by Bell, Cindy
“Ha, just like my necklace,” Lawrence chuckled as he displayed a circular, gold pendant with a raised 'C' on the front of it.
“How lovely, Charlene,” Alina said, though her tone was dripping with sugar. Beverly and Sasha were quick to take a few of the hats and hand two over to their husbands.
“This was a great idea,” Beverly said in a friendly tone. “It's a souvenir that we can keep to remember the weekend.”
“Thanks, Charlene,” Simon said as Mike slipped on his cap, and Simon reached into the box. He pulled out the last cap.
“Oh,” Charlene said quietly as she shifted uncomfortably. “Mike had said that Jane wouldn't be coming this weekend, so...”
“It doesn't matter, she's not a Carter yet,” Mike pointed out and offered Jane a cruel smirk. Simon smiled at his fiancée who was struggling not to let the insults get to her.
“She will be soon enough,” he murmured as he settled the cap onto her head. “You look beautiful, Mrs. Carter,” he leaned in and kissed her softly in front of the whole crew. Vicky had to hide a smile in reaction to Simon's defense of his fiancée and the ripple of annoyance it sent through the rest of his family. She was certain that this reunion was going to be much more interesting than she had anticipated.
“Here you are,” she said as she began handing out the keys. “Once you get settled in you're welcome to explore, I have lunch scheduled to be served beside the pool in an hour.”
“Sounds perfect,” Lawrence said as he smiled at Alina and pulled her close. “Maybe you can give me the tour of the suite.”
“Gladly,” Alina replied with a purr.
“Ugh,” Mike and Simon both groaned and glanced away from their father. Lawrence tugged his baseball cap further down on his head and winked lightly at Charlene and Jane.
After all the guests had headed off to their rooms Vicky headed to the kitchen to check on the progress of the lunch they would be serving. She also sent a text to Sarah letting her know the Carters had arrived and everything was going smoothly besides the fact that there was plenty of drama going on between family members.
Sarah texted in return that she had to check it out and would be there in time to help with lunch. Vicky smiled a little as she knew that no matter how much Sarah enjoyed being with her family she couldn't stand to stay away from the inn for too long.
Chapter Two
As Vicky set the tables up beside the pool she thought about what Aunt Ida had said to her. She was setting up little vases filled with daffodils and was lost in her thoughts when Sarah came walking up behind her.
“This looks great,” Sarah smiled as she admired the tables and the cheery décor that Vicky had chosen to make the occasion seem all the more festive.
“Thanks,” Vicky said with a smile. “I'm glad you approve.”
“I'm not checking up on you,” Sarah promised with a laugh. “I just wanted to see all this drama you were talking about.”
“Oh, you could cut the tension with a knife,” Vicky assured her. “Seems like most, if not the entire Carter clan, is not so fond of the youngest son's choice of fiancée.”
“Oh boy,” Sarah chuckled and shook her head. “You know I'll never understand people approving or disapproving of someone else's relationship. I mean you can't control who you fall in love with.”
“That's for sure,” Vicky agreed. Before she met Mitchell she might not have agreed with her sister, but he had certainly swept her off her feet. The idea of love took on a whole different meaning with him. It was strange, and wonderful. “And the two do seem to be in love,” Vicky added. “I hope it all works out for them.”
“Me, too,” Sarah agreed. “Speaking of love,” she coughed sharply.
“Nice,” Vicky winked at her sister and then turned away to set out a few more napkins.
“You never tell me what's going on with you and Mitchell,” Sarah pouted a little. “I tell you all about my romance.”
“That's because it's nothing but romance,” Vicky pointed out. “Well, romance and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
“You'd be surprised how romantic a good PB and J can b…”
“Okay, I don't want to know,” Vicky laughed and shook her head again. She really did admire her sister's relationship with her husband who was always very supportive of her and their family. “The truth is Mitchell and I are still trying to work a few things out.”
“What's to work out?” Sarah pressed. “He's gorgeous.”
“That's true,” Vicky grinned.
“And so very charming,” Aunt Ida added as she stepped out onto the pool deck. She was wearing a loose flowing skirt. This was a little unusual for Aunt Ida as she was very fashionable and preferred to wear clothes that fitted her figure snugly.
“Hi, Aunt Ida,” Sarah smiled as she leaned in to kiss her aunt on the cheek. “I was just trying to pry a little dish out of this one.”
“Good luck,” Aunt Ida rolled her eyes. “I'm glad you're both here.”
“Why?” Vicky asked suspiciously as she set up the last wine glass on the table.
“Well, you know girls, I have something to show you,” Aunt Ida grinned as she looked from Sarah to Vicky and back again. Vicky braced herself and tried to hide an amused smile. Anything Aunt Ida was this excited about was bound to be pretty interesting. Aunt Ida placed her foot on the chair beside her and hiked up her long, pale yellow skirt.
“What is that?” Sarah gasped when she caught sight of the bright red rose wrapped around Aunt Ida's ankle. The skin was still crimson as if the tattoo was fresh.
“Do you like it?” Ida asked as she smiled at her nieces.
“Uh,” Sarah stammered, her eyes wide. The tattoo was well done, but it was surprising to see one on her aunt's ankle and leg.
“It's beautiful,” Vicky said quickly, though even she was more than a little shocked. Of all the crazy antics that Aunt Ida could get up to, Vicky never expected her to get a tattoo. Even she didn't have any tattoos.
“Why?” Sarah asked as she began to recover from her surprise. “Why did you get a tattoo?” she looked at Aunt Ida as if she was a rebellious teenager that had sneaked out in the middle of the night.
“Oh, I don't know,” Aunt Ida sighed, though her lips were curved into a gleeful smile. “I was feeling a little bored. Not much spice in my life,” she frowned at that and then smiled admiringly at her tattoo. “I met this amazing man, his name was Stone, or Rock, it could have even been Pebble, I don't really remember. Anyway, he kept going on and on about how beautiful my ankle was, and that it needed to be accentuated,” she purred the word, drawing it out in a seductive tone.
“With a rose?” Sarah asked with disbelief. “Didn't it hurt?”
“Well, with a tattoo,” Ida admitted. “He suggested something a little more dangerous, like a snake or a skull, but I told him absolutely not. I told him I wanted something delicate and pretty, so he suggested a daffodil, I think because he is Welsh and they are the national flower of Wales. But, after thinking about it I decided on a rose because it is one my favorite flowers,” she smiled. “Yes it did hurt, but not too bad. The whole time he told me stories about the tattoos on his body, and by the time he was done, I was smitten. With the tattoo I mean,” she added quickly. “Pebble on the other hand, I decided was just a little too artsy for me.”
“It's very pretty,” Vicky volunteered and earned a dirty look from Sarah. “What?” she asked as she looked at her sister. “Are we not going to talk about that four leaf clover on your…”
“Vicky!” Sarah growled in warning. Aunt Ida laughed and covered up the rose with her skirt again.
“Don't worry girls it's just a tattoo. It's not like I got a piercing.”
“Were you considering a piercing?” Sarah asked with wide eyes. “Aunt Ida, they can lead to infections and…”
“Come along, Sarah,” Aunt Ida giggled as she led her away from the pool. “I'd like to see that four leaf clover of yours.”
Sarah s
hot a glare over her shoulder at Vicky who smiled innocently before turning back to the tables. One of the waiters who worked in the restaurant attached to the inn came out with a few platters of snacks for the guests to dine on while they waited for their lunch. As if smelling the food, Mike Carter suddenly appeared.
“Oh, that looks great, I’m starving,” he moaned as he settled into one of the empty chairs.
“Enjoy,” Vicky smiled as she filled his glass with wine. Soon the entire Carter clan was joining each other at the tables.
Even though it had seemed as if they might try to tear each other apart earlier, Simon and Mike seemed to fall into easy banter, exchanging memories of their childhood with their cousins. The spouses looked on with amusement. Alina and Lawrence continually asked for refills of their wine glasses and everyone seemed generally relaxed and glad to be together. Vicky was relieved that the lunch had gone much better than she expected. She stepped back into the inn to grab another bottle of wine and noticed that Jane followed after her.
“Do you need something?” Vicky asked kindly.
“No, I think I just need to rest a little bit,” she admitted. “It was a long drive and I'm not used to so much wine,” she added. Vicky smiled at her with compassion.
“If you need something to settle your stomach…” she began to offer, but Jane waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh no, thank you, I'm sure I'll be fine,” she promised as she walked towards the elevator. Vicky watched to make sure she got to the elevator okay and then continued to the kitchen to retrieve the wine. By the time she returned with it the mood had taken a decided change for the worse. In fact Mike was nearly up out of his chair as he leaned across the table towards Simon.
“You don't even care what kind of filth you're bringing into this family,” he accused, his voice rising higher with every word. Vicky froze at the edge of the pool and watched as Simon locked eyes with his older brother.
“Jane is an amazing woman, I don't understand why you have such a problem with her. When you married Charlene we all welcomed her into the family with open arms,” he pointed out. “The same with Beverly and Sasha's husbands.”
“That's because none of them was a gold-digging con-artist,” Mike hissed back.
“Careful Mike,” Simon smirked as he studied him. “Your jealousy is showing.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Charlene asked with an embarrassed blush.
“It doesn't mean anything,” Alina assured the woman and glowered at the two brothers. “Why don't you just settle down and let your father enjoy this weekend.”
“Oh, I don't mind,” Lawrence chuckled as he watched his sons squabble. “It reminds me of when they were just boys fighting over a toy.”
“Mike isn't fighting over Jane,” Charlene snapped and now her cheeks were flushed with anger.
“I have more wine,” Vicky said bravely as she walked up to the tables.
“I believe we may have had enough,” Alina replied icily. “I'm going upstairs.”
“I'll be right there,” Lawrence called out. “As for you two,” he turned to his sons. “There's plenty to do here, give each other some space.”
“Gladly,” Mike growled as he stood up from the table and tossed his napkin down dramatically. He stalked off across the manicured lawn. Charlene, Beverly, and Sasha, along with their husbands decided to take a walk in the gardens. When Vicky walked away with a stack of dirty plates and glasses, Lawrence and Simon were the only ones still at the table.
“I just don't get it, Dad,” she heard Simon saying. “Jane is wonderful, she's beautiful, she's smart. What does everyone have against her?”
“She's not of our class, son,” Lawrence replied in a serious tone. Vicky closed the door behind her as she didn't want to hear the rest of that particular conversation.
***
After giving Lawrence and Simon plenty of time to have their discussion about the worthiness of different classes, Vicky glanced outside to see that they had left the tables. She stepped out of the lobby and followed the path towards the pool. There were still a few wine glasses and dirty plates to be cleaned up. Normally the waiter would do this, but Vicky didn't mind the task, and had sent him home early.
There were a few beer bottles scattered around on the benches and a bit of water splashed up on the pool deck. She wondered if perhaps Lawrence and Simon had gone for a swim. She began gathering the bottles as she walked around the edge of the pool. As she tossed them in a nearby trash can, she felt a strange sensation. She could tell that something was simply wrong. It was as if the lapping of the water was slightly off. Reluctantly she shifted her gaze towards the pool. That was when she saw the body floating face down in it.
Chapter Three
“Aunt Ida!” Vicky screamed out as she shed her shoes. “Call an ambulance!” she shouted as she dove into the pool.
Aunt Ida poked her head out the door just in time to see Vicky splash through the surface of the pool. Vicky pushed the body upward and rolled the man over in the water. His face was slightly bloated and blue. It was clear that he was not alive, but she still felt as if she should try to save him just in case there was any life left. By now her shouting had drawn the attention of others, including the man who had just arrived to service the pool. He gasped as he saw her struggling with the body. He helped Vicky tug the body out of the pool and laid him on the pool deck.
“What happened?” he asked as Vicky attempted to give the man CPR. He had no pulse, and he was not breathing. Vicky knew he was already gone. It took her a moment because of the distortion of his features but she soon recognized him as Simon, Lawrence Carter's youngest son.
“Oh no,” she sighed as she sat back on her heels and stared down at the body before her. The ambulance along with its blaring sirens pulled into the parking lot of the inn. A moment later the EMTs were attempting to revive Simon.
“He's already gone,” one said to the other. Vicky nodded in agreement and wondered how she would ever notify the family. When an ambulance is called for an emergency the police are automatically contacted as well, so Vicky was not surprised when Mitchell came jogging around the side of the inn. He paused to speak to the EMTs and then began to approach her. She looked up at him with a frown. She knew that he was likely still upset with her, but he was exactly who she had been hoping to see.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, though his tone was slightly clipped.
“I am,” Vicky sighed as she stood up and shook her head. “I can't believe this happened.”
“How did it happen?” Mitchell asked as he pulled out his notebook. “Just so I can fill out my report,” he added and avoided eye contact. His sandy brown hair shimmered in the sunlight. Vicky tried not to notice.
“Well, they were all drinking heavily after lunch,” Vicky frowned as the water dripped off her. “He must have slipped, or maybe even passed out and landed in the water.”
“Do you have an idea of how long he was in there?” Mitchell pressed. Vicky glanced up at him and wished she could lean on him for a little comfort. She knew that if she did he wouldn't turn her away, but she wasn't ready to yet.
“I’m not sure,” Vicky admitted. “The last time I checked on the group was about two hours ago and Simon and his father, Lawrence, were out here by the pool.”
“Okay, I'll put that in my report. Looks like this will be considered an accident, but it's best to have our bases covered,” he tucked the notebook back into his pocket. “Do you need anything else?” he asked and attempted to meet her eyes.
“No,” Vicky sighed as a new sense of reluctance washed over her. “I had better change into dry clothes and then I imagine I’ll be warding off questions from the guests.”
“Okay, let me know if you need anything,” he offered, his eyes softening with sympathy.
“Thank you,” Vicky said with genuine gratitude.
Vicky took a deep breath as she headed back into the inn. It made her heart ache to think that the fa
mily's reunion was going to be permanently marred by the tragic loss of a family member. After quickly changing into dry clothes she went back to the lobby. Sarah was waiting for her there as she had rushed back to the lobby as soon as Vicky let her know there was an emergency at the pool.
“Is it true?” Sarah asked as she met Vicky's eyes. She had talked to the EMTs in the parking lot as they returned to the ambulance without a patient. The coroner would take possession of the body.
“I'm afraid so,” Vicky frowned and leaned against the wall just inside the lobby. “The family doesn’t know yet.”
“It will be okay,” Sarah said gently and squeezed her sister's shoulder to offer her some support. Vicky was so grateful she was there. Just as they were walking past the elevator the elevator doors slid open to reveal Jane, Alina, and Lawrence
“What were all those sirens about?” Alina asked, her eyes wide as she stepped out of the elevator. Jane was standing on the other side of her, Vicky's eyes immediately went to her. All she could think of was how Jane would not have the opportunity to marry the man she loved. She wished that she wasn’t the one that would have to tell them.
“I'm sorry to tell you this but there's been a terrible accident,” Vicky said as she looked from Jane to Lawrence whose face was shifting from an expression of surprise to one of apprehension.
“What terrible accident?” he asked gruffly. “What are you talking about?”
Sarah stepped in as she rested her hand lightly on Vicky's arm. “It seems that Simon fell into the pool,” Sarah explained calmly. “I'm so very sorry, but he didn't make it.”
“What do you mean he didn't make it?” Jane cried out. Lawrence grabbed onto Alina for support.
“Wait, what are you saying?” he asked, his cheeks flushed with emotion. “He was fine when I left him there, he said he was just going to finish the glass of wine you poured him,” he said as looked at Vicky. Just then the door to the lobby opened from the garden.