Secrets of Hallstead House (6 page)

My album was gone. Why? Who would have taken it? It was of interest only to me, for I was the only person who knew any of the people in the pictures. Thinking of all the pictures of me and my parents that had been in the album, I grew very upset. Then I got angry. I wanted that album back. I didn’t know where to start looking, though. Then I remembered that I had seen Pete on the balcony while I was up in the turret. But why would Pete call attention to himself if he were going into my room? And why would he take an album full of pictures of strangers? It didn’t make any sense. Of course, maybe it hadn’t been Pete. It could have been anyone else on the island: Stephan or Will or Vali or Leland. Not Alex, since she couldn’t have gotten up to the balcony. I was getting more confused. I checked my room quickly to see if anything else had been taken, but everything else seemed to be untouched. I let myself back into the turret stairway, locked my bedroom door from inside the stairway, then went out onto the balcony, locking that door behind me, too.

I went back into my room, then headed downstairs to talk to Alex. On the way, I met Vali dusting in the library. She scowled at me. “If I were you, I wouldn’t go disturbing Miss Hallstead constantly like you’ve been,” she said. “She likes to be left alone while she works.”

I was already flustered by the loss of my album, and I had no patience right now for Vali’s insolence. “I’ll let Alex tell me that herself, thank you.” And I left her glowering after me.

I found Alex still at work in her office. Stephan was with her. I asked her if she was ready to take a break and go walking with me, and she smiled and agreed. Stephan excused himself from the room and Alex and I set out. Though it was a beautiful day outside, I was preoccupied by my missing album and Vali’s admonition in the library. I broached the subject of Vali’s warning.

“Alex,” I began, “would you prefer that I not disturb you when you’re working? I thought that perhaps you would rather summon me than have me just show up unannounced.”

“No, Macy. I want you to feel comfortable coming to get me at any time—and for any reason. Anyone is welcome to pop in without giving me advance notice. Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason,” I answered, deciding not to reveal my brief conversation with Vali. “I was just wondering.”

We walked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the beautiful afternoon. The sunlight slanted through the trees, dappling the flagstones where we walked. The breeze carried a slight chill, reminding us that colder weather would be here soon.

Finally Alex spoke. “This weather reminds me so much of Forrest. This was his favorite time of year. He didn’t like really hot weather, so he was happiest when it started getting cooler outside.”

I thought of the portrait of the man above the living room mantel and smiled. “I think I know just how he felt,” I told her. “Fall is my favorite season. Summer, especially in New York City, can be uncomfortably hot. When fall comes I feel like I get my energy back.”

“That’s exactly what Forrest used to say.” Alex laughed. She looked wistful, as if she were remembering happy autumns past, and fell silent again.

When she next spoke, she changed the subject. “Did you visit the turret?”

“Yes, I did. Oh, and here’s the key.” I reached into my pocket for the key and handed it to her.

“What did you think?” Alex asked.

“I loved it! It’s so bright and peaceful up there. And the views are gorgeous!”

“I knew you’d like it. That room used to be my haven. I could spend hours up there painting and drawing. Sometimes I would go up there to take a break from my work. To me, it is a place of refuge, and I wanted to keep it separate from all the things that used to take up my time. Now, of course, my work takes up even more time than it used to and I haven’t been up there in quite a while.” She pointed to her hip. “Plus, this keeps me pretty well confined to the first floor of Summerplace and this path we’re walking on now.”

“There was an unfinished painting on the easel up there. It’s beautiful,” I said.

“Yes, I remember that,” Alex mused. “I had only to finish the islands and the trees around the edges of the picture.”

“Why don’t you finish it?” I urged. “I could bring your supplies downstairs and you could start working on it again.”

“No, dear, I don’t think I could paint anywhere but in that turret, and of course it’s impossible for me to get up there.”

“Then that will be one of our goals for your recovery process, for you to get back up into that turret and start painting again.”

Alex’s eyes shone and she turned to me excitedly. “Do you think we could do that?” she asked hopefully.

“Absolutely!”

“Oh, I hope so.” She sounded almost girlish in her enthusiasm. It made me happy to watch her.

We had reached the front of Summerplace again and Alex said she was a bit tired and wanted to rest for a little while. “I think that’s a good idea,” I agreed. “We need to make sure that you’re not working too hard.”

I had been trying to think of a casual way to ask whether anyone knew I had been up in the turret earlier but could think of nothing to say that wouldn’t arouse Alex’s suspicion, so I remained silent.

I saw that Alex was resting comfortably in her bedroom before heading outside again. It was too nice a day to stay indoors. Aimlessly, I wandered down to the boathouse. Pete was walking up one of the docks toward me. Despite his behavior since I arrived on the island, I felt a sudden determination to win his trust.

“Hi,” I called out to him. “Is there anything I can do to help you down here?”

He came to stand near me and asked, “What exactly did you have in mind?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just such a nice day and Alex is resting right now. I thought maybe you could use a hand with something.”

“Is Alex all right?” Pete asked quickly.

“She’s fine,” I assured him. “We went for a walk and she’s just a little tired. She spent most of the morning working in her office.”

“There’s really nothing you can do down here,” Pete said shortly. He chuckled. “I don’t know what you thought you could possibly help me with, especially after that fireplace episode last night.”

My anger flared up at him again. Why bother trying to gain his trust, anyway? I was getting sick and tired of his snide comments. “You know, just because I’m a woman and from New York doesn’t make me a useless half-wit,” I said hotly. “I may not have been brought up around here, but I’m willing to learn what I need to know to help out.” I turned on my heel and started to stalk away, but Pete called me back, laughing.

“Whoa!”

I was infuriated, and his laughter made matters worse. “What do you want?” I snapped.

“I’m sorry if I underestimated you,” he said with mock formality. “Maybe I can find something for you to do after all.” He smiled, and I softened a little bit, in spite of myself. I followed him into the boathouse and stood watching while he took down several ropes from a large cabinet. “It’s busywork, but you can start by getting all of the knots out of these lines,” he said. “When you’re done, if you’re still looking for something to do, come and find me and I’ll get you started on another job.”

“Thanks.” I smiled. Pete picked up a wrench and walked toward the mahogany boat I had ridden to the island. I turned and put the twisted pile of ropes on a large workbench in the rear of the boathouse. The ropes were damp and it took me quite a while to get all the knots out. When I finished, I coiled the ropes on the workbench and called out to Pete, who was still working on the boat.

“I’m done with these ropes, but I think I should go check on Alex. Could I start a different project on another day?”

“Sure. And thanks for helping—I appreciate it. Tell Alex I said hi.” He smiled at me and went back to his work.

I found Alex working in her office again.

“HSH Oil must be a great success, since the lady in charge so rarely takes a break,” I teased.

Alex laughed. “I love my job,” she said happily.

“It’s almost time for dinner,” I noted. “Are you going to join us in the dining room tonight?”

Alex’s smile faded. “No, Macy, not tonight.”

“I wish you would. It would be good for you.”

“I know. I like eating in my sitting room, though. Sometimes I talk to Forrest while I have dinner. I can’t do that in a room full of people.”

I felt a stab of pity for Alex. I could imagine her sitting on her beautiful gold sofa, alone, talking to a ghost. “You’re right. But you might enjoy conversation with Stephan and Will and me too. I’m not trying to force you. Just think about it,” I said softly. After seeing this glimpse of Alex’s pain and vulnerability, I felt somehow closer to her. We shared the ache of loss, and I thought again of my own parents. Alex sensed my thoughts.

“Do you ever talk to your parents, Macy?”

I thought for a moment. “I think about them all the time, and I feel like they’re with me, but I don’t actually speak to them aloud. Maybe I talk to them silently, without even realizing it,” I said slowly.

Alex nodded. “I’ll bet you do.” She opened her mouth as if to say more, then apparently changed her mind. She brightened and asked, “Have you been in the boathouse? I smell grease.”

I smiled. “Yes, I helped Pete while you were resting and working this afternoon. I didn’t realize that I stink! I should shower before dinner.”

I left her with a promise to see her later, and I went up to my room quickly to shower. When I went to the dining room for dinner, Stephan and Will were already there, talking. Stephan pulled out my chair and we all sat down together.

Dinner was quiet. We talked benignly of stories from the newspaper. A couple of times Will tried to steer the conversation to New York City, but that was a topic I was bored of discussing with him, since his main interests tended to be high-end places I did not frequent.
How like Alan he is
, I thought, surprising myself. I had not thought consciously before of the similarities between Will and Alan, but there were several. They were both handsome and knew it; they both enjoyed patronizing trendy hot spots. Just thinking of Will’s similarities to Alan was enough to make me find him disagreeable.

Alex did not join us for dinner. I thought of her talking to Forrest in the soft lamplight. It must be very comforting for her.

After dinner I went to check on her and found her reading in her sitting room. She seemed tired and said she might go to bed early. I was concerned, since Alex didn’t seem the type to tire easily, but when I checked her pulse, blood pressure, and heartbeat, everything was normal. She didn’t need me for anything else that evening, so I went up to my room, built a fire—correctly this time—and read until I was ready to go to sleep. I was thoroughly absorbed by Paul Malo’s book. How interesting it must have been to live on the river all those years ago!

I had the nightmare again that night, no doubt because of the conversation with Alex about my parents. I awoke in the middle of the night trembling, with tears streaming down my face. I got up and pushed open the doors to the balcony. The cold assailed me when I stepped outside, but it felt good. I needed a few moments away from the bedroom, to allow the nightmare to fade again from my mind. I stood with my hands on the railing, looking out over the trees on Hallstead Island. The moon shone with a bright white light, and now and then clouds scudding across the sky would throw shadows onto the ground. It was tranquil and I could feel my heart slowing down, calming the pounding that had begun while I slept.

After a few minutes, I became acutely aware of the cold again, and shivering, I turned to go inside. As I turned, though, I thought I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. It was down among the trees, and I stood very still, waiting to see it again. But though I stood there for several moments, there was no more movement. I must have been imagining things, my mind still restless from my dream. As I went back inside, I pulled the doors closed behind me, grateful for the locks.

I
must have slept well the rest of the night, because I awoke in the morning feeling refreshed. The memory of the nightmare remained with me, but I didn’t feel exhausted and drained, as I so often did after the dream. The clouds I had seen in the night had evidently thickened, because it was raining hard. I peered between the drapes covering the doors and saw the raindrops falling heavily from the tree branches.
It’s beautiful here even when it’s pouring
, I thought. I dressed and went downstairs for breakfast.

By now I was getting used to making my own breakfast. Vali cooked breakfast for Stephan and Will, but I wasn’t about to ask her to make mine too. Besides, I was sure she would refuse. She always seemed to have me fixed with a look of loathing, and I talked to her as little as I could. I ate alone but as I was finishing, Will walked into the dining room. He nodded in greeting and sat down to look through some papers while he waited for Vali to bring him his food. I gathered up the plates and silverware I had used and started to walk out of the room. Will called me back as I left.

“Macy, I know this is going to sound very lord-of-the-manor-ish, but I am wondering if it’s a good idea for you to be bursting in on Alex whenever the mood strikes you. She seems to be distracted and I think it’s because she’s been unable to concentrate on her work. As I’m sure you’re aware, her work is very important to her.” He went on reading as if he expected me to submit to his suggestion without comment.

I looked at him evenly. “It’s interesting that you should say that, because Vali told me the same thing yesterday. I did, in fact, discuss it with Alex, and she told me that I, as well as everyone else in Summerplace, am welcome to see her at any time. And I’d hardly call the work that I do ‘bursting in’ on her. I am here to do a job and I’m responsible for Alex’s health as long as I’m here. But thanks for the suggestion,” I added sarcastically. He raised his eyebrows at me and said nothing as I left the room.

It rained most of that day. A couple of times I went to Alex’s sitting room to work on her physical therapy exercises, but most of the day I spent in my room reading some books and articles on recovering from hip surgery. Alex’s doctors had left them and I was grateful to be able to do some extra reading on the subject. I also looked in vain for my photo album. It had to be somewhere around Summerplace. Who could have taken it?

I asked Vali and Leland about it when I went down to the kitchen for lunch. “What would either of us want with something like that?” was Vali’s reply.

Late in the afternoon, I went to Alex’s rooms to check on her. I had expected to find her working in her office, but to my surprise she was in her sitting room before the fire. Brandt and Giselle were chatting with her.

“Alex, are you all right? I expected to find you working,” I said with concern.

“I’m feeling just a little run-down right now, dear. Brandt and Giselle called to say they were coming over to the island, so I decided to take a break to visit with them for a little while.” She smiled at Brandt, who was seated next to her on the sofa. He patted her hand.

“Giselle and I are going to be leaving soon. She wants to visit Vali and Leland, and there’s a book I’d like to borrow from you if that’s okay, Alex,” said Brandt.

“Of course.” Alex smiled weakly.

As he stood up, Giselle came over and linked her arm in his. “See you soon, Alex,” she said. They left and I took Brandt’s place next to Alex. She looked rather wan.

“I want you to lie down right here for a little while. I think you’ve been working too hard and you need some rest,” I told her firmly.

She didn’t resist. I helped her to lie down on the sofa and I covered her with a light blanket. Once she was comfortable, I went into the library. I wanted to be nearby if Alex should need anything. Brandt was there, leafing through a book. He looked up when I came in.

“Hi, Macy.”

“Hi, Brandt. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Not at all. I knew I’d be able to find this book in here. It’s a maritime history of these islands. I need it for a project at work. Alex and Forrest acquired lots of great books that are hard to find anywhere else in this area. Alex has mentioned before that she’d like to donate some of these books to a local library, but she just hasn’t had the time recently to go through everything.”

“I think that would be wonderful,” I told him.

“Is she resting?” he asked.

“Yes, for now. She’s a tough lady, though. I expect she’s not going to lie down for long. I hope I’m wrong—she’s been working too hard and she needs some rest.”

“I think it’s good for you to be here with her,” Brandt said. “She needs somebody whose only responsibility is to take care of her. It may be a little boring for you at times, but she needs this arrangement. When Vali was looking after her, she couldn’t do a good job simply because she had too much work to do.”

“Well, I’m enjoying Alex and my job here very much,” I said warmly. “Would you excuse me while I look in on her again?”

I left him and tiptoed softly into Alex’s sitting room. She was still lying on the sofa, but I was glad to see that her eyes were closed and her breathing was light and regular. She would be asleep soon. I turned off the lamp so the room was illuminated only by the flames dancing and crackling in the fireplace. Alex’s eyes fluttered open for a moment and she murmured, “I was going to join you in the dining room tonight.”

I smiled at her and whispered, “You rest now. You can eat with us in there tomorrow.” She nodded faintly and I went back to the library. Brandt was gone so I curled up in a chair for a few minutes. I wanted to wait until I was sure that Alex was sleeping before going upstairs to change my clothes for dinner. I looked around the room contentedly. Brandt was right; this arrangement did seem to suit Alex, and the quiet time that I was able to spend alone was just what I needed, too. I was growing quite fond of Alex, and she seemed to like and trust me as well.

When I was sure Alex was asleep, I started upstairs to change. I smiled inwardly—it was nice to hear that Alex had changed her mind about eating dinner in the dining room with the rest of us. As I mounted the stairs, the big front door flew open and Brandt stumbled in, thoroughly soaked. Rain ran in rivulets into his eyes and ears, and water puddled around his feet on the foyer floor.

“This is unbelievable!” he exclaimed. I ran to the kitchen in search of some towels for him. As I looked through a drawer under one of the kitchen windows, I could see the rain slamming against the glass. Suddenly there was a flash of light that lacerated the sky, followed by a terrific boom that made the house shudder. I found several towels and ran back to Brandt. As he mopped his face and head, he said in wonder, “I haven’t seen anything like this in a long time. There’s no way Giselle and I can get back to Cape Cartier while there’s thunder and lightning out there.”

I agreed and winced when lightning rent the darkness again and the thunder bellowed just beyond the front door. “You and Giselle need to stay here until the storm blows away.”

Brandt went off to change, explaining that he always kept a set of clothes at Summerplace. I went in search of Vali to tell her that Brandt and Giselle would be having dinner with us.

I found her and Giselle coming in the back door under cover of a big umbrella.

“Vali, would you mind setting a couple extra spots for dinner? Brandt and Giselle are staying for a while, until the storm lets up.”

Vali glared at me. “Giving orders now? Didn’t take you long to settle right in, did it?” she sneered.

“Aunt Vali, I’m sure Macy is just trying to be thoughtful.” Giselle looked as if the rain hadn’t touched her. Her clothes were dry, her makeup was perfect, and every hair was in place. She was again wearing a form-fitting top with tight jeans and stilettos. She looked a little out of place.

Vali rolled her eyes. I ignored her and went upstairs to change my clothes. When I came down again, I went into the dining room to find Stephan and Will as usual. Stephan offered me a hot buttered rum from a tray on the sideboard and I accepted gratefully. It tasted wonderful and seemed to ward off some of the chill from outdoors. Brandt and Giselle made their appearance just a few moments later. Brandt had changed his clothes and looked comfortable and dry. As they entered the dining room, Giselle took Brandt’s hand possessively and looked at me with a slight smile, almost triumphant.
She certainly seems insecure
, I thought.

Dinner was an uncomfortable affair. Vali served a creamy onion soup, followed by a fabulous roast of pork with autumn vegetables and homemade applesauce. During the meal, we talked lightly about the storm, which seemed to be letting up a bit; then Stephan regaled us with an unsettling story of being caught in a storm on a cruise ship. I was unpleasantly reminded of my own experience aboard a boat during a storm. After we were done with our main course, Vali came to clear the dishes. As she left the room Will looked at me and pointedly asked, “Speaking of stories about water, Macy, have you ever heard the story of our local pirate, William Johnston?”

“No,” I answered slowly. Something vaguely malicious in Will’s tone made me fear that another unnerving story was coming.

“No? Well, it’s a famous tale around here, and you can’t go home without hearing it. William Johnston was originally from Canada and a self-described patriot. He lived a good part of his life in northern New York and was a tavern keeper there. During the Canadian rebellion of 1838, there was a British ship called the
Sir Robert Peel
that was docked at Wellesley Island. You may have seen Wellesley Island on your way here.

“Anyway, under the cover of darkness one night, Johnston led a group of other patriots onto the
Peel
. They plundered the boat and forced all of her passengers ashore. Then they cut the boat loose from her moorings and set her on fire. The boat drifted down the river and finally ran aground at Rock Island, which is not too far from here. This had all been done in retaliation for a similar event that had taken place on the Niagara River sometime before.

“Both the U.S. and the British condemned Johnston and branded him an outlaw. He went into hiding. They put a bounty on him and they arrested several of the men that had been in his party on that fateful night. Prosecutors weren’t able to convict them, though.

“But here’s where it gets interesting. During the time that he was on the lam, legend has it that he hid in a cave underneath an island right near the scene of the crime. He had a faithful daughter who used to take a rowboat to visit him and bring him food. The place where he hid later came to be known as Devil’s Oven. I’ve seen it. It’s a small, rocky island with a fairly small opening above the waterline.

“I wonder what it must have been like for him to live in that cave for so long. So cold and dark and wet. Can you imagine what he must have felt as the water level rose and fell? Or when a storm blew up and the waves came crashing in around him?” Will looked at me with malice in his eyes. “Can’t you almost feel the water rising?” I felt the room growing smaller, as though the walls were pressing on me. I must have looked uncomfortable, because Will chuckled softly.

“To get on with it, Bill Johnston eventually tired of living in an underwater cave of sorts, so he arranged to have his son arrest him to get the five-hundred-dollar reward. He was tried and acquitted, and then rearrested. He escaped but gave himself up several months later. After spending six months in jail, he escaped again. A year or so later, with a petition for pardon in hand, he went to Washington and presented the petition to President Van Buren. Van Buren said no, so Johnston just waited ten days. By then President Harrison was in office, and he signed the pardon. Johnston returned to the Thousand Islands and spent a good deal of the rest of his life as the lighthouse keeper on Rock Island, where the
Peel
had run ashore.”

He looked at me again. “We’ll have to take you over to Rock Island to see where the old pirate spent much of his later life. And we’ll have to show you Devil’s Oven. I think you’ll be interested.” He smiled at me over the rim of his water glass as he raised it to his lips.

I shivered involuntarily. Why was he doing this? He seemed to be enjoying my discomfort. I didn’t want him to know he had unnerved me, so I looked at him squarely in the eyes and answered him. “I think you’re right. A trip to Rock Island and Devil’s Oven would be very interesting.”

“I heard Aunt Alex telling Stephan that you can’t swim. Is that true?” Will asked.

I stared at him for a moment. “Yes, that’s true. I never did learn how to swim.”

Giselle glanced at me, her eyes bright. “Oh? You don’t know how to swim, Macy? Then you must let me teach you. I used to swim competitively and I was quite good.” She smiled brightly. I was at a loss for words. The prospect of learning to swim under Giselle’s tutelage was unappealing, to say the least.

Stephan looked sternly from Will to Giselle and changed the subject. “Anyone for coffee? Vali makes magnificent coffee.”

I looked at Stephan gratefully. “Actually, I must go and check on Alex now,” I said, excusing myself. I left the room hastily.

When I tiptoed into Alex’s sitting room, she was sitting up on the sofa. She smiled at me wearily and waved me over to where she sat. I asked how she was feeling.

“I’m just tired, Macy,” she replied. “I think I’ll go to bed now, and I’m sure I’ll feel more like myself in the morning.” Surprisingly, she allowed me to help her into her nightgown. She got into bed and looked at me gratefully as she leaned back against her pillows. She sighed. “Macy, I’m so glad you’re here to help me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She patted my hand.

I was touched. “Thank you, Alex.” I smiled. On impulse, I leaned over and kissed her quickly on her soft, papery cheek. She closed her eyes and I turned off the light and left the room quietly.