Claire at Sixteen (9 page)

Evvie gave Claire a long hard look. “I think the two of you are playing a cruel game,” she declared. “Scotty's taking you out to prove to Thea that he doesn't care for her, which is untrue. And you're the one probably behind it all, because this is just the kind of trouble you enjoy making.”

“I resent that,” Claire said.

“I don't care,” Evvie replied. “It's true. You've always egged Thea on. You've always tormented her. I don't know why. You're perfectly nice to me, and you're terrific with Sybil, much better than I could have been the past couple of years, but Thea and Nicky you insist on being cruel to. Nicky can handle it. He's an adult, he's dealt with worse. But Thea really is sensitive. She really does bruise easily. And she's feeling bad enough right now without you and Scotty kicking her while she's down.”

“Are you finished?” Claire asked.

“No,” Evvie said. “I won't have you doing this to her in my house.”

“That does it,” Claire said. “What do you think is going on here? Scotty and I are going to have an orgy while Thea's trying to sleep? We're going out for dinner and a movie. That's all. There's a movie we both want to see, and we might as well have supper first. Big deal. Scotty isn't being underhanded about it. He called right here, left the message with you and everything. Don't you think if this were something serious, he wouldn't have been so open about it?”

“Not everyone is as devious as you are,” Evvie said.

“And I'm sick and tired of being insulted,” Claire said. “What is it, open season on me? Thea is two years older than me. As far as I'm concerned, she's the one being rotten. She's been picking on me ever since she got here. And now you are, too. What's going on? I have to ask permission from both of you to breathe around here?”

Evvie sighed. “I don't want you dating Scotty while you're staying in my home.”

Claire laughed. “You might as well be honest,” she said. “You love Thea, and you don't love me, and her feelings are the only ones that count. You've never once asked me how I feel about Scotty. You've just assumed the worst, the way everyone always does about me. I used to think you were different, Evvie. I used to think you were fair. Well, I can see I was wrong. The only family I really have is Sybil. She loves me, even if nobody else does. I just hope you don't poison her mind against me.”

“You know perfectly well I love you,” Evvie said. “And you're right. I haven't asked you how you feel about Scotty. Maybe I don't want to know. Just do me a favor, and even if Scotty is the one true love of your life, don't rub Thea's nose in it right now. Okay? You're sixteen, he's nineteen. The two of you can have seventy years' worth of passion if you eat raw vegetables and exercise regularly. You don't have to start things up now.”

For a moment, Claire was reluctant to do anything behind Evvie's back. But then she remembered just how much lying Evvie had been doing, and for years now. One good lie deserved another. “If you insist,” she said. No point in being gracious about it. Evvie would really be skeptical if she was.

“Thank you,” Evvie said. “Now let's go back into the living room and mop up Thea.”

“She drives me crazy,” Claire whispered.

“You do the same to her,” Evvie said. “And she loves you anyway. You might think about that sometime.”

Claire had entirely too many other things to think about just then to waste any brain cells on Thea. It would have been nice to be able to date Scotty openly, but part one of the plan, driving Thea crazy, had obviously been accomplished. And Claire was no longer sure what part two was going to be. The rules were different now that Scotty was her cousin. The rules were a lot different now that he was the key to Sebastian Prescott.

“I'm sorry,” she said to Thea. “It never occurred to me that you'd mind if Scotty and I dated.” It was hard getting that one out without a guffaw.

“I may have overreacted,” Thea said. “But I always thought Scotty loved me.”

“He has for a long time now,” Claire said. “But he can't go on loving you forever. Not unless you love him back.” Not everyone is a masochist like you, she thought cheerfully.

Thea looked as if she might start crying again, or worse still, kiss Claire. Fortunately, the phone rang. “I'll get it,” Claire said. If it was Scotty, it was best she intercept the call, before the waterworks got going again.

“I have a collect call for anyone from Sybil.”

“We'll accept it,” Claire said. “Sybil? How are you?”

“Oh, Claire, thank God it's you,” Sybil said. The connection was good, and Claire could hear the panic in her sister's voice. “I have to talk to you, and I have to talk fast, before Nicky and Megs get back.”

“I'm listening,” Claire said.

“Is it Sybil?” Thea asked. “Let me talk to her.”

Claire waved Thea away. “Evvie and Thea are here, too,” she said. “They both want to say hello.”

“Later, if there's time,” Sybil said. “Claire, Nicky's going crazy.”

“What do you mean?” Claire asked.

“This place,” Sybil said. “Well, it's terrific. I can see a difference in everything: attitude, program, exercises, all of it. I even feel stronger, after just a couple of days. But it costs a fortune.”

“We can find the money,” Claire said. “If it's for you, we'll manage somehow.”

“Stop sounding like that,” Sybil said. “Like Megs. Listen to me. It's four thousand dollars a month. They said if I lived here, did a complete residential program, in six months, I'd be out with just a limp. I might need a cane on bad days, but that would be it. No walkers, no crutches.”

“Sybil, that's great!” Claire said.

“It's twenty-four thousand dollars,” Sybil replied. “We haven't seen that kind of money in years. Not since we sold the house. And all that money is long gone. All we've had the past year is the trust fund money. You know that. You know what it's been like.”

Claire wanted to assure Sybil that things would work out. But Sybil was right. She'd picked Claire to talk to because Claire was the only realistic one in the family. “You said Nicky was going crazy,” she said. “What do you mean?”

“When the doctors told him about the program, and what it would cost, he pleaded with them for long-term payments,” Sybil replied. “For scholarship aid, as if it's some sort of college. It isn't. They need to make their money, too. Insurance usually pays. We don't have insurance. Therefore it's cash up front, or else it's no deal.”

“How did Nicky take that?” Claire asked.

“He got hysterical,” Sybil said. “I was in the outer office, and I could hear him screaming. Megs was trying to calm him down, but it was awful. I've never heard him out of control. He kept saying it wasn't fair, it wasn't just, that a fourteen-year-old girl should be condemned to a lifetime of being a cripple because of a few thousand dollars. Claire, he's never called me a cripple before. And it isn't a few thousand dollars. It's a lot more than that.”

“Sybil, it isn't your fault if Nicky lost control,” Claire said. She became uncomfortably aware of Evvie and Thea listening to her end of the conversation. Three-room apartments with only one phone were the pits.

“Of course it's my fault,” Sybil said. “If it weren't for me, none of this would be happening. I was the one who insisted on going out that day. For what? A few stinking dollars. Everything's been ruined because of me, and now Nicky's threatening to sue Aunt Grace and the entire Winslow family to break into Megs's trust fund for the money I need.”

“You're kidding,” Claire said.

“I wish I was,” Sybil replied. “Claire, that trust fund is all we have. The interest on it just barely gets us by. If Nicky hires lawyers, by the time they're through, even if he wins, there'll hardly be anything left. Just enough for my rehab, and then we'll be completely sunk. Megs hates the idea. You know how she is about Aunt Grace. They had a terrible fight.”

“They fought?” Claire asked.

“They screamed at each other,” Sybil declared. “Megs said it was all Nicky's fault for not letting Aunt Grace or Clark help us. Did you know Clark offered to pay for everything when I first got hurt?”

“Nicky wouldn't let him,” Claire said. “Or anyone else for that matter. He said we could take care of it all.”

“He was wrong,” Sybil said. “Claire, I don't want to be a cripple. The past two years have been hell, but I'd go through six more months if it meant I could walk again. I know I'm being selfish. I know I shouldn't care, but I do. I hate looking like an old lady. I hate not being able to get around. I never wanted to depend on anybody, and I'm so helpless now and it's so unfair. Why don't we have money anymore? Why did we waste it all?” She cried softly into the phone.

“If you can just hold on a little longer,” Claire said. “Aunt Grace is ancient. She'll die soon enough, and maybe she'll leave us the money. Twenty-four thousand isn't a lot for her. That's practically disinheriting us as far as she's concerned.”

“It's now or never,” Sybil replied, sniffing softly. “That's what they told Nicky and Megs. The longer I go without intensive therapy, the greater the permanent damage. Even a few months' delay would be the difference between using a cane full-time and not. And I don't think we can count on Aunt Grace dying tomorrow just to make my life easier. She's never liked me.”

Claire laughed. “She's never liked anyone,” she said. “Do you want me to come out there?”

“I'd love you to,” Sybil said. “But face it, Claire, you'd only make things worse. You'd get into a fight with Nicky the minute you got off the plane, and Megs'll start crying again, and I couldn't stand it.”

“Okay,” Claire said. “How long are you going to be there?”

“At least through New Year's,” Sybil replied. “They're teaching us some new exercises we can use after we get back home. Claire, I don't know what to do.”

“Learn the exercises,” Claire said. “And don't pay any attention to Nicky. We'll find the money somehow, and there won't be any lawsuits. I promise.”

“I miss you,” Sybil said.

“I miss you, too,” Claire said.

“They're coming,” Sybil said. “I can hear them. I'd better get off the phone. 'Bye, Claire.”

“ 'Bye, Sybs,” Claire said, but Sybil had already hung up.

“What lawsuit?” Evvie asked. “What the hell was that all about?”

Claire sighed and told Evvie and Thea what Sybil had said. There was no point in censoring; they'd half guessed it from what they'd heard.

“Breaking into the trust fund would be a disaster,” Evvie said. “Someone's got to talk Nicky out of trying.”

“I will,” Thea said.

“How'll you manage that?” Claire asked.

“I'll fly out there today,” Thea replied. “When I first called Clark from New York, he offered to pay for me to go to Oregon, spend Christmas there, only I said no. He'll pay for the ticket when I tell him what's happening. And then I can talk Nicky out of it, and help Megs out, and Sybil, too.”

“Maybe I should go instead,” Evvie said.

“You have a job to go to,” Thea pointed out. “You're supposed to go back to work tomorrow. I don't have to be in school for a couple of weeks. And there's no point in my hanging around here, or even going back to New York. So I might as well go.”

“Will Nicky listen to you?” Evvie asked.

“If I have Megs on my side,” Thea said. “And you can call with reinforcements if we need you. I'm going to call Clark right now, so he can get me on the next flight out.”

“Thea,” Claire said. “It isn't going to be fun out there. I know you think I'm always putting Nicky down, but you don't understand how much he's changed over the last year or so. You haven't seen it like I have. This business with Sybil has destroyed him.”

“You've always underrated Nicky,” Thea said. “But thanks for the warning. I can take care of myself. Now let me call Clark, so I can pack and go someplace where I'm really needed.”

Claire looked at her sisters. Evvie was smart enough, and caring and dishonest, but she had her own set of problems. Thea was helpless. Sybil needed twenty-four thousand dollars, and it was obviously up to Claire to raise the money immediately.

C
HAPTER
S
EVEN

Claire finished brushing her hair for the last time before Scotty arrived, and stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was the only mirror Evvie and Sam had. Claire remembered saving up for a full-length mirror from the first allowance she'd been given. It had taken weeks, and then she'd had to beg Megs to go with her, drive it back, and put it up. Nicky hadn't approved, either, but Claire had gotten what she wanted. It was her mirror alone. At one point, she'd charged Evvie and Thea ten cents per use. Now that she thought about it, charging them had been Sybil's idea. Sybil cherished profits.

Thea had zipped off to Portland the night before, Clark paying for first-class transportation. Claire smiled. Clark might have bought her a ticket in a comparable situation, but not first class. The advantages of looking like Megs. It had been odd being alone with Evvie, no Sam, no horde of sisters and parents. Just the two of them, with Evvie looking as though she blamed Claire for everything.

“It's not my fault,” Claire had finally protested. “I'm not responsible for Sam being on Long Island, and Thea going to Oregon, and Nicky going crazy.”

“I know,” Evvie had muttered, but she kept giving Claire those looks. It wasn't a night for sisterly confidences. Evvie didn't open up about Sam's mother, or Sebastian Prescott, or any of the other topics Claire would have found entertaining. Instead, she did some work on her psychology project, and Claire pretended to read and, instead, worked out her plan.