“Ah. You went exploring and discovered the gazebo.”
I’m disappointed. “You knew it was there all the time!”
Archie nods.
“Who stole it? How did it end up under the floor of the gazebo?”
“The culprit was a colleague of mine, someone I’d considered a good friend. I believe he took the necklace to pay off gambling debts. He buried it, intending to return to the party and retrieve it another day.”
Archie gave a mirthless laugh. “I had my suspicions. When he returned a week later to pay a condolence call, I followed him into the woods. I watched him start to dig. Then I revealed myself in my new form and nearly frightened him to death. At least I ran him off.”
“Oh, Archie! How awful. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because the necklace is of no importance. What news have you of Mayda and your father?”
I frown. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up, Archie. Mayda said she’s looking after Daddy because my mother asked her to.”
“Ah.” Archie watches me carefully. “Anything else?”
I wasn’t going to tell him, but now I have to. “We’re all going out to dinner. Daddy wants to thank Aunt Mayda for being nice to us.”
Archie’s eyes glow like two coals. I’ve never seen him so excited. “Good work, Vanessa! I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“Archie,” I say, exasperated, “all I did was give her Daddy’s message. And it doesn’t mean anything. Don’t think for one minute this is a date. Robby and I are going, too.”
“Even better!” Archie rubs his palms together in glee. In his excitement, he reaches out to take my hands. A blast of cold air sends me leaping backward. “Sorry,” he says. “I forget myself. When is this dinner? Soon, I hope.”
“This Saturday night.”
“How fortunate,” Archie mutters to himself. “So little time remains.” He turns back to me, growing more transparent as he speaks. “Can I count on you to encourage their courtship?”
I feel sympathy for Archie, but I’m unwilling to be a part of his ridiculous plan. “I can’t make Daddy and Aunt Mayda fall in love over one dinner, Archie.”
He smiles his sad smile. “No, but you can let your father see how fond you are of Mayda.”
“I am fond of Mayda, but what you’re saying is ridiculous. Romance is the last thing on my father’s mind.”
“Perhaps, but if their love is starting to bloom, I beg you—please don’t be a deterrent to their happiness.”
I shrug, unable to offer him anything more. He fades away like a wisp of smoke in the twilight.
Two headlights beam from behind me and light up the pond. A moment later, a pickup truck roars to a stop.
“Hey, there, Vannie,” Casey calls out. “I almost didn’t see you in the dark. Want a ride home?”
“No thanks. I’ll walk.”
“Do you have a flashlight?”
“Uh-uh. I don’t need one.”
Casey scratches his head as he revs the motor. “Funny, I thought I saw something shining out here, but it must have been a reflection or something.”
“I guess. Thanks, Casey. Good night.” I walk quickly toward the cottage so Casey can’t ask any more questions.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Well, well, don’t you look nice!” Daddy exclaims when we call for Aunt Mayda on Saturday evening.
“Stunning” would be a better choice of words. For a moment I wonder if Archie’s sent Aunt Mayda a fairy godmother. In her black nubby jacket and long skirt, she looks like a countess as she strides down Greystone’s steps toward our car. I tingle with pride when I see that under her jacket she’s wearing her new violet sweater.
For once her hair’s trim and stylish. “Wow! Your hair looks great!” I say, wishing my amazement hadn’t come through.
But Aunt Mayda’s too pleased to notice. She smiles as she pats the sleek back of her head. “Do you really like it, Vannie? My secretary sent me to her hair salon. She said I was in dire need of a good cut.”
She settles in next to Daddy, clicks her seatbelt, and we drive off.
“Where to?” Daddy asks.
I groan. “God, Daddy, didn’t you make reservations?”
Daddy and Aunt Mayda laugh as if I’ve told the funniest joke. It’s an “adults only” laugh, the kind my parents used to share when they thought Robby or I had said something “cute.”
“Trust your old father to take you somewhere nice,” Daddy says.
“Where are we going?” I demand.
Aunt Mayda turns around to look at me. “Your father asked for a suggestion and I said why don’t we go to the Thirsdale Inn, since you and Robby seemed to like it so much.”
“Cool!” Robby shouts. “They have the best popovers!”
“Fine with me,” I say as we drive out of MG.
“I’m glad you’re happy with our choice of restaurants,” Daddy says. His words are for me, but he smiles at Aunt Mayda and she smiles back.
All this smiling gives me a left-out feeling, which I don’t like. The feeling grows stronger when it hits me that Daddy actually called Aunt Mayda to discuss our plans for tonight.
I tell myself to stop acting weird. Daddy had to call her to say what time he’d be picking her up—just as I’d call Tammy or one of my classmates to discuss a homework assignment. They’re friends, I remind myself. Daddy’s always calling Aunt Mayda to talk about MG activities and events.
“Vannie.”
I give a start as Aunt Mayda says my name. She’s turned around to look at me again, and there’s a big grin on her face.
“I owe you a huge thank-you for finding the necklace. Roger—your dad—said you even knew it had belonged to my grandmother. Clever girl!”
“Tammy and I looked through your family albums in the library. In one photograph, your grandmother was wearing the necklace.”
“Mayda, I think we should get those albums back ASAP,” Daddy says. “They belong in the new Shipley museum.”
Aunt Mayda laughs. “Oh, Roger, it will be ages before we raise enough funds for a museum. Meanwhile, the albums are safer in the library.”
Daddy shakes his head, so hard I’m afraid it will fly off. “No, Mayda. As I’ve explained, one masked ball plus a concert featuring a big-name artist will have us well on our way.”
They’re off and at it. Robby and I look at each other. It would be so easy to shout out, “No business talk when we’re going out for dinner.” Instead, we shrug our shoulders and put up with their animated discussion till we arrive at the Thirsdale Inn.
It’s Saturday night and the restaurant’s crowded. People mill around in the small hall, waiting to be seated. Still, Mrs. Powett comes dashing over to greet us. She hugs Mayda and squeezes my hand, saying how nice it is to see us again. I tell her it’s nice to be here again. Then Mayda introduces her to Daddy. Mrs. Powett’s blue eyes scrutinize Daddy from head to foot before giving him a broad smile.
“Welcome, welcome to the Thirsdale Inn.”
“Thank you,” Daddy says. He reaches for a menu and studies it with care.
It’s too funny. My father, the most unobservant person in the world, hasn’t a clue that Mrs. Powett has just checked him out as a possible husband for Aunt Mayda. What’s even worse, he’s passed with flying colors.
But he notices fast enough that I’m laughing. “What’s the joke, Vanessa?”
I shrug. “Nothing.”
Mrs. Powett herself escorts us to a corner table in one of the dining rooms. “You’ll be nice and comfy here,” she says with a warm smile. “Ask for me if there’s anything special you’d like.”
“Can we have some popovers?” Robby asks.
We all laugh, including Mrs. Powett. “I’ll send over a fresh batch,” she promises.
A minute later, a waitress brings us a basket of piping hot popovers.
“Mmmmm,” Daddy says, as he bites into one. “Robby, you sure have clout around here.”
“I wonder if Theodore would like—”
“No!” three voices exclaim.
“No popovers for Theodore,” I say. “He’s a cat. Let him eat cat food.”
“Amen,” Daddy says.
Now I’m watching Daddy as carefully as Mrs. Powett was a few minutes ago. He does look presentable in his best sport jacket. And so far he hasn’t said anything really dumb. We talk a lot, laugh a lot, and eat a lot. I relax. I don’t even mind when Daddy tells some of his silly jokes, the ones Robby and I have heard hundreds of times. And Aunt Mayda has a few funny stories to tell us about her clients, some of whom sound like real jerks.
I lean back in my chair and discover I’m enjoying myself. It’s fun having an evening out with my father, my brother, and Aunt Mayda. It feels nice and normal. I’m glad. I want my life to get back to normal.
Suddenly I’m dizzy with worry because things seem too normal. It isn’t right that Aunt Mayda’s out with us instead of Mom. I never promised to help Archie. Still, I feel guilty for supporting his cause.
I study Daddy and Aunt Mayda as they chat and laugh, and sigh with relief. There are no secret smiles or mooning glances. Not one sign that they’re romantic about each other. Aunt Mayda’s simply a friend of the family who enjoys spending time with Daddy, Robby, and me.
Even Robby’s having a good time. I would be, too, if I could stop analyzing the situation.
“Everything okay, Vannie?” Aunt Mayda covers my hand with hers.
“Vannie’s off in space,” Robby says.
I feel myself blushing. “I was just thinking—“
“How nice everything is?” Aunt Mayda says softly.
I nod.
“Familiar yet strange, almost too good to be true?”
I nod, appreciating her understanding. But I don’t want to get all mushy, so I clear my throat and ask, “What are you going to do with your grandmother’s necklace?”
“I’ll bring it to a jeweler, have it polished and repaired, then put it in the vault until we can exhibit it in the museum. Poor Grannie only got to wear it once for photographs, then it was stolen.”
“Strange, how the girls found it half-buried in the floor of the gazebo,” Daddy says.
“Yes,” Aunt Mayda agrees. “We’ll never know how it got there.”
I long to tell her, but I know I never will. Instead, I say, “And your poor grandmother lost her husband because he went chasing after the thief.”
Aunt Mayda blinks her eyes in surprise.
“I read about it in the library,” I say quickly.
The waitress comes over and asks us if we’re ready for coffee and dessert. Aunt Mayda smiles at Daddy.
“I thought it would be nice if we had dessert at home,” she says.
“You mean at Greystone?” Robby asks.
“Uh-huh.”
“Cool!” Robby shouts and jumps up from his seat.
“Sit down, Robert,” Daddy says. He turns to Aunt Mayda. “Are you sure you want to go to all that trouble?”
“It’s no trouble, Roger. It’s my pleasure.” She smiles at me. “I’ve some pictures of my grandparents I’d love to show you, since you’re so fascinated by their story.”
“Let’s go!” I get up, as eager as Robby to get back to MG.
Daddy asks for the check and apologizes to Aunt Mayda for his children’s bad manners. Sorry, Daddy, I think. Now you know how it feels to be embarrassed by a member of your own family.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Greystone is all lit up, as it is every night. I quiver with excitement as we walk up the three broad steps that lead to the front door, wondering what new information I’ll learn tonight. Aunt Mayda’s right. I
am
fascinated by Archie and Elizabeth’s story of love and loss. Though I should know better, I find it amazingly romantic.
“Come upstairs,” Aunt Mayda says.
We’re silent as we walk past the living room and dining room, as though careful not to disturb anyone who might be present. Ghosts lurk about. Not real ghosts like Archie, but the imprints of Mayda’s relatives who have lived in or visited the mansion.
Upstairs, Aunt Mayda leads us to a cozy room where a fire blazes away in a fireplace. A couch and two armchairs cluster around a large coffee table. The far corner is set up as an office. The closed door probably leads to Aunt Mayda’s bedroom.
“A fireplace! Great!” Robby runs over and stands as close as he can to the glass doors.
Aunt Mayda laughs. “This is the only working fireplace up here, I’m afraid, and the only source of heat. Casey’s kind enough to light it whenever I stay over.”
“Could we roast marshmallows, do you think?” my brother asks. “We did that once in day camp.”
“We could, if we had marshmallows,” Aunt Mayda says.
“You don’t have any?” Robby asks, disappointed.
“Maybe we can roast them next time,” Aunt Mayda says. She takes our jackets and slips through the closed door. “Be back in a sec. Make yourselves comfortable. There’s a bathroom down the hall.”
I’m the only one who sits down. Robby stares at the fire while Daddy checks out the oil paintings on the wall.
“I’ve a delicious chocolate cake as well as fruit and cookies,” Aunt Mayda says when she returns. Her sweater’s all bunched up in back. I want to smooth it into place but don’t, of course. “What would you like to drink? Coffee? Milk? Tea?”
Robby looks around. “Where’s your kitchen?”