Jennifer Sue Clowney.'
Elender's voice was unnaturally harsh as she wagged an admonishing
finger at her. 'I'm ashamed of you!'
Jenny burst into tears and ran from the
kitchen. A moment later the slam of her door reverberated from down
the hall.
Elender shut her eyes and took a deep,
painful breath. She felt a tightening in her stomach. She wished
now that she'd pretended she hadn't noticed what Jenny had done. Of
all the days of the year, Christmas was one she didn't want spoiled
in any way. Not for the roomers, not for Jenny, and not for
herself. And this year, especially not for Elizabeth-
Anne, since she wouldn't be here very much
longer. But Jenny had been getting away with far too much lately,
constantly testing her authority. If she didn't put her foot down
now, she would only get more and more selfish and spoiled.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that
Elizabeth-Anne had twisted around in her chair and was gazing at
her with wide and sympathetic eyes.
Elender smiled sadly at her, slid a saucepan
from the burner over to the cold side of the stove, and then
marched, with grim, terse footsteps, down the hall to Jenny's room.
Elizabeth-Anne slipped off her chair and followed quietly.
Jenny was lying facedown on her bed, sobbing
into her pillows. Elender motioned for Elizabeth-Anne to go back to
the kitchen; then she shut the door softly and approached the bed.
'Jennifer.'
Jenny sniffed noisily, lifted her head, and
turned around, a bitter, challenging look on her wet, red face.
'You deserve to be severely punished,'
Elender said in a quivering voice. 'Ever since Elizabeth-Anne came
here, you've treated her miserably. Don't think I haven't noticed.
But this time you've gone too far.' She shook her head in
exasperation. 'Don't you have any heart?' she whispered. 'Don't you
know what she's been through?'
' She's been through!' Jenny wailed
uncharitably, hopping up into a sitting position. 'She's taken over , Auntie! Everything's 'Lizbeth-Anne this, 'Lizbeth-
Anne that! You don't even love me anymore!' Jenny's tears poured
down her cheeks.
'You know that's not true, Jenny,' Elender
said quietly. But she bit down on her lip, knowing that Jenny's
accusation was close—too close—to the truth. She loved Jenny.
Always would, no matter what she did. Jenny was, after all, her
only daughter, even if she could never admit it publicly, let alone
share it with her privately. It was just that, compared with Jenny,
Elizabeth-Anne was so . . . angelic . So sweet and obedient
and good-hearted. After witnessing the devastating fire and the
nightmarish deaths of her family and friends, and suffering her
subsequent loss of speech . . . well, how could one's heart not go out to her?
'Get up, Jenny,' Elender said wearily, 'and
dry your tears. You're not going to be punished, because it's
Christmas. But let me warn you . . .' Her voice was stern and icy.
'One more incident . . .'
Jenny got up slowly, but her words came
swiftly. 'I'll be good, Auntie,' she promised. 'I'm sorry, really I
am! It's just that I didn't think you loved—'
Elender swiftly embraced her. 'I'll always
love you, Jenny,' she said softly, pressing the child's head toward
her bosom. 'I'll always love you. More than anyone else in the
world. You've got to believe that.'
But in her heart, Elender knew she was
telling a lie. Perhaps she could fool Jenny, but she wasn't fooling
herself. She would always love her daughter, yes, but she could not
love her more than Elizabeth-Anne. Jenny would simply not permit
such unquestioning, pure, blind love. She was, at heart, cold,
conceited, selfish, and spiteful. She always had to have her own
way, even if it meant hurting others.
And whose fault was that?
Mine , Elender thought to herself,
suddenly feeling a hot rush of guilt. Mine, and mine alone.
Jenny inherited those traits from Arthur Jason Cromwell. She is his
daughter as well as mine. If I'd been strong enough, brave enough,
to flee the Cromwell mansion when he . .
Elender's voice was unnaturally harsh as she wagged an admonishing
finger at her. 'I'm ashamed of you!'
Jenny burst into tears and ran from the
kitchen. A moment later the slam of her door reverberated from down
the hall.
Elender shut her eyes and took a deep,
painful breath. She felt a tightening in her stomach. She wished
now that she'd pretended she hadn't noticed what Jenny had done. Of
all the days of the year, Christmas was one she didn't want spoiled
in any way. Not for the roomers, not for Jenny, and not for
herself. And this year, especially not for Elizabeth-
Anne, since she wouldn't be here very much
longer. But Jenny had been getting away with far too much lately,
constantly testing her authority. If she didn't put her foot down
now, she would only get more and more selfish and spoiled.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that
Elizabeth-Anne had twisted around in her chair and was gazing at
her with wide and sympathetic eyes.
Elender smiled sadly at her, slid a saucepan
from the burner over to the cold side of the stove, and then
marched, with grim, terse footsteps, down the hall to Jenny's room.
Elizabeth-Anne slipped off her chair and followed quietly.
Jenny was lying facedown on her bed, sobbing
into her pillows. Elender motioned for Elizabeth-Anne to go back to
the kitchen; then she shut the door softly and approached the bed.
'Jennifer.'
Jenny sniffed noisily, lifted her head, and
turned around, a bitter, challenging look on her wet, red face.
'You deserve to be severely punished,'
Elender said in a quivering voice. 'Ever since Elizabeth-Anne came
here, you've treated her miserably. Don't think I haven't noticed.
But this time you've gone too far.' She shook her head in
exasperation. 'Don't you have any heart?' she whispered. 'Don't you
know what she's been through?'
' She's been through!' Jenny wailed
uncharitably, hopping up into a sitting position. 'She's taken over , Auntie! Everything's 'Lizbeth-Anne this, 'Lizbeth-
Anne that! You don't even love me anymore!' Jenny's tears poured
down her cheeks.
'You know that's not true, Jenny,' Elender
said quietly. But she bit down on her lip, knowing that Jenny's
accusation was close—too close—to the truth. She loved Jenny.
Always would, no matter what she did. Jenny was, after all, her
only daughter, even if she could never admit it publicly, let alone
share it with her privately. It was just that, compared with Jenny,
Elizabeth-Anne was so . . . angelic . So sweet and obedient
and good-hearted. After witnessing the devastating fire and the
nightmarish deaths of her family and friends, and suffering her
subsequent loss of speech . . . well, how could one's heart not go out to her?
'Get up, Jenny,' Elender said wearily, 'and
dry your tears. You're not going to be punished, because it's
Christmas. But let me warn you . . .' Her voice was stern and icy.
'One more incident . . .'
Jenny got up slowly, but her words came
swiftly. 'I'll be good, Auntie,' she promised. 'I'm sorry, really I
am! It's just that I didn't think you loved—'
Elender swiftly embraced her. 'I'll always
love you, Jenny,' she said softly, pressing the child's head toward
her bosom. 'I'll always love you. More than anyone else in the
world. You've got to believe that.'
But in her heart, Elender knew she was
telling a lie. Perhaps she could fool Jenny, but she wasn't fooling
herself. She would always love her daughter, yes, but she could not
love her more than Elizabeth-Anne. Jenny would simply not permit
such unquestioning, pure, blind love. She was, at heart, cold,
conceited, selfish, and spiteful. She always had to have her own
way, even if it meant hurting others.
And whose fault was that?
Mine , Elender thought to herself,
suddenly feeling a hot rush of guilt. Mine, and mine alone.
Jenny inherited those traits from Arthur Jason Cromwell. She is his
daughter as well as mine. If I'd been strong enough, brave enough,
to flee the Cromwell mansion when he . .
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