Alice sighed. “Okay, in that case, let’s hope that Louise does not see them at lunch.” She shook her head. “I feel so bad about all this.”
“Just remember,” said Jane. “No matter what happens, it’s not your fault. Neither of those kids is your responsibility.”
“So you say …”
After lunch, Alice resumed her post. She knew that Jane was right, that these kids were not her responsibility, but she could not help feeling concern for Laura, and more than anything, she wished that Adam had never shown up at their inn. It was clear that he did not want to be here and was only here to see Mark. Or so she assumed. What a relief it would be to find out that Mark did not even know Adam and that this was all simply a silly mistake. They would kindly send Adam on his way to who knew where, and then they could all get on with life.
Chapter Eight
It was nearly three when Adam and Laura returned. Alice was a nervous wreck. It probably didn’t help the state of her mind that she was reading a mystery that involved an abducted woman. Maybe Louise was correct about her taste in books. She set the novel aside and rose to greet them.
“Did you have a nice lunch?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said Laura. “Considering the size of this town, I suppose it was okay.”
“I’m going to my room,” said Adam, and without offering to take Laura upstairs, he disappeared.
Laura looked somewhat dismayed and, once again, Alice felt sorry for her. “What would you like to do?” asked Alice.
Laura shrugged. “I’m kind of tired.”
“Want me to help you to your room?”
“Yeah, please.”
With Laura safely in her room, Alice resisted the urge to barricade the door and went upstairs to her own room. There, she attempted to work on the baby quilt, leaving her door open and trying to keep her ears tuned in case Laura needed something or attempted to make another foray from her room. Alice could not stop her, of course, but at least she would know where Laura was if the Winstons came home and wondered where their daughter had wandered off to. Alice sincerely hoped that they would get home before Laura and Adam decided on some new excursion.
Alice had been relieved to see that the Langleys had decided to walk to town this afternoon. She had told them about the Coffee Shop’s delicious blackberry pie and had assured Mr. Langley that the walk to town was a mild form of exercise that would probably be therapeutic for his back. And now, she told herself, she should enjoy this peaceful time during which it seemed that nothing much was going on at the inn. She considered taking a nap herself so that she would be refreshed and energetic by the time Mark arrived. She felt a current of nervous energy running through her, however, and suspected that even if she were to lie down, she would not be able to sleep. And so, she carefully pinned and then checked each quilt piece to be sure the right side was up, then meticulously sewed, pausing now and then to listen to the silence of the inn.
Concentrating on her sewing diverted her thoughts from Mark, and she was surprised when she looked up at the clock to discover it was nearly five. Concerned about Laura, Alice went down to the second floor to look around. All was quiet, but this did not reassure her. Deciding that she could use Laura’s health and her need to have regular snacks to balance out her insulin shots to excuse the interruption, Alice knocked on Laura’s door. When no one answered, Alice grew even more concerned. What if Laura has had a seizure? She hated to intrude, but she felt that she had to check on the girl. Alice quietly opened the door and glanced around the room. “Laura?” she called. No answer. Alice tiptoed over to the open bathroom door, but she saw that the room was empty.
She stood in the middle of the room gathering her thoughts, then she decided to check on Adam. She didn’t care if he was insulted by her doing so. She knocked on his door and, when he didn’t answer, she took the liberty of peeking into his room. To her surprise, it was completely devoid of any personal items, as if he had checked out. Alice closed the door and headed downstairs. Maybe her sisters would know what was up.
Jane was putting away her gardening tools when Alice came out into the backyard and asked her about Laura and Adam.
“I haven’t seen them,” said Jane. “But Adam’s car isn’t in the parking area and it’s not out front.”
“Oh dear.” Alice held the shed door open for Jane. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen the Winstons?”
“Sorry. But I’ve been back here all afternoon.” Jane hung up her hoe and closed the door. “I did see the Langleys coming back from their walk. They said they were going to have a little nap and then perhaps try going out for dinner if Mr. Langley’s back continued to hold up.”
Alice nodded. “Oh, good for them.”
“Don’t worry about Laura,” said Jane. “She’s seventeen and responsible for herself. And, keep in mind, even her parents can’t seem to control her. Who knows? Maybe this is a good thing for her. After all, her parents have been concerned about her lack of independence.”
“That’s true. It’s funny, isn’t it? Sometimes you want something so badly, and then you get it and you’re not sure that you want it anymore.”
Jane looked at her sister, her eyebrows arching slightly. “Are we still talking about Laura?”
Alice gave a rueful little laugh. “I don’t know. Anything I can do to help in the kitchen while you’re cleaning up?” She pulled a twig out of Jane’s hair.
Jane looked at her overalls and held up her dirty hands. “You really think I need to clean up?”
Alice smiled. “Not if you’re trying to impress Adam.”
“Yeah, right. If you could go ahead and start a green salad that would be great. Do you think Mark will be here in time for dinner?”
“I have no idea. It was Louise who took his reservation.”
“Well, I put a roast in the oven, just in case. Although he may want to take you out tonight, Alice.”
“I doubt it,” said Alice. “Remember we still have the Adam factor.”
“That’s true. So does that mean you don’t think he ran off with Laura?”
“Well, let’s hope not permanently.”
As Alice shredded lettuce and peeled carrots and cucumbers, she wondered where Laura’s parents were and how they would react if they came home to discover that Laura and Adam were gone and that no one knew where they went. Once again, she prayed. This time she prayed primarily for Laura. Alice could not imagine how it would feel to be blind. She knew that God could bring good out of what seemed like a terrible situation, but Alice could not imagine what good thing that might be. Under the surface of her worry for Laura was annoyance with Adam. She had specifically told him that he should not take Laura anywhere without her parents’ permission. He could have at least informed Alice that they were going out.
“Hello in there?” called a familiar male voice.
Alice dropped the vegetable peeler and listened.
“Mark!” she heard Louise say. Alice attempted to compose herself, but already her heart was beating so hard that she felt like she had just run a footrace.
“I am so glad to see you,” said Louise. Hearing her, Alice felt that the primary reason her sister was glad had to do with Adam. “Alice?” Louise called out. “Are you down here?”
“I’m in the kitchen,” she called back as she hurriedly took off her apron and rinsed her hands. “I’ll be out in a minute.” Before she finished drying her hands, however, Louise had brought Mark in.
“Look who’s here,” said Louise, proudly showing off Mark as if she had produced him herself.
Alice smiled and extended her hand. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again.” She examined him more closely. “You look wonderful—a little thinner perhaps, and there’s a bit more white in your beard. Very distinguished.”
He looked into her eyes as he continued to hold her hand in a warm grasp. “You look even more lovely than the last time I saw you,” he finally proclaimed.
“Oh, Mark …”
&n
bsp; “As does your sister and this inn and the entire charming town of Acorn Hill.” He released her hand and turned to Louise with a smile. “Am I just getting old or is life getting sweeter?”
She laughed. “Well, since you’re asking me, I must admit that age does sweeten a few things.”
“Mark!” cried Jane as she entered the room. “You’re finally here.”
“In the flesh,” he said. “And as I was telling your sisters, everything about this town looks lovelier than the last time I saw it. As do you, Jane.”
“Thank you, kind sir.” She laughed. “We need more charming gentlemen around here.”
“Speaking of gentlemen,” said Mark, turning back to Alice, “has my guest arrived yet?”
The sisters exchanged a quick look, then Alice asked, “Adam?” holding on to the hope that Adam had nothing to do with Mark.
He smiled. “Oh, good, he’s here. Kids sometimes have different ideas about schedules.”
“Yes,” said Alice. “He actually arrived yesterday.” She thought, Was it really only a day ago that he came? Goodness, so much has happened.
“Is he in his room?” asked Mark.
“Well, to be honest, I’m not sure where he is,” she admitted with a frown.
He noticed Alice’s expression and asked, “Is something wrong?”
Alice glanced uneasily at her sisters, unsure of how best to proceed. “Perhaps we should talk,” she said to him.
“Maybe we could take a walk,” he suggested. “I’d like to stretch my legs after that drive.”
“That’s an excellent idea.”
Soon they were outside, and Mark was admiring Jane’s handiwork in the garden. “I’m not exaggerating, Alice. Everything looks so lovely to me in this town. Maybe it’s the springtime or maybe I’m just glad to be here.”
“It’s a lovely time of year.”
He looked at her. “Or maybe it’s you.”
She felt herself blushing. Unprepared to be moving in this direction so quickly, she decided it was best simply to express her concerns about Adam openly. “Mark, we need to talk about Adam,” she said in a serious voice.
“Certainly.” He nodded as they continued to walk. “I didn’t realize he’d get here before me or I would’ve explained his situation. I’m sorry.”
“His situation?”
“Yes, he’s going through a rough time, and I feel it’s my responsibility to help see him through. I thought if he met me here in Acorn Hill, we could discuss his future.”
She cleared her throat. “Uh, what exactly is your relationship to Adam?”
“Didn’t I tell you?”
“No, not that I recall.”
Mark slapped his forehead. “I’m getting forgetful in my old age.”
Alice felt as if she was holding her breath now, waiting for Mark to answer.
“Adam is my godson,” he said as they neared the house where Vera and her husband, Fred, lived. “His father Gregory Peterson was my best friend from grammar school and throughout college. He was the best.”
“Was?”
Mark nodded sadly. “Evidently, I didn’t tell you about this either. I suspect it was because I was so depressed by the news myself, I probably didn’t want to burden you with it.”
“What happened?”
“Gregory and his wife Amy were killed in a car wreck.”
“Oh dear, how tragic.”
“Adam had just started his second year of college. An only child, he was shattered by the loss.”
“Of course.” Now Alice felt bad for not having been kinder to the boy.
“His grandmother, who is quite elderly, wrote me that Adam was having some problems and that she was concerned. Apparently, he has dropped out of college to travel, he told her. She thought that he was just going through a phase, grieving or something.”
“That is entirely possible.”
“Yes, but months passed, and he continued living in what she describes as his ‘dead-end’ lifestyle. She was very frustrated and hoped that I could help. That’s why I invited him to meet me here.”
“I see.”
He paused and gave her a concerned look. “I hope it hasn’t been an inconvenience.”
Alice decided simply to tell him what had been going on and how it had been disturbing to her and her sisters. Even as she related those things, she felt guilty for the pettiness of their assumptions. “I feel so bad now,” she admitted. “I mean, if I’d known what Adam was going through, well, I’m sure I would’ve been more patient, as would have Louise and Jane. But we just weren’t aware. And then there is the situation with Laura and her parents.The Winstons are so worried about her blindness and how she’s adjusting and, well, Adam has just seemed to exacerbate things. And now with them both missing—”
“Missing?” Mark sounded alarmed now. “What do you mean?”
She held up her hands. “I’m not sure what I mean. All I know is that they’re both gone. And judging by Adam’s room, he could be gone for good.”
“Oh, I don’t think—”
“No, Mark. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I have no reason to think such a thing. I guess it’s just that I’ve been worried….”
“No, I’m the one to apologize. I’m so sorry that having Adam here has been troubling to you.” He sighed deeply.
“Well, I feel better about everything now. But to be honest, I am worried about him, Mark. After what you’ve told me, I would guess that he is depressed. That would certainly explain his lack of care about his personal hygiene and—”
“His personal hygiene?”
“You’ll understand what I mean when you see him. He’s been living in his car. Well, it all makes sense now. When I offered to do his laundry, he said no, but of course, if he’s depressed, he probably really doesn’t care.” She realized that she was almost talking to herself. “I’m sorry to go on and on.”
“No, it’s good to know these things. It helps me to evaluate the situation before I speak to him. I haven’t been around him that much since he grew up. I used to see him a lot when he was a little kid and his parents still lived in Philadelphia. We had some great times together, and I thought he was the greatest. I used to take him on small veterinary assignments with me, and he was actually quite helpful with the animals. Then the family moved a few hours away and my practice grew increasingly busy, and I rarely saw them after that. To be honest, those few times I did see the teenaged Adam, I thought that he had become selfish and spoiled. He never seemed to treat his parents with much respect, and I guess I didn’t really enjoy being around him.”
“Mark!” Alice pointed to the car coming down the street.
“That’s him! That’s Adam’s car.”
They both waved from where they were standing on the opposite side of the street, but Adam did not appear to notice.
“Oh dear,” said Alice, clapping her hand over her mouth.
“What?”
“He’s alone! Where is Laura?”
They both turned around and quickly began walking back toward the inn. “Trust me,” said Mark, “we’ll soon find out.”
Chapter Nine
They were both slightly out of breath when they finally reached the inn. They discovered Adam near his car, which to Alice’s dismay was parked once again on the street in front of the inn. Adam was standing slightly hunched, lighting a cigarette.
“Adam!” called Mark as they hurried over.
Adam looked up from his lighter. “Hey,” he said in a casual voice, as if he saw Mark every day. He snapped his lighter closed, dropped it into one of the pockets on his baggy pants and took a long drag from his cigarette.
For a moment, it looked as if Mark was going to hug Adam, but the young man shifted away and Mark shook his hand while lightly patting him on the back.
“You smoke now?” said Mark in a surprisingly parental tone.
Adam shrugged and slowly exhaled the smoke from his nostrils as he studied Mark and Alice.
>
“I suppose you’ve heard all the lectures about how that stuff can kill you?”
Adam shrugged again, then took another drag. “We’re all going to die anyway, Mark. That’s the unavoidable human condition.”
Mark frowned but said nothing.
“I’m wondering about Laura,” began Alice, “I—uh—I thought maybe she was with you.”
“Well, you can see that she’s not.”
“Do you know where she is?” asked Mark.
Adam shrugged. “Why should I know?”
“Haven’t you been with her?” asked Mark. “Alice said that you—”
“What?” snapped Adam. “That I abducted her?”
“No, not at all,” said Alice. “I only said that you two had been spending time together. Laura is not at the inn, and I don’t know where she has gone. And, well, her mother had asked me to keep an eye on her. I’m just worried.”
“Understandable,” said Mark, patting Alice on the back. “A missing blind girl is a serious problem.”
Hearing it put like that only proved to be more upsetting to Alice. She felt her eyes tearing and she reached in her trouser pocket for a tissue. “Oh dear,” she said.
“So, are you saying that you don’t know where she is?” Mark asked Adam again, this time in a very firm voice.
“Man, what is it with you people?” snapped Adam as he dropped his cigarette and snuffed it out beneath his grimy tennis shoe. “Say Adam, how are you doing? How’s life treating you, Adam? Just questions and accusations like you actually think I did something to Laura. It figures!” He shook his head and walked around to the other side of his car, climbed in, started the engine, gunned it and took off.
“Oh dear,” said Alice. “He is upset.”
“I didn’t handle that well,” admitted Mark as he rubbed his beard.
“I’m afraid that’s my fault,” said Alice. “I shouldn’t have dumped all that information on you before you’d had a chance to speak to Adam.”
“Your concern for the girl was legitimate.” He sighed. “I wonder if this is how it would feel to be parents.”
Memories from Acorn Hill Page 6