Secrets of Hallstead House (17 page)

I was surprised to find Brandt there. He didn’t see me or seem to hear me at first, and I watched as he stared into the water lapping below the branches of the tree. His face somber, he slowly scanned the river in both directions.

I made a slight movement so that he would know I was nearby. He looked back, scanning the trees, then smiled as I emerged and walked closer.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” I told him.

“You didn’t disturb me. I come here once in a while because it’s a good place to think. I like to remember Diana and Forrest.”

I nodded. I was thinking. Maybe it was time to tell Brandt about my relationship to Diana. He seemed to be in a reflective mood, and the fact that I had found him alone at the leaning tree seemed a good omen. But I didn’t know how to begin. Fortunately, he gave me an opening.

“It’s too bad you didn’t know my wife, Macy. I think you would have liked her. Diana was fun loving and charismatic. It’s a funny thing—your eyes are a lot like hers. She had big violet eyes too.”

“Well, it turns out there’s a good reason for that.” I took a deep breath to brace myself, and he looked at me, puzzled.

“Diana was my mother. I just found out myself a few days ago.”

I could see immediately that I had given him a shock. He stared at me, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly. He didn’t say anything for several moments.

“Are you sure?” he asked dumbly.

I smiled ruefully. “Yes. Diana gave birth to me when she was only fifteen years old, and the family felt they would be disgraced if their baby was raising a baby of her own.”

He nodded slowly. “I didn’t meet Diana until several years after that. I wonder why she never mentioned this,” he said thoughtfully.

I had no answer for him.

He went on. “You know, we tried to have a baby after we were married, but we never could. We were just starting to see doctors about it when she drowned, so I never followed up.” He shook his head again. “This is all so incredible.”

“Believe me, I know,” I said. “I still haven’t come to grips with it myself.”

“How did you find out?”

“Alex told me. She and Stephan have kept tabs on me for all these years.”

“How does that make you feel?”

I drew in another deep breath. “There isn’t really a short answer to that. I’ve felt waves of lots of different emotions over the past few days. Anger, confusion, exhaustion. I’ve wondered what to do about my position here.”

“Are you going to stay?”

“For now,” I answered noncommittally.

Brandt walked over to me and took my hands in his. “Macy, thank you for telling me these things. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’m sorry about everything you’ve gone through and I’m sorry I didn’t know you when you were growing up. Our lives would both have been so different if Diana had decided not to give you up. She would have been proud of the person you’ve become.”

“Thank you, Brandt.”

“I’m going to see if Pete is ready to take me back to Cape Cartier.”

“Before you go, could I ask you a favor? I’d like to keep this between us for now.”

“Absolutely.” He patted my shoulder sympathetically and walked away through the trees.

Now that I was alone, I sat down on the ground at the base of the leaning tree, leaned my head back against the rough bark, and closed my eyes. I needed this respite, this time away from Summerplace, away from the people on Hallstead Island. I needed time to myself to face everything that had been happening. I needed to think about Pete as well, but that would come later. I knew he would wait until I had straightened out the rest of my topsy-turvy life. I smiled at the thought of him.

With my eyes closed, I could focus on the sounds of the river. The wind rustled the trees gently, whistling its peaceful song, and the water slapped quietly against the rocks. I could hear birds passing overhead somewhere nearby. I hoped they were heading south before the cold settled in to stay. I opened my eyes, drinking in the tranquility around me, and I felt that some of my strength had been restored to me. I fancied that Diana and Forrest were both looking out for me, watching me at this tree that had represented both life and death for them. They could rest peacefully if only I could help Alex find out who had taken their lives from them.

I walked slowly back to Summerplace, lost in thought. It was almost time for dinner, and I had just enough time to check on Alex and get out of my jeans and into clean clothes. When I found Alex in her office, she announced that she would be having dinner in the dining room again tonight.

After I changed, I went to get Alex and we walked to the dining room together. We were joined by Will and Stephan a few minutes later, and we all sat down to another of Vali’s delicious meals. I complimented Vali as she brought in dessert. I should have known better; she glowered at me and said nothing.

Over dessert, Alex mentioned that she was feeling well enough to attend church the next morning. I think her trip to the turret had given a boost to her confidence, and I encouraged her, pleased that she was showing an interest in taking on other physical challenges.

“I think that’s a great idea,” I told her.

“I was hoping you would go too, Macy,” she replied. “I belong to a church in Cape Cartier, but if you go I’ll see if Pete will take us to another church here on the river. It’s an enchanting old place on Dark Island.”

“Of course I’ll go,” I answered enthusiastically. I noticed Will looking at me intently, his eyes narrowed, and I met his gaze silently.

“It’s settled, then. As long as Pete can take us.” She addressed Stephan and Will next. “You two gentlemen are welcome to join us.”

“Thank you, Alex, but I need to finish up some of the closing documents. I should probably stay here to do that,” Stephan answered.

“Me too,” added Will, still looking at me.

“All right,” Alex said. “I’ll talk to Pete this evening and see if he can take us, Macy.”

After dinner I walked back to Alex’s sitting room with her. “Would you like me to stay in here tonight?” I asked.

Alex shook her head. “I asked Leland to put chain locks on my sitting room and bedroom doors today,” she explained. “I’ll just lock them tonight and I’ll be fine.”

I was hesitant about Alex locking herself into her rooms at night. If she needed help, how would anyone get in to assist her? I voiced my concerns, but she answered, “I’ll be fine, Macy. I really need to do this.... I need to be able to stay by myself without panicking. Please don’t worry about me.”

So, reluctantly, I bid her good night. She mentioned that Pete was coming up to the house so she could ask him to take us to church, but I didn’t need to stay with her for that.

I went up to my room and built a cheerful fire. As the room warmed, I got into pajamas and settled down in front of the fire to read.

About an hour later, there was a knock at my door. Startled, I went over and asked, “Who is it?”

“Pete,” came the answer.

Relieved, I opened the door and invited him in.

“I guess you weren’t expecting company,” he grinned, nodding at my pajamas.

I laughed. “No, I expected a nice, quiet evening.”

“Alex wanted me to come up to Summerplace so she could ask if I’d take you two over to Dark Island tomorrow. I told her I’d be happy to.”

“I knew she was planning to ask you. I’m glad you can take us.”

“I remembered something that I wanted to tell you. I remembered it when Brandt was here this afternoon. Have you asked Brandt about his relationship with Forrest?”

“No,” I answered, puzzled. “Why?”

“It’s probably nothing, but I remember hearing something about a discussion he had with Forrest not long before Forrest died. Forrest was the one who mentioned it to me. But all he said was that he had broached an ‘unpleasant subject’ with Brandt.”

“He didn’t say what the subject was?”

“No.”

“Well, I’m not sure where that leads us, but it’s a start.”

Pete turned to go. “I left some stuff unfinished above the boathouse. I need to get that done. I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned forward and I kissed him good night. Smiling, he closed the door and left. I sighed happily as I listened to him descend the stairs.

I made a mental note to ask Brandt about Forrest the next time I saw him. When we had discussed Diana and my adoption earlier, it had never occurred to me to ask him about Forrest.

I fell asleep hoping my rest would be free of nightmares. It was.

T
he morning dawned bright and crisp. I was looking forward to spending the morning with Alex and Pete, while at the same time harboring some apprehension about going in the boat again. For someone living on an island in the middle of a river, I had been very lucky not to have had to do much boating thus far. I supposed I would eventually learn to get used to it, but I didn’t have to like it.

I ate breakfast quite late, after showering and taking my time dressing. I had brought only one dressy outfit, but it didn’t seem suitable for church. Instead, I found a casual skirt and sweater that would do.

When I found Alex, she was dressed beautifully in a long, swirling skirt with a matching jacket. Around her neck she wore a long silk scarf.

“Alex, you look beautiful!”

“Thank you, Macy.” She beamed.

We waited for Pete to come up from the boathouse. Alex had asked him to accompany us to the boat so she wouldn’t slip on the rocks. He appeared and looked at us approvingly as I helped Alex with her coat.

“Alex, that’s a gorgeous bracelet you’re wearing,” I told her. A dainty gold chain studded with small garnets encircled her wrist.

“Forrest gave me that for Christmas one year,” she answered proudly. “It’s one of my favorites.”

Pete and I each held one of Alex’s elbows, and we picked our way carefully through the woods down to the dock, being sure to help her over the uneven spots. She did remarkably well, though I could feel her stiffen slightly when we reached the rocks we had to cross to reach the dock. No wonder, since it was a slip on these rocks that had caused her initial hip injury.

Pete had a slightly difficult time helping her into the boat, but she was determined to get in and go to Dark Island. After trying a couple of different ways to get Alex into the boat with as little discomfort as possible, we finally got her seated. I think she was feeling a little fatigued by the time Pete pulled the boat away from the dock, but she assured me that she was fine. The trip to Dark Island would take a little while, she reasoned, so she would be able to rest a bit.

“Tell me a little about Dark Island before we get there,” I suggested to Alex once we were under way.

“This is an incredible area of the river,” Alex began. “You’ve already seen how beautiful Boldt Castle is. We’ll be passing by that very soon. Between Heart Island and Dark Island is an area known as Millionaires’ Row. When you see the magnificent homes on many of the islands that make up that stretch of the river, you’ll see why it earned that name.

“But you asked about Dark Island, so I’ll tell you about that. The church service we’ll be attending is held in Singer Castle, the home on Dark Island. Singer Castle was originally called the Towers and was owned by Frederick G. Bourne, who was the fourth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.

“Frederick Bourne bought Dark Island as a surprise for his wife, Emma, and their children. Singer Castle has four stories, twenty-eight rooms, and a five-story clock tower. Inside there are grand stone spiral staircases, secret passageways, and even a dungeon.”

“It sounds amazing,” I noted.

“It is. You’ll enjoy looking around. Singer Castle was one of the only castles to be built, fully furnished, and lived in around the turn of the twentieth century. Frederick Bourne actually commissioned his architect to design a hunting lodge on Dark Island. At the time, the architect had just finished reading Sir Walter Scott’s novel
Woodstock
, so he took his inspiration from the castle in that book.”

“I’ve never heard of that novel,” I mused.

“We have a very old copy of it in the library at Summerplace,” Alex told me. “It’s not in the best condition, but you might be interested in reading it sometime.”

“I would love to,” I replied.

We were almost halfway to Dark Island, Pete informed me. Alex leaned her head back against her seat and closed her eyes. Her tale had interested me enough to make me less anxious about being in the boat, but when she stopped talking, all my fears rushed back. I tried to push them to the back of my mind by concentrating on the lovely islands and homes we were passing, and though Pete was going more quickly than I would have liked, I knew we had to reach Dark Island in plenty of time to help Alex ashore before the church service began. He must have known I was feeling nervous, because he began to point out different islands as we sped along, telling me their fanciful, often descriptive names. I especially liked the name Lazy Days Isle.

After a while, Pete pointed up ahead and said, “There’s Dark Island.” Alex opened her eyes.

“Macy, wait until you see the clock tower,” she said. “There are four faces, each with a twelve-foot clock. The Westminster chimes still ring—I’m sure we’ll hear them from the boat. Local legend says that the clock faces were made from solid gold!”

I smiled. Alex was clearly enjoying herself, and the role of local guide suited her. I was glad she had suggested this excursion.

The castle’s granite façade grew as we approached, and, as I had with Boldt Castle, I felt a thrill to be getting an up-close glimpse of the splendid structure. Dark Island rose out of the water like a fortress, its Spanish-style tiled roofs glowing crimson in the sunlight. The multipaned windows lining the towers and the many wings of the castle reflected the bright morning light back to us.

“It reminds me a little of Boldt Castle,” I said to Pete.

“It is a little like Boldt Castle,” he conceded. “But there are some major differences. For one thing, there are a lot more rooms in Boldt Castle. And Singer Castle was actually finished. They’re both beautiful, though. They were both built around the same time, by the same builders, as a matter of fact, and they both used lots of local materials in their construction.”

We pulled up slowly to the dock, each of us drinking in the view of this structure modeled after a seventeenth-century castle. When we had docked, Pete and I helped Alex out of the boat. Though she was loath to use it, she had brought a cane with her, and it provided her with some stability as we made our way up the gently sloping grounds to the chapel.

The chapel was breathtaking. Set in a long room ringed with tall, leaded-glass cathedral windows, it was simpler than I had expected. Rows of wooden chairs gleamed in the bright sunlight streaming into the room. At the front was a makeshift pulpit with a piano to one side and exposed stone walls rising above. The whole effect was calming. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by formality in this room, and the glory of the river and the castle’s surroundings were inspiring sights visible to every congregant.

The church service, which Alex informed me took place now only on certain Sundays, was simplicity itself. The message was delivered by a local pastor, and we closed with an old hymn, “God Be with You till We Meet Again.” Alex told me that services at Singer Castle had always closed with the same song.

After the service, we took a brief tour of the castle. Parts of it were almost medieval, like the suits of armor that stood sentinel in some rooms, and the crossed swords that graced several of the fireplaces. Other parts of the castle bore witness to its original intent as a hunting lodge. Several deer heads hung from stone walls, and one room was presided over by a chandelier made of antlers. Pete entertained me with stories of the castle’s hidden rooms and secret passageways. The castle was designed like that, Pete said, so that servants could monitor guests’ needs without being obtrusive.

“I think I’d prefer an obtrusive servant to someone watching me from a secret hiding place,” I stated.

“My thoughts exactly,” Pete agreed.

I was sorry that we couldn’t spend more time wandering Singer Castle and the grounds of Dark Island, but I didn’t want Alex to become too tired and I knew she had a lot of work to do back at Summerplace. We reluctantly headed back to the boat.

We were quiet for most of the ride home, with my thoughts occupied chiefly by wishing that we could be off the boat sooner. When we were in sight of Hallstead Island, Alex made an announcement.

“The HSH Oil deal that I have been working on with Stephan and Will is supposed to close in a couple of days. I would like to have a nice dinner party at Summerplace to celebrate. We’ll invite Brandt and Giselle. Maybe we can even look into having it catered so that Vali and Leland can join us. What do you think?”

Pete and I exchanged glances, and I eyed Alex warily. “Are you sure, Alex?” I asked her. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“For several reasons. First, you’ve been working very hard mentally on this closing. Second, you’ve also been working very hard physically over the past few days. Don’t you think you should give yourself a little bit of time after the closing to rest, both physically and mentally, before you throw a party? And third, although I hate to say it, the person who killed Forrest and Diana is likely to be there. Are you sure you want that person in a room filled with all those people?”

“That’s just it, Macy. We don’t know who killed Forrest and Diana. Whoever it is, I’ve undoubtedly been in the same room with them many times since Forrest and Diana passed away. Now that they have given me that chilling note, it’s evident that they have plans. Maybe putting that person in a room filled with everyone else will force or scare them out of hiding.”

I was very skeptical. I was afraid for Alex, and I truly did believe that she should allow herself some time to rest before having a dinner party to celebrate the closing of their transaction.

She seemed to read my thoughts. “I know you disagree with me, but I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. I can’t hide forever because of the person who left that note for me. I’m an old lady. I want to show them that I intend to go on living my life despite their threats. I refuse to let them turn me into a recluse. This trip to Singer Castle has only strengthened my resolve. Besides,” she added with a coy smile, “it’s about time this gloomy old place had a party in it.”

I couldn’t argue anymore in the face of her determination. I shrugged and smiled. “Okay. If that’s how you feel, I’ll support you.”

“Good girl!” She turned to Pete. “And you?”

“I’ll be there.”

“I’m going to start making the arrangements right now.” By this time we had docked at Hallstead Island and Pete was helping Alex out of the boat. Together, the three of us made our way slowly up to the house. When we got to the front door, Alex insisted on going into her office without our help. Pete went back to the boathouse to change and get to work on packing up some of the items above the boathouse.

I was on my way upstairs to change my clothes as well when Will emerged from Alex’s rooms. He saw me and scowled.

“Macy, Alex just told me about this party she’s planning. Personally, I think the whole idea is ridiculous. It’ll be the same people who are always here.”

“It’s Alex’s decision, not mine,” I replied, and continued up the stairs. He followed me, and at the top he caught my elbow in a viselike grip. His face was very close to mine. I could see tiny creases around the corners of his eyes.

“I’ve asked you before to leave this island. Nothing good will come of you being here,” he snarled quietly. He turned on his heel and went to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

I went into my own room with trembling legs. I walked as far as my bed and sat down.

Will was dangerous; I knew that now. I could not ignore the threat in his eyes, his words, and his grip.

I didn’t care to spend the afternoon in the turret by myself. Instead, I headed downstairs to the library. It took some searching, but I found the novel
Woodstock
by Sir Walter Scott. Alex had been right; the book was somewhat tattered and very fragile, its pages yellowed and cracked with age, so I set it down carefully on a table to have a look at it. I read the first few pages, but the words were written in such archaic language that I closed the book after several minutes. As much as I wanted to read it, I didn’t have enough time to devote to it right now. I needed to work some more on packing the books Alex wanted to take with her to Pine Island. They took quite a long time to pack, since there was so little organization in the library. I worked on my categorization system as I packed, and the afternoon passed quickly.

Brandt and Giselle appeared shortly before I finished the day’s packing. Brandt poked his head into the library, and Giselle stood behind him. “Alex tells us there’s going to be a party,” he greeted me.

“It looks that way,” I told him, standing up from my spot on the floor. “Hi, Giselle.”

“Hi, Macy.”

“She seems excited about it,” he noted.

“She does indeed.”

“Do you think she’s up to it?”

“Well, I asked her that very same question, and she assures me that she’s ready for it. She’s been working very hard lately and she says she wants to celebrate. I asked her to hold off and have the party after she’s had a few days to relax, but Alex isn’t much of a relaxer.”

Brandt laughed. “It didn’t take you this long to figure that out, did it?” I laughed too.

Giselle broke in. “Macy, Brandt tells me you’re planning to stay on Hallstead Island for a while.”

I stole a quick look at Brandt. I hoped he hadn’t told Giselle about our conversation. “Yes, I am. Alex is doing better, but she still needs someone to help her physically. There are a lot of exercises that I can help her with, but she’s not quite ready for them yet. She’s a work in progress.”

“Oh, I forgot to mention something to Alex about moving to Solstice. I’ll be right back,” Brandt told us.

Giselle walked into the room and sat down at one of the tables, then picked up a book and idly leafed through its pages. “Brandt was awfully quiet when he came home the other day,” she mused. “Did anything happen after I went back to Cape Cartier?”