The Gilded Curse: Will the young heiress be the next victim of her family's curse?

by Marilyn Turk

“Slowly, I’m afraid. A leak in the roof caused the leak upstairs, so we had to order some custom shingles to match the rest of the roof. With the war diverting supplies and manpower, it will take longer to get them.”

  The war. For the past few hours, she had forgotten about the war. No doubt the rest of the partiers had too.

  “I feel guilty for enjoying myself while our soldiers are fighting.”

  He pulled her close and rested his head against the top of her hair. “I know. I’ve had those feelings too. But they’re fighting so we can keep these freedoms. What else can we do? We can’t bring the party to them.”

  “Good thing there’s the USO to entertain the soldiers. And celebrities like Bob Hope who take the shows to them overseas.”

  “That’s true. I’m sure the soldiers who have the opportunity are very appreciative.”

  The song ended, and when Lexie looked around, she and Russell were the only couple left.

  “May I offer you a ride back?”

  The girls she had come with were nowhere in sight. They probably assumed she had left with Spencer.

  “Please. It appears my ride has left without me.”

  “How fortunate for me.” Russell winked at her, his dimple teasing.

  “Excuse me a moment, please.” He strode over to each member of the staff who worked the party, thanking them for their service, before returning to her. No wonder they respected him.

  He and Lexie gathered their things, and he helped her with her coat. They donned their hats and gloves before heading outside to the car. Lexie glanced at the roadster Spencer had driven, sitting in the same spot with no Spencer in sight.

  “I suppose one of his buddies gave him a ride back,” Russell said as he opened his car door for her.

  “Or maybe he walked. A long walk in this cold might do him good.”

  Russell chuckled as he got in the driver’s seat. “So if we see him walking down the road, do you want to give him a lift?”

  Lexie jerked her head. “Would you really offer him a ride?”

  He laughed out loud. “That would be the Christian thing to do, wouldn’t it? Treat others the way you’d like to be treated?”

  “You must be a very good Christian, then.” She knew she wouldn’t extend the offer.

  “No, Lexie. I’m not good, just forgiven.” He reached over and patted her hand. She cocked her head and studied him. How could he do Spencer a favor after the way he’d acted? Personally, she never wanted to see Spencer Bardwell again, and quite honestly, didn’t care if he did have to walk home.

  Russell pulled up in front of the clubhouse, got out, and came around to get her. They hurried up the steps and into the warm building.

  “So would you like to go see Destiny in the morning? I can meet you at breakfast. Are you planning to be there early as usual?”

  Lexie glanced at the clock showing midnight and stifled a yawn. “I don’t think I’ll get up as early tomorrow.”

  “Me, either. Why don’t you come up to my office when you’re ready, and we’ll have breakfast there?”

  “Sounds swell.”

  He leaned over and Lexie closed her eyes, ready for the kiss she expected. But he brushed her on the cheek with his lips instead.

  “Good night, Lexie.”

  “Good night, Russell.”

  She plodded up the stairs in a daze as the evening’s events swirled through her head. The irony that she had to fight off Spencer’s kiss but couldn’t get one from Russell was difficult to grasp. Russell had referred to their ‘friendship’. Why did she want to believe their relationship was more than friendship?

  Lexie dressed quickly in the morning, anxious to be with Russell again. Seemed like it’d been ages since they’d spent any time together. She studied herself in the mirror, twisting her mouth at the reflection. She wore the same pants and one of the three blouses she’d brought with a cardigan buttoned over it. Russell must be tired of seeing her in the same things. Good thing for the laundry at the club. Besides, Destiny didn’t care what she wore.

  Years ago, she would have been able to call home and have one of the maids pack up some clothes for her and ship them down. Not anymore, though. All the former servants had either retired or died, and no one had been hired to replace them. The housekeeper only came once a week, since the house didn’t need much cleaning—not with just Lexie there. And Lexie questioned if she needed to come that often.

  Lexie grabbed her hat, coat, and gloves then hurried out the door and down the hall to the stairs. When she reached Russell’s fourth-floor office, the door was open. She peeked in the door and saw him at his desk on the telephone. He motioned to her to come in. Lexie entered and put her things down on the chair across from him. A fire glowed in the fireplace, spreading its warmth through the room. As she strolled over to the windows to look out, shafts of golden sunshine pierced the glass and played with the colors of the Persian rug on the floor.

  Outside, the branches of the surrounding trees whipped back and forth in the gusty wind. She peered down on the Grand Lawn, empty of people, possibly due to the early hour or the brisk weather. It would be a cold walk to the cottage. Behind her, Russell hung up the phone.

  She turned to see him approaching.

  “Good morning, Sunshine,” He lifted her hands and clasped them together in his as he gave her a cheerful grin. “You look lovely today, Lexie.”

  She crinkled her brow. She didn’t look any different today than any other day, as far as she knew. “Thank you, Russell. Good morning to you too. You seem to be in a happy mood.”

  “I am. Happy to see you!”

  A surge of hope bubbled through her as she realized the feeling was mutual. She couldn’t help but smile back. How could anyone resist his enthusiastic good nature?

  “Come have a seat. They’ve already brought breakfast.” He motioned to the silver tray on the coffee table. She walked over, picked up the coffee pot, and glanced at him.

  “May I pour your coffee?”

  “I’ve already had a cup, but I’d love to have more, especially if you’re serving.” He picked up his cup and saucer from the desk and held it for her to fill. When he motioned for her to sit on the sofa, she obliged and took a cup and saucer for herself, placing a tea bag in the cup before filling it with water from the silver teapot. She dunked the bag several times before adding honey and lemon. Russell sat beside her and helped himself to a scone from the tray.

  “It looks pretty windy out there.” Lexie nodded to the windows as she sipped her tea.

  “Yes, it is. Perhaps we should take the car instead of walking to the cottage.”

  “Whatever you want to do. We might warm up during the walk.” Lexie eyed the ladder going up into the turret.

  Russell followed her gaze. “Would you like to take a look through the telescope?”

  “Sure, I’ve always wanted to do that.” A ripple of excitement tickled her stomach.

  “Okay. Get some more hot tea in you first. It’s probably pretty chilly up there.”

  After she finished her tea, she hopped up from the sofa. “I’m ready.”

  Russell smiled with his eyes and set his cup down. “Swell. Good thing you wore your pants. Climbing that ladder in a skirt would be rather difficult, I’d think.”

  Lexie took the rungs of the ladder and climbed, Russell right below her. She reached the top and pulled herself up. Russell did the same and stood beside her in the small turret room of the clubhouse.

  “Wow. The view up here is spectacular!” The cloudless azure sky was breathtaking in the brilliance of the winter sun, adding crispness to the objects below.

  “There’s St. Simons Island. See the lighthouse?” He pointed to his right.

  “May I?” She tapped the telescope which sat on a tripod.

  “Of course. And if you look over there, you can see the dock at Brunswick.”

  “I had no idea you could see so far.”

  “On a clear day like today, you can see quite a
ways.”

  “No wonder you could see the launch coming from Brunswick.”

  “It helps to know when to look for it too. That way, we have time to assemble the staff to meet the guests at our dock.”

  “You’ve always done that, haven’t you?”

  “Well, someone has. I haven’t been here forever. Even though sometimes it feels like it.”

  She glanced up and studied his face. A muscle twitched in his neck as he gazed out the window.

  “I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this view. It’s so exhilarating!” She moved the telescope around to get different perspectives of the panorama, then stood and straightened her back.

  He shifted behind her and raised his arm, pointing. “See the marsh across the river? A man could get lost in there, with so many waterways winding through it.” He put his other hand on her waist and steered her to the left. “Over there is Moss Cottage, the Vanderbilt house.”

  Her stomach danced as the close warmth of his body sent electricity through hers. She struggled to focus on the objects he pointed out, resisting the urge to lean back against him. But no, that wouldn’t be fitting for “friends”.

  She returned her gaze to her right, trying to see Destiny’s roof.

  “Do you think the workmen are at the house now?”

  “No. It’s Saturday, and they’re not working today.”

  “Russell, have they seen anything else suspicious?”

  “No, not really.”

  She tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

  “Well, they said they thought some of their tools may have been moved around, but I wonder if they’re imagining ghosts. After all, who would want to bother their tools?”

  “Who would want to prowl around the house in the first place?” Lexie said, with her hands on her hips.

  Russell shook his head and shrugged. “Are you ready to go there now?”

  “Sure.” At least no one would be prowling around in the daytime, especially on a gorgeous day like today.

  He swept his arms toward the ladder. “After you.”

  Lexie backed down into the office and Russell followed.

  “Another cup to keep your insides warm before we go?” He motioned to the tea.

  “No. I’m rather anxious to see the place now.”

  “Okay.” He assisted her with her coat, grabbing his hat and coat off the coat rack by the door on the way out.

  When they stepped outside the clubhouse, a gust of wind almost blew Lexie down.

  “Looks like we better take the car,” Russell said.

  Lexie thought about the view from the tower as they drove to the cottage, still invigorated by the experience. Somehow, just being above the world removed her from the problems below. Even a glimpse of the tennis courts, a reminder of her ordeal with Spencer, failed to dampen her spirits.

  As they pulled into the driveway, Lexie spotted one of the guards riding a horse down the road toward them. Russell hailed him when they got out of the car.

  “Lexie, I need to talk to the guard a minute. He’s been riding watch this morning. Go on into the house and get out of this wind. I’ll be there in a jiff.”

  He handed the keys to Lexie. She glanced at the rider, wondering if he had news to report.

  As if reading her mind, Russell added, “I’ll let you know if he saw anything interesting.”

  She smiled and nodded, then hurried to the porch to get out of the cold. The door opened easily, apparently serviced by the workmen. The scent of fresh-cut lumber greeted her as she stepped inside. The place looked better, cleaner and spruced up—such an improvement over her first visit.

  The back door banged against the house and she jumped. Did someone come in there? She froze and listened. The door banged again and again. Of course, the wind must be creating the problem. Why couldn’t they ever fix that door? She headed to the kitchen to try to latch it tightly. As she rounded the corner past the dining room, she saw him. From somewhere deep inside of her, an unearthly sound emerged, and she screamed.

  Chapter 34

  A spine-chilling scream ripped the air, sending shock waves through Russell. He jerked his head toward the house as the screams continued. Lexie!

  His heart pounded as he sprinted toward the house, ignoring the pain in his foot. He leaped up the front steps and rushed to the door. The screaming continued, coming from the rear of the house near the kitchen. Racing to the dining room, he turned the corner and found Lexie standing over the body of Abner Jones.

  He pulled her into his arms. “I’m here, Lexie.” She sobbed into his shoulder while he hugged her close. As he stroked her hair, he stared at the unmoving form lying on the floor. “There, there.”

  Abner Jones lay crumpled face first on the wooden floorboards, a trail of scarlet blood from a gash in the back of his head had run down his neck to a dark puddle beneath. Whoever did this hit him from behind.

  Shaking uncontrollably, Lexie murmured, “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

  The guard rushed into the kitchen and knelt by the body. “He’s still warm. But from the look of this dried blood, it must have happened during the night.”

  Lexie turned her head to look at Abner and began sobbing again.

  “It’s my fault! He was looking after me! I’m the curse, Russell. It’s me. I got him killed!”

  “Shhh, Lexie. It’s not your fault.”

  “It is! It is! I should never have come back to the island.”

  The guard lifted Abner’s hand and gripped his wrist. “Hey, I think I feel a pulse!”

  Lexie stopped crying to look at the guard’s face. “Are you sure? He’s alive?”

  “Yeah, I think so, but just barely. He’s hurt pretty bad.”

  “Thank God. Let’s not move him. We need to get the doctor here right away. Would you mind staying here until the doctor comes?” Russell put his arm around Lexie and led her back to the dining room. “I need to get her to the clubhouse. I’ll call the doc from there.”

  “Sure, boss.” He regarded Abner. “Poor old guy. Who would do this to him?”

  Who indeed? Whoever it was, they weren’t just trying to scare someone. They were dangerous and not afraid to hurt anyone in their way. This had gone far enough. He had to find out who they were and put a stop to it before someone else got hurt. What if it had been Lexie? His heart wrenched at the thought. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

  Overcome with shock, Lexie trembled as Russell ushered her into the car. He needed to stay with her, comfort her, and protect her. But he was also anxious to find out who had done this to Abner. For now, though, he didn’t want to let Lexie out of his sight.

  When they reached the clubhouse, he left the car parked in front, helped Lexie out. He put his arm around her as they climbed the steps and entered the lobby, hoping to avoid curious stares from anyone watching.

  “Do you know where Dr. Hoover is?” Russell addressed the clerk at the front desk.

  “He left the dining room about an hour ago, sir. Perhaps he’s at the infirmary.”

  “Ring it for me, please.” The clerk complied while eyeing Lexie as he handed Russell the phone. Russell turned his back on the clerk and covered the receiver.

  “Dr. Hoover, Russell Thompson here. I need your help. Abner Jones has been injured. He’s at Destiny cottage—head wound … unconscious. Please get there right away. He’ll need to be taken to the infirmary … Yes, one of the guards is with him now … Thank you, sir. Please let me know how he is after you examine him. I believe he’s lost a lot of blood. Good-bye.”

  He handed the phone back to the clerk. “Have the kitchen send up some fresh coffee and tea to my office, please.”

  Russell kept his arm around Lexie’s shoulders as they made their way up the stairs. Lexie appeared dazed, lifting each foot as if it were a heavy brick. Times like this, it would be nice to have the elevator that had been discussed numerous times. Finally in his office, Russell took Lexie’s coat and led her
to the couch.

  When Lexie shivered, he re-lit the fireplace and added another log, then came back to sit beside her. His heart wrenched seeing her in so much pain. If only he’d had someone else watch the house, someone who might be more alert, or younger than Abner. Poor old man. Why hadn’t he taken the situation more seriously?

  He took Lexie’s hands in his and gently rubbed them. She stared across the room with red-rimmed eyes, acting as if she didn’t know he was there.

  “Lexie, the doctor is on his way. I’m sure Abner will be all right.” He hoped so, anyway, but he wasn’t really sure.

  She shifted her gaze toward him. “Do you really think so? He looked so … pale.” Her lips trembled as a tear slid down her cheek.

  He withdrew his handkerchief from his coat pocket and handed it to her. “Lexie, I’m praying so.”

  She shook her head and wiped her eyes, releasing a heavy sigh. “Russell, I was at a party having fun, dancing, while Abner…” She buried her face in her hands. “Oh, I feel so terrible!”

  “It’s not your fault, Lexie.”

  “But he was there because of me! He was hurt because of me!”

  “No, Lexie. That’s not true. Abner’s devotion to Destiny goes back a long way, before you were born. Remember, he was keeping an eye on the place before you ever arrived?”

  She nodded. “But I think he wanted to protect me too.”

  “Maybe so, but only because he cares about you. You didn’t force him to be at the cottage. He wanted to be there.”

  A choked sob. “He cared about me even though I had misjudged him.” More sobs.

  Russell pulled her into his arms and held her close. A soft knock on the door signaled the waiter’s arrival. Russell hated to let go of Lexie, but slipped her out of his arms to answer the door and admit the server. When he left, Russell poured Lexie some tea and coffee for himself. She held the cup with both hands, staring into the liquid as if expecting an image to appear.

  Russell strode over to the window and glanced down at the Great Lawn, noting how the wind whipped the trees around the perimeter. The temperature had dropped dramatically, quite a change from yesterday. He gazed across the room at Lexie, still focused on her cup. His stomach knotted with anxiety and a desire to make her happy again, to restore the happiness they’d enjoyed only hours ago.