The Butterfly Conspiracy (14 page)

    
Stephen spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the conservatory, reading a book from the library.
 
After supper, Uncle Phil suggested they all retreat to the trophy room.
  

Phillip pulled out a card game called ‘Michigan Rummy’ and insisted they all play.
 
Stephen resisted at first, because he had not played many card games, but the game was easy to learn. They spent the next three hours playing cards, drinking and having many laughs.
 

    
Uncle Philip looked at his watch.
 
“My goodness, it’s almost
eleven
o’clock. I think we’ve played enough cards for one night.”
 

He folded up the Michigan Rummy board, said good night to everyone and got up to leave.
 
As he was leaving, Britt also said her good nights and walked out, arm-in-arm with Phillip.
   

    
Stephen walked with Jeanette as far as her door and then headed up to his room. Once in his room, he pulled out his sketch book, some charcoal sticks and started sketching.
 
He was feeling very content.
 
His uncle’s place was far removed from
New York City
.
 
He had met some very interesting people and he was sure this was going to be a summer to remember.
 
He hadn’t thought of Jill for quite some time.

He walked over to the window.
 
The wind had picked up and he could hear it whistling through the pines.
 
Stephen watched as whitecaps rose down along the shoreline. He returned to his chair and picked up his sketch book.
 

His door was only partially closed.
 
He heard soft footsteps outside in the hall.
 
He glanced up from his sketch and saw Britt, holding a book, as she walked past his door.
 
She was wearing a silky floor length robe that covered her feet. She moved so quietly and smoothly it appeared that she was gliding along the floor.
 

    
Stephen turned back to his drawing.
 
He was trying to sketch an Indian standing on a cliff looking towards
Lake Superior
, but it just wasn’t working out the way he had intended.
 
He remembered seeing a book of American Indians sitting open on a table in the library.
 
That book would be perfect source material for his sketch.
 

He started for the library then stopped.
 
Maybe it was not such a good idea being in the library alone with Britt, after what had happened.
 
After a moment of speculation, he decided that he wasn’t going to hide from Britt for the whole summer.
 
He would just go straight to the library, grab the book and head back to his room.

    
Stephen approached the open library door.
 
He stepped in and looked around.
 
No Britt.
 
He walked over and picked up the book. It was on the oak table just where he remembered it.
  
He glanced around the library again.
 
Britt was nowhere to be seen.
 

Stephen returned to his room.
 
He found a picture of an old Indian chief with a very weathered and sculptured face.
 
It was perfect.
 
He started sketching.
 
He wondered how Britt could have left the library and gone back downstairs without him noticing.
 
Stephen thumbed through the book and started reading about the various Indian tribes that had inhabited northern
Michigan
. He set his sketchbook aside and took the book over to the bed.
 

After twenty minutes, he fell asleep, the book resting heavily on his chest.

Chapter 16

The next day, Stephen was restless.
 
Uncle Phillip was busy working and Stephen could see Jeanette going back and forth from her office to Uncle Phillip’s.
 

He walked up to the library, but once there, the sunshine and clear blue sky made it impossible for Stephen to want to stay inside.
 
He decided to take a walk.
 
Stephen headed downstairs and made his way to the conservatory.
 
The room was huge with floor to ceiling windows running along each wall.
 
Potted plants were arranged around the perimeter of the room and brown rattan furniture with green cushions was set in assorted groupings.

Stephen walked outside.
 
Immediately, the warmth of the sun beat down on him.
 
It seemed the Manor always had a slightly damp feeling inside, no matter what the weather was like.
 
When Jeanette had shown him this path the first time, they had walked to the right.
 
Seeking a different view, Stephen turned left.
 
The path meandered between the conservatory and the pond.
 
Many different kinds of flowers were planted and the shrubs were well manicured.
 
Once Stephen reached the end of the main house, the path continued over to Britt’s cottage.
 

“Hello, Stephen.”

Stephen turned to see Britt sitting on a bench under a vine covered trellis. She was drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette while flipping through a magazine.
 
To Stephen, Britt reminded him of a picture of Jayne Mansfield he had seen in a purloined men’s magazine back at school. Her breasts looked like ice cream cones under her soft, short sleeved, angora sweater.

Britt motioned for Stephen to join her.
 

“Cigarette?” Britt offered.
 

“No, thanks.”

“So, how are you enjoying your summer at Cliffside Manor?” Britt asked.

“It’s great.
 
The estate is spectacular and everyone’s been so friendly.
 
I’m looking forward to doing some hiking along the lake. I really needed to get away.”

“I know. I love it here.
 
It’s so quiet and out of the way.
 
I feel peaceful being surrounded by these forests.”

Britt paused to take a puff from her cigarette.

“Your uncle is always trying to get me to go with him back to
Hollywood
, but the thought of leaving, even for a short time, is unbearable.”

“I’ve never been to
California
, but I always heard it was nice.”

“I don’t have many good memories of my time in
California
.
 
It can be a very nasty place, professionally speaking.
 
Enough about that.”

 
Britt shook her head.
 
“Phillip tells me that you were supposed to be backpacking in
Europe
but those plans fell through.”

“Talk about unpleasant memories.
 
Yes, my supposed girlfriend bailed out on me at the last minute and told me she was going to
Eu
rope with another guy.
 
I just didn’t see that coming.”

Britt turned to Stephen and put her hands on his arm.
 
“You’re a very handsome man, Stephen.
 
I’m sure there are many other beautiful girls just waiting for you to ask them out.”

One of Britt’s hands was rubbing his arm while the other was caressing the top of his hand.
 
Stephen was feeling very uncomfortable.
 
The last thing he needed was to have Uncle Phillip walk around the corner and see this.

Stephen stood up.
 
“Thanks for the kind words, Britt. I hope you’re right.”
 
He pulled his hand away.

“I’m going to continue my walk and enjoy this morning breeze before it goes away. I’ll see you back at the house.”

Britt did not reply.
 
She glanced down and returned to her magazine.

Stephen headed down the trail that led to the log slide overlook.
 
He walked over to the small retainer wall and stared out over the lake.
  
He watched as two hikers walked along a trail.
 
The cliff was so high, they looked to be only about an inch tall.

Stephen’s encounter with Britt made him think about Jill again.
 
He wondered where she was in
Europe
and what she was doing.
 
He wondered if she ever thought about him anymore.
 

Suddenly Stephen felt a force push hard against his shoulders.
 
Before he could steady himself, he went sailing over the wall.
 
He fell straight down ten feet, hit the soft sand of the dune and started to tumble uncontrollably down the steep slope.
 
He tried desperately to stop rolling and slow his decent.
 

After tumbling halfway down the three hundred foot incline, Stephen was able to turn onto his back and slide the rest of the way feet first.
 
Sand was hitting him everywhere.
 
It was in his hair, his mouth and under his shirt.
 

Finally, he stopped sliding.
 
Stephen lay still at the edge of the shore.
 
He was winded and shaken up.
 
Thankfully, the soft sand had prevented any broken bones.
 

Stephen stood up and shook the sand from his body.
 
He looked back up to the distant cliff edge.
 
He didn’t see anyone, but that did not surprise him.
 
He continued to brush the sand out of his hair and started the long climb back up to the overlook.

Lunch was over by the time Stephen scaled the dune.
 
It didn’t make a difference, he was too exhausted to eat.
 
He went up to his room, took a shower and flopped onto his bed.
 

Stephen was awakened by a soft knock.
 
His muscles ached as he got up and headed for the door.
  

“Hi, Jeanette.
 
Come in.”
 

“Are you okay?” She asked him.