“Hello, Michelle,” Pierre said. There was a look of indecision on his face. Emilie sensed her father was dealing with a lot of turmoil, and hoped her news would help lighten his load.
“Okay, tell me what you two are arguing about?” Michelle said.
Emilie wanted to tell her news, but figured she should find out what was happening first. She took Jeremy’s hand and led him to the sofa, where they sat and silently watched the show. She looked at him, and noticed him smiling. He already knew enough to expect a spectacle when Robert was around.
“Don’t you worry, Michelle. Father’s just overreacting again. He seems to be blaming me for some unthinkably sinister scheme.” Robert rolled his eyes, his patience clearly challenged. “It seems Father’s imagination has gone a little wild lately.”
“And just what is this sinister scheme?” Michelle asked.
“None of your beeswax,” Robert retorted.
She was relentless. Being the youngest, Michelle usually got what she wanted and she used her advantage every chance she got. Robert adjusted his sleeve cuffs as he gathered his thoughts. He loved being center stage, and once again Emilie watched him turn his face into the mask he wanted them all to believe. Her brother cleared his throat and took a deep breath.
“So now, what brings you home again, Michelle? Of course it’s a pleasure to see you again, just a little surprised, is all,” Robert said. “But it’s perfect timing.” He scanned the room, and smiled. “Now that we’re all here, let me tell everyone my good news.”
Michelle clapped her hands. “I love good news.”
“The other day, I told Emilie and Jeremy a secret. I planned on getting engaged to Rachael La France, and I asked them to keep it to themselves. We weren’t ready to announce anything publicly. But, the truth is, we didn’t want to wait. We were secretly married the other day. We eloped!”
Emilie gasped. “Rob, what the hell did you do that for?”
Robert smirked. “Relax, Emilie. We plan on having a big wedding party to share our happiness with everyone, but later when it’s convenient.”
“Well it’s sudden, don’t you think,” Michelle snapped. “What’s with all you people? Since when does everything have to be a big secret?”
Robert shook his head, a look of annoyance on his face. “I was hoping that my family would support me, but I guess I was wrong. Michelle and Em, please be happy. I love Rachael and I’m lucky she’d have me. And despite what Father seems to think, I’m not scheming something horrible. I don’t know what his problem is, Rachael and I love each other, and I hoped someone would just be happy for a change.” Robert rolled his eyes again and with exaggerated distress said, “Please, someone say congratulations.”
Congratulations? Emilie felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. She twisted his words to find meaning, but could only form accusations. The reason for her hurried trip with Jeremy had been to break the curse quickly, before Robert married Rachael. Now, the entire trip was for nothing. One question flooded her thoughts: Did Robert marry Rachael before the curse ended? She was speechless for a moment. Jeremy reached over and placed his hand on her arm. Emilie took a deep breath.
Michelle hugged Robert, a wide smile plastered across her face.
“Well, congratulations. But, Robert, why all the secrecy? Why not wait? And Father, why do you think this is a horrible scheme?” Michelle backed up. “Why are the two of you arguing over this? This is supposed to be a festive occasion.” She turned to Pierre and said with frustration, “Father, can’t we just for once be a normal family? Tell us, please, why aren’t you happy for Robert? What do you know that we don’t?”
Pierre didn’t say anything. The tension in the air was thick.
Emilie regained her composure and stood up. They all turned to look at her. A lump stuck in her throat. She swallowed and asked, “Why didn’t you wait for us to get back, Robert? When did you and Rachael get married?”
“We were married a few days ago. Right after you left on your impulsive trip to Florida. I hope you enjoyed it, by the way,” he said.
He smiled too much, a telling look that Emilie was beginning to recognize. It gave her little comfort as he continued.
“I guess you inspired us with your impetuous trip, Emilie. Rachael and I fantasized about a small romantic ceremony, so on the spur of the moment we did it. We went to a little chapel in the country and tied the knot, as they say. Then we took a couple of days off. You were right, Emilie, I needed a stress break.”
“I said a vacation, not an elopement. Jeez, Robert, how could you?”
Robert ignored her question, took a swig of his drink, then cleared his throat.
“Anyway, then we came home and told Father. He was upset, but not because we eloped without the family,” he glared pointedly at their father. “He didn’t care about that, he was never one for celebration, as we all know. No, he was upset because he thinks Rachael will die because of that damned curse. That’s all he cares about these days. He’s obsessed!”
Robert turned around, addressing Pierre. “You really think I deliberately married Rachael so that she’d die from the family curse? As if I’d want my new wife, the most beautiful woman in the world, to die. It’s absurd, old man. Why would I? I don’t even believe in curses.”
His voice rose contemptuously with each word.
Something was horribly wrong. She closed her eyes and reached out, trying to read his emotions, but she was blocked by a wall that surrounded her brother’s heart.
“Robert, did you tell Rachael about the curse? Did she know?”
“Please, Emilie. I told you, I don’t believe in that damned curse.”
Emilie tried to understand his motivation. She looked at him candidly and said, “Well, just in case you do believe in it, don’t worry. We took care of it.”
Robert raised his head and looked back at her. He seemed hostile, and she watched as he broke out in a sweat. He loosened his collar. What is going on in his head? Once again, she was afraid of her brother, and what he was capable of.
“What do you mean, you took care of it how? What have you been meddling into now? Can’t you just leave well enough alone? You are always trying to fix everything, fix everyone. Well, some things and some people just aren’t worth fixing. What have you done, Emilie? You left home and went snooping around, meddling in things you weren’t supposed to, it just causes more trouble whenever you go overboard.”
“Don’t talk to Emilie like that,” Michelle blurted. Jeremy got up from the sofa and stood beside Emilie. Robert sneered at him, then stepped away, shaking his head.
Her brother turned on her, as if he had baited her and was waiting for his sister to respond. “Well, Emilie, what did you do?”
“It was real, you fool,” she said. “So, we took care of the curse, of course. The curse is gone, and now you and your wife can live a long happy life.”
“Ha! You too? There is no curse, at least not in the sense you’re describing. Nothing looms over this family but bad luck.”
He took a swig of his scotch and then swirled the remaining liquid. He stared at his glass and seemed to be in a moment of deep contemplation. His expression changed from angry to grief-stricken, and finally to disheartened. However, Emilie couldn’t feel anything from behind his wall. Finally, he broke the thick silence.
“Unfortunately, I seem to be under that dark cloud right now. Just a few days ago Rachael and I were the happiest we’ve ever been. Then she suddenly fell ill.” Robert harrumphed. “I’m afraid it’s serious,” he said. Robert’s voice was flat, with no emotion.
“What the hell does that mean, Rob?” Michelle said.
Emilie wondered what he was talking about, as well. To her it seemed he was enjoying himself, putting on a big show for them all. Then a pinch of guilt made her regret her assumptions about Robert’s intentions. Maybe he is distraught.
“Rachael is very sick, and it’s not because of a damned curse. I’m upset and really need everyone�
��s support right now, not accusations about some absurd plot.”
He bowed his head, begging for some compassion. “Yes, I may have married her before you broke the damned curse, so technically she was cursed when marrying me, but none of that matters. The curse never even existed.” Robert let out a bitter laugh. “You people are foolish to believe in such nonsense. Let’s put the whole thing aside for now.”
“She’s in the hospital, getting tests done,” Pierre said.
Robert turned around and gave more details.
“Something suddenly came over her yesterday when we returned. Nina and I brought her to the hospital right away. She’s sick and so far the doctors don’t know why, they can’t explain it. Fools and medicine. It’s just like when Mother got sick. That’s why Father is blaming the curse, and why we’re arguing. He’s reliving his own past.”
Emilie was sickened by the update, and frantic about Rachael. How were they going to help her now? It was the curse, what else could it be? Emilie felt so helpless again.
“Are you sure you don’t believe, Robert?” Michelle asked with a skeptical look on her face.
Robert glared back at her.
“Well, I’m just asking. Others seem to believe in it, and she’s loaded, after all. Even though you don’t need more money. Still, the idea of a dying wife just terrifies Father, right? Do you want to terrify our father?” Michelle was taunting Robert now.
Robert’s face fell with dejection. “You know, I thought we had a better relationship than that, I might expect that kind of accusation from Emilie, but how many years was I there for you in Boston? Father and Emilie never had a good word to say about me, but I expected more loyalty than that from you, Chelle.
“I’ve never made any secret of my indifference to Father. He must know in his heart why. He knows how he betrayed Mother, and that Tom Bennett was more of a father and mentor to me than he ever was!”
Emilie’s heart shattered. It took a second for her to realize it was her father’s emotions spilling over with another break-in. Pierre’s spirits sunk and his heart cracked. So many pieces needed to be put right. She felt his guilt, all of his regret.
“Tom Bennett corrupted you, Robert. He wants to pit you against your own father. Don’t you know when you’re lied to and being used?” Pierre’s voice shuddered in horror.
Emilie took a deep breath to pull herself together. She waved her hands and fanned her face. Tom Bennett, the same man who had stopped at her table in France. What was his game? Emilie remembered the awful feeling Bennett had given her, the evil she had experienced. What is he doing with my brother? She went to her father, and slipped her arm in his.
“It will be all right, Father.”
Pierre shrugged. “No, you children don’t understand. None of you know how bad this is, Tom Bennett is a cruel man. He traumatized your mother and me, and vowed to hurt us. He harassed us for years, then finally we thought it was over. Then your mother died. And now he’s using you, Robert, as retaliation.” He hung his head, and Emilie understood his profound sorrow.
“How could you, Robert? Trust a stranger over your own father?” Pierre sounded confused. “Whatever he said to sway you, they’re lies.”
Robert’s face turned red with rage. His trembling hands yanked back his hair, and then in a raised voice, a pointed finger in the air, he screamed, “Don’t tell me who I should listen to, old man! He was there for me, not you! And what you did to Mother—“
“I loved your mother with every fiber of my being.” Pierre had tears in his eyes.
Robert ignored him. “I’m going to the hospital now to visit Rachael. I will bring my wife back to the house tomorrow, no matter what you people think.”
“Now the truth comes out!” Pierre shouted in return. “You put too much stock in what Mr. Bennett tells you. Do you always believe strangers over your own father?”
Emilie knew Bennett was rotten. She reached out her hand toward her brother.
“Robert, I think you should listen—“
Robert turned and stomped off, slamming the front door behind him.
Pierre’s brow rose, his eyes wide, still looking confused. He shook his head, as though trying to shake off the argument. Emilie was bewildered, as well. She looked over at Michelle, but she seemed to be the only one in control of herself. It appeared as if she had just found answers, not questions. Emilie had known her sister had information she wasn’t sharing, and now Emilie was the only one out of the loop. Should she ask questions about what the hell had just happened? Watching her father, she decided to let things cool down first.
Tears persisted in the corners of her father’s eyes. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped them dry.
“I am sorry for that display. Jeremy, you must think we are lunatics in this house. The sad truth is we are a house full of agony, and sorrowful memories. It seems some dangers refuse to die and some scars never mend.”
Pierre looked down at the floor, pausing for a moment. “Father Eddie told me what you were up to, and I can’t say that I approved. You could have gotten into serious trouble, but I want to thank you for watching over Emilie. She would have been alone through the ordeal if you hadn’t gone with her, so thank you for that. I’m glad that it’s over and you’re both safe.”
Pierre patted Jeremy’s shoulder.
“Thank you, sir,” Jeremy said.
“Now, I have grave concerns about Rachael’s health. I’m afraid it’s too late. I think she’s dying. I remember when she was a little girl visiting Emilie, and they read together, over there by the window. Why, I watched her grow up beside you, Em, as if you were sisters. I guess you two are sisters now. It seems like only yesterday.”
Emilie was surprised that her father had even noticed them. Since Mother died, he had always seemed so obsessed with his own pain. She watched as he paced and wrung his hands, feeling the faintest comfort at the knowledge that he had taken notice all those years ago.
“Now this, this is what’s left for her. Robert married her right after he heard what you were doing; he overheard me speaking with Father Eddie. And now that beautiful child is dying. He’s my son, but I don’t even know him. How could my own flesh and blood do such a cruel and selfish thing? What can I do now to keep that poor girl alive? I need to protect my family’s future.”
Pierre dropped his head. From the corner of her eye, Emilie watched as Michelle came to her father’s side.
“Father, you’re kidding, right? Cheer up, there is no curse.” Michelle looked over to Emilie, giving her a stern glare, and then she looked at Jeremy. “Why do you all insist on this being real? Rachael will get better, you’ll see.”
Pierre snapped back into his familiar self, and mumbled as he moved toward the doorway. He wrung his hands as he left the room, absorbed with his own pain.
Emilie walked over to Michelle and hugged her, ignoring her protests. Then she motioned Jeremy to join her, and they shared a group hug, a moment of solidarity. Jeremy was the first to break away and kill the silence.
“Okay, girls, let’s work this situation out. Everything will be all right. First, let’s look at the facts.” He squeezed them, and tried to lift the mood. Then he rubbed his hands together, and paced. “We eliminated the curse, but not before Rachael and Robert were married. Maybe the curse is still gone, maybe not.”
Emilie nodded. “If the curse managed to stick around, it might have gotten to Rachael’s spirit before it lost its power, you know, because we were burning the graves it was threatened and was in a hurry to get her into its grip.”
“If you’re right, and it took hold of her spirit because the curse was on borrowed time, that explains why Rachael got sick so quickly. The question is: was she actually cursed, or is it all a coincidence? Did we miss something else?” He laughed at himself. “Listen to me, I sound like some sci-fi nut! If only we could ask Doctor Who to use his TARDIS. Go back and change things a bit to help Rachael.”
“Okay for real now, what c
an we do?” Michelle said.
“I know,” Emilie said. “Let’s have a talk with Father Eddie and ask him for ideas.”
“It seems Father Eddie has too many ideas!” Michelle snapped back.
“I’ve got nothing else, Emilie, so I’m with you,” Jeremy said. “Let’s see Father Eddie. Michelle, you’re coming with us, too.”
“Oh no! Don’t drag me into this.”
Emilie took Michelle’s hand and tugged.
“Hello, is anyone listening? There is no curse! This is ridiculous,” Michelle said.
“Then you have no reason not to come and see him, right?” Emilie smiled as she pulled Michelle by the hand and led the way to the driveway. Just as they piled into Jeremy’s truck, it began to pour.
“Great, is this an omen or what? I think maybe we should stay home, guys,” Michelle said.
Jeremy turned the key without heeding her protests, started the engine, and drove off.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
They drove to the rectory in silence as the storm outside pounded against the truck. Flashes of lightning illuminated the horizon. Finally they arrived at the rectory and rushed to the front door. The rain poured down on them. They didn’t waste time ringing the bell, but just plowed right into the front foyer. They hung their dripping coats, and noticed a light on in the parlor.
Father Eddie stood in front of the fireplace. The flames filled the rectory with warmth against the cooling storm. Hearing them enter, he turned to see who was there. A smile swiped across his face.
“Michelle, it is so nice to see you. It’s been so long since you stopped here for a visit. Thank goodness Emilie and Jeremy dragged you back to Memphis. We miss you.”
He turned to Jeremy. “So, tell me all about your travels. How did it go? You really haven’t been gone long, I’m surprised you’re back already. I thought you two might make a vacation out of your trip. Oh, and by the way, I received the packages you sent. Thank you.”
“Things went very well, Father. With your help, we got lucky. We burned everything as instructed, even the effigies.”
BREAKING CURSED BONDS Page 21