us left Greenleigh?"
His head jerked toward her, his eyes alert as he stared at her. "Leave here?" he asked, "like John J. Pike? Go somewhere, just the two of us and live together.... without Tom Dicks?"
"Yes."
He closed his eyes tightly and inhaled a deep, slow breath. Then he opened them again and she could see the hopelessness there. "They wouldn't let us," he said, his voice tired. "I've tried to leave before, but they always stop me."
No one had told her he had tried to leave. But then no one would. Greenleigh must never seem less than wonderful. No wonder he was watched so carefully.
"I have a plan, Danny. No one would know but us. We would have to sneak away. Would you mind sneaking out?"
"I wouldn't mind anything if we can go someplace together." He stared up at the sky. "If we were away from everyone... if no one knew us, it wouldn't matter that we're different."
Please, let him be right, she begged silently.
Chapter Eight
Everyone knew Tom Dicks visited Leah at ten-thirty every night. "You can set your watch by it," they would say, sometimes in annoyance, sometimes with a suggestive grin. At ten he made sure his charge got dressed for bed, then he turned out Danny's light and sat in his own room thumbing through a girlie magazine until ten twenty-five. At ten-thirty he entered Leah's room without knocking. At exactly eleven twenty-five he left Leah's room, crossed to Danny's wing, opened the door of the darkened room to make sure Danny was still in bed. And at midnight every night Tom Dicks went to bed.
On this particular night, as Amanda sat in the darkness of her bedroom with two suitcases beside her on the floor—one an empty nylon carryall stuffed with newspaper—she was extremely grateful for the fact that Tom Dicks was a creature of habit.
Every second that passed seemed like an hour. It had all gone too smoothly; something had to happen. She had been so busy taking care of all the details, she hadn't had time until now to be afraid. But now she was very definitely afraid.
Confront the dragon, she told herself as she shifted restlessly on the hard chair. Mentally she ticked off all the things she had done in preparation. She knew exactly where each guard was posted, inside and out. Just minutes before, she had placed the call that gave her the excuse to leave tonight. Oates had been there when she made the call. She was very sympathetic when Amanda told her that Aunt Eddie had taken a turn for the worse. The housekeeper had agreed that Amanda would have to leave tonight.
Amanda stood and began to pace. The waiting was the worst. A thousand unoccupied seconds in which doubts could grow. She couldn't allow it. She had come too far, and her goal was too important.
"Think," she said aloud. Had she taken care of everything? Ralph had already brought her car around. It was waiting at the front door. And the key to the drug room—
She caught her breath, searching frantically in her pocket for the key. At last it slid into her fingers and she clutched it tightly, going weak with relief. Oates wouldn't notice it was missing for days. She kept it only because she held all the keys.
Amanda glanced at her watch. Ten forty-five. The nurse on duty would be starting her rounds now. It was finally time. Picking up her bags, she walked to the door, shifting them as she opened the door.. .to find Ginny, her hand raised to knock.
"Amanda—" she began, then glanced at the suitcases. "What are you doing? I thought you weren't leaving until tomorrow."
Amanda felt her hands tremble and clutched the handles of the bags tighter. She could feel the key to the drug room biting into her palm.
"I was," she said. "But when I called the hospital tonight to check on Aunt Eddie, they said she had had another spell, a bad one. So—well, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't try to get there tonight."
When had she gotten so adept at lying? she wondered as she allowed herself to glance at Ginny's face. There was not a hint of
His head jerked toward her, his eyes alert as he stared at her. "Leave here?" he asked, "like John J. Pike? Go somewhere, just the two of us and live together.... without Tom Dicks?"
"Yes."
He closed his eyes tightly and inhaled a deep, slow breath. Then he opened them again and she could see the hopelessness there. "They wouldn't let us," he said, his voice tired. "I've tried to leave before, but they always stop me."
No one had told her he had tried to leave. But then no one would. Greenleigh must never seem less than wonderful. No wonder he was watched so carefully.
"I have a plan, Danny. No one would know but us. We would have to sneak away. Would you mind sneaking out?"
"I wouldn't mind anything if we can go someplace together." He stared up at the sky. "If we were away from everyone... if no one knew us, it wouldn't matter that we're different."
Please, let him be right, she begged silently.
Chapter Eight
Everyone knew Tom Dicks visited Leah at ten-thirty every night. "You can set your watch by it," they would say, sometimes in annoyance, sometimes with a suggestive grin. At ten he made sure his charge got dressed for bed, then he turned out Danny's light and sat in his own room thumbing through a girlie magazine until ten twenty-five. At ten-thirty he entered Leah's room without knocking. At exactly eleven twenty-five he left Leah's room, crossed to Danny's wing, opened the door of the darkened room to make sure Danny was still in bed. And at midnight every night Tom Dicks went to bed.
On this particular night, as Amanda sat in the darkness of her bedroom with two suitcases beside her on the floor—one an empty nylon carryall stuffed with newspaper—she was extremely grateful for the fact that Tom Dicks was a creature of habit.
Every second that passed seemed like an hour. It had all gone too smoothly; something had to happen. She had been so busy taking care of all the details, she hadn't had time until now to be afraid. But now she was very definitely afraid.
Confront the dragon, she told herself as she shifted restlessly on the hard chair. Mentally she ticked off all the things she had done in preparation. She knew exactly where each guard was posted, inside and out. Just minutes before, she had placed the call that gave her the excuse to leave tonight. Oates had been there when she made the call. She was very sympathetic when Amanda told her that Aunt Eddie had taken a turn for the worse. The housekeeper had agreed that Amanda would have to leave tonight.
Amanda stood and began to pace. The waiting was the worst. A thousand unoccupied seconds in which doubts could grow. She couldn't allow it. She had come too far, and her goal was too important.
"Think," she said aloud. Had she taken care of everything? Ralph had already brought her car around. It was waiting at the front door. And the key to the drug room—
She caught her breath, searching frantically in her pocket for the key. At last it slid into her fingers and she clutched it tightly, going weak with relief. Oates wouldn't notice it was missing for days. She kept it only because she held all the keys.
Amanda glanced at her watch. Ten forty-five. The nurse on duty would be starting her rounds now. It was finally time. Picking up her bags, she walked to the door, shifting them as she opened the door.. .to find Ginny, her hand raised to knock.
"Amanda—" she began, then glanced at the suitcases. "What are you doing? I thought you weren't leaving until tomorrow."
Amanda felt her hands tremble and clutched the handles of the bags tighter. She could feel the key to the drug room biting into her palm.
"I was," she said. "But when I called the hospital tonight to check on Aunt Eddie, they said she had had another spell, a bad one. So—well, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't try to get there tonight."
When had she gotten so adept at lying? she wondered as she allowed herself to glance at Ginny's face. There was not a hint of
Similar Books
