Endless Fear (22 page)

“
Karl, have you seen April this evening?”

Having ignored his entrance into the room, Karl now slowly raised his head. Contempt glinted from his ice blue eyes. “Maybe I have and maybe I haven’t. What’s it to you?”

Spencer’s boiling point lowered two degrees. Barely managing to keep a lid on, he flexed his fists at his sides. “She missed dinner, and I can’t find her anywhere in the house.”

“
You ain’t eaten yet neither,” Helga said in a voice slightly higher than normal. “I can’t keep this food sitting out much longer.”

“
Go ahead and put it away. I’ll help myself to something from the refrigerator later.” He eyed Karl pointedly, still waiting for an answer to his question about April.

Karl ignored the look. He took a lazy pull on his mug and returned Spencer’s stare with scoffing indifference.

Fed up with this game, Spencer headed for the stairs.

Karl scraped back his chair and caught up with him. “You act like April’s your personal property. Is she?”

Spencer could see Helga was listening to the exchange, otherwise he would have lied. “No.” The small word and its big meaning left his heart feeling bruised.

“
Good. Then she’s fair game.”

Itching to smack the delighted look off Karl’s handsome face, but not wanting to deal with the aftermath, he wheeled around and charged up the steps two at a time.

After assuring himself April wasn’t in her room, he started down the hall to Thane’s. The door was still ajar. He rapped and shoved it open without waiting for an invitation. Thane and Vanessa sat on the floor, using the bed as a backrest. Half full dinner plates balanced on their laps.

At the intrusion, Thane’s head snapped up. The fork he’d been tugging through his salads stilled. A scowl creased his brow. “Do you mind? This is a private conversation.”

“
Sorry…. I’m looking for April.”

“
Well, as you can see, she’s not in here.” Thane motioned with his head for his twin to leave, indicating with overt eye movements that haste would be appreciated.

“
Have either of you seen her since she returned from Friday Harbor?”

Vanessa shook her head, and it struck Spencer she wasn’t her usual exuberant self. In fact, she seemed almost somber. Thane, on the other hand, exhibited signs of being downright exasperated.

With dawning realization, he knew exactly what he’d interrupted. Dear God, Thane must have been telling Vanessa about the past, about Lily and April.

He apologized and turned to leave.

Thane said, “I talked to April in the kitchen a couple of hours ago.”

Spencer halted and rounded on his twin. At last, a starting point. “Did she say where she was going?”

“
As a matter of fact, she insisted on fetching the wine August and Mother wanted for the party.”

Insisted on going to the wine cellar? Alone? The memory of April whimpering in the basement the night before flashed through Spencer’s brain and sped the chattering inside his head. What was the little fool trying to prove? Lord, let the conclusions he was jumping to be wrong. “You said that was two hours ago?”

“
Yeah, about that.”

“
And you haven’t seen her since?”

“
No, but I haven’t looked for her either. Maybe she went for a walk.”

“
I thought of that, but I can’t imagine she’d take on this storm.”

Apparently unaware of the rain until this moment, Thane tossed a puzzled glance toward the window. He dropped his plate to the floor and scrambled to his feet. “Why are you assuming something’s happened to her? She didn’t go down there in the dark, and the electricity is still operating.”

“
I’m not assuming anything.” For some reason he couldn’t bring himself to confide in Thane about this. Even feeling that a rift was developing between them, perhaps one of his own making, didn’t compel him to open up. “I’ll just feel better when I know for certain she’s all right.”

Thane followed him to the door. “Well, it’s easy enough to check. There were twelve wines on the list I gave her. If they’re all in the kitchen, then she probably went out for a walk and got stuck in the storm.” He clamped his twin on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go see.”

“
Thanks, but I can manage alone.” Spencer wasn’t sure he wanted his brother’s assistance, and the alien emotion stunned him. “Besides it appears I’ve interrupted an important discussion.”

“
You did, but I’ve told Van all there is to tell.” Thane glanced over his shoulder and studied his fiancée.

“
Really, Thane. You can lose the hang-dog expression.” Vanessa had gathered both dinner plates and was standing right behind them. “I won’t hold your past against you, if you don’t hold mine against me.”

The two men pivoted toward her.

She looked from one to the other. “My concern is for the damage the gossip mills could do to your career, to our future, if this story leaked. No, neither of you needs to worry that I’d ever tell anyone.”

Thane beamed. “I love you, babe.”

“
Yeah? Well, I love you, too, big guy. Now be a gentleman and carry these plates for me.”

* * * *

“
Shoo!” April’s voice cracked.

The rats advanced, pausing only to take occasional laps of the cloying wine. They were so thin their rib cages protruded through their matted fur.

Bile rose in her throat. “Scat!” She tried to squirm backward, but the jagged pain in her shoulder ended the attempt. Something wet and sticky trickled down her neck to her collar bone. Probably blood, she worried.

Glass tinkled nearby. Her eyes widened in horror. “Leave me alone,” she begged.

The two rodents halted, cowered on their haunches with their gnarled ears perked high as though awaiting further instructions, and for one insane moment, she thought the whispered plea had actually gotten through to them. Then she caught the sound. The rodents split apart, darting into separate recesses as several pairs of footsteps thudded her way.

Thane and Vanessa collided as Spencer froze in the doorway.

“
Dear God!” Spencer cried, appalled at the sight before them. Two of the wine racks had toppled, the first cantilevered against the second. Broken bottles and chips of glass littered the floor. Wine was splattered everywhere. The acrid stench burned his nostrils. “April, where are you? Answer me!”

“
Here.” Her reply was feeble, but it sent a whirlwind of relief through him.

Glass crunched beneath his feet and sticky, disgorged wine that had run together into rose-hued puddles sucked at his shoes. Despite this, he was beside her in seconds, squatting, asking, “Are you hurt?”

Even from her awkward position, she could see the fear in his eyes. It took three tries before her voice rallied and sounded stronger than a squeak. “Something’s stabbing my shoulder, otherwise, I don’t know. I’m too numb too tell.”

Alarm spread a layer of ice across his heart. Had she damaged her spine? Please God, don’t let that be the case. He eyed the trickle of blood oozing from somewhere on her shoulder. Fighting back panic, he told himself it could be worse. The blood could be pumping out. Anxiously, he grabbed the wine rack that held her pinned.

“
Careful, Spence,” Thane grasped his arm, staying his attempt to hoist the damned thing off her. “If you dislodge that rack the other will crash down on her, too. Vanessa’s gone to get August and Karl.”

Stifling his impatience, Spencer surveyed the situation more fully. Thane was right. The two racks had locked tight and lifting one without supporting the other could cause April further harm. He hunkered down again and took her hand. “Hang in there, Sweetheart. It’ll just be a few more minutes.”

She nodded and closed her eyes. In the comfort of his concern, it seemed like no time before she heard her father and Karl arrive, along with Cynthia, Vanessa, and Helga.

Between shouts of dismay and exclamations of worry, the wine racks were righted. Spencer immediately knelt beside April. “Stay still another minute. There’s a sliver of glass stuck in your shoulder.”

Actually the wedge of glass was the size of his thumb. He wrapped his handkerchief around the blunted end. “Mother, squeeze her hand. Real hard. This will only hurt for a minute, April.”

Wincing, he jerked. The glass came smoothly out, spewing forth a fresh stream of blood.

Cynthia took the hankie from Spencer and pressed it against the inch wide gash. “Can you sit up, sugah?”

April tested her limbs and found them in perfect working order. Gingerly, she rose to a sitting position, feeling her circulation sting with the movement, and noticing for the first time that her face, her hands and her clothes were tacky with partially dried wine.

Directly, she was aware of the pale faces and widened eyes watching her. Was one of them disappointed she hadn’t been crushed by the heavy wine rack? Suspiciously, she gazed from one to the other. “I’m fine. Look, I can stand. And walk.”

“
It’s a damned good thing you can.” Her father patted her hand. “There’s no excuse for these racks being in such shameful condition.”

Karl’s face flushed as red as the blood seeping into Cynthia’s hankie. He pointed his finger at August and his ice blue eyes were constricted to twin orbs of indignation. “Hey man, you were told!” He dropped his arm and stormed out with his mother on his heels.

The outburst surprised April so much she forgot about the pain in her back. But before she could ask what had brought it on, Cynthia pressed harder on the wound and instantly received her rapt attention. “Sugah, we’d best get you upstairs and see to this nasty cut.’

“
Lordy, girl,” March grumbled. “I never knew anyone to be so much trouble—one crazy stunt after another. It’s a good thing July was spared this. She had enough scare for one day.

“
Why, Aunt March—it was an accident.” Incredulity swam in Vanessa’s green eyes. She shrugged. “Anyone can have an accident.” But was it an accident? Spencer wondered, as he followed the others upstairs.

* * * *

An hour later, April was still wondering the same thing. Clean, and sporting numerous bandages in varying sizes, she leaned against the stacked pillows of her bed, picking at the delicious array of salads and meat slices Helga had provided for her.

Cynthia had pronounced her injuries minor, except for the gash on her shoulder, and even that had been subdued with a giant butterfly bandage. Professing relief, the rest of the family had headed to their own rooms for the night, all but her stepmother.

She hovered about as though she had something to say, but wasn’t certain how to begin.

Finally April could stand the weighted silence no longer. “Would you like to sit down a minute and visit?”

Nodding, Cynthia seemed relieved. She pulled up the room’s single pine, straight-backed chair, sat, and folded her hands in her lap. For several more seconds she watched April eat, then at last said, “I think we got off on the wrong foot, sugah, and I’d like to try and clear the muddy waters between us.”

The statement surprised April. Somehow she managed to swallow the wedge of cheddar in her mouth as though her throat hadn’t constricted. Which it had. Was Cynthia actually trying to apologize for her less than cordial treatment of April since her return to Calendar House? As amazing as that seemed, April felt she might be. It was a pity that a few sessions nursing someone’s injuries didn’t wash away distrust.

“
Tonight’s accident made me admit somethin’ to myself. I’m ashamed to say, I’ve been a tad bit jealous of you.”

“
Jealous—of me?” No wanting to appear too eager to hear this explanation, April concentrated on folding a piece of Swiss cheese with a slice of turkey. Slowly, she glanced at her. “Why?”

Cynthia drew a deep breath. Her fingers automatically sought the ever-present gold cross. Inexplicably it was not there. She made a self-conscious gesture and dropped the hand back into her lap. “Your daddy loves you very much and I’m afraid I saw that as a threat—to July and me—especially since you look so awfully much like Lily.”

Adding this admission to the memory she’d had in the basement earlier, April concluded she’d been right about Cynthia’s feelings for Lily. “I may look like Lily, but I’m not
like
her.”

“
I know that. You were nothing like her as a child. I should have remembered…” Tears stood in Cynthia’s eyes. “I’ve watched you with July, Honestly, those awful earrings she picked out—and you wear them every chance…just to please her. You’re kind and lovin' and generous to a fault. I haven’t been the least bit fair. I hope you’ll accept my apology.”