I drew just a rowboat, old and well used. Pleased with my efforts, I added some muted color to that picture too.
I must have been so engrossed in my drawing that I didn’t hear Vali come up into the turret room. When I looked up, she was standing at the top of the stairs, watching me. I gave a start and her lips curled in a crocodilian smile.
“Yes?” I inquired tersely. I was not pleased that she had come up here and I wanted her to go away. She had broken the turret room’s spell and I was feeling a little peevish.
“I came up here to see if I could clean. But I see you’ve taken it over. You have a habit of doing that.”
“Vali, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t taken anything over. If you’re still upset about my asking you to set two extra places at dinner last night, then I apologize. But we couldn’t send Brandt and Giselle out into that storm.”
“What I mean is that you’ve inserted yourself into this household rather nicely. You walk around here like you own the place. I’d advise you to remember that everyone at this house was here long before you were.”
I didn’t know what to say in the face of this tirade. I was starting to feel a little nervous up here alone with this woman. I tried to talk to her calmly.
“Vali, I am here to do a job, just like you. And of course I’m aware that I have the low spot on the totem pole here. I can assure you that I have no delusions about my position on Hallstead Island.”
“You aren’t even wanted here. Why don’t you just go back where you came from?”
Not this again , I thought. “Vali,” I responded evenly, “I was hired to be Alex’s nurse. I am not leaving until she asks me to. Besides,” I added, “I spoke to her just this morning and she assured me that she wants me to stay.”
She said nothing but stared at me venomously. I met her stare and tried not to flinch. She’s a bit unstable , I thought. I waited for her to say or do something. Finally she spun around on her heel and left. I listened until she slammed the turret door behind her, and then sank back onto the sofa. What am I doing here? I wondered.
I was at a loss to explain why Vali and Will disliked me so. Pete had warned me on my first day at Summerplace that I wouldn’t find a warm welcome here, but I had no idea that the feelings against me would be so strong. I laid my head against the back of the sofa and closed my eyes, sighing deeply. How could I convince Vali and Will that I meant no harm to anyone and that my only purpose at Summerplace was to be a good nurse to Alex?
I didn’t have long to think, because I heard footfalls on the turret steps again. My body tensed, waiting for another uncomfortable encounter with Vali, but to my surprise it was Stephan’s head that poked into the turret room. He looked around and saw me on the sofa.
“Mind if I come up?” he asked genially.
“Not at all; please do,” I invited.
He sank down in one of the low armchairs opposite the sofa and looked around the room. “I haven’t been up here in quite a while.”
“Have you come up here to tell me to go home too?” I couldn’t help asking.
Stephan looked at me, confused. “Of course not, Macy. Why do you ask that?”
I smiled at him ruefully. “I’m sorry. I just had a confrontation with Vali and I’m a little ruffled by it.”
“What kind of confrontation?”
“Oh, she was just up here suggesting that I go home,” I explained. “I told her that I’m not going away until Alex sends me away.”
“Good for you,” Stephan encouraged me. “Actually, I suppose that’s part of the reason I came up here looking for you.” He crossed his legs and settled into his chair more comfortably. “You and I haven’t had much of an opportunity to talk since I got here, and I just wanted to know how things are going for you at Summerplace. And how Alex is doing, of course.”
“Well, let me start with Alex. I think she’s doing quite well.
I must have been so engrossed in my drawing that I didn’t hear Vali come up into the turret room. When I looked up, she was standing at the top of the stairs, watching me. I gave a start and her lips curled in a crocodilian smile.
“Yes?” I inquired tersely. I was not pleased that she had come up here and I wanted her to go away. She had broken the turret room’s spell and I was feeling a little peevish.
“I came up here to see if I could clean. But I see you’ve taken it over. You have a habit of doing that.”
“Vali, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t taken anything over. If you’re still upset about my asking you to set two extra places at dinner last night, then I apologize. But we couldn’t send Brandt and Giselle out into that storm.”
“What I mean is that you’ve inserted yourself into this household rather nicely. You walk around here like you own the place. I’d advise you to remember that everyone at this house was here long before you were.”
I didn’t know what to say in the face of this tirade. I was starting to feel a little nervous up here alone with this woman. I tried to talk to her calmly.
“Vali, I am here to do a job, just like you. And of course I’m aware that I have the low spot on the totem pole here. I can assure you that I have no delusions about my position on Hallstead Island.”
“You aren’t even wanted here. Why don’t you just go back where you came from?”
Not this again , I thought. “Vali,” I responded evenly, “I was hired to be Alex’s nurse. I am not leaving until she asks me to. Besides,” I added, “I spoke to her just this morning and she assured me that she wants me to stay.”
She said nothing but stared at me venomously. I met her stare and tried not to flinch. She’s a bit unstable , I thought. I waited for her to say or do something. Finally she spun around on her heel and left. I listened until she slammed the turret door behind her, and then sank back onto the sofa. What am I doing here? I wondered.
I was at a loss to explain why Vali and Will disliked me so. Pete had warned me on my first day at Summerplace that I wouldn’t find a warm welcome here, but I had no idea that the feelings against me would be so strong. I laid my head against the back of the sofa and closed my eyes, sighing deeply. How could I convince Vali and Will that I meant no harm to anyone and that my only purpose at Summerplace was to be a good nurse to Alex?
I didn’t have long to think, because I heard footfalls on the turret steps again. My body tensed, waiting for another uncomfortable encounter with Vali, but to my surprise it was Stephan’s head that poked into the turret room. He looked around and saw me on the sofa.
“Mind if I come up?” he asked genially.
“Not at all; please do,” I invited.
He sank down in one of the low armchairs opposite the sofa and looked around the room. “I haven’t been up here in quite a while.”
“Have you come up here to tell me to go home too?” I couldn’t help asking.
Stephan looked at me, confused. “Of course not, Macy. Why do you ask that?”
I smiled at him ruefully. “I’m sorry. I just had a confrontation with Vali and I’m a little ruffled by it.”
“What kind of confrontation?”
“Oh, she was just up here suggesting that I go home,” I explained. “I told her that I’m not going away until Alex sends me away.”
“Good for you,” Stephan encouraged me. “Actually, I suppose that’s part of the reason I came up here looking for you.” He crossed his legs and settled into his chair more comfortably. “You and I haven’t had much of an opportunity to talk since I got here, and I just wanted to know how things are going for you at Summerplace. And how Alex is doing, of course.”
“Well, let me start with Alex. I think she’s doing quite well.
Similar Books
