“You do love me. I know you do. I can see it, even when you can’t. When I woke from being knocked unconscious last evening, it was there in your eyes.”
I shook my head.
Even if I denied her accusations, she would have taken everything I said and turned it into something to satisfy her delusions.
Silently, I dropped the pail back down the well, being careful not to hit it on the rocky walls.
Grace huffed and turned to walk away.
Her back was the only thing I wanted to see when she was around. Her face sickened me.
Grace tromped back up the patio steps toward the back door.
The back door opened and Annabeth’s father looked out at me over the patio. He looked to Annabeth’s room where I kept my gaze.
I wouldn’t allow him to force me away from her.
He approached me and looked up at me. “Son, is there something I can help you with?”
I stepped away from the flower bed. “Just standing in the shade for a few minutes, admiring the view.”
“That barn won’t rebuild itself,” he said, slurring on “itself.”
“Yes, sir.” I nodded to Annabeth, but stepped out of the shade back into the sun.
“I’ve been thinking. July would be a nice month for a wedding. That’s a month away, and I’d like nothing better than to be rid of that little winch. She’s ruined so many lives. I hate that you’ll be a martyr for my sake, but it’s the only way.” Mr. Rollins took a kerchief from his pocket and wiped his red face.
I stood straighter and stared down into his eyes.
He may have been drunk, but even alcohol didn’t blind him to the fact that he needed to be rid of Grace.
“She’s no worse than her creator.” I shook my head in disbelief. “You’ve known what Grace’s been up to this whole time. I used to wonder why we hadn’t been kicked off the property. You’ve kept my family around for more than just a job well done. You’d let me die in her arms to save you from her. That’s pretty low.”
I walked around to the other side of the barn. I could no longer look at him.
He disgusted me about as much as Grace had.
* * * *
Silence was by far the worst punishment Annabeth could have sentenced me with, but she’d added to my condemnation by also not letting me see her again.
Over the next few days, every time I looked to her window, she was never there.
I would have preferred her yelling at me or slapping me to this. I always imagined hell to be the protection of God’s hand lifted from my life. Now it was the absence of her.
How had I been so damned blind?
Staring down the embankment over the pond, I settled down beside a stone wall Mr. Rollins had just began construction on. Feeling sick, I put my head down between my knees.
Days had gone by without any word from anyone about Annabeth. For that matter, she could have been in the house trapped in a closet somewhere, if Grace could have her way. And obviously she could.
The only thing that could make matters worse at the moment was if Grace convinced Annabeth that I had agreed to marry her.
I couldn’t allow Annabeth to think I would. And I was tired of moping around.
I didn’t know what I’d planned to do until I got to the patio and my feet didn’t stop.
Mrs. Rollins met with me in the vestibule. At first, I thought she might try to stop me. She was probably the only person that could have. “You really shouldn’t—"
I interrupted Mrs. Rollins, though I knew it to be bad manners. “I know, but I can’t live without her a second longer. Annabeth has to know that her sister put something in my food, took my innocence while I couldn’t move, and left me there to wallow in self-loathing. Furthermore, I can’t have her believing that I’d marry Grace. Lock me in there with her if you have to. At least for five minutes.”
Mrs. Rollins looked up at the ceiling as if she could see Annabeth through it. She looked back down to me.
“Can you send word that I’ve requested a meeting with her, at least?”
As if she were
I shook my head.
Even if I denied her accusations, she would have taken everything I said and turned it into something to satisfy her delusions.
Silently, I dropped the pail back down the well, being careful not to hit it on the rocky walls.
Grace huffed and turned to walk away.
Her back was the only thing I wanted to see when she was around. Her face sickened me.
Grace tromped back up the patio steps toward the back door.
The back door opened and Annabeth’s father looked out at me over the patio. He looked to Annabeth’s room where I kept my gaze.
I wouldn’t allow him to force me away from her.
He approached me and looked up at me. “Son, is there something I can help you with?”
I stepped away from the flower bed. “Just standing in the shade for a few minutes, admiring the view.”
“That barn won’t rebuild itself,” he said, slurring on “itself.”
“Yes, sir.” I nodded to Annabeth, but stepped out of the shade back into the sun.
“I’ve been thinking. July would be a nice month for a wedding. That’s a month away, and I’d like nothing better than to be rid of that little winch. She’s ruined so many lives. I hate that you’ll be a martyr for my sake, but it’s the only way.” Mr. Rollins took a kerchief from his pocket and wiped his red face.
I stood straighter and stared down into his eyes.
He may have been drunk, but even alcohol didn’t blind him to the fact that he needed to be rid of Grace.
“She’s no worse than her creator.” I shook my head in disbelief. “You’ve known what Grace’s been up to this whole time. I used to wonder why we hadn’t been kicked off the property. You’ve kept my family around for more than just a job well done. You’d let me die in her arms to save you from her. That’s pretty low.”
I walked around to the other side of the barn. I could no longer look at him.
He disgusted me about as much as Grace had.
* * * *
Silence was by far the worst punishment Annabeth could have sentenced me with, but she’d added to my condemnation by also not letting me see her again.
Over the next few days, every time I looked to her window, she was never there.
I would have preferred her yelling at me or slapping me to this. I always imagined hell to be the protection of God’s hand lifted from my life. Now it was the absence of her.
How had I been so damned blind?
Staring down the embankment over the pond, I settled down beside a stone wall Mr. Rollins had just began construction on. Feeling sick, I put my head down between my knees.
Days had gone by without any word from anyone about Annabeth. For that matter, she could have been in the house trapped in a closet somewhere, if Grace could have her way. And obviously she could.
The only thing that could make matters worse at the moment was if Grace convinced Annabeth that I had agreed to marry her.
I couldn’t allow Annabeth to think I would. And I was tired of moping around.
I didn’t know what I’d planned to do until I got to the patio and my feet didn’t stop.
Mrs. Rollins met with me in the vestibule. At first, I thought she might try to stop me. She was probably the only person that could have. “You really shouldn’t—"
I interrupted Mrs. Rollins, though I knew it to be bad manners. “I know, but I can’t live without her a second longer. Annabeth has to know that her sister put something in my food, took my innocence while I couldn’t move, and left me there to wallow in self-loathing. Furthermore, I can’t have her believing that I’d marry Grace. Lock me in there with her if you have to. At least for five minutes.”
Mrs. Rollins looked up at the ceiling as if she could see Annabeth through it. She looked back down to me.
“Can you send word that I’ve requested a meeting with her, at least?”
As if she were
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