by Leona Karr
An orangish light mounted on a high pole above the stairs gave an eerie cast to the brown, boxlike structure. The name of the houseboat, Nevermore, was carved in a wooden sign swinging in the wind, and a small rowboat tethered at the small dock made a moaning, sucking sound.
A sliver of light edged one of the curtained windows and was the only sign of occupancy. Courtney knew Aunt Devanna had only taken possession of the houseboat a few days ago, but she’d written that she had hired a woman to help her get settled.
A relentless flickering of shadows on the surrounding lake, and the play of boards under Courtney’s feet, added to her growing uneasiness as she stepped on the narrow deck of the houseboat and approached the front door.
Shifting the baby, she freed one arm and knocked loudly on the weathered wood. Nothing happened. Not a sound from inside.
She knocked again and the door opened slightly. She sensed someone peeking out, but couldn’t clearly see who it was. Courtney knew her aunt hadn’t seen her since she was a youngster, and they’d never exchanged photographs, so she quickly identified herself.
“It’s me, Aunt Devanna. I’m sorry to be arriving so late. You gave good directions in your letter,” she offered the reassurance. “I found the houseboat without any trouble.”
The door slowly opened and a woman was silhouetted by the small light behind her. Courtney couldn’t see her features clearly as she opened the door wider and motioned her inside.
When she didn’t say anything, Courtney said, “I really appreciate your invitation to come and spend the summer with you.”
As they stepped into the light, Courtney could see that her aunt was a rather plain, sturdy woman, about five foot eleven, with hair obviously dyed to cover any gray. She was plainly dressed in slacks and a pullover, and looked a lot younger and healthier than Courtney had expected.
The frown on her aunt’s face eased as her gaze dropped to the baby in Courtney’s arms, and a visible warmth rose in her face.
“This is Jamie,” Courtney said quickly, pleased at her aunt’s reaction. As she reached for the baby, Courtney promptly handed Jamie into her waiting arms. “He’s probably ready for his nightly bottle and another diaper change.”
“A baby boy.” Her aunt’s voice was soft and loving as she gazed at the infant. “How old?”
“Four months,” Courtney answered. Her aunt must have forgotten that she’d told her his age in one of her letters. At the time, Courtney had been concerned that Devanna wouldn’t appreciate all the fuss and paraphernalia that a baby required, but that worry was put to rest as she watched her aunt sit on the couch, cuddling Jamie.
How sad that Devanna had never had any children of her own, Courtney thought, watching her with the baby. Her aunt had married a man twice her age, and when he died, she’d inherited a modest lifetime income that allowed her to withdraw into herself and live as a recluse. She must be close to fifty years old now.
Courtney’s mother had rarely heard from her sister. Apparently there had been some friction between them. After her mother’s death, an exchange of Christmas cards with her aunt had been the extent of their communication until Devanna learned of the death of Courtney’s husband and the birth of the baby. No one was more surprised than Courtney when her aunt made the effort to mend family ties. As Courtney watched Devanna with the baby, she was glad she’d decided to come.
Glancing around the houseboat, Courtney could see her aunt had made little, if any, preparation for their arrival. In fact, it didn’t even look as if Devanna had gotten herself settled in. A galleylike kitchen area at one side of the room had numerous boxes sitting on the counters. There were stacks of books on the floor waiting to be put on shelves. Clothes were piled on chairs in the sitting and dining areas.
“Haven’t had time to straighten up,” her aunt said as she watched Courtney’s gaze pass over the clutter.
“I thought you had hired a woman to help you.”
“She didn’t work out,” she answered flatly. “I had to get rid of her.” For an instant it seemed as if a faint smile hovered on her lips.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Courtney answered, puzzled why her aunt would be pleased about the situation. “Well, I’m here now, and you can tell me what needs to be done.”
Jamie let out a wail that settled matters for the moment. Courtney hurriedly heated a bottle and accepted her aunt’s offer to give it to him.
“Thanks, I’ll go bring everything in from the car. I need to boil some bottles and water for a new batch of formula.”
“You’ll teach me how,” her aunt ordered in a commanding tone that startled Courtney. “You’ll show me everything.”
“Yes, of course,” she responded, totally surprised, not knowing exactly how to handle her aunt’s insistence on caring for the baby.
Courtney made several trips up and down the narrow steps as she unloaded the car. The houseboat was a big disappointment. All imaginary pleasures of living on the water quickly faded as Courtney realized what little privacy she was going to have.
Having seen Hollywood’s version of romantic life aboard such accommodations, Courtney had allowed herself a foolish hope that her visit would be, at the very least, a change from her humdrum routine. The present situation mocked those idle fantasies.
There was more living space in some of the modern RVs Courtney had seen. The houseboat sitting area was divided from a small galley by a counter and barstools. The kitchen included a three-burner cooktop and a small refrigerator crowded with just the things Courtney had unloaded from the ice chest. No dishwasher, but it was blessed with a compact clothes dryer mounted on top of a washing machine. At least she wouldn’t have go out every day to wash the baby’s soiled clothes.
There were two sleeping quarters, small but private.
“That’s mine,” her aunt said in a warning tone to Courtney and she quickly shut the door of one, as if to emphasize that it was off-limits. “You and the baby take that one,” she said curtly, pointing to a door opposite hers.
The sleeping compartment was postage-stamp sized with bunk beds, a small closet, and barely enough floor space to turn around. Courtney set Jamie’s bassinet on the lower bunk, settled him in it, and eyed the top bed with less than enthusiasm.
“It’s plenty big,” her aunt said in an argumentative tone when Courtney didn’t say anything.
“And the bathroom?”
“Right there.” Devanna pointed out a minuscule bathroom crammed in between the two sleeping compartments. The floor space was scarcely big enough for the necessities of toilet and shower, and a couple of small shelves were already filled with her aunt’s toiletries.
Courtney’s expression must have registered her irritation because her aunt quickly opened the door of a small cupboard under the sink. “You can put your stuff here. And there are some extra towels for the baby—and you.”
Devanna smiled with such satisfaction that Courtney was taken aback by the sudden warmth in her eyes. Maybe everything was going to work out after all.
“I’ll get Jamie bedded down for the night, and then we can talk.” Courtney said, anxious to keep her aunt in a good mood. Even though she was dead tired, she knew it was important that they get off to a good start.
Her aunt’s behavior was not at all what Courtney had expected from her friendly letter. Except for her loving attention to the baby, Devanna seemed totally indifferent to Courtney’s presence. Her responses to questions were vague and noncommittal. Even though Courtney knew her aunt had been a recluse most of her life, her lack of social skills was startling.
As soon as Jamie nodded off to sleep, Courtney returned to the sitting room to have some quiet time with her aunt, but she wasn’t there and her sleeping compartment door was closed.
Courtney made a cup of tea, hoping it would help her stay awake until her aunt returned and they could chat. She eased down in a recliner chair that was as well worn as the couch.
The dank, musty smell that Courtney had noticed before seemed ev
en stronger as she sat there in the muted light. The constant sound of a mooring chain clanking against the dock scraped her nerves. As the wind battering the houseboat grew stronger, the ever-present movement of the floors increased under her feet. A sharp peppering of rain against the black windows created a trapped feeling that finally brought her to her feet.
She’d waited long enough. The get-acquainted conversation with her aunt would have to wait until tomorrow. Jamie was sleeping peacefully as she kissed his warm cheek. Just looking at him, she had a sense of purpose in her life that she’d never had before.
As she settled in the upper bunk, a cacophony of weird noises echoed across the water. They were like voices rising and falling in warning. Courtney tried to close her ears to them. Tomorrow in the sunshine, everything would feel different.
Wouldn’t it?
Chapter Two
Courtney spent a restless night, and it seemed to her she’d just dropped off to sleep when Jamie made his presence known and demanded his early-morning bottle. She threw on a robe and picked him up.
His demanding cries would surely wake her aunt at this ungodly hour, she thought as she tried to hush him, but as she hurried past Devanna’s closed door, muted sounds of someone talking and laughing were faintly audible.
Did she have someone in the room with her? The idea was so preposterous, Courtney quickly shoved it away. A radio! Of course. Devanna must be an early riser, listening to an early wake-up program, Courtney decided as she hurried to the kitchen.
Having some company at this early-breakfast hour would be a pleasant change, Courtney thought as she laid the baby on the sofa, changed his diaper, and braced him with pillows while she heated his bottle. She expected her aunt to join them at any time, but Jamie finished his bottle and dropped off to sleep, and still Devanna hadn’t come out of her room.
As Courtney passed the closed door on her way to put Jamie in his bassinet, she listened for the earlier sounds, but there was only silence. Apparently her aunt had fallen back asleep.
Courtney eyed the top bunk, but decided to get dressed instead of going back to bed. She debated about taking a shower before she dressed for the day. If Devanna had gone back to sleep, she didn’t want the sound of the water to awaken her. Better wait until later, after they’d established some kind of mutual routine, she decided.
A displaced feeling was steadily growing in spite of the fact she’d only just arrived. It was probably fatigue that was making her feel jumpy, she reasoned as put on her last pair of clean jeans and a comfortable summer knit top. She’d quickly lost the weight she’d gained with Jamie, and her wardrobe was very pragmatic, mostly denims and summer cottons. She doubted that she’d need anything more during her visit. Her one good outfit would do if Devanna wanted to go out somewhere.
The rain had stopped during the night, leaving a moist fog behind. As the sun began to break through lingering gray clouds, wispy tendrils of a mist rose from the lake. As Courtney looked out the windows, she felt as if the houseboat were floating away into an unknown dimension of nothingness.
It was midmorning before Devanna emerged from her room. She wore dark slacks and a plain green blouse. In the daylight, her complexion looked ruddy, and the deep creases in her forehead showed.
“I made coffee,” Courtney told her quickly, wanting to get the day started off right. “And I could fix you something.”
“I don’t eat breakfast,” she answered ungraciously. “Where’s the baby?”
“Asleep, but he should be waking up anytime now. I’ll be giving him his bath.” Courtney smiled. “He likes it. Splashes water all over the place.”
Devanna just gave a dismissing wave of her hand. “I’ve got business this morning.”
Clearly, her aunt had other things on her mind as she walked over to the counter and picked up a notepad. “Here’s the grocery order. The delivery boy will pick it up when he makes today’s delivery. Make a list of what you want, and he’ll bring it next time.”
“We don’t have a phone?”
“Not unless you’re to fork up the deposit and pay the monthly charges. Not worth the money to me.” She added, “Paying the city for electricity and water hookups isn’t cheap, either.”
“I’ll pay my share of everything.”
“Then I think we’ll get along.”
After she left, Courtney realized that her aunt hadn’t left any money on the counter for the grocery order. When the boy came, she paid for the delivery and gave him both grocery lists.
“Thanks,” he said when she gave him a tip, and looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected one.
Her aunt was gone for most of the day. A poignant loneliness mocked Courtney’s high hopes for the summer. How she had looked forward to enjoying a sense of “family,” instead of facing the world on her own! When Aunt Devanna had reached out to her, she felt that she wasn’t totally alone anymore, but nothing could have been further from the feelings that plagued her now.
Ever since she’d arrived, her aunt’s welcome would have been totally without any interest or warmth except for the baby. Why? What had happened? Was Devanna regretting the invitation she’d extended in her letter?
As the hours crept by, Courtney struggled to understand her aunt’s behavior. Living as a recluse for years had made her aunt a loner. No doubt about it.
I’ll just have to be patient, she told herself, entertaining a pang of sympathy for her aunt. I’ll win her over. Instead of judging her, I’ll find ways to make her life a little happier, and, hopefully, change some of her eccentric behavior.
DESPITE COURTNEY’S valiant efforts, several days passed without much change in her aunt’s behavior. Her disinterest in Courtney continued, at the same time her growing devotion to the baby intensified. Devanna quickly learned Jamie’s schedule, and was eager to feed him, change his diaper and lull him to sleep.
Courtney couldn’t have found a better nursemaid. With time on her hands, getting the houseboat in shape fell to Courtney. She organized her aunt’s belongings as best she could, and was puzzled at Devanna’s disinterest in the books she’d brought, and the unfinished embroidery in her sewing basket.
When Devanna wasn’t caring for the baby, she spent a lot of time in her room with the door shut. Other times, she left the houseboat in her gray van without offering any explanations as to where she was going, or where she’d gone. She had a habit of bringing back fast food for herself, but never any for Courtney.
“I didn’t know what you’d like.”
Why didn’t you ask? Her aunt’s lack of interest in any open communication between them baffled Courtney. Devanna never reminisced about the past, nor shared any childhood memories of growing up with Courtney’s mother. Any attempt to engage her in casual conversation fell flat.
Even though they were docked, Courtney felt isolated from everything and everyone by water, so she spent uninterrupted hours on the narrow deck encircling the houseboat. The weather had turned clear and warm, and the view of the surrounding mountains and the ever-changing water of the lake was a balm to her growing discomfort.
She loved watching the activity on the lake. Private boats, large and small, dotted the dark blue waters. Water-skiers created white wakes like rooster tails as they skimmed by, and two commercial tourist vessels made many runs a day. Sandy beaches were filled with swimmers of all ages, but Courtney never had the urge to get into the water herself.
She spent time reading some of her aunt’s books, but when she spied a small ladder leading to the flat roof of the houseboat, she welcomed a new way to spend her idle time. A perfect place for sunbathing!
Her spirits rose as she quickly changed into her swimsuit and grabbed her suntan lotion. Since her aunt had disappeared on one of her mysterious drives, and Jamie was taking a morning nap, she was free to have a pleasant time in the sun.
She climbed up the ladder, and was getting ready to stretch out on the roof when the noise of an approaching boat caught her attention. A sle
ek cruiser skimmed the water with a foamy wake, and she watched as it docked at another houseboat a short distance away.
Her sigh was filled with envy. The old rowboat that her aunt had said came with the rental of their houseboat didn’t appeal to her, and she doubted that she would ever try to take it out on the lake.
Keeping a motherly ear for any sound of Jamie, Courtney let herself relax for the first time since her arrival. The warm sun felt lovely. After a few minutes, she sat up, preparing to turn over on her back, but as she glanced across the water, she was startled to see the sleek cruiser heading in her direction.
As it came closer, she could see a man wearing a nautical cap and white sports clothes at the wheel. She couldn’t believe it when he eased the boat into their dock, next to the rowboat.
Who in the world?
Hurriedly, she descended the ladder and made her way around the deck to the dock side. She was absolutely stunned when she came face-to-face with the man she’d encountered at the restaurant the night of her arrival. She couldn’t find her voice to even say hello.
Neil pretended to be as totally surprised to see her. “Well, I’ll be! Can you believe it? Remember me? The rescuer of baby bottles and maps?”
More than once the helpful stranger had been in Courtney’s thoughts as she’d wondered what would have happened if she’d only seized the opportunity to get to know him.
He laughed deeply at her astonishment and held out his hand. “Neil Ellsworth. It’s nice to see you again. I guess it’s a small world, after all.”
“Yes it is,” she echoed. “Courtney Collins.”
Her hand felt soft, yet firm in his. “Nice to meet you, Courtney.”
“Why—?” she stammered. “I mean I don’t understand. What brought you here?”
“Business,” he answered with a solemnity that contrasted with the twinkle in his eye and the curve of his lips.
She smiled back. “What kind of business?”
“I’m your landlord.”
“What?” she gasped in total surprise. “You own this houseboat?”