old, though it had been carefully maintained through the years. I knocked as hard as I could.
And waited. I didn’t hear anything from within, which I decided didn’t really tell me anything; the thickness of the door would have kept all noises within. I saw the button for the doorbell, hidden discreetly within a side panel. I hesitated only a moment before pressing it.
This time I wasn’t kept waiting. The door swung open silently, and a woman in an understated gray dress stood in front of me. Her guardedly pleasant expression didn’t change, but I knew her eyes were moving discreetly over me.
“May I help you?” Her tone of voice, as careful as her expression, and her relative youth confirmed to me that this was not Rafe’s grandmother; her thoughts backed this up as well. A housekeeper, maybe? Did people still have those?
“I’m a friend of Rafe’s. Is he home?” Normally I might have been somewhat cowed by this woman, but today, I was angry enough at Rafe that I was barely hanging onto courtesy.
Her eyes widened in a combination of surprise and recognition. “You must be Tasmyn. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were expected. Please, come in.”
That she knew my name surprised me, and I stepped into the huge foyer without noticing much. As the lady in gray closed the door behind me, I hastened to correct her.
“I’m not really expected. I mean, I just stopped by to see Rafe on my way home. If it isn’t a good time…” What if they were in the middle of dinner? I might be mad at Rafe, but I didn’t want to be rude to his grandparents, who might be perfectly lovely people.
The woman-who-might-be-the-housekeeper smiled at me, and I could suddenly hear her more clearly. She did work for the Brooks, but she was also a distant family member. And Rafe had told her about me… actually, he had told her quite a bit about me. My mouth fell open slightly as I looked at her more closely.
“It’s a perfectly good time, Tasmyn. I’ll just let Rafe know you’re here.” She turned toward the sweeping staircase, but she didn’t climb the steps. Instead she stood quite still with one hand on the wooden newel post. Before I could figure out what she was doing, Rafe appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Tasmyn!” He sprinted down the steps to meet me, taking both of my hands in his. “Are you okay?”
I wasn’t okay. I was mystified and more than a little thrown off. But before I could answer him, Rafe began laughing.
“Oh. So Lucie was showing off for you, huh?”
“Lucie?” I managed to find my voice.
“Yeah. Tasmyn, this is my cousin, Lucie. She works for my grandparents, you know, kind of social secretary, housekeeper, whatever. And she’s pretty much your opposite.”
Lucie laughed. “Rafe, that’s a terrible way to put it.”
I looked at the two of them, realization dawning on me. “So Lucie, you can… communicate without talking?”
“Yes. I can speak telepathically. Unfortunately, I can’t hear what people are thinking, though. Caroline—Rafe’s grandmother—thinks my branch of the family had that power once, but I guess they lost it over the generations. I work to make sure that doesn’t happen to me.”
I nodded. “I’ve wished more than once that I had your talent. One way communication can be pretty frustrating.”
“Yes! People don’t get that. I’m so glad to finally meet you, Tasmyn, and I hope we can get to know each other better.” She glanced at Rafe, and even if she couldn’t hear what he was thinking, it was obvious from his expression. She smiled again and backed away from us.
“I’ll leave you two alone. Nice to meet you…” Lucie’s voice trailed off as she disappeared down a hallway. A few seconds later I heard a door close.
Rafe was still holding my hands, and I pulled them free. “That wasn’t very nice, what you were thinking.”
He laughed. “So it’s a good thing Lucie can’t hear my thoughts. That was for you alone.”
I
And waited. I didn’t hear anything from within, which I decided didn’t really tell me anything; the thickness of the door would have kept all noises within. I saw the button for the doorbell, hidden discreetly within a side panel. I hesitated only a moment before pressing it.
This time I wasn’t kept waiting. The door swung open silently, and a woman in an understated gray dress stood in front of me. Her guardedly pleasant expression didn’t change, but I knew her eyes were moving discreetly over me.
“May I help you?” Her tone of voice, as careful as her expression, and her relative youth confirmed to me that this was not Rafe’s grandmother; her thoughts backed this up as well. A housekeeper, maybe? Did people still have those?
“I’m a friend of Rafe’s. Is he home?” Normally I might have been somewhat cowed by this woman, but today, I was angry enough at Rafe that I was barely hanging onto courtesy.
Her eyes widened in a combination of surprise and recognition. “You must be Tasmyn. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were expected. Please, come in.”
That she knew my name surprised me, and I stepped into the huge foyer without noticing much. As the lady in gray closed the door behind me, I hastened to correct her.
“I’m not really expected. I mean, I just stopped by to see Rafe on my way home. If it isn’t a good time…” What if they were in the middle of dinner? I might be mad at Rafe, but I didn’t want to be rude to his grandparents, who might be perfectly lovely people.
The woman-who-might-be-the-housekeeper smiled at me, and I could suddenly hear her more clearly. She did work for the Brooks, but she was also a distant family member. And Rafe had told her about me… actually, he had told her quite a bit about me. My mouth fell open slightly as I looked at her more closely.
“It’s a perfectly good time, Tasmyn. I’ll just let Rafe know you’re here.” She turned toward the sweeping staircase, but she didn’t climb the steps. Instead she stood quite still with one hand on the wooden newel post. Before I could figure out what she was doing, Rafe appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Tasmyn!” He sprinted down the steps to meet me, taking both of my hands in his. “Are you okay?”
I wasn’t okay. I was mystified and more than a little thrown off. But before I could answer him, Rafe began laughing.
“Oh. So Lucie was showing off for you, huh?”
“Lucie?” I managed to find my voice.
“Yeah. Tasmyn, this is my cousin, Lucie. She works for my grandparents, you know, kind of social secretary, housekeeper, whatever. And she’s pretty much your opposite.”
Lucie laughed. “Rafe, that’s a terrible way to put it.”
I looked at the two of them, realization dawning on me. “So Lucie, you can… communicate without talking?”
“Yes. I can speak telepathically. Unfortunately, I can’t hear what people are thinking, though. Caroline—Rafe’s grandmother—thinks my branch of the family had that power once, but I guess they lost it over the generations. I work to make sure that doesn’t happen to me.”
I nodded. “I’ve wished more than once that I had your talent. One way communication can be pretty frustrating.”
“Yes! People don’t get that. I’m so glad to finally meet you, Tasmyn, and I hope we can get to know each other better.” She glanced at Rafe, and even if she couldn’t hear what he was thinking, it was obvious from his expression. She smiled again and backed away from us.
“I’ll leave you two alone. Nice to meet you…” Lucie’s voice trailed off as she disappeared down a hallway. A few seconds later I heard a door close.
Rafe was still holding my hands, and I pulled them free. “That wasn’t very nice, what you were thinking.”
He laughed. “So it’s a good thing Lucie can’t hear my thoughts. That was for you alone.”
I
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