Margaret wasn’t happy about Rusty, but she could see the difference he made in Elise. She’d take peace at any price, even a puppy.
ELISE AND RUSTY BECAME A frequent sight around town. Until he was old enough to be leash-trained, Elise carried him with her in a small basket. Miss Nadine was the one who surprised Elise the most, though. She adored Rusty. “I always wanted a boy to give me a dog. Nobody ever gave me one, though, and I guess I’m too old now.”
“Why, Miss Nadine, no one is ever too old to have something to love. I’ll ask Ty if there are any puppies left from the litter.”
Nadine stood up and faced the screen door. “I’d like it, but no, I don’t think so. I better not have a dog in the house.”
“But there’s no one but you . . .”
“No! I can’t have a dog in the house.”
“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”
Elise and Rusty left Nadine’s and walked to town where Ty was remodeling one of the stores. “Could you take a minute for a break?”
Ty looked absolutely stunned to see Elise and stared at her a few moments before he climbed down off the ladder. “Well, isn’t this something? Don’t often get callers on the job.” They started out the door and the guys working with him started calling, “Hey, Ty, you been holding out on us, buddy. Introduce us, okay?”
Ty gave a dismissive wave of his hand and followed Elise. “Ty?”
“Yeah?”
“You remember that day you said you’d take me any place I wanted to go—Tallahassee, or any place but the Myers’?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Will you take me to Tallahassee?”
“Sure, I will. But why?”
“I’ve applied to Florida State, and I want to see about getting a scholarship or work. I don’t want to take any money from my parents.”
“When you want to go? I couldn’t be gone more than a day ’cause I’ve got a deadline on this job.”
“It’ll just be a day trip, and we can leave early. Day after tomorrow? I have an appointment.”
Ty whistled, but then he gave her his famous smile. “I can do that. Pick you up about seven?”
“Let’s make it six, and meet me at the corner. I don’t want my folks to know.”
“Lord, Elise, you always have me on edge with your folks. You’re determined they won’t like me.”
“I like you. Won’t that do?”
“If that’s the only four-letter ‘l’ word you’ll give me, I’ll take it.”
Elise kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Ty. I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You don’t have to, you know.”
Her eyes softened and she wanted to kiss him again. Not on the cheek. Instead she whispered, “I know. Listen, I’ll leave a note for my folks. I just don’t want to say anything to them until it’s settled.”
“Okay. You know I can’t refuse you, don’t you?”
Elise smiled and looked up at him.
“Don’t look at me like that, woman. I have work to do.”
“Day after tomorrow then,” and she waved goodbye.
IT WAS A LITTLE AFTER five-thirty when Elise propped a note against the coffeepot and slipped out of the house. Ty was leaning against his truck, waiting at the corner. He opened the door for her and smiled. “Everything is always a conspiracy with you, isn’t it?”
“For now. Things will begin leveling out once I’m in school. I’ll be on my own, with my own money and out from under my parents’ thumbs.”
“I’ll miss you, you know.”
Elise leaned over and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. “I’ll miss you too, but it’s not like I’ll be that far away.”
“I thought you didn’t want to go to college.”
“I didn’t. But remember how I wanted to reverse things for Annelise? You know where that got me. Then I started thinking of Miss Nadine and how she always wanted to teach school. I decided I’d teach school for her. I’ll take school papers over and discuss things with her. I can’t reverse things for her, but maybe I can give something back that she missed.”
“You’re a good person. You know that?”
“No, just good-intentioned.”
It was a pleasant trip, Elise always aware of the comfort she felt being with Ty. They made a few stops and were in Tallahassee in plenty of time for her eleven o’clock appointment with the admissions counselor. Ty walked her to the office, and as soon as Elise spoke to the receptionist, he said, “I’ll explore a little and come back for you by noon.”
When Ty returned shortly before twelve, the receptionist said, “Oh, sir, we’ve looked for you everywhere. Miss Foster passed out, and they’ve taken her to Tallahassee Memorial.” Ty froze, but only for a moment, and started running.
After talking to the doctors at the hospital, Ty called Margaret at the shop and explained the situation.
“We’re leaving now, Ty. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” When Margaret and Edwin walked into Elise’s room, Ty sat by her bed holding her hand. His eyes were red and swollen from crying.
“Oh, my baby,” Margaret said, gently kissing Elise. “Has she been awake at all?”
Ty shook his head.
“I want her moved to Atlanta, Edwin. Tonight. She has to have the best of care. I want her moved to Emory tonight.”
“Margaret,” Edwin began, “that might not be possible.”
“You’re a lawyer, Edwin. She’s my child, and I want her in Emory. Tonight.”
She looked at Ty. “You know it’s a brain tumor? She may have had it since birth.”
Ty nodded. “I told them about the fall on the carriage stone, and there is a small blood clot, but the brain tumor is the real culprit.”
“I know. I’ve spoken to them by phone and again since we arrived. Edwin, I’ve never even told you this, but my mother died of a brain tumor. It’s something that’s always terrified me. All my life I’ve been afraid to even speak of it, afraid of causing it to happen. And now it’s happened anyway, but I won’t lose Elise. I won’t!”
Ty was unable to speak. All he could do was stare at the still form on the bed.
Edwin arranged to have Elise taken to Emory by ambulance early the following morning. Over the coming days and weeks, he saw a changed Margaret as all her latent maternal instincts came to the fore. She fought, argued, and pleaded with the doctors. She wanted her child back whole, but she’d take any part of her they could save.
They took turns at Elise’s bedside. Ty returned to Apalach for a few hours and then drove back to Atlanta. Margaret arranged for Dallas to take care of the shop and Rusty until they returned.
Following surgery, Elise’s head was bandaged, and she was connected to tubes from nearly every orifice of her body. Margaret and Edwin grew accustomed to having Ty in the room. He didn’t know if they discussed things in front of him because they felt he wasn’t there or because they’d come to accept him as belonging.
“If only her recovery is complete, Edwin. If they got it all. If there’s no permanent damage . . .”
“Yes, if only . . .”
“At least it explains all that business with the Myers and Annelise. You know, it occurred to me last night that it explains her make-believe friend when she was little.”
“It probably does. I still can’t remember what she called that kid . . .”
“I do. His name was Lawrence.”
“That’s it! Lawrence!”
“Yes, it all fits. All the pieces of the puzzle.”
It was more than a week before Elise opened her eyes. Her first words were, “Ty? Where’s Ty?”
Margaret stood at the window but turned and ran to the bed, sobbing, “Oh, my poor baby.”
Elise raised her hand to her face. “Was I in a fire? Where’s Ty?”
“Fire? No, darling, of course not, and Ty is just down the hall. He’ll be here shortly. You’re going to be okay. Your nightmare is over.”
EL
ISE HAD BEGUN TO FEEL she’d spent most of her life convalescing. Plastic surgery erased the scar from her fall, but nothing could erase the memory of her slow, painful recovery from having a brain tumor removed. The brain tumor explained everything to everyone but Elise. But she was tired, tired of trying to explain. A brain tumor didn’t require explaining.
Dear Ty didn’t ask for explanations. He wanted her on any terms. He made that plain. And she wanted him. He wasn’t Lawrence, but Ty didn’t need to be. He was wonderful in his own right, in his own way. He’d become an integral part of her life.
Through the long, dark months she kept one goal in mind. She still wanted to go to college. When Margaret found her working on applications for scholarships, she made a truly surprising confession.
“You don’t need to work or have a scholarship, Elise. I lied when I asked you to postpone college. There was never any question of money. Gene’s parents left a trust fund for your education. I knew the money would come to you in a year, and anyway, you would come to feel at home here in Apalach. A year would make a lot of difference.”
“I wouldn’t have minded working, but I admit I’m glad I won’t have to. This way I can finish school much more quickly and return here. Return home.”
Elise was eager to get on with her life when it seemed so much had been taken from her. But it wasn’t something she could rush, any more than she could ignore the void no one could fill but Lawrence Myers. Elise’s illness, in arousing Margaret’s maternal instincts, made her more alert to Elise than before. She came in the kitchen early one morning and watched as Elise stared out the window.
“Do you have a sore throat, darling?”
Elise shook her head.
“You keep swallowing. I’ve noticed you do that a lot.”
“Oh, that. Anxiety, I guess.”
“Would you like to talk to the doctor?”
“Please! I’ve seen enough doctors to last me a lifetime. I’ll be okay. Thanks, though.” Did you ever try to swallow your sorrow, Mother? When your marriage fell apart, didn’t you gulp it down, all the hurt and grief ? I swallow the loss of Lawrence and the love that won’t die.
Peyton kept telling her she was young and had plenty of time, but she resented the loss of time, of youth, of hope. Another Christmas had come and gone before she was able to leave for school. Her face was unblemished, and her hair had grown back. From scarves, wigs, and stubble, at last she had long hair again. It was dark, though, and this troubled her despite Margaret’s assurance that it was nothing abnormal. Margaret’s father had been a brunette. Elise was normal again. Perhaps for the first time.
No longer exploring but on familiar ground, Elise said her farewells. Nadine cried and walked toward Elise with outstretched arms when she saw her coming up the steps. “I won’t have anyone to look forward to now.”
“I’m going straight through, summers and all. I’ll be back before you know it. And remember, I’m counting on your help grading those papers.” She reached in her pocket and brought out three red pencils. “We can shed lots of blood together. I’m not kidding. I’m counting on you.”
Nadine looked around at the porch. “I guess we’ll have to bring a table out here and spread the papers.”
“Or we can sit at your dining room table.”
“Not inside.”
“Miss Nadine, do you know I’ve never been inside your house. Let’s go inside right now.”
“No! Please.” She stood with her back to the door and made a whimpering noise.
It’s Nick. She believes he’s in there some place. And Elise knew that
believing was almost as good as having. “It’s okay, Miss Nadine, I understand.”
She went to see Peyton last.
“Would you look at that, Bobby, here she is, the picture of health and pretty as ever. Guess that’s how a future schoolteacher should look, don’t you think, especially with a little red dog at her side. What you gone do about Rusty while you’re away?”
“He’s going with me. I’m getting an apartment so we can stay together.”
“And Ty can visit.”
Elise smiled. “Oh, yes, Ty can visit.”
“What you got there, hon, a map of Tallahassee?”
Peyton nodded toward something she had rolled up under her arm.
“Maybe. Let’s go to your office so we can plot it together.” Peyton sat at his desk and Elise leaned over and unrolled the canvas. The picture of Annelise stretched the length of his desk and then some.
He whistled in appreciation. “My God. I never thought I’d live to see this.” He looked from the painting to Elise but refrained from saying it could have been her own portrait.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just marveling.”
“Isn’t she beautiful? See the reflection in the mirror? That’s the man she loved, Seth.”
“Seth?”
“That’s what she was trying to tell me—not Coulton, Seth. I only hope she was able to tell him. Here, this is yours too.” She handed him a faded, yellowed envelope.
“Annelise did have a message. It’s all in here. It was hidden behind her picture. That’s why she wanted me to find the picture. It fell out when I removed the painting. Put it in the book you’ll write. She’s gone to so much effort to bring it to light. You . . . we must tell the true story. No more legend. The truth. They’re yours. The painting and the letter. Going-away gifts from me. You’re the only one who knows I found them. I want them to be yours.”
“You think I’m that hard up for a woman, huh?”
“You know better than that.”
He came around the desk and kissed her. “I’ll always treasure these because they’re gifts from you. It isn’t the picture that’s valuable. It’s you and what you mean to me.”
“And the letter. I’m counting on you to write that book. I love you, Peyton. My own family, well, you know. I told you how it is. We’ve had lots of problems, lots of heartache.”
“I think that’s common to most families. Sometimes we spend our whole lives trying to understand our parents, chewing on little bits of information. And then one day we realize we’ve been chewing all the wrong things. By then, though, it’s too late, but we start over again. We have to leave them alone, let them live with their own mistakes and not try to understand why they made them. If we’re honest, it really isn’t any of our business.”
“I guess you’re right. You’re always right, Peyton. In so many ways I resent my mother. In other ways I feel sorry for her. We’re closer now than we’ve ever been. I’ll never believe she’s happy with Edwin, but after all the mistakes they made, she isn’t willing to leave him.”
“I’d say that’s to her credit.”
“Yes, it is. She needs something to her credit. All these years I think she’s banked on her good looks. I always envied her beauty, but I realize now that looks aren’t as lasting as love . . .”
“And she envies your youth.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. It’s your turn now, darlin’.”
Someone tapped on the door, and Peyton slipped the crumbling envelope in his desk drawer and was quickly rolling the picture when Dallas stuck her head in the door.
“Hope I’m not interrupting anything private.”
“No, Dallas, I was just leaving.” Elise stood and turned toward the door. “Could I ask you a favor before I go?”
“Well, you know you can.”
“Would you look in on Miss Nadine once in a while? I worry about her. She tries to convince herself Nick is inside the house, waiting for her. I know she does, but if she lets anyone inside and they see he isn’t there, well . . . there goes everything she has to live for.”
“Of course, I’ll go see her. Should have done that long ago. You really understand her, don’t you?”
“I think I do anyway. Those shock treatments her dad had her take did a number on her.”
“Don’t worry about her. That’s one thing I
can do for you while you’re away at college. Darlin’, do you suppose I’m too old to go to school? Maybe that would settle me down a bit.”
“Of course you aren’t too old.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re not going anywhere but to have a Coke and peanuts with me, Dallas.” Peyton propped the rolled canvas in the corner and came around the desk.
“What is that, Peyton?” Dallas looked toward the picture. Peyton looked over his shoulder. “I think it’s a recipe for a love potion. I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.”
“You crazy old thing.”
Elise laughed. “I’ll miss you two.”
“We’ll miss you too, darlin’, but whenever you’re home, we expect a visit. Apalach is in your blood now. You won’t be able to stay away.”
“I think you’re right. I don’t want to stay away.”
WHEN ELISE WAS READY TO leave for Florida State, Margaret wouldn’t admit to being hurt that Elise wanted Ty to drive her there. “He isn’t what I’d wanted for you, Elise, but I have to admit he’s a fine young man. He’s been very good to you, to all of us.”
“Yes, he has—to all of us.”
“There’s only one thing I want you to do for me. Please take the Jaguar. Don’t drive up there in his truck.”
“That’ll be up to Ty. I’ll ask him.”
It was almost as though Edwin no longer existed. He receded more and more into the background where Elise was concerned. When she left for school, he stood just outside the front door and waved.
Elise saw him and told Ty she’d be right back. “I’m sorry for everything, Edwin. Sorry things can’t be different between us.” She gave him a hurried kiss on the cheek and left just as Margaret was handing Ty the keys to the Jaguar.
“You don’t mind me leaving my truck here?”
“Not at all. Who knows. Maybe we’ll have a gun rack installed before you get back.”
Edwin came down the steps and put his arm around Margaret’s shoulders. “I’ll try to restrain her, Ty.”
“You do that, sir. Wouldn’t want you to go to unnecessary expense on my account.”
Elise sat in the front seat with Rusty on her lap and was surprised by the pain she felt at leaving. With Ty beside her, though, her calm assurance returned.
House on the Forgotten Coast Page 21