I lifted the first sleeping gown and examined the stitching. Oh, this was lovely and would go so well with baby Ida’s coloring. Thankfully, she was much prettier than her mother. Imagine leaving your child behind…I knew all about that pain. Now that I knew the truth from Susanna’s own lips, I would never un-know it.
Abandoned. Unwanted. Unloved. I labeled myself as I folded the baby’s clothing. But she will never be any of those things. Never! Not as long as I breathe!
I eased the cedar drawer out of the cabinet and placed the neatly stacked clothing into it. Yes, I could have allowed one of the house girls to tidy this up, but I wanted to do it. I wanted to be here with Ida. Easing the drawer closed quietly, I paused as I heard the sound of someone singing “Rock-a-bye Baby.” Who could that possibly be? It was a man’s voice, and he was very near. And then, without even turning around, I knew who it was.
Ambrose!
I eased around and flattened myself against the chest. Oh, the horror of seeing Ambrose so near baby Ida! I wanted to cry out, but that would wake the baby. Wouldn’t that frighten her more?
What are you doing here? I asked him in my mind. I knew he could hear me; he used to invade my mind quite frequently before Mineola came, before she kept him at bay with her dream catchers and painted stones and mysterious prayers. I knew these things angered him, but I did not care. You don’t belong here! She doesn’t belong to you.
You made a promise, my rose. If I give you what you want, I will have what I want.
Flinching at hearing those words, I answered him, I have not had the revenge you promised me. You cannot have Ida! You have broken our deal.
He smiled at me evilly but only for a second. Obviously, he only had eyes for Ida now. This did not stir me to jealousy, for I wanted nothing to do with him, and I had to protect Ida.
You shall soon hear what I have done for you, and I expect my prize, my lovely flower, my Ida.
“Until then, get out!” I said aloud now, taking a step closer to Ambrose as if I could scare him away. He stepped back and gave me a mock bow and a hateful stare before vanishing into thin air. Without care for waking the baby, I snatched up Ida as a bolt of lightning popped outside the window. I screamed and woke the child, who then screamed along with me.
“Mineola! Mineola!” I called as I ran down the hallway with the crying baby. If there was any hope for us, it would lie with her. The door to my brother’s room opened. It wasn’t Dominick but Ophelia, who still wore her nightgown, her haunted eyes even darker today, her long brown hair loose and in need of a good brushing.
“What is it, sister? Is it the baby?”
“No! Go back into your room, Ophelia. The devil is about Sugar Hill today!”
“Lord have mercy!” She whimpered and made the sign of the cross. I knew she saw Ambrose at times, but she never openly spoke of him. She closed the door, and I heard her praying to the Virgin as I continued my quest. What were the chances that Mineola would be here today? The eccentric woman had taken to spending most of her time in her own tiny home to the west of Sugar Hill, although she’d never officially left us.
“Mineola!” I called again as the storm moved in solidly above us. Lightning flashed and illuminated the hallway, and then I saw her, standing on the attic stairs.
“Come this way and bring the baby with you.” Of course I would bring the baby; I planned to hold her always now that I knew for certain Ambrose wanted her. I shuddered to think what he wanted from her.
I followed her up the stairs and jabbered through my tears. I shared exactly what happened and how it happened and the words I had spoken. She shook her head but didn’t scold me. Mineola’s eyes were full of sadness and something else…was that shame?
“You know I’m not your real blood, but I love you just the same, Annalee. But even that love can’t push him away, not when he has a right to be here with you. You gave him that right when you agreed to his deal. You can’t undo that.”
“But Ida…I never knew he would demand the child. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but I could never imagine such a thing—not this. Please, can’t you do something for her? I deserve to be punished, but she does not. She has done nothing wrong, Mineola, and she certainly is your blood.”
She stepped closer, her hands clasped in front of her. She looked down at me and then at the baby. She clucked her tongue and said, “Give her to me.” Holding her carefully, Mineola walked around the attic space singing some haunting tune to the child. The baby soon stilled, and she laid her on the neatly made bed. Was Mineola living up here now? How come I never knew that?
“Take my hands and say what I say, Annalee. You say what I say, but you have to mean the words or else it won’t do any good.”
Nervous but desperate, I asked, “Are you going to teach me a spell?”
“Spells won’t help you now, girl. I am old—I won’t live forever—and then who will be here to weave those spells around you? I am about to teach you the most powerful thing I know. I wanted to teach you the Old Ways, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put that heavy burden on you. Now I fear that by shielding you, I’ve done worse by you.”
“Then this is a prayer?”
“No, it’s a renouncing. You must renounce Ambrose, Annalee. You must tell him—you must speak out loud that you renounce him and that you forever break your promise to him. Once you do this, you can’t call him back or change your mind, or you’ll surely die. But if you do this now, before he claims Ida, maybe it will be enough. Maybe the Good Lord will help you. That is all I can do for you, girl. That is the last thing I can do for you.”
“What about Ida?” My heart felt like a heavy stone.
“I can’t say what will happen to her.”
“You aren’t going to leave me, Mineola. I need you. Dominick needs you too, although he won’t admit it. Please say you won’t leave me like Mother did.”
“I’m not dead yet,” she said as she flashed a rare smile at me. “Now say what I say and mean it in your heart, Annalee, or it won’t do a bit of good.”
As the storm wailed around us, I stood in the center of the room holding Mineola’s hands. I took a deep, purposeful breath and repeated the words she spoke, doing my best to speak them honestly. After it was done, I felt lighter, but I wasn’t sure anything had changed. How would I know? I asked her as much, and she gave me that smile again.
“I don’t know, Annalee, but that’s all we can do now. Go get you some rest. I’ll watch over her now. She sleeps, see? You go sleep too.”
“I won’t leave her, Mineola.”
“Then sleep here, child. Rest yourself.” Pointing to the bed, she sat in a nearby rocking chair and hummed as the thunder rolled over Sugar Hill. I lay in the bed, staring at sweet Ida’s face and listening to Mineola’s song. This had been what my dream was about—this was what Mother wanted me to know. I had blood on my hands, Ida’s blood, just as Mother had my blood on hers.
I let hot tears slide down my face as I felt Ida’s soft fingers curl around my pinky. After a few minutes, my heart calmed a bit and I grew sleepier by the second. But I didn’t dream. Not about Ambrose or anything else.
When I woke up, the house was quiet. The storm had cleared out, and there was a bit of sunshine filtering through the attic windows. The baby gurgled happily in the bed beside me, but she wasn’t fussy yet. That would not last long. She’d be wet and ready to eat soon.
I propped myself up on my elbow and smiled at the three of us sleeping through a storm. But then I could see that Mineola wasn’t sleeping. Her head was tilted awkwardly to the side. That couldn’t be comfortable at all. Carefully I crept out of bed and went to her.
“Minnie? Mineola?” I reached out for her hand, but she didn’t stir. It was too late.
Her eyes were wide and staring at me. Her mouth was open as if she’d meant to tell me something or wanted to cry out but couldn’t find the strength.
Or someone had strangled her.
Faintly I heard the lull
aby again, the one that Ambrose sang to Ida earlier.
I had no doubt that his hands had choked the life from Mineola.
And now we were on our own.
Chapter Nine – Summer
“Robin, has Jessica been down for breakfast yet?” I asked as I munched on a bagel covered with cream cheese. I flipped through the newspaper and read the obituary to myself. It was done beautifully, thanks to Reed’s connection at the newspaper. There would be no wake for the elegant Pepper Dufresne, because she didn’t want one, but tomorrow this place would be swarming with relatives after the funeral. I wanted to talk with Jessica and let her know that although I skipped out on dinner last night, I wanted her to stay as long as she wanted. And I was curious to see if she’d spotted Dominick. I also decided I’d tell her what I’d seen. It was wrong to ask her to probe around in the dark without knowing who or what to look for—that wasn’t cool.
“No, ma’am. I haven’t seen Jessica since yesterday.”
“What?” I put the bagel down and stared at her as if she had two heads.
Before she could explain, Pam popped her head in the dining room, “Miss Summer, there’s an emergency in the ballroom. If you could come, please. It’s your friend.”
I flung down my linen napkin and made a beeline for the ballroom. Fortunately, most of the scaffolding and construction equipment was gone now, with just a few minor pieces of equipment left for the flooring installation. And as expected, about four members of the construction crew were there to repair the leak in the ceiling, but there was a surprise guest lying on the floor. Jessica! The sparseness of the room made her appear even more frail and helpless.
I scrambled to her side. “Jessica?” As she wasn’t conscious, I asked Jeffrey McDavies, the general contractor who sat on the other side of her, “What the hell happened, Jeff?”
“We got in a few minutes late. Had to stop by the warehouse for some material,” he began with an apology.
“I really don’t care about your time card right now,” I shot back impatiently. “Just tell me what happened.”
His puzzled expression said it all but he continued, “When we got here she was on the floor. She wasn’t moving or talking or anything. She couldn’t have fallen off anything because we took the scaffolding down over the weekend. I guess she was walking through and passed out.”
“Has anyone called for an ambulance?” I asked as I saw Jessica’s eyes flutter open. They were vivid blue with natural dark smudges beneath them, evidence that an old soul lived behind them.
“Dominick?” She stared past me at the ceiling above. Who or what was she looking at?
Surprised to hear that name come from her lips I said, “No, Jess. It’s me, Summer. You’re in the ballroom at Sugar Hill.”
She struggled to sit up, and I helped her. I was no nurse, but it had to be a good thing if she could get up on her own. “I…I was in the garden.”
“Yes, you said you were going to the garden yesterday. Have you been lying here the entire time? Did you hurt your head or something?”
Jessica’s pale hands flew into her loose hair, and she felt around her scalp. “No, I don’t think so. One minute I was in the garden, the next I was here. Will you help me up?”
Robin spoke up, “Maybe you should sit for a minute. The ambulance is on the way.”
“I’m okay, I swear. Please don’t go to all that trouble.”
“Are you sure?” I asked her suspiciously.
“Yes, I’m sure. Just embarrassed.”
Taking my cue from Jessica, I gave Jeffrey my thanks and helped my friend limp out of the ballroom. We found a quiet corner in the music room and sat for a moment so she could collect herself before going upstairs.
“I don’t know what to say, Summer. I don’t know what happened. I am sorry for any trouble I caused.”
“Nonsense. You aren’t any trouble. What’s the last thing you remember?”
Her sad eyes focused, and she answered in a whisper at first. “The garden, I was headed to the garden. In fact, I went in and…that’s the last thing I remember.”
“You must have seen Dominick because you were looking for him when we found you. That’s the first thing you said to me when you saw me, do you remember that?”
Her face brightened and then darkened like someone had opened a window and quickly slammed it shut. “Yes…Dominick. Oh yes, I remember him now.” Her hand flew to her mouth, and she smiled as if remembering something that filled her with happiness. “It’s like I was there, with him. Oh, he was not like the other one, not like Ambrose. He wasn’t evil, Summer. He was just a man, and he called me Ophelia.” Although her eyes held luminous tears, none of them fell. She stared into nothingness, and I felt my heart break for her. Something had happened. Something heartbreaking. Or maybe it was just those haunted eyes.
I frowned. “You know, you’ve done this before, forgotten things. You forgot after you went into that trance when you first came here. That’s when you saw Regina’s ghost and found the bodies. Is that what this is? Are there more bodies, Jessica?”
“No, it’s not the same. That was entirely different. I couldn’t help them, but I can help Dominick. It isn’t too late!” She clutched my hand and stared at me hopefully. What did that mean? I was in way over my head here and had no one to guide me.
“Wait a second. What are you saying? Dominick—if it is Dominick Dufresne you are referring to—has been dead for over a hundred years, Jess. Closer to two. You can’t help him.”
“I can, though. I know I can. Dominick’s in danger. You should have seen them—him and Champion. They were struggling in the garden. I remember that now. Yes, they were fighting over Annalee, I think. I was so frightened for him. He thought I was Ophelia.”
“I may have something to add here. I guess now is the time to tell you; I’ve seen Dominick before. In my room and once in the garden. I’ve been here practically all my life, and I’ve never seen him before. Why would he be showing up now? And why is this old feud coming up?”
“I have to find out. It could go bad for him, Summer. It really could.”
“Yes, but the past is the past, isn’t it? And that doesn’t explain how you ended up passed out on the ballroom floor.”
She leaned forward and put her head in her hands. “I just can’t remember. I will, though, I know I will.”
“All right, let’s get you something to eat, and maybe you should rest a while. This house will be full of my family soon. Pepper’s going-away party officially starts tomorrow, but there’s always out-of-town early birds. I’m sure you won’t want to be in the middle of that organized chaos.” What had I done? Involving Jessica in the activity here had been the wrong choice. She was just too fragile to handle this place. I had forgotten how Sugar Hill affected her. “And I think it might be best if you end your investigation. I never wanted to put you in danger. I’m sure Avery wouldn’t approve either.”
“Don’t say that, Summer. Please don’t say that. I have to keep going. I can’t just quit like that—you don’t understand. I can’t turn off the channel once it starts—not until I have an answer. Please don’t send me away. I have to see him again. I have to help if I can. Tell me what you’ve seen, what you know.”
And then I knew it wasn’t any use trying to save Jessica from any more heartache. This was how it was going to be. I had invited her here, and I couldn’t force her to quit. This was who she was. “All right, but promise me you’ll call in some help. Maybe Mike?” I didn’t mention Becker’s name, but I wouldn’t say no if she wanted to bring him here.
“I promise I will do that.”
I recounted everything and didn’t leave out a detail, not even the knife. She said excitedly, “I heard your voice in my trailer, Summer. You were telling me, ‘He has a knife!’ This can’t be a coincidence. That has to be it—Champion plans to stab Dominick!”
“Whoa, Jess. We don’t know that. I think you need to get something to eat and rest a bit before you d
o anything else.”
“I will. In the meantime, do you have any family history I could review? Maybe something in a family library? An old record like a family bible?”
“Sure, there are two studies here—one upstairs and one just over there. Feel free to use either.” I rose from my seat, and she rose with me. Together we went to the kitchen, and I made sure she ate. It wasn’t much, but she did as I asked and then headed upstairs to rest.
Seeing my worried expression, she smiled confidently. “I’ll be more careful, and from now on, I’ll take my camera with me.”
“All right,” I agreed, but I was absolutely sure that Avery wouldn’t like this one bit. Oh well, I was in charge now. At least for the foreseeable future.
Robin popped her head in the kitchen doorway. “Miss Summer, there’s a postal man here for you. Says you have to sign for something.”
“Really?” I followed her to the front door and greeted the mailman.
“Summer Dufresne?”
“Yes?”
“This is for you. Have a nice day.”
I accepted the envelope and opened it while the bony-kneed mailman whistled down my steps. Some men shouldn’t be allowed to wear shorts. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Evelyn Richards demanded money or she’d sue me over Jamie’s burial. What the hell? Well, there was no avoiding it now. I’d have to call Reed and Avery. It was an unspoken Dufresne rule. We might not call on a birthday or acknowledge an anniversary or even make one another aware of a death in the family, but we always called when lawsuits were filed. When it came to the family name—or fortune—we were all in it together.
The Sugar Hill Collection Page 53