by Jane Toombs
"But Harvard--"
"Is a prestigious eastern institution, yes. I don't think Ronal cares about that. He likes Hallow House. He could make his headquarters here, while Brian handles things in San Francisco."
"Ronal told me he liked the ocean."
Vera gave her a level look. "What's gotten into you, Naomi? You seem to be pleading a case Ronal doesn't subscribe to. Or am I wrong? Does he speak differently to you?"
"Not exactly," Naomi admitted.
"I had the impression both you and Katrina were quite taken with Ronal. I should think you'd like having him here when you come home on vacation from St. Bianca instead of off in Massachusetts."
"Mama, I don't want to go to Bianca. Why can't you just send Katrina there and let me--"
"It's only for a year. Then you two can go to Stanford if you wish. You and Katrina have been protected here-- overprotected, perhaps--because your father was so fearful of anything happening to you. I think you need a year to accustom yourselves to being away from Hallow House."
"I want to get away from protection," Naomi cried. "From here, from California. I want to go with Ronal to Massachusetts." She stopped, angry at herself for letting that slip out.
Vera shook her head. "That would not be possible and you know it. I do need Ronal here and I hope he'll stay, but part of the reason I'd like him to stay is unselfish. This place is a haven and he needs time to recover from his terrible experience in Korea. I've heard law school is tremendously competitive. He's not ready for that. Nor is he ready for any kind of commitment with you or Katrina. You've always rushed into things, Naomi. This time you must not."
No one understands, Naomi thought. They all want to coddle him.
"Why don't you drive into town and spend the week-end with Samara?" Vera suggested. "I think you need a change of scene."
Some change, Naomi told herself. But then she decided she might be able to talk to Kevin, who'd been none too happy about Ronal staying on at Hallow House. Kevin could prove to be an ally.
As Naomi parked in Samara's drive, Ivan ran out the door to greet her, his puppy at his heels. At two and a half, he jabbered all the time.
"Nomie," he shouted, clutching her around the legs. "Nomie play with me."
Ivan never seemed to have the slightest trouble telling which twin he was talking to, unlike many adults. Naomi picked him up. "Hey, you're getting to be a big boy."
"Big boy," he repeated happily, squirming to get down. That evening, after she'd had returned from taking Ivan to the park to feed the ducks, Samara led her son off to take a bath, giving Naomi her chance to talk to Kevin.
"Did you know Mama's decided to send us to St. Bianca, instead of letting us go to Stanford?" she asked.
"Samara told me. I know how you feel, but don't expect me to--"
"I'm not asking you to interfere. What concerns me is that Mama's also encouraging Ronal to stay on and not go to law school at Harvard. Did you hear that?"
"I thought she might."
"Are you going to do anything about it?"
Kevin shrugged. "I was wrong, I admit it. I thought the guy might be a fortune hunter, hanging on with a rich window, but when Brian and I had him checked out we found Amanda and he had more than enough money. His grandfather was a judge and so--"
"The money's not important," she cut in. "Don't you see that Mama's asking him to give up what he wants to do just to help her?"
Kevin raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure he'll do exactly what he wishes to. Ronal struck me as being able to make up his own mind. He stayed on at Hallow House despite my displeasure at the time. That took courage."
"He was in prison camp in Korea," she said. "He isn't quite over what happened to him there."
"Vera told me about his nervousness when he hears sudden noises, especially bells," Kevin's hand lifted to touch his scarred face. "I don't know if I would've survived the brainwashing he went through. He's a tough young man; he'll do okay."
"I know that, but he doesn't think he's courageous. He's afraid he won't be able to compete at law school."
"He may be right, in which case he'd be better off going into the business. He's already got a degree in accounting."
"But you don't understand."
Kevin gave her a level look. "Just what do you expect of me, Naomi? I can see you're very concerned with Ronal's future. Why? Are you in love with him?"
"I think so."
"How does he feel?"
She shook her head, "He doesn't want to get married yet."
"I should hope not--not to you, anyway. You're barely eighteen."
"Johanna was--"
"Don't start on Johanna and Brian. We all know their case was special. And, anyway, she's going to Stanford besides being married. You know you wouldn't be happy living at Hallow House even married to Ronal. Aren't you the girl who's always wanted to get away, to see the world?"
"But if Ronal goes to Harvard--"
"If he goes to law school and is worried whether he'll manage there, a new wife is a burden he doesn't need. Use your head. Apparently he's using his."
The next day, when Naomi tried to talk to Samara, she found that her older sister had her own announcement to make. "...we're hoping it's a girl this time. I'd like to name her Vera."
"Mama'll be so pleased," Naomi said. "You don't look very big--when will the baby be born?"
"Not until January. Up until now I've been afraid Ivan would be an only child."
As Naomi stroked the calico cat on her lap, Ivan's pup stood on his hind legs against her chair and barked jealously.
"Get down, Jinks, Samara ordered. "Honestly, sometimes this place is like a zoo."
"I wonder why whenever had a dog or cat when we were little," Naomi said. "I remember asking Mama for a kitten once, but I didn't get it."
Samara rose and shooed the pup outside. When she reseated herself, Naomi eyed her curiously.
"Was there some reason there were no animals at Hallow House?" she asked. "You don't seem to want to talk about it."
"My mother had a cat," Samara said. "A big black tom called Diablo. Mean. No one could touch him except her."
"I think I remember someone mentioning that. I'd forgotten."
"The cat died when she did in that horrible room, I think Daddy couldn't bear the thought of cats after that. And dogs--well, they wouldn't come inside Hallow House. I remember when we were little, my brother and I, how Stan Aarons brought us a German shepherd pup. She cried all night and acted so spooked that Stan decided she was sick and took her back to the kennel."
"Maybe she was sick."
Samara shook her head. "I don't know if you remember Jose--he was our handyman before Pedro. Jose had two dogs. He couldn't even get them half-way up the path to the house. When I used to play with them out by the stables, they were friendly and happy enough.
"Another time a Russian friend of Aunt Adele's from Chicago came to see her. She had to leave her Pomeranian with Jose while she visited. It frothed at the mouth and nearly died inside the house."
"Why do you think?"
"I know. It's that awful room. It infects the entire house."
Chapter 41
Sitting in her living room with Naomi across from her, Samara took a deep breath before saying, "You don't know how relieved I was when Daddy boarded up the black door. But I think he'd have done better to have the room torn out completely."
Naomi thought uneasily of the secret passage from the north tower to Tabitha's room. "Do you believe in the Gregory curse?" she asked.
"I don't know. Something is wrong with Hallow House Adele told us--Sergei and me--that only when the house was destroyed would the curse be satisfied. She frightened me half to death. I remember her sitting in her rocker with Theola fussing around like she always did, Sergei was fascinated with her tales, but they made me afraid."
"What did Adele say?"
"Destruction. Death and destruction mark the end. Then something about how the house would crumble an
d lie with the headless bones."
"That is scary," Naomi said.
"I always thought so. But Sergei...." Samara broke off and shook her head. "He read those journals of Tabitha's over and over and I know he had one he'd found somewhere, one he never showed anyone. I was just as glad because I wanted no part of any of them. I wish I could forget what he did make me learn--the entire curse:
"By the gate the two wolves lie
Of children two, the one must die.
God hears not the prayers you send
Death and destruction mark the end."
After a moment, chilled by the words, Naomi said, "That's a terrible curse."
"Sergei relished it."
His name was so rarely mentioned that Naomi had trouble saying it aloud. "Sergei--Daddy accidentally shot him, didn't he?"
Samara, her eyes fixed on something far away, nodded. "He was my twin brother, but he hated me. He hated everyone."
Twins. Naomi sometimes forgot Samara had had a twin brother. How different from Katrina and her. Hating Katrina would be like hating herself. She'd never do that.
"I haven't thought about Sergei for a long time," Samara said. "Let's talk about something else."
Naomi was more than willing. "What do you think of Ronal?"
"He's a good-looking man. Kevin says you're in love with him, too."
"Too?" Naomi echoed.
"The last time I talked to Katrina, she told me how wonderful Ronal was. She said she'd never the feel the same about anyone else. I told her...." Samara paused and Naomi wondered what made her look sad.
"I told Katrina love comes more than once and not to give herself too readily to any man. Now I'm telling you the same, but I suppose neither of you will listen."
When Naomi returned to Hallow House she found Amanda and Ronal preparing to leave with everyone gathered in the foyer saying farewell.
"Not for good, I hope," she said, alarmed.
"No, I'll be back," Ronal said. "But Grandma insists it's time for her to go home and I'd never let her travel alone. I'm taking her back to Seattle."
"Fish and company stink after three days," Amanda said. "That's an adage we all would do well to remember. I've stayed long over my quota."
"But you're not company, you're family," Vera told her. "I've enjoyed your visit."
"Don't forget your promise to come and see me in Seattle," Amanda reminded her.
Naomi moved closer to Ronal. "How long will you be gone?" she asked him in a low tone.
Before answering, he glanced at Katrina. "About two weeks," he told her. "Then I'll be here for an indefinite stay."
"What?" Her voice rose.
He ignored her, picking up Amanda's suitcase and taking them out to his car. Naomi made a move to follow, but was forestalled when her mother linked arms with her. She was forced to go outside with both her mother and Katrina, not alone, as she'd intended. She could do nothing but watch as Ronal handed his grandmother into the car, waved, slid behind the wheel and drove away.
"Amanda's a wonderful woman," Vera said as they walked back toward the house. "Being a stepmother isn't always easy. And she wasn't as lucky as I, to have two girls of my own besides my stepdaughters."
Two weeks, Naomi thought, her heart sinking. He won't be back until Katrina and I are already at St. Bianca.
"Tomorrow we must start looking over your clothes," Vera said as they entered the foyer. "You leave for St. Bianca next week and I know you'll need to buy things."
Naomi numbly climbed the stairs, Katrina following her. Ronal had left and she'd be gone herself before he got back. When they reached the landing, she turned to Katrina.
"What did Ronal mean about being here indefinitely?"
"He's not going east. He'll work with Mama and Brian for a year, then make up his mind what he wants to do. I'm so glad he's come to a decision. He was miserable until he did."
"So you and Mama talked him into staying."
"We did not! He decided. I'm glad he's going to stay, though. He'll be here when we're home on vacations."
"What's the status of your--affair with him?"
Katrina bit her lip. "It's not like that."
"Well, I call it an affair, because that's what it is."
Katrina's cheeks flamed and she rushed past Naomi to their room.
Naomi stared after her, tamping down her guilt at baiting her sister by telling herself it was no more than Katrina deserved. She didn't want to share a bedroom with her twin any more, but supposed she was stuck in the same room with her until they left for St. Bianca. If she made an issue of it now, Mama would be sure to wonder why. Best to wait until they were at St. Bianca and then write and tell Mama she and Katrina had decided to have separate rooms when they came home for Thanksgiving.
Because she was stuck going there, no way of avoiding it now that Ronal had caved in. She should never have gone to see Samara, she should have stayed right here and argued with him.
Dinner was a quiet meal with only the three of them, plus Frances at the long dining room table. And Frances, she knew, was planning to return to San Francisco to nurse her ailing sister. Thinking about it gave Naomi a glimpse of how lonely her mother must be with Daddy dead.
No wonder her mother wanted Ronal to stay on here. Still, it was terribly unfair to him.
"I hope you'll decide to travel, Mama," she said.
"Being along in one place is the same as being alone in another," Vera responded.
"You could buy another house, maybe in San Francisco where there are things to do."
"This is my home," Vera said. "I've grown too accustomed to Hallow House to give it up for a strange place."
"I'll never tie myself to a place," Naomi said. "I want to be able to go anywhere, any time, and not worry about what I leave behind."
Katrina and Vera both stared uncomprehendingly at her. "Travelers grow weary," Frances put in. "Everyone needs a place to come back to."
"I like it here," Katrina said. "I like the idea of it just being here waiting for me when I go away."
"That's how your father felt," Vera said.
Naomi excused herself and went upstairs, on impulse slipping into Ronal's room. He hadn't taken all his belongings--clothes hung in the closet. She took down a shirt she'd seen him wear and held it to her face a moment before rehanging it. Wandering over to his dresser, she opened the top drawer, empty except for a comb. He'll never miss this, she thought, taking it and sliding it into the patch pocket on her skirt. Now she had something of his. Then she lay on his bed, her head on the same pillow he'd used. But that made her wonder if Katrina had been in this bed with him.
She pushed the thought away, telling herself men were like that. Everyone said a man would make love to any girl if she offered herself, whether not she meant anything to him. And, after all, if Ronal wanted her, as he'd said he did, Katrina was almost the same, wasn't she? This thought disturbed her so much she shot up from the bed and left the room.
Not wanting to go to the room she shared with her sister, she wandered along the corridor until she stood outside Delores' door. After a moment she opened it and entered. Avoiding so much as a glance at the portrait, she retrieved the journal and the pendant from the drawer and made her way up to the north tower.
Just to read the journal in private, she assured herself. She had no intention of opening the secret panel. When she sat on the window seat and opened the journal, the chain and pendant slid out, dropping to the floor. Picking it up, she stared for a moment at the twins in the circle, then defiantly hung it around her neck. What was there to be afraid of?
Naomi began to read:
"Boris never comes to my bed any more. I must use the spell that will bind him to me if I wish to keep him in thrall."
Wondering if Tabitha had done that, Naomi flipped over the pages.
Naomi scanned the strange gibberish that followed, words she took to be the spell, flipping through the journal to the end. There were no more entries, just other
strange recipes and incantations, there was no indication of whether or not the binding spell had been successful.
Nestled between her breasts, the pendant felt warmer and heavier than it should be. She put her hand around it, intending to remove it. Instead, she found herself on her feet, staring at the wall concealing the secret panel.
She'd never actually taken a good look inside that that room. In fact, she'd barely been in it at all, just to drag Johanna out that night. What harm was there in taking a look?