?
At the center of the room hung an enormous wrought-iron chandelier with an oak tree design and real antlers among its lights. She had heard of such fixtures but had never seen one before. Curiosity drew her down the last few steps and into the hall until she stood beneath it. Six huge elk antlers thrust majestically upward.
Her mouth gaped open as she took in the immensity of the strangely compelling fixture.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?”
Whirling around, Jill came face-to-face with a young woman only a few years older and a little taller than herself. The woman’s head tipped upward toward the chandelier. “My great-grandfather came from Germany. When he built this house, he hired a German decorator. That unique light fixture is part of our heritage.” She turned her shy smile and blue eyes on Jill. “I’m Lillie, and I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Jill was speechless.
Her sister remained a few feet away, the innocence in her eyes easing the tightness in Jill’s chest. “You’re Jill. I remember you from yesterday in our father’s room. Just now, when I heard someone in the reception hall, I thought it might be you.” Lillie extended her hand. “Welcome.”
Still at a loss for words, Jill took Lillie’s soft hand, deeply grateful this gentle creature had just acknowledged her as her sister. “Thank you.”
“Shall we go in to breakfast? You must be hungry.” Lillie moved toward the dining room, glancing back as if to assure herself that Jill followed.
A long, polished table, flanked by sixteen chairs, stretched down the center of the room. Lillie moved toward the right side and the one place setting where pancakes cooled on a china plate. “Here, s
it beside me. It will be easier to talk while we eat. You are hungry, aren’t you?”
“I’m famished.”
“Do you like pancakes? I could ring for you.” Lillie reached for a bell sitting near her place. “Or maybe you don’t like them. If you’d rather, Hannah could make you an omelet or whatever else you’d prefer.”
Recalling Hannah’s behavior yesterday, putting the woman to work didn’t seem a good idea. “Coffee, toast, maybe some fruit will do.”
“Oh, no, Jill. Grandmother says breakfast is most important. You can’t do without it. Now, what would you like?” Lillie tilted her head, waiting for a response.
“Pancakes will be fine.” Hannah probably had extra batter made up.
Lillie rang the bell. “Hannah makes great pancakes. You’ll love them. Please, sit.”
Jill took a chair next to the kind, accepting woman. “Do you usually eat alone?”
With a sparkle in her eyes, her sister shrugged. “Grandmother says I’m an early bird. She likes to take her time and rarely joins me. It’s nice to have company for breakfast.”
Nice? Yes, the thought of breakfast with her sister pleased her too. “Thank you for inviting me.”
A door beyond the table flapped open, giving Jill a brief glimpse into a butler’s pantry. The wizened old woman who had shut the door in her face yesterday shuffled in. “Yes, Miss Lillie?”
“My sister would like breakfast, Hannah.”
The thin woman frowned darkly, not even attempting to hide her disapproval.
“Now, don’t be like that. She is a guest in our home. Jill, tell her what you prefer.”
“If you please, coffee and two pancakes. Lillie insists yours are the best.” Perhaps through kindness, she could win the old woman’s heart. Hannah obviously had a long-standing and honored position in this house.
The housekeeper sneered. “Coffee’s on the table. Help yourself.”
“Oh. And, Hannah,” Lillie said. “Bring her some fruit too.”
“Yes, Miss Lillie.”