own hideous fate, you forgot it takes two to tango.”
Alicia’s cheeks had regained some of their color and her
eyes shifted victoriously to me. Her words, however, were sympathetic. “Really,
Grant, how can you be so horrid? Of course, Suzanna knows you would want to go
along with this. We all know you stand to gain the most in the long run.”
“Don’t pretend to know my mind, Alicia. I can think of
easier ways to come up in the world.”
Alicia laughed lightly. “Oh, Grant, you can be so silly!”
He shot her a venomous look and strode from the room. I
watched him go with regret. He was right. It never occurred to me to speak to
him first. I just assumed he’d made his decision. I’d even mentally accused him
of somehow being a party to the plan for no other reason than to humiliate me.
I excused myself and followed him. As I guessed, he was in
the library hunched over the bar with a bottle in front of him and a brimming
glass in his hand.
“It won’t help to get drunk,” I admonished.
He glared at me and defiantly swallowed the entire contents
of the glass, grimacing. “Don’t tell me you’re going to start nagging me
already!”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I suppose I have to start
somewhere.” Then more seriously, “I’m sorry if I didn’t speak to you first. I
was wrong to assume you’d already accepted the will.”
He tipped the bottle over his glass. “Want some?” I shook my
head.
“I should be used to being the odd man out around here,” he
said. “But no matter how we look at it, the blessed Dirkston blood will never
flow through my veins!”
Briefly, like the flicker of lightning beyond the windows, I
glimpsed a hurt, resentful child beneath the armored shell in which Grant
cloaked himself. I laid a hesitant hand on his arm. He tensed as though my
touch was somehow threatening.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ll go along with whatever you say.”
His expression was dubious, waiting for me to add some
unsavory condition. When it was evident I’d say no more, he gave a tired,
lopsided smile and nodded.
“Okay, it’s a deal.” He held out his hand. “Shall we shake
on it?”
Our hands met in silent accord, lingering warmly before I
pulled mine away and went to the windows to hide a confusing, illogical rush of
emotions. The sky was black. Only the retreating blink of lightning outlined
the roiling clouds and slanting veil of rain. I watched, fascinated and counted
the seconds until the thunder rumbled in. Already the rain seemed to be
abating, pattering more sedately on the bricks outside. I could just make out
the pool. It too, was dark, though lights from the windows glinted off its
surface, displaying the radiating ripples generated by each raindrop.
Suddenly the sky lit up again as if in a final effort to
split the night. The lights in the house flickered and went out. The thunder
cracked.
I froze, rooted to the spot, fingers splayed against the
glass, mouth agape. I stared unblinking while the horror of what I saw
registered. In a burst of possessed energy, I sprinted across the hall to the
rear parlor, threw open the door to the patio and flung myself out into the
rain. I reached the gate to the pool and fumbled numbly for the latch, shaking
it in desperation. It opened and I burst through, my eyes wild, darting,
searching.
I’d seen him. I was certain. My father—floating face-down in
the rippling water! Without thinking, I plunged into the frigid pool, flailing
madly as I searched. I couldn’t find him. I couldn’t see through the darkness
and rain. My thrashing slowed. The weight of my clothes became unbearable, my
breath came in gasps, my limbs were numb. I think I was sobbing. In utter
exhaustion, I let the waters close over my head.
There in the total silence of the water’s depths, I heard it
distinctly, as if he were very near. His voice called to me, pleaded with me,
lured me down, until darkness and his voice were all that existed.
“Help
Alicia’s cheeks had regained some of their color and her
eyes shifted victoriously to me. Her words, however, were sympathetic. “Really,
Grant, how can you be so horrid? Of course, Suzanna knows you would want to go
along with this. We all know you stand to gain the most in the long run.”
“Don’t pretend to know my mind, Alicia. I can think of
easier ways to come up in the world.”
Alicia laughed lightly. “Oh, Grant, you can be so silly!”
He shot her a venomous look and strode from the room. I
watched him go with regret. He was right. It never occurred to me to speak to
him first. I just assumed he’d made his decision. I’d even mentally accused him
of somehow being a party to the plan for no other reason than to humiliate me.
I excused myself and followed him. As I guessed, he was in
the library hunched over the bar with a bottle in front of him and a brimming
glass in his hand.
“It won’t help to get drunk,” I admonished.
He glared at me and defiantly swallowed the entire contents
of the glass, grimacing. “Don’t tell me you’re going to start nagging me
already!”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I suppose I have to start
somewhere.” Then more seriously, “I’m sorry if I didn’t speak to you first. I
was wrong to assume you’d already accepted the will.”
He tipped the bottle over his glass. “Want some?” I shook my
head.
“I should be used to being the odd man out around here,” he
said. “But no matter how we look at it, the blessed Dirkston blood will never
flow through my veins!”
Briefly, like the flicker of lightning beyond the windows, I
glimpsed a hurt, resentful child beneath the armored shell in which Grant
cloaked himself. I laid a hesitant hand on his arm. He tensed as though my
touch was somehow threatening.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ll go along with whatever you say.”
His expression was dubious, waiting for me to add some
unsavory condition. When it was evident I’d say no more, he gave a tired,
lopsided smile and nodded.
“Okay, it’s a deal.” He held out his hand. “Shall we shake
on it?”
Our hands met in silent accord, lingering warmly before I
pulled mine away and went to the windows to hide a confusing, illogical rush of
emotions. The sky was black. Only the retreating blink of lightning outlined
the roiling clouds and slanting veil of rain. I watched, fascinated and counted
the seconds until the thunder rumbled in. Already the rain seemed to be
abating, pattering more sedately on the bricks outside. I could just make out
the pool. It too, was dark, though lights from the windows glinted off its
surface, displaying the radiating ripples generated by each raindrop.
Suddenly the sky lit up again as if in a final effort to
split the night. The lights in the house flickered and went out. The thunder
cracked.
I froze, rooted to the spot, fingers splayed against the
glass, mouth agape. I stared unblinking while the horror of what I saw
registered. In a burst of possessed energy, I sprinted across the hall to the
rear parlor, threw open the door to the patio and flung myself out into the
rain. I reached the gate to the pool and fumbled numbly for the latch, shaking
it in desperation. It opened and I burst through, my eyes wild, darting,
searching.
I’d seen him. I was certain. My father—floating face-down in
the rippling water! Without thinking, I plunged into the frigid pool, flailing
madly as I searched. I couldn’t find him. I couldn’t see through the darkness
and rain. My thrashing slowed. The weight of my clothes became unbearable, my
breath came in gasps, my limbs were numb. I think I was sobbing. In utter
exhaustion, I let the waters close over my head.
There in the total silence of the water’s depths, I heard it
distinctly, as if he were very near. His voice called to me, pleaded with me,
lured me down, until darkness and his voice were all that existed.
“Help
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