Authors: Maggie Thom
“You have no idea, child. No
idea.”
Suddenly the path took a sharp
left and they came out of the forest onto a service road. A navy almost black
sedan was parked there.
“Get in.”
She stiffened. Her senses were
ringing like a church bell on Sunday morning. She sensed something…
His smile seemed genuine but she
noted that he tilted his head such that she couldn’t quite see his eyes. He was
patiently holding the door.
This is Guy’s world. Not mine.
Everything is fine.
“Thanks.” Stepping forward, she
shook off her bad vibe feeling again, putting it down to exhaustion and hurting
an old lady who’d done nothing but invite her into her home. She wasn’t about
to hurt another old person.
He nodded and walked around the
car as she slid into the passenger seat. It was as he climbed in that she
noticed his ring. It was ugly. Gaudy but ugly and looked like he’d have to be a
weight lifter to wear it. She looked a little closer.
A Ruby stone?
“What did you say you do here?”
“I didn’t.” He started the car
and shifted into gear, easing them forward.
Bailey’s temple started to throb
as her stomach clenched like she was trying to do a sit up from an upside down
position.
How does he know I lived on
the prairies?
Not questioning what her body was
telling her, she grabbed the door handle planning on flinging herself out. But
he was too quick. He slammed on the brakes, throwing her into the dash, his
large hand tangled in her hair, forcing her head to connect rather forcefully.
He grabbed her arm and slammed her back. The cold whisper of metal caressing
her cheek was what convinced her to stop struggling.
Nausea churned in her stomach,
clutching at her throat. She breathed in very shallowly. Her mouth dry, she
whispered, “Who are you?”
He moved in close, his chuckle,
as grating as nails over a blackboard, shook her to her core. “Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh
but the question is, who are you?”
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
“She’s the spitting image of Mother. I can’t believe it. It
was like looking at Mother when I was a small child. Of course she’d have never
been caught dead in those horrid clothes. Really Guy,” she arched her eyebrow
at him, “couldn’t you have bought her some nice, clean clothes before she came
here.” She patted her perfectly coiffed silver, gray hair. “I would have even
let you put that on your expense account.”
Guy smiled lightly at her attempted
humor. Her eyelids drooped almost as much as her shoulders did. He’d never seen
her, this tired.
“Can you help me lay down or do
you need to call Penelope?”
He eased her down onto the side
of the bed. “Enough with the guilt trip, Grams. Things happened. We arrived.
Don’t worry I’ll make sure she gets cleaned up so when you see her for dinner
you’ll be dazzled. Okay?”
Tears filled her eyes. It was
almost Guy’s undoing.
“Don’t, Grams.”
“All those years lost. I can’t
wait to tell Gina and Daniel. It will be such a shock. I’m not sure how she’ll
take it. She’s been shut down for so long. I’m not sure how well I’m taking
it.” Lying back against the pillows that Guy positioned behind her, she lifted
her shoe clad feet onto the bed. “It’s such a miracle.” She closed her eyes. In
that moment she looked so worn out and helpless. The blueness of her veins
stood out like road maps against her pale skin. Age had caught up with her in
less than an hour. That shook Guy. He’d never thought of her as old. Even at seventy-eight,
she was always so full of energy.
He leaned over and kissed her
cheek, feeling guilty that he’d forgotten to do that when they’d arrived.
“You’re a good boy, Guy. Thank
you. Now let me rest.” She patted his face, something she’d never done before.
“Thank you for my gift.” With that she closed her eyes and drifted off to
sleep.
He knew he should get back to
Bailey but there was something so fragile about his Grandma that he was
reluctant to leave her. Something was off.
From the closet in the corner he
pulled down her throw blanket and laid it over her before leaving. He stood in
the hallway taking in several deep breaths before heading down the long
staircase to where he’d left Bailey on the third floor. He stepped out onto the
balcony, pausing to take in the view. The majestic beauty always caught him,
pulled at him. The serenity of the place was so much like a well orchestrated
song, able to take you somewhere beautiful.
He stuffed his hands in his
pocket as he turned, fully expecting Bailey to have a smart comment about his
behavior, only she wasn’t there. He looked around and then walked to the edge.
Scanning the area, he didn’t see her there either. If he was to guess he’d bet
her independent and curious nature got the better of her. He went back inside.
As he wandered through the house, he checked both swimming pools, especially
the one with the retractable wall, his favorite, and then the four hot tubs and
then six of the twelve vacant rooms.
The sick feeling in his gut was
getting stronger as he walked. Not wanting his imagination to get the better of
him, he knew there was one place he hadn’t checked. It was where he always went
- the kitchen. Heading to the back side of the house he found the lady who
really ran the place.
“Hello, Penelope.”
She was arranging a buffet style
arrangement of flowers that adorned the second dining room, with the
magnificent outdoor view of the gardens. She spun around at the sound of her
name. Her face lit up.
“My Guy.”
He grinned back. She’d been
calling him that ever since he was ten and was the same size as her. She
launched herself at him. If his Grandmother was around that would never have
happened. He caught her and gave her a big bear hug, easily lifting the tiny
woman off the ground. “My Penelope.”
She giggled as he set her down
and looped her arm through his. “What can I get you to eat? I’ve made cinnamon
buns.”
Guy groaned. She’d been making
and feeding him her world famous buns all his life. They were so irresistible
he’d have killed someone to get to them. He was just glad he wasn’t around all
the time anymore he’d look like the pet elephant he’d always wanted as a kid.
“Actually, Penelope, I’m looking
for someone…”
A flustered young woman of about
twenty-five came flying into the room. “Miss Penelope, we’ve got a problem. Mr.
Carter, our meat supplier, says he’s not taking blame for the lost order the
other day. Said it was our fault.”
“Guy, good to see you. I’ll have
time later?”
“Yeah, sure Penelope. Go give him
hell.”
She stood tall, all five feet of
her, put a fierce look on her face, which had scared Guy a time or two and
marched out of the room. Just before exiting she turned and gave him a wink.
The woman had been his savior.
Everyone and everything had been so starched and proper when he’d moved there
as a child, he’d been afraid to go near anyone or anything. A wild young boy
not knowing who he was, just a pawn in an ugly game of money, of revenge. Then
there was Geoffrey reinforcing what he’d already believed about himself - an
unlovable kid. Geoff had made his life hell. Penelope had befriended him,
though. She’d gotten to him through her food. Even now he’d crawl across
burning coals to get to the dishes she served. Not only could she cook but
she’d been the one to teach him how to throw an upper cut as well as a few
moves not sanctioned by any martial arts. But they’d been very effective. The
skills she’d taught him had stopped a bully or two from beating him into a pulp
and to finally leave him alone, all except Geoff, that is.
Sighing, he walked over to the
ten-foot long table that had been specially made to hold fresh cut flowers.
Every five days they were replaced, the whole thing ripped apart and redone
with fresh ones. He secretly believed it was Penelope’s way to do what she
loved. No one else was allowed to touch it. He leaned over to smell the
exquisite scents that it put off and looked at the array – orchids, lilies,
carnations, roses and many more he wasn’t familiar with - beautiful.
He glanced out the window that
looked out over the back of the property. Two of the four massive fish ponds,
stocked with foreign exotic fish, were the central points within the uniquely
designed Japanese Garden. It was so lush with plants it had been his favorite
hiding place as a kid. Looking beyond the five acres of gardens, trees obscured
some of the scruffy, forbidden area to him. It had been off limits to him as a
kid, which Geoffrey had reinforced more than once, especially the time he’d
explored the boarded up old shack at the far edge, unseen from the main house.
The beating Geoffrey had given him for playing around the old building had
cured any curiosity he might have had as a child or as an adult. It had just
been another excuse for Geoffrey to hurt him. Guy had never told anyone but
he’d learned to stay out of his uncle’s way. And since he’d failed miserably at
piano, cello, the harp, the flute and even the guitar, which he’d thought he’d
be fabulous at, he’d had plenty of time to find ways to avoid the man.
His grandmother had finally
stopped paying for lessons much to the delight of the poor musicians who’d had
to work with his tone deafness.
He went back through the house
again, stopping every worker he saw to ask about Bailey. When every single one
said, no they hadn’t seen her, he realized that he needed to listen to the
forty pound weight he was carrying around in his stomach. Pulling out his cell
he made a call.
“Graham. We’ve got a problem. I
can’t find Bailey.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…” he proceeded to tell
him what had transpired since they’d arrived. “I need you to find Geoffrey.”
“On it. I’ll be there in fifteen
minutes.”
Guy hung up, hoping the cops
didn’t stop Graham, since that was about a third of the time it normally took.
Putting away his phone, he realized he’d been asking everyone the wrong
question. Heading out the front door, he looked for Emilio, the head gardener.
Heading around to the west side
he found the ‘shack’ he used as his office. It was elaborate 40’ by 200’
greenhouse with state of the art equipment. He was working on growing exotic
plants found only in hot climates. Large overhead fans whirred, as they worked
to keep the place at a constant temperature. Walking through the front door Guy
headed off to his right and stepped through the open door to the man’s office –
a smaller greenhouse, where he was working on hybrids of flowers.
“Hello, Emilio.”
Carefully setting down the pot in
his hand, Emilio turned with a big grin on his face. “Guy. Good to have you
back. You stay long.”
Guy smiled and shook his hand.
“Not sure. I’m looking for a young woman–”
Emilio grinned. “It’s about
time.”
“Ha ha. No, I brought a young
woman with me to meet Grandma. Only she’s disappeared. Have you seen her?”
“No. No young woman.”
“How about Geoff, has he been
around today?”
Emilio shifted his eyes.
“It’s okay, Emilio. I promise he
won’t find out you told me.”
He gave one sharp nod.
“Do you know how he got here? I
didn’t see his car or his driver.”
“He drove.” Emilio turned his
back and started playing with the dirt and seeds he’d been working on.
“Thanks, Emilio.” He left knowing
he wouldn’t get any more from the gardener. All the employees were terrified of
Geoffrey. Guy had always thought he’d been the only one to get his wrath but
he’d soon learned that anyone Geoffrey saw as his inferior, which was just
about everyone, was subject to his violence.
So Geoffrey’s here. Where the
hell is he? And what’s he going to do to Bailey?
Guy didn’t understand it but he
knew that Geoff had Bailey. He called the guard house only to be told that, “No,
Geoffrey hasn’t come through the gate.” Guy had spent so much of his life
running from Geoffrey that it just dawned on him, the many times he’d seen
Geoffrey at the estate but not his car. So how had he gotten onto the fenced
gated section of land without coming through the front entrance?
Thumping his fist against his
thigh, there was one person who could answer his questions. He headed back into
the house and flew up the five flights of stairs, two at a time. He knocked but
entered the bedroom without permission. Her eyes were still shut. He gently
shook her.
“W-what?”
“Grams, I need to know about
Geoffrey.”
She closed her eyes, when she
opened them they were full of anguish.
“What’s he done?”
“I think he’s got Bailey. I can’t
find her. He’s here but didn’t come through the front. Where is he?”
If it was possible for her to go
any paler, she did. Her voice wobbled, “Help me up and into my chair.”
He assisted her to sit up. Once
she was steady, he got her to her feet and held on tightly as he walked her the
ten steps to her rocker situated by the window. After she was seated he stepped
back. She immediately turned to look out over the massive gardens, some planted
just for her, so she’d have the best view from her window.
“He’s really not an evil man,
just a wounded one. Get me a glass of water, please.”
Stepping over to the oak cabinet,
he pulled open the big doors, took down a glass from the shelf and filled it
from the water cooler. He handed it to her then stepped back shoving his hands
into his pants pockets and waited. Patience would hopefully get him some
answers. There was one thing he’d learned early on, rushing Dorothea got you
nowhere.
“My mother tried to love Geoff
but she always let him know he wasn’t good enough. It was always subtle put
downs usually done in public, which humiliated him to no end. Dad wasn’t any
help, he was gone a lot. At one time, Mom and Dad had been so happy. They should
have been thrilled to have a son. I was nine when Geoffrey came along. I loved
him from the moment I saw him. He was my doll. I took him everywhere and he
idolized me.” Smiling sadly, she looked me in the eye. “At least until he did
this.” She pulled up the side of her silk dress and ripped the dark stockings
she was wearing, to show him a long scar that went from mid thigh to just below
her knee.
He held a poker face, while
silently horrified by what he was seeing. “How?”
Tears leaked out and ran freely
down her face. “When he was seven or eight, he had a nightmare. I had gone to
him to comfort him. He didn’t want me he wanted Mom. There’d been a huge party
here that night. She’d let him come only to make him the laughing stock of the
party. She’d had his pants hemmed different lengths. His shirt was too small.
Two different shoes. She’d made him wear it all and then pointed it out to
everyone how simple he was he couldn’t even dress properly. I tried to do
something. He got mad and pushed me. I fell. Just bruised, nothing more. But
that night after his nightmare he was running up the stairs to their suite, I
followed. My parents were yelling.”
She stopped, taking in a long,
shaky breath. “My mother was calling my father some really ugly things. That’s
when it came out that Geoff was his son, not hers. Image was everything to my
mother. It seems a maid had tempted my father. I don’t know what ever happened
to the girl, but my parents kept the baby and she vanished, never to be seen
again. That night tainted everything. Geoffrey changed. He was angry all the
time. He wouldn’t let me near him. It broke my heart. I felt like I had been
his mother. And he didn’t want me. I always treated him like he was family.”
Guy leaned down and hugged her as
sobs wracked her body, emphasizing the frail bones that felt like they would
snap under his hands.