The Perfect Revenge_A Thrilling Romantic Suspense

by Madyson Grey

  As soon as they had things done there, they hurried home to get ready for Thanksgiving. Victoria made up signs to post at the ticket booth and in the train station and gift shop stating that they would be closed Thanksgiving Day, Friday, and Saturday, but would reopen Sunday morning at ten. That way, the staff would have three days off, but they would still catch some of the holiday crowd on Sunday.

  Lena took Tuesday and Wednesday off from the gift shop to stay home and cook up a storm. She bought a huge turkey that should feed twice as many people as were coming. She made certain that there were plenty of cans of olives and cranberry sauce, tubs of whipped cream, butter, and bags of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.

  Wednesday she spent making up the stuffing in advance, peeling a small mountain of potatoes and cooking them ready to be mashed the next morning. She cooked the sweet potatoes, and after they were cooled, she peeled and sliced them into a couple of large baking dishes to be layered with butter, brown sugar, and topped with miniature marshmallows

  Jan was bringing her three pecan pies and Darlene was bringing two large pumpkin pies. Grandma Ericksen was bringing her special green bean casserole, and Manuela was bringing dinner rolls and a couple of apple pies.

  On Thursday morning, the guests began pouring in around eleven o’clock. The counters and dining table filled up with food. Darlene and Jan both brought extras, too—a Waldorf salad and a coleslaw. The men all congregated in the family room, out of the way of the women, but close enough to supervise.

  The women all bustled around in the kitchen and dining room area, bumping into one another, giggling, and, getting everything set out and ready to eat when the turkey would come out of the oven around one o’clock.

  When Lena called for everyone to gather around the long dining room table, everyone was more than ready to eat. Victoria directed traffic at the table, seating the couples opposite each other down the sides of the table, with the two single ladies, Manuela and Lena, also opposite each other. Rafael and Victoria were at each end, of course.

  “Before we begin eating,” Rafael said after everyone was seated, “I would like to do something that we are not accustomed to doing. But in light of everything that has transpired in Victoria’s and my lives in the past year and a half, we are very thankful just to be here today, to be happy, healthy, and surrounded by family and friends. So I would like to ask you to all bow your heads while I offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for all He has blessed us with.”

  Everyone nodded and smiled as they all bowed their heads while Rafael offered a simple prayer of thanksgiving for life, health, family, and happiness. When he was finished, everyone echoed his “Amen.”

  Then the chatter resumed while the passing of the food began, and Rafael carved the turkey and passed slices of it around the table. While the food was being served, Rafael suggested that, because not everyone knew everyone else, that they go around the table and each one tell just a little bit about themselves, such as where they were from originally, and one special thing that they were thankful for that day.

  That proved to be interesting, and took up at least fifteen minutes or more, as twelve people took their turn at speaking. There were six different states of birth represented there, as well as two other countries—Sweden and Mexico.

  The meal was eaten leisurely and with much pleasant conversation. By the time the meal was over, no one felt like a stranger or an outsider, even though some had never met before that day.

  Manuela had only known Lena and the kids before that day. She had met the Ericksens, but hadn’t really gotten acquainted with them. Uncle Mac and Aunt Diane didn’t know anyone there except for Rafael, Victoria, and Lena, and they were just getting acquainted with them.

  Even with the age differences, from grandparents to adult grandchildren, everyone just chattered away as if they were all old friends. A couple of times through the meal, Victoria caught Rafael’s eye and they exchanged that secret smile of satisfaction that only married couples know.

  To Victoria, the meal was a dream come true. Holidays in her childhood had been so austere, thanks to Marian’s cold, formal stiffness about everything in life. She had heard the other kids at school talk about going to grandparents’ homes with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins, and how much fun and love there was, and she was sad and envious all at the same time that she had never experienced a holiday like that.

  Now here she was with her new family: her mom, her grandparents, and an aunt and uncle, besides new friends. It was almost overwhelming, when she could be quiet long enough to let it all soak in. At one point, when she just surveyed the table for a moment, dwelling on each face there, tears came to her eyes with the sheer joy of the moment.

  But lest people wonder what her problem was, she immediately changed her focus to a funny story that Uncle Mac was telling, narrowly avoiding the tears spilling over and being noticed.

  When not one more morsel of food could be eaten by anyone, they all pushed away from the table. The men went back into the family room to watch a football game on TV, while the women cleaned off the table, took care of the few leftovers, and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

  When everything was tidied up again, the pies were left out on the countertop to be eaten at will.

  “Shall we go out on the patio and sit?” Victoria suggested. “I think it’s warm enough out there. Or are any of you gals into football and would rather watch the game?”

  Aunt Diane and Darlene were the only two women who grinned at each other and made a dash for the family room to catch up on the game. The others happily went outside to sit on the patio and carry on girl talk. Signe claimed one of the lounge chairs, and soon had dozed off in the autumn sun. But when the sun began its descent to the horizon, the air cooled enough that the women abandoned the patio for the warmer temperature of the house.

  The game was nearing its end, and tummies had settled enough that pie was in order. So the women all busied themselves dishing up pie and whipped cream and distributing them around to the men, and to Aunt Diane and Darlene who were glued to the TV set.

  Grandma and Grandpa Ericksen were the first to leave. Grandpa’s hip still bothered him when he got too tired. Jim and Jan, Ted and Darlene left together a little while afterwards. Uncle Mac and Aunt Diane were going to spend the night, and go home in the morning, as it was too long a drive to start out in the evening. Longer than they wanted to do, when it wasn’t necessary.

  Manuela had also been asked to spend the night so that she didn’t have to drive all the way home in the dark alone. Victoria and Lena had readied the guest rooms at the first of the week, so each of the guests could just take themselves off to bed whenever they so desired.

  Manuela turned in first, leaving just Uncle Mac and Aunt Diane up with Lena, Victoria, and Rafael. It didn’t take long, however, for Lena to excuse herself and go to her suite to get ready for bed. She was quite worn out from much cooking.

  Victoria and Rafael sat up for another hour getting to know Uncle Mac and Aunt Diane better, and learning even more about Marian and her and Mac’s early childhood. But by ten, even the four of them were ready to call it a day.

  Lena and Manuela had waffles ready to bake when Rafael and Victoria came downstairs Friday morning. Uncle Mac and Aunt Diane were just a few minutes behind them. After breakfast, Uncle Mac and Aunt Diane left to go home. Manuela stayed a little longer, but she left soon, too.

  That left just Lena and the kids, as she always referred to them, alone in the house. After so much company, the house was in remarkably good shape. All that really needed doing was the floors and the bathrooms. Manuela had insisted on cleaning up after breakfast, including mopping the floor. In the interest of peace, Lena had allowed it, but under duress.

  “Why don’t you kids get out of here and go do something and let me clean this house in peace and quiet?” Lena said, shooing them out of the kitchen where they had been talking to her.

  “I should be helping you, Mama,
” Victoria protested.

  “Oh, pshaw. I don’t need any help,” Lena argued. “Go for a ride or something so you’re not underfoot.”

  They looked at each other and shrugged.

  “Hey, she’s your mom,” Rafael said. “Don’t look to me for help.”

  “I guess we’d better mind, then, huh?” Victoria said with a grin.

  “Looks like it. Go get your purse, or whatever you have to do to get out of here before we get in trouble.”

  Rafael laughed and ducked out of reach of Lena’s towel that she snapped at him.

  “Sassy young thing, aren’t you?” she groused good-naturedly. “I should have kept your mama here to see how you really behave.”

  “She thinks I’m a good boy. You wouldn’t want to ruin her image of me,” Rafael teased.

  “Ha! I bet she knows,” Victoria laughed, scampering away before Rafael could catch her.

  She dashed upstairs, ran a comb through her hair, and grabbed her purse. Her hair had grown out to its normal length of just past her shoulders. It had taken nearly a year, but here it was, just as it had been for many years.

  “So where are we going?” she asked Rafael as he opened the car door for her.

  “I don’t know. Where do you want to go? I guess we have all day to fool around.”

  “I know. Let’s drive up to Solvang and just look around,” Victoria suggested.

  “Okay, where’s that? I’ve never heard of that place.”

  “It’s up the coast just north of Santa Barbara a little ways. It’s a Danish town. I was there one time with Daddy when I was a kid and always wanted to go back again.”

  It turned out to be a little over an hour and a half’s drive up to Solvang, but they had the time and the freedom to go, and the journey was as enjoyable as the destination. They had a great time poking around in all the cool shops and sampling Danish goodies until late afternoon, when they headed the car back toward home.

  Lena had the house spotless and was relaxing in her suite with Rosie when Rafael and Victoria got home. She came upstairs when she heard them to see if they were hungry, or if they had already eaten out.

  “We ate on the way home, so we’re not hungry,” Rafael told her.

  “I hope you weren’t waiting for us?” Victoria said.

  “No, I wasn’t waiting for you,” Lena replied. “I haven’t eaten yet, but not because I was waiting on you. I just wasn’t hungry yet.”

  “How about if I fix you something?” Victoria offered. “You’re always cooking for us. Let me wait on you for once. What do you want?”

  “That’s part of my problem,” Lena said, a slight frown creasing her brow. “I don’t know what I want. Nothing much sounds good tonight. I think I ate enough yesterday to carry me through today.”

  “Would you like a bowl of soup?” Victoria asked.

  “Maybe I’ll just have a bowl of cold cereal,” Lena said, opening the cupboard and pulling out a box of Cheerios.

  Victoria got a bowl down from another cupboard, and got a spoon out of the drawer.

  “Do you want a banana cut up in it?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but I can do it,” Lena insisted, picking up a banana from the counter.

  While Lena ate her cereal, they told her about their day. Lena said that after she cleaned the house, she took her mom shopping to a couple of the Black Friday sales, and they had lunch out, too. After she ate, she excused herself and went back downstairs.

  Rafael and Victoria lounged around in the family room and watched TV for a couple of hours. Victoria made popcorn during a commercial break and poured them glasses of pop. By nine o’clock they were upstairs getting ready for bed.

  Chapter Seven

  Saturday they both lazed in bed, not in any hurry to get up for once. It was seven-thirty before they showed their faces downstairs, instead of their customary time of six. They were a bit surprised to find the kitchen empty. Lena was always in the kitchen when they came downstairs.

  “Maybe it’s because we’re so late,” Victoria suggested. “She probably gave up waiting for us and already ate and went back downstairs.”

  “Or maybe the holiday caught up with her and she overslept,” Rafael offered.

  “Maybe.”

  They both looked at each other, an uneasy feeling growing. Suddenly they both bolted for the steps that led down to her suite. Standing in front of her door, they hesitated.

  “What if she’s sleeping and doesn’t want to be disturbed?” Rafael whispered.

  “I’m going in to check on her,” Victoria whispered back.

  So saying, she quietly turned the doorknob and tiptoed inside the living room and on over to the bedroom door. She peeked inside, and saw Lena lying there in bed. She started to back out when Lena’s eyes fluttered open.

  “Are you okay, Mama?” Victoria asked softly, stepping over to the bedside.

  “I feel awful,” Lena replied weakly.

  Victoria put her hand on Lena’s forehead, just as Lena had done countless times to her when she was a child. She was burning up with fever.

  “You’re hot,” she said. “Do you have a thermometer down here?”

  “In the medicine chest.”

  Victoria stepped into the small bathroom off of the bedroom and opened the medicine chest. Finding the thermometer, she took it back and stuck it in Lena’s mouth. In just a minute or so, the digital readout showed her temp to be 104 degrees.

  “You’re going to the doctor,” Victoria said decisively.

  “I don’t feel like getting up. I tried to a little while ago, but I’m too nauseated and dizzy to stand up,” Lena told her.

  “Then I’ll call a doctor to come here,” she said. “I’ll go call Dr. Stevens right now. He’ll come. I’ll be right back. I just have to run upstairs and get my cell phone. Do you want a drink of water or anything?”

  “No, nothing, thanks.”

  Victoria paused only long enough to fill in Rafael and then hurried upstairs to find her phone. Dr. Stevens was still in her contacts list, so she had his phone ringing in a matter of seconds.

  “Hi, Dr. Stevens? This is Victoria Rivera. Thornton.”

  “Hi, Victoria, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, but Mama is very sick this morning. I would like for you to come over and see her as soon as you can. She says she’s too sick to get up and go anywhere.”

  “What are her symptoms?”

  “Her temp is a hundred and four, she’s nauseated and dizzy, she says.”

  “I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

  “Do you have our new address?”

  “Oh, no, I don’t. What is it?”

  By the time Victoria gave him the new address, he was already getting into his car and putting the address into his GPS.

  “This thing says I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” Dr. Stevens said. “I’ll try to beat that. Keep her down and put a cold washcloth on her forehead.”

  Victoria went back down to Lena’s room and did as the doctor told her. Rafael hovered in the background, wanting to be near, yet half afraid of what Lena might have being contagious.

  It seemed like a long thirty minutes before the doctor buzzed the gate, and Rafael hurried to let him in. He waited by the door to lead the doctor down to Lena’s suite. Victoria sighed in relief when he walked in the room, and she moved out of his way.

  Dr. Stevens examined Lena and asked pertinent questions. His diagnosis was food poisoning, after Lena told him what and where she had eaten the day before.

  “That restaurant has had several problems with food poisoning lately,” Dr. Stevens told them. “As soon as you told me you had eaten there, I was sure it’s food poisoning. Have you vomited yet?”

  “Not yet, but I feel like it. I just can’t get up to the bathroom,” Lena said.

  “Get a big pan and put here for her,” Dr. Stevens instructed Victoria. “And bring her a glass of Coke or Seven-Up if you have it. If you don’t, go get some. And some saltines.�
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  Victoria hustled upstairs to do his bidding. Fortunately, there was a nearly new two-liter bottle of Coke in the fridge, so she poured some into a glass, and then carried it and the bottle down to Lena. Rafael followed with the large pan that Victoria had gotten out of the cupboard, and the package of saltine crackers.

  Dr. Stevens held the glass up to Lena’s lips and guided the straw into her mouth. She took a couple of sips and then turned her head away. A few seconds later, she began to retch, and the doctor grabbed the pan from Rafael and held it under her face.

  Victoria fled at the first sound of vomiting. She couldn’t bear the sound, the smell, or the appearance of vomit. She didn’t know how she was going to care for Lena until she got well. She needn’t have worried. Rafael soon brought her a message from Lena.

  “Call your grandma,” he told her. “She’ll come up and take care of Lena. She used to be a nurse and she can handle it.”

  Victoria looked at him sheepishly, but gratefully, and reached for her phone to make the call.

  “Hi, Grandma? This is Victoria.”

  “Hi, Vicky. What’s up?”

  “Mama is sick and wants you to come up here.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Signe chuckled.

  “No matter how old you are, when you’re sick you want your mama,” she told Erik as she walked out the door.

  When Victoria placed the call, Rafael dashed out to the garage, fired up the quad, and roared down the hill to pick up Signe.

  “Chauffeur-driven service,” she quipped as she climbed aboard.

  “At your service, ma’am,” he replied with a nod and a grin.

  “So what’s wrong with my little girl?” she asked as they buzzed back up the hill.

  “Food poisoning, according to Doc Stevens,” he told her. “Seems the restaurant where you ate yesterday has a bad reputation for serving food poisoning along with the shrimp.”

  “I’m not sick,” Signe said, looking puzzled. “But then, I had meatloaf. Lena had the shrimp. Guess I’m lucky I don’t like shrimp.”

  “I’d say you are this time, anyway.”