meant. I knew it was muddled in my mind.”
“Seeing our own destiny was never one of our most reliable skills,” Cynthia said.
Nobody challenged her, but Sophia could feel the reaction around the room. They were beginning to doubt themselves, which wasn’t helping the situation.
As they were struggling with that, Cynthia dropped another bombshell.
“And I believe that the danger may be greater than we thought. I would like to take a vote on closing the spa for the time being.”
There were various responses. Voting was something they rarely did, but in this case Cynthia didn’t want to take action unless the majority of her sisters were in favor of it.
Some of the women were against it. Some were startled by the suggestion. Others, especially the women with young daughters, had apparently been thinking along the same lines. After a half hour of discussion, they decided that they would tell the outsiders remaining on the property that they would have to leave. All of them would be offered the opportunity to come back later at the spa’s expense. They’d say the buildings needed to be repaired, but really they would be evaluating the safety of having outsiders on the property.
The meeting broke up early, with many of the women staying to talk informally and some of the mothers going back to the children’s building. Sophia knew they were disturbed and worried about their daughters.
She didn’t want to rehash the day’s events. But as she left the room, Tessa caught up with her.
“That bucket,” she said.
“What about it?”
“He must have known the metal would keep me from calling for help.”
Sophia nodded. She’d thought of that, too.
Tessa changed the subject abruptly. “I wanted to thank you again. You and Jason Tyron. You both risked your lives to save me.”
“You’d do the same for me.”
“Yes.” They walked in silence for a few moments, until Tessa looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was listening, then said, “I watched you with Dr. Tyron.”
A bolt of alarm shot through Sophia. “You mean after he was knocked unconscious?” she asked in a careful voice.
“Yes.”
When she heard Tessa’s answer, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Her sister hadn’t seen them going into the hayloft—or coming out.
Tessa’s next words had her on edge again. “He means something to you. When did you get to know him?”
Before answering, Sophia stepped into one of the gardens, and her sister followed.
“I interviewed him for the job. I came down to watch him work.”
“And you made love with him.”
Sophia caught her breath. Instead of denying it, she asked, “How do you know?”
“It was a guess.”
“You tricked me!”
“I thought it was true.”
“Why?”
“You were so frightened when he got hurt. So tender with him. You care about him.”
She swallowed. “I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about him.”
“Maybe it happened before. Maybe the missing Ionians found someone—a man. And that’s why they left the spa.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When you came into the gift shop, I started to tell you about them. They were in the register of our Sisterhood. Two were born in the 1940s. One in the 1920s. But they’re not here. And there’s no record of their deaths.”
“They could be some of the sisters who have jobs out in the world.”
“We know who they are. Linda, Chandra, and Julia just aren’t anywhere.”
“Could they have done . . . something bad? Been . . . killed?”
“You think the high priestess would do that to one of us ?”
“I hope not.”
“Maybe they bonded with a man, and that changed everything for them,” Tessa said in a wistful voice.
“Or maybe they were kidnapped.”
When Tessa winced, Sophia was sorry she’d said it.
“I should go to bed,” Tessa murmured.
“Yes. Try to relax.”
Tessa nodded, then walked out of the garden and headed for her bedroom.
Sophia stared after her
“Seeing our own destiny was never one of our most reliable skills,” Cynthia said.
Nobody challenged her, but Sophia could feel the reaction around the room. They were beginning to doubt themselves, which wasn’t helping the situation.
As they were struggling with that, Cynthia dropped another bombshell.
“And I believe that the danger may be greater than we thought. I would like to take a vote on closing the spa for the time being.”
There were various responses. Voting was something they rarely did, but in this case Cynthia didn’t want to take action unless the majority of her sisters were in favor of it.
Some of the women were against it. Some were startled by the suggestion. Others, especially the women with young daughters, had apparently been thinking along the same lines. After a half hour of discussion, they decided that they would tell the outsiders remaining on the property that they would have to leave. All of them would be offered the opportunity to come back later at the spa’s expense. They’d say the buildings needed to be repaired, but really they would be evaluating the safety of having outsiders on the property.
The meeting broke up early, with many of the women staying to talk informally and some of the mothers going back to the children’s building. Sophia knew they were disturbed and worried about their daughters.
She didn’t want to rehash the day’s events. But as she left the room, Tessa caught up with her.
“That bucket,” she said.
“What about it?”
“He must have known the metal would keep me from calling for help.”
Sophia nodded. She’d thought of that, too.
Tessa changed the subject abruptly. “I wanted to thank you again. You and Jason Tyron. You both risked your lives to save me.”
“You’d do the same for me.”
“Yes.” They walked in silence for a few moments, until Tessa looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was listening, then said, “I watched you with Dr. Tyron.”
A bolt of alarm shot through Sophia. “You mean after he was knocked unconscious?” she asked in a careful voice.
“Yes.”
When she heard Tessa’s answer, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Her sister hadn’t seen them going into the hayloft—or coming out.
Tessa’s next words had her on edge again. “He means something to you. When did you get to know him?”
Before answering, Sophia stepped into one of the gardens, and her sister followed.
“I interviewed him for the job. I came down to watch him work.”
“And you made love with him.”
Sophia caught her breath. Instead of denying it, she asked, “How do you know?”
“It was a guess.”
“You tricked me!”
“I thought it was true.”
“Why?”
“You were so frightened when he got hurt. So tender with him. You care about him.”
She swallowed. “I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about him.”
“Maybe it happened before. Maybe the missing Ionians found someone—a man. And that’s why they left the spa.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When you came into the gift shop, I started to tell you about them. They were in the register of our Sisterhood. Two were born in the 1940s. One in the 1920s. But they’re not here. And there’s no record of their deaths.”
“They could be some of the sisters who have jobs out in the world.”
“We know who they are. Linda, Chandra, and Julia just aren’t anywhere.”
“Could they have done . . . something bad? Been . . . killed?”
“You think the high priestess would do that to one of us ?”
“I hope not.”
“Maybe they bonded with a man, and that changed everything for them,” Tessa said in a wistful voice.
“Or maybe they were kidnapped.”
When Tessa winced, Sophia was sorry she’d said it.
“I should go to bed,” Tessa murmured.
“Yes. Try to relax.”
Tessa nodded, then walked out of the garden and headed for her bedroom.
Sophia stared after her
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