Secrets of Hallstead House

by Amy M. Reade

  He let out a low whistle. “Has Alex seen it?”

  “No. I took the portrait back to my room and hid it in the armoire. I didn’t want her to find it.”

  “Good thinking. I wonder if the same person who took the necklace also slashed the picture.”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Things seem to be building up around here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Before you got here, the house was basically quiet most of the time. Now all these bizarre things are going on. It all started when you arrived on Hallstead Island—you’ve been the catalyst.”

  “I can’t understand it.”

  “I can’t either, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe this island needed some shaking up. Maybe some old questions will be answered because of you.”

  “I hope so, for Alex’s sake.” I sighed.

  “I’ll go see her,” Pete replied as he stood up to rinse out his mug.

  We walked together through the woods up to Summerplace. The sun was climbing higher and the day promised to be beautiful. It would be a good day to transport some of Alex’s belongings to Solstice.

  I worked on packing the last of her summer clothes. Pete retrieved a handcart from the boathouse, and we made several trips down to the dock with boxes of clothes. It wasn’t until I helped Pete load the boat with the clothes that I realized the extent of Alex’s wardrobe. Just the summer clothes would require two trips to Pine Island.

  “Why doesn’t Alex leave these clothes here over the winter?” I asked Pete as we set off for Pine Island with the second load of clothes.

  “It isn’t unusual for her to take off for the tropics for a while when it gets really cold,” he explained. “It saves a lot of time and effort if no one has to come back to Summerplace to get them. If she goes this year, maybe she’ll take you along.”

  I grinned. “Sounds like a nice perk.”

  My time over the next couple of days was spent going back and forth between Summerplace and Solstice, taking Alex’s belongings from her fair-weather home and depositing and organizing them in her winter home. Alex asked me at one point to make sure that Diana’s portrait was packed. I hated being deceptive, but I told her I had already taken care of it.

  I was getting a little more used to riding in the boat by now. I wasn’t exactly comfortable out on the water, but I wasn’t in a white-knuckled panic each time I stepped into the boat either. I was able to appreciate more of the sights that Pete pointed out on our trips and I was finding myself increasingly awed by the majesty and moods of the river. Depending on the day, the water could be placid and glassy, angry with whitecaps, or jubilant with sparkling, lilting waves. I was becoming adept at guessing the mood of the river each morning before I saw the water, just by looking at the sky and feeling the wind on my face. Pete was noticing my growing cognizance of the river’s many temperaments, and he was pleased.

  Once the bulk of Alex’s clothes, books, and art supplies were at Solstice, organized and put away, the household began a period of controlled busyness, during which every room, every surface, was cleaned from top to bottom. In my infrequent spare time I worked in the library on my categorization system.

  During this time, a rather restrained atmosphere settled over Summerplace. It was as if we were marking time, waiting for something to happen.

  If I had known what that something would be, I would have insisted that Alex and I move to Solstice immediately.

  CHAPTER 14

  Over the next couple of weeks, we didn’t see much of Stephan or Will. They came up to Hallstead Island from New York a few times, but their stays were brief, usually just overnight. Interestingly, I was not bothered by any pranks during this time. Brandt would come to visit Alex once in a while, and it was always pleasant to see him. Alex enjoyed his visits. As usual, Giselle came with him when he visited the island. Generally, she would pay her respects to Alex for a short time and then go to see her aunt and uncle in their cottage.

  One day when Brandt was visiting, Alex invited him on our morning walk. He cheerfully agreed and the three of us donned coats and descended the steps to the flagstone path in the brilliant sunshine. We walked around Summerplace several times, and Brandt and Alex spoke together of past long winters and times spent at Solstice. I said little, content to be listening to their light and fascinating conversation and thoroughly enjoying my education in winter life on the river. How exciting winter must be for the children living on the river! They could enjoy everything from skating to sledding to ice fishing.

  As the three of us walked slowly around the flagstone path for the third time, my eyes were drawn to Vali and Leland’s quaint cottage. It was dark brown, just like Summerplace, and it also had a weathervane on top. It was a lovely home and I wondered whether the inside was as pleasant as the outside. Sheer white curtains hung in the windows on each side of the front door. As I looked, the curtains moved gently and parted. Not much; just enough to afford a clear view of the three of us from inside the cottage. I couldn’t see the person behind the curtain but I knew someone was standing there. After a couple of seconds, the curtains slipped back into place again and the watcher was gone. By the end of our third trip around the house Alex was ready to go inside and get back to work. Brandt left us to go down to the boathouse to talk to Pete.

  By now, most of Alex’s belongings were gone from Summerplace, transported to Solstice and awaiting her imminent arrival. I had fervently hoped that we would find Diana’s necklace while we were packing her remaining belongings, but it never turned up. I was firmly convinced that the necklace had been stolen, and though Alex didn’t talk about it, I was sure that she was convinced as well. I could only hope that the necklace would be returned to her at some point, even if we never found the person who stole it.

  Though no pranks were played on me during this time of packing, of cleaning, of waiting for something, my nightmares unfortunately did not abate. I was dreaming less frequently of my parents and their burning car, but I was dreaming more often of the leaning tree, of being caught in a swirling vortex of angry water beneath its branches. My biological mother was often in those dreams, at the bottom of the river. It was terrifying, and often I was unable to go back to sleep once the dream had interrupted my rest.

  One morning Alex suggested that after our walk I go down to the boathouse to see if Pete needed any help readying the boats for winter storage. I was done with the packing inside Summerplace and I was looking for somewhere to be of assistance. Alex was working in her office and knew that I was bored. So I went looking for Pete.

  When I found him upstairs in the boathouse, he was surprised to see me.

  “I haven’t seen you in a few days! Where have you been?”

  “Helping Alex. She still had some packing to do. I did my own packing too, but that didn’t take too long.”

  “Are you here to help me?” he asked with a grin.

  “Put me to work,” I instructed him. “Alex mentioned that you might need some help getting the boats ready for winter storage.”

  “Actually, I will need help with that, but first I have to take a trip over to the storage facility. It’s in Cape Cartier. Why don’t you help me here for a while; then later on this afternoon we’ll head over. Maybe we could grab an early dinner over there too.”

  “Sounds great. Where should I start?”

  “Come with me.” He led the way upstairs and put me to work cleaning and packing small tools in various wooden boxes. It was dirty, greasy work but I enjoyed it. I worked until lunchtime, then told Pete I would return later. I went back to Summerplace and joined Alex for lunch in the dining room again. It was nice to see her taking her meals in the dining room, taking pleasure in using her own home rather than remaining locked and imprisoned in her private rooms. She seemed to enjoy coming out for meals too. It was a nice break for her in the middle of the day and, quite simply, it was healthy for her to get out of her office once in a while. We took a short walk afte
r lunch before she encouraged me with a coy smile to go back down to the boathouse to see Pete again.

  “Alex, I know what you’re up to.”

  “Isn’t Pete handsome?”

  I laughed. “He is. You’re right.”

  “Then what are you doing up here with me?”

  “I’m your nurse, remember?”

  “You get down there,” she scolded.

  I left her in her sitting room and went in search of Pete again. I found him down on the dock.

  “Are you ready to go over to Cape Cartier?” he asked.

  “Yes. Need help loading anything onto the boat?”

  “Yes, thanks. We can take a quick trip over to Solstice and then stop at the marina in Cape Cartier. You can get one of those small boxes over there,” he told me, pointing to the pile of wooden boxes I had stacked for him earlier.

  Our trip to Pine Island was quick. I was bundled up in my life jacket, which did double duty by granting me peace of mind and keeping me warm against the cold wind that cut across the river as we sped along. We quickly unloaded the boat at Solstice, put the tools away in the basement of the old house, and left again for Cape Cartier.

  We drew up to the marina, which wasn’t far from the main street. Pete found the man he was looking for and turned to me. “Why don’t you go look around for a while? I won’t be too long, and Main Street is just over there,” he suggested, pointing. “I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

  I hadn’t had any time to explore the picturesque little town on the day I arrived in the Thousand Islands, so I left him at the marina and headed toward the main street. There were more pedestrians than I expected, probably enjoying this beautiful day before the onset of winter weather, which everyone promised would be here soon. The town was charming, just what I would have expected, with small bungalow-like shops and restaurants nestled side by side down the block. I browsed in several shops, enjoying the local art, books, and photography. In a tiny bookshop that smelled deliciously like pine and mulled cider, I bought a book on Thousand Island recipes and the islanders who had invented them. I wasn’t the greatest cook, but it would be an interesting read.

  I continued along the street, looking into shops now and then, when I saw a small crowd gathered ahead on the sidewalk. A van with a small antenna on top was parked in the street next to the group. I approached the group intending to walk around them, and I was surprised to see Giselle in the center of the gathering as I came closer. Apparently she was on assignment for her job with the local television station. She was interviewing pedestrians about their plans for the beautiful fall day and their predictions for the winter ahead. She was good at her job and was able to get many in the assembled crowd to talk to her on camera. She didn’t see me at first, so I looked on, fascinated, while she worked the crowd. As usual, she looked marvelous. As I watched, though, I noticed how tired she looked. She must have been exhausted if she had been at work since four o’clock that morning. Her makeup seemed heavier than usual, but that was probably because I was seeing her in the bright sunlight for a change. I usually saw her indoors at Summerplace or outdoors in the shade. When she finally saw me, she smiled and gave a little wave. She made her way to me and put the microphone near my face.

  “How about you, miss? Any predictions for the upcoming season? Do you think it will be a bad winter?”

  “I . . . I’m . . . I really don’t know,” I stammered, surprised that she would ask me.

  Giselle laughed. “Did I catch you off guard, Macy? Don’t worry, we won’t put that on the air. Let’s pack it up, Joe,” she said to the cameraman. “What are you doing in Cape Cartier?” she asked me as she handed the cameraman her microphone.

  “Just looking around. Pete is at the marina and I’m waiting for him.”

  “Oh.” She nodded. “Gotta run. See you later, Macy.” Then she turned and started talking to Joe. I walked quietly away and into a perfume shop, and when I came out the television van and crew were gone.

  I had gone as far as I could on the main street, which ended at a quiet bay. I sat down on a bench for a while and watched the water and the infrequent boat traffic. The sounds of the shops and pedestrians behind me drifted by in a peaceful hush. After a while, I started walking down the other side of the street. It wasn’t long before I saw Pete walking toward me, his stride long and purposeful. He reached me in a few moments.

  “I’m done at the marina. What do you think of Cape Cartier? Of course there’s more to it than this, but Main Street is a good introduction.”

  “It’s lovely,” I said. “I bought a local cookbook.”

  “Isn’t that bookstore great? I go in there every chance I get,” Pete answered. He looked up and down the block. “How does dinner sound? Did you look at the menus of any of these places?”

  “No,” I replied. “I was too busy looking in the shops.”

  He smiled. “There are lots of those to keep you busy. I know a place, if you’re interested.”

  “Sounds good.”

  We walked down to the other end of the block to a tiny pub I hadn’t seen earlier. It was the last establishment on the block, a small building painted black with gold trim, and I liked it right away. The inside was rustic and dark, and wooden decoys painted like loons and other waterfowl adorned the inside of the pub. Pete ordered a traditional Irish stew and I had the shepherd’s pie, which was delicious. We sat in the booth for quite a while, lingering over our meals, talking of nothing in particular.

  “I almost forgot to mention that I saw Giselle out on the street earlier,” I told him.

  “What was she doing?”

  “She was interviewing people about the upcoming winter.”

  “Did she interview you?” he asked with a smile.

  “She tried, but I loused it up pretty well. She assured me it wouldn’t be on television.” I laughed.

  “Giselle hasn’t been looking like herself lately,” Pete mused.

  “I thought it looked like she was wearing more makeup than usual,” I noted.

  “Not that it’s any of my business,” he said, “but do you want to know what I think?”

  “What?”

  “I think she’s been drinking.”

  I suddenly remembered Brandt speaking to her at Alex’s party after she broke the wine decanter.

  “You may be right,” I told him. “That would explain her tired look and the extra makeup.”

  “If that’s the case, it’s too bad.” Pete shook his head. “She could really go places in her profession.”

  “Would she leave Brandt?”

  “Not in a million years. You’ve seen the way she hangs on him. She’d be lost without him.”

  “I’m ashamed of us, talking about her like this,” I said. “Are you ready to get back to Hallstead Island before it gets dark?”

  I paid the check this time and we left the pub. The sun had indeed started to go down, and it was decidedly colder than when we had gone into the restaurant. Pete reached for my hand and we hurried back to the marina. It wasn’t long before we were back on Hallstead Island. I checked on Alex and she was thrilled to learn that I had spent some time in Cape Cartier and that Pete and I had had dinner together.

  “I know the place.” She beamed. “Cozy and romantic.”

  I laughed. “Well, I don’t know about romantic, but it was dark and the food was great.”

  “Any old place can be romantic if the right people are there.” She smiled knowingly.

  “Alex, you’re relentless!”

  She smiled again. “I just know what I see. And you and Pete are perfect for each other.”

  “Good night, Alex.” I rolled my eyes at her.

  “Good night, Macy.”

  When I went downstairs the next morning, Stephan and Will were there. Alex hadn’t mentioned they were coming, so I was surprised to see them. Stephan stood up immediately and came to kiss me on the cheek.

  “How are you, Macy?” he inquired in his gentlemanly way.
“Getting ready for the big move?”

  Will snorted, but Stephan and I ignored him. I helped myself to a cup of coffee from the sideboard and went into the kitchen to make myself a bowl of oatmeal. When I returned, only Will remained. He scowled at me, his eyes dark.

  “Don’t expect me to be as glad to see you as Stephan was,” he began.

  I hadn’t expected Will to be thrilled with my presence, but his remark still took me aback.

  “As I’ve told you before,” I explained coolly, “my job is here. As long as Alex wants me to be her nurse, I intend to stay.”

  “And as I’ve told you before,” he hissed softly, rising and coming over to my chair, then leaning down close to my face, “I’m going to see to it that you leave this island.”

  He turned on his heel and left quickly. I sat bewildered, my oatmeal getting cold, wondering why Will had such animosity toward me. I ate the cold oatmeal and went into Alex’s room.

  “Big news, Macy,” she greeted me. “We’re moving to Solstice tomorrow !”

  I was surprised. I had assumed she would give the household more notice. “How did you decide on that?” I asked.

  “Brandt came to visit yesterday while you and Pete were out, and he told me there’s a big storm coming. He says the Coast Guard is taking this one very seriously. I thought about it overnight and I think this is a good time to move. If the storm is bad and the temperature drops too low overnight tomorrow, we could have a lot of snow. I want to move before it hits.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “We’re going to have to pack up my office today. You can help me with that.”

  We spent the entire day packing the things in Alex’s office. Alex directed, and Vali and Leland and I packed the boxes. Special boxes had to be brought from storage and filled in a very specific manner. By late afternoon the office was packed and the boxes stood ready to be transported to Solstice.

  Alex and I joined Stephan and Will in the dining room for dinner. All talk centered on the move to Solstice and the work that would have to be done there in order to get Alex’s office up and running as soon as possible. Stephan and Will both had small offices in their rooms upstairs in Summerplace, and they left the dining room early so they could spend the evening packing their belongings. I helped Alex do a few brief exercises after dinner, and as I was leaving, Brandt and Giselle appeared.