what’s going to happen next.”
Anne’s eyes had narrowed. “So that’s what they all meant when they wanted to know what you were going to do?”
Kevin had nodded tiredly. “Will Hempstead as much as asked me today, but I put him off.”
“And what are you going to do?” Anne had asked.
Kevin shook his head. “Sleep on it, I suppose. And see what Sam Waterman has to say. Then you and I and Marguerite can decide what’s the right thing to do.”
Anne had held up her hands in protest. “Not me,” she’d said. “It’s all up to you and Marguerite. I’ve never been here before, I don’t know any of the people involved, and, to be frank, I’m not too crazy about the place.” When Kevin had given her a quizzical look, she’d added only half apologetically, “What can I say? I watched the way everyone treated you and Marguerite this afternoon, and I felt the way they treated me. To them, you’re part of Devereaux, and it doesn’t matter that you don’t live here anymore. You’re part of
them
. But I’m not.” When Kevin had tried to argue with her, she’d cut him off. “Oh, they were polite enough. It’s not that—it’s just a feeling. I got the idea that deep down they feel that I’m an outsider, and they’re right. So you and Marguerite decide what has to be done, and don’t worry about me. I’m not a part of Sea Oaks, or Devereaux, and I never will be.”
They’d left it at that, and now Anne was sleeping peacefully beside him. But Kevin was still awake, his mind churning. Finally, knowing sleep was hours away, he got up and left the room. At the other end of the hall a streak of light glowed beneath Marguerite’s door, and Kevin walked down and tapped softly. A moment later his sister told him to come in.
Marguerite was sitting up in bed, a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose. She took them off as he came in, then patted the bed for him to sit next to her.
“How are you holding up?” Kevin asked.
“All right, I guess,” Marguerite replied. “Still numb, I suppose. But that will pass, and I’ll get through it.”
“You always do,” he said softly. “Sometimes you amaze me. How did you tolerate her all those years?”
Marguerite’s eyes clouded slightly. “I loved her, Kevin,” she said. Then, as he started to speak, she put her fingers to his lips. “I know how you felt, but I didn’t. She took care of me, too, Kevin. After the—” She hesitated a second, then forced herself to go on. “After my accident she took care of me, you know.”
“How could I forget?” Kevin asked, his bitterness suddenly clear in his voice. “She sent me off to military school so she could spend all her time with you.”
Marguerite’s eyes filled with tears. “Is that what you think?”
“Why shouldn’t I? It’s true, isn’t it?”
Marguerite was silent for a long time, but at last, tiredly, she nodded. “I suppose it is,” she agreed. “And I suppose it wasn’t fair. But it was a bad time for me, too, Kevin. And in the end you got away from here. I never did.”
Kevin reached out and took her hand. “Well, it’s not too late. I suspect you can now do pretty much anything you want. If we sell Sea Oaks—”
Marguerite snatched her hand away. “Sell Sea Oaks?” she echoed. “Kevin, you’re not thinking of doing that, are you? Where would I live? What would I do?”
Instantly, Kevin regretted his words. “I just said ‘if,’ ” he assured her. “We certainly won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Well, I know I don’t want to leave here,” Marguerite told him. “I’ve lived here all my life. I won’t say it’s always been perfect, but it’s my home, and I don’t know if I could live anywhere else.” Her voice took on a frightened edge. “I don’t need much money—”
“Hey!” Kevin protested. “Take it easy. If it’s what you want, and we can find a way, of course you’ll stay here. And we shouldn’t even be talking
Anne’s eyes had narrowed. “So that’s what they all meant when they wanted to know what you were going to do?”
Kevin had nodded tiredly. “Will Hempstead as much as asked me today, but I put him off.”
“And what are you going to do?” Anne had asked.
Kevin shook his head. “Sleep on it, I suppose. And see what Sam Waterman has to say. Then you and I and Marguerite can decide what’s the right thing to do.”
Anne had held up her hands in protest. “Not me,” she’d said. “It’s all up to you and Marguerite. I’ve never been here before, I don’t know any of the people involved, and, to be frank, I’m not too crazy about the place.” When Kevin had given her a quizzical look, she’d added only half apologetically, “What can I say? I watched the way everyone treated you and Marguerite this afternoon, and I felt the way they treated me. To them, you’re part of Devereaux, and it doesn’t matter that you don’t live here anymore. You’re part of
them
. But I’m not.” When Kevin had tried to argue with her, she’d cut him off. “Oh, they were polite enough. It’s not that—it’s just a feeling. I got the idea that deep down they feel that I’m an outsider, and they’re right. So you and Marguerite decide what has to be done, and don’t worry about me. I’m not a part of Sea Oaks, or Devereaux, and I never will be.”
They’d left it at that, and now Anne was sleeping peacefully beside him. But Kevin was still awake, his mind churning. Finally, knowing sleep was hours away, he got up and left the room. At the other end of the hall a streak of light glowed beneath Marguerite’s door, and Kevin walked down and tapped softly. A moment later his sister told him to come in.
Marguerite was sitting up in bed, a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose. She took them off as he came in, then patted the bed for him to sit next to her.
“How are you holding up?” Kevin asked.
“All right, I guess,” Marguerite replied. “Still numb, I suppose. But that will pass, and I’ll get through it.”
“You always do,” he said softly. “Sometimes you amaze me. How did you tolerate her all those years?”
Marguerite’s eyes clouded slightly. “I loved her, Kevin,” she said. Then, as he started to speak, she put her fingers to his lips. “I know how you felt, but I didn’t. She took care of me, too, Kevin. After the—” She hesitated a second, then forced herself to go on. “After my accident she took care of me, you know.”
“How could I forget?” Kevin asked, his bitterness suddenly clear in his voice. “She sent me off to military school so she could spend all her time with you.”
Marguerite’s eyes filled with tears. “Is that what you think?”
“Why shouldn’t I? It’s true, isn’t it?”
Marguerite was silent for a long time, but at last, tiredly, she nodded. “I suppose it is,” she agreed. “And I suppose it wasn’t fair. But it was a bad time for me, too, Kevin. And in the end you got away from here. I never did.”
Kevin reached out and took her hand. “Well, it’s not too late. I suspect you can now do pretty much anything you want. If we sell Sea Oaks—”
Marguerite snatched her hand away. “Sell Sea Oaks?” she echoed. “Kevin, you’re not thinking of doing that, are you? Where would I live? What would I do?”
Instantly, Kevin regretted his words. “I just said ‘if,’ ” he assured her. “We certainly won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Well, I know I don’t want to leave here,” Marguerite told him. “I’ve lived here all my life. I won’t say it’s always been perfect, but it’s my home, and I don’t know if I could live anywhere else.” Her voice took on a frightened edge. “I don’t need much money—”
“Hey!” Kevin protested. “Take it easy. If it’s what you want, and we can find a way, of course you’ll stay here. And we shouldn’t even be talking
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