And they did sleep. Christie, Ashley, and Julie shared a room, as did Jon and Jordan. When Julie awoke, she found that Ashley was staring into her eyes, patiently waiting for her to awaken. Ashley offered her a beautiful smile. Julie had to smile in return, and pull her daughter close.
Julie had wanted to bring the kids to the Smithsonian, but there was a threat of snow, and by the time they were all up and had eaten, it was three in the afternoon.
“They should get something educational out of the trip,” Julie offered.
“We’re going to an inn where costumed staff recreate an entire era; that should be educational enough,” Jon argued. “Besides, the museum will be closing by the time we get there, and I’m not comfortable with that car if it snows, Julie.”
She didn’t argue with him. She didn’t like the car herself.
It turned out to be good that they left when they did. Darkness came incredibly quickly on the lonely country roads they followed. They passed no restaurants, but as it grew later, Jon saw a small country store, so they bought microwave hotdogs and chips as a poor excuse for dinner, and moved on again. The driving remained long and monotonous. By seven that evening, they were all at one another’s throats again.
“Julie, you’re not reading that damned map right!” Jon swore in frustration.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Ashley said.
“Mother, I must have something to drink, I am dehydrating here by the second,” Christie complained.
“It must be a hundred degrees in this car, Dad. Can we turn the heat down? Christie, will you get the hell off me?” Jordan snapped.
“I’m not on you!”
“Mommy, I have to pee!”
“Quit wiggling!” Christie cried to her sister.
“Stop, Jon, I’m going to have to let Ashley go in the trees.”
“In the trees?”
Ashley thought that was fun. They pulled off the road and crunched through the snow to reach the trees. Ashley even laughed that her bum froze when she squatted. Christie came running over with a container of wipes—not so that her sister would be comfortably clean, but because Ashley just might touch her with dirty hands.
Jordan had gotten out and gone to another tree. “Mom!” he cried somewhat excitedly.
“What?”
“Pee melts snow!”
She arched a brow. He had said the words with a kid’s excitement. She suddenly found herself smiling. They were Florida kids. Seeing something new. Maybe the trip was going to be all right.
When they returned to the car, Jon was pointing forward, smiling. He was excited as well.
“Look!”
She peered into the darkness ahead of them.
“I’ve found it—see, see the light just ahead? That has to be it.”
She nodded. “Let’s hope.”
Five minutes later, they followed a winding path along a gorgeous drive. The snow shimmered and reflected the moonlight. The house was charming, a two-storied, columned antebellum mansion that was straight out of Gone With the Wind.
Jon parked in front. As they exited the car, they could hear the whinny of horses from the nearby stables.
“Horses!” Ashley cried happily.
“Yeah, cool,” Jordan admitted.
“Dumb animals,” Christie muttered.
“It might have been hot in the car, but it’s cold out here,” Jon said. “Let’s get in.”
He opened the trunk. They all struggled to get their bags out; even Ashley was helping. She groaned her way up the steps to the grand porch with Julie warning her to be careful, it might be slippery, all the way.
Julie was the first to reach the door. There was a bell pull, and she tugged it. She heard the bell ringing inside the house.
No one came.
She rang the bell again.
Jon stepped up and rapped firmly on the door.
“No one is answering,” Julie said, shivering. She set down the bag she carried and rubbed her hands together.
“Perhaps we should just open the door and go in—it is a bed-and-breakfast, right?” Jordan said hopefully. “Like, there’s public dining or something, isn’t there?”
“Yes! It’s open to the public, isn’t it?” Christie asked. She was huddled into her coat, shivering.
“Cold, honey?” Jon asked her. It looked as if he wanted to put an arm around her, pull her close.
He didn’t.
“No, I’m not cold!” Christie snapped, staring at her father with exasperation. “I’m merely about to congeal. No, we couldn’t just spend Christmas at home where it’s beach weather! We had to come to the middle of nowhere to turn into icicles!”
“Don’t talk to your dad like that, Christie,” Julie heard herself saying.
To her surprise, Christie didn’t answer her back. She flushed. “Sorry, Dad. Yes, I’m cold!”
The door opened suddenly.
Julie, Jon, Christie, and Jordan stared at one another. It seemed the six-year-old had been the only one with sense. Ashley had listened to her sister’s suggestion and opened the door—assuming it was a public place.
“Okay, Daddy?” Ashley asked.
“Hey, sweetheart, looks okay to me. Let’s get inside.”
Ashley pushed the door open, and they all stepped in, Jon closing the door tightly behind them.
They stood in a large, graceful foyer with a handsome staircase to their right, a balcony open to the foyer above them, and four doors opening to other rooms arranged symmetrically on either side of them. Ashley instinctively veered toward the door to their left. It was opened wide, and the sounds of a crackling fire could be heard from within.
Like a huddled mass of sheep, they all walked into the room with Ashley.
There was something of a hotellike desk against the wall nearest the door, but otherwise they were in a parlor. A fire was blazing away, its warmth and crackle cheerful and inviting. Handsome, thick area rugs in shades of deep cobalt blue and softer rose lay scattered atop gleaming hardwood floors. Victorian chairs and sofas were gathered about the fire, while a small table and a couple of high-backed brocade-upholstered chairs sat in a charming little window nook toward the front of the house. The ceilings were elegantly corniced; the wallpaper was a pretty rose pattern that picked up on the soft shades in the area rugs that lay upon the floor. Beautiful oils, portraying hunting scenes and handsome men and beautiful women, lined the walls. All in all the room was perfect—historical, comfortable, and entirely warm and inviting.
“Hello?” Jon called, setting down the luggage he carried.
“There’s a bell on the counter,” Julie said, hurrying toward it. She rang the bell as the others at last broke from their sheep formation and moved about the room.
Ashley especially liked the room. She didn’t mind at all that they had come here—but then, Christie had told her, that was just because she was a little squirt and didn’t realize that their parents were destroying their lives as of yet. But Jordan hadn’t really fought coming here either. He had liked the idea of making a snowman, maybe having a few snowball fights, and he really liked horses. It might be a little boring sharing all that with his sisters, but then, once he got into it, Jordan would be okay.
Ashley especially liked the pictures on the walls. She moved about the room, looking at them. There was a really pretty picture of a sunset blazing over a rolling field with plenty of horses in it. That was her favorite. Then there were a bunch of people on horses riding with a bunch of dogs that looked like beagles running around and barking all around them. There was a picture of a dour-looking man, and there was a picture of a man and a woman. It was a really beautiful picture. The man was dressed in some kind of a gray uniform with a plumed hat on his head. He had light, wavy hair that came all the way to the top of his shoulders, and a very nice-looking face. The woman at his side was very pretty as well. Her head was tilted—Ashley was going to have to get closer to see her face—but she had very long hair that was black and
shiny and nice.
“Ash?” her mommy called a little worriedly. Ashley knew she was the youngest. Jordan said that was why Mommy was always worried about her, calling her name anytime she didn’t see Ashley standing right in front of her. But Ashley was getting big. First grade. That was certainly no baby.
“I’m right here, Mommy,” she said, coming back around one of the sofas so that her mother could see her.
“I wonder where—” her mother began.
But just then, a lady came into the room at last.
“Hello, welcome, I’m Clarissa Wainscott. I’m so very sorry to be late!” she said.
She was beautiful, and she certainly belonged in the house. She was wearing a long, full dress with some kind of a sweeping petticoat beneath it. It was a beautiful deep green color, and it moved with her with every step she took. It fell a little bit off her shoulders, and it made her neck and face look especially pretty and slim. Her hair was dark, and swept up in a knot at the back of her head.
Ashley’s family was still for a moment—everybody was staring at the beautiful lady. Ashley hoped that Mommy didn’t mind the way that Daddy was staring at her, but then Mommy was staring as well.
“Uh—uh—” Daddy began.
Mommy jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, but men she stepped forward herself, offering the woman a hand. “Hello, I’m—”
“Julie Radcliff,” the woman said, taking Mommy’s hand, smiling. “Welcome to Oak River Plantation.”
“Thank you. This is my husband, Jon.”
“Jon, how do you do, welcome,” the woman said, taking Daddy’s hand as well.
“These are our children, Christie, Jordan, and Ashley,” Mommy said.
“Christie, Jordan, Ashley,” Clarissa Wainscott repeated. She smiled, her eyes lighting on Christie, Jordan, and then Ashley herself. Her smile was a really beautiful smile. “Welcome to all of you. I suppose it’s a bit different here from the usual vacation resort, but I hope you’ll have fun.”
“Can we ride the horses in the stables?” Jordan asked anxiously.
“Jordan, we’re not even officially checked in yet!” Mommy said.
“The horses were the lure to get him here,” Daddy admitted.
“It’s quite all right,” the lady said. “And of course you can ride the horses. Tomorrow,” she added, looking toward the windows. “When the sun has come up.” Her smile faded for a minute, but then she looked brightly at Jordan once again. “My husband isn’t here right now and he attends to the horses. Well, let’s see, shall we get you up to your rooms?”
“That would be lovely,” Mommy said. She still looked cold, and tired.
“Supper is a bit early here,” the lady said apologetically, leading the way out of the room. “Six precisely, but then you must help yourselves in the kitchen if you wish something later, and we’re well-stocked with drinks and the like in the library opposite this room. Again, help yourselves at any time. You must feel that it’s your home the entire time you’re here.”
“Thank you,” Mommy and Daddy both said.
“Come and settle in,” the lady said.
“Ash, come on!” Mommy called.
Hugging her teddy bear, Ashley started to follow them all out of the parlor. She was the last to leave the room, and she paused, looking around again as she did so.
She liked the room. It was warm in a very special way. It was kind of like coming home. She didn’t just feel as if the fire had chased away the chill from outside, she felt as if the warmth had something that made everything inside all right as well.
But then…
Something was different in the room. She wasn’t sure what, but something was different from when she had first come into it.
Then she saw what it was.
The picture had changed.
Changed! As if…
She opened her mouth to call out to her mother, but then she fell silent.
It just looked like an ordinary picture now. If she tried to explain…
No one would believe her.
They would think that she was making it up. She was little—she had imaginary friends and had imaginary tea parties. Nobody ever believed her when she was just telling the truth.
She walked back toward the picture. Well, she was right.
She wondered if she should be afraid, but then she decided that she wasn’t. The picture hadn’t done anything to her. She was just a little bit…
A little bit scared.
“Ash, Ashley, where are you?” Mommy called.
“I’m here; I’m coming!” she called back. She looked up at the picture. “I’m not going to be afraid, and I’m not going to tell on you. You’re going to be my special secret!” she said to the picture. She winked at it.
It winked back.
Now she was afraid. Just a little bit afraid. She turned and ran out of the room, and Mommy didn’t have to call her again.
Chapter Ten
They were alone in their guest suite. Ashley still felt a little unnerved by what she’d seen in the painting. She knew now, of course, that she wasn’t going to say anything about it at all.
Not to anyone in her family.
“Well, guys, what do you think?” Daddy asked excitedly now that Mrs. Wainscott had left them and they were alone with just each other.
“think we’re in the boonies,” Jordan said.
“But they do have horses,” Ashley reminded her big brother hopefully.
“You’re too little for those horses,” Jordan told her impatiently.
“Am not!” Ashley protested.
“There’s nothing to do here, nothing,” Christie complained.
“You’d be happy with nothing if lover boy were here,” Jordan told her.
“Leave her alone, Jordan,” Mommy said.
Christie was staring hard at Jordan. “Well, not all of us have a way of making life all right no matter what!” she snapped.
“What does that mean?” Daddy demanded.
“Yeah, Christie, what does that mean?” Jordan repeated. Ashley thought he sounded just a little scared.
“It means everyone is overtired,” Mommy said. “We need to get some sleep.”
“Kids, find your places,” Daddy said.
Then Ashley knew that the two of them were going to go at it again.
Over their rooms.
“We can do this the way we did last night,” Mommy insisted. “Me with the girls—”
“We have three rooms,” Daddy cut in.
“It doesn’t matter,” Mommy said.
“Christ, there’s a damned couch in here!” Daddy muttered beneath his breath.
“It does so matter,” Jordan said. “You dragged me here; at least I can have my own room.”
“Ashley and I—” Mommy began.
Ashley quickly stepped up next to Christie, slipping her hand into her sister’s. “I want to be with Christie,” she said firmly. “I want to be with my sister.”
Mommy seemed stunned. Hurt. Good, Ashley thought, then immediately was ashamed of herself. But Mommy never seemed to mind hurting Daddy these days, and even if Daddy had done something that hurt Mommy, he’d tried really, really hard to make up for it.
“The rooms all connect,” Jordan said, picking up his duffel bag. They were standing in the first bedroom—the master room, as the lady had called it. “And they’re just right. The middle has that thin little daybed—for me. The last room has the two beds, and it’s all frilly—for girls. This has got the fireplace, the little breakfast table, the brandy decanter, and all that stuff adults like. A parents’ room, a girls’ room, a maturing young male’s room. All right?”
Mommy and Daddy just stared at Jordan. Christie nudged Ashley. “Grab your stuff. Let’s go.”
Ashley grabbed her Cinderella backpack and sped after Christie.
The room was cute. It was a little bit frilly.
“Christie, look, both beds have sheets for roofs.”
“Canopi
es,” Christie told her.
“Canopies,” Ashley repeated. She dropped her stuff and lay down on the bed closest to the wall.
Christie didn’t say anything more. She had slunk down on her own bed. Ashley suddenly heard her sobbing softly. She waited a few minutes, then she leapt out of bed and came running around to her sister. Christie could be mean sometimes. Not wanting to have anything to do with Ashley. And sometimes Ashley thought she was better off not to say anything. But right now she wanted to hug Christie and somehow make it better.
Christie didn’t push her little sister away. When she felt the small hand coming around her shoulder, she found that she smiled a little, sniffed, and felt better. Half laughing, she stared into Ashley’s green eyes.
“It’s going to be okay, Christie,” Ashley told her.
“There’s not even a phone up here.”
“I know. We can ride the horses into town and find a phone and I’ll keep watch for you.”
Christie laughed.
“I don’t think we’ll find a town.”
“We’re not far from D.C., Daddy says. There are lots and lots of towns around D.C. It’s our nation’s capital.”
Christie smiled again. Ashley was parroting what their father had been saying that day. Dad got all caught up in the patriotism thing every time the family came near Washington, D.C. He loved the monuments, the museums, everything about the capital. He tried to impart his enthusiasm to them—and admittedly, it was like casting seeds on rocks half the time.
She missed Jamie.
If Jamie were just with them, she could listen to whatever Dad had to say.
She choked back another sob.
“What if he forgets me?” she heard herself ask. It was pathetic. She was asking romantic advice from a six-year-old.
“How can he forget you?” Ashley asked, truly puzzled. “He knows you really well.”
“I’m not there. All kinds of other girls are there. What if he’s lonely and someone consoles him? Mom and Dad don’t understand just how great Jamie is, that there are dozens of girls out there just waiting for me to make a mistake.”
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