Lizabeth's Story (6 page)

T
he next morning Amanda and Rose came over to the lighthouse tower.

“You should see what's going on in town,” Amanda said. “People are walking around with masks on. It's spooky.”

“Everyone's scared,” Rose said.

“You never know how people are going to act,” Amanda said. “Some only want to keep to themselves, taking no chances. You can't blame them.”

“Father says it makes sense for people to be afraid of being contaminated,” Rose said, “but Cape Light people have been wonderful about caring for terribly sick neighbors who are alone.”

“My father saw Mrs. Cornell at the Whites',” Amanda said, “helping out with the twins without a thought for herself.”

“There are so many people who are ill, Lizabeth,”
Rose said. “The Whites, both Mr.
and
Mrs., two of the Halloran children…the rest have been sent out of town.”

“All three Brewster children,” Amanda added. “Mrs. Brewster comes to church every day to pray for them.”

“It seems to hit young children the most,” Rose said. “Has your father seen Tracy again?” Lizabeth asked.

Rose nodded. “He sees her every day on his rounds.”

“What does he say?”

“Honestly, he doesn't say much of anything. He comes home very late and dead tired. They're just waiting for Tracy's fever to break.”

“But isn't there something to do? Besides
waiting
?” Lizabeth asked. “It's been a week already.”

Amanda squeezed her hand. “Tracy will be fine, I just know it.”

“There's no medicine for it,” Rose said. “The only thing is cold compresses to cool her. And something nourishing if she can keep it down.”

“Ada makes the most wonderful beef broth. Tracy loves it,” Lizabeth said.

“Didn't you know? Ada's not at your house,
Lizabeth,” Rose said. “She's been at her sister Leda's. Leda's too sick to take care of her own children.”

Ada not there? Tracy would miss her!

“Don't worry,” Rose said softly. “Almost everyone gets well.”

“When it's all over it'll be like a bad dream,” Amanda said. “You'll see.”

Lizabeth gazed out of the windows. How could it be such a perfect spring day when she felt so troubled? Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily across a blue sky. The sea was calm today and a beautiful blue-gray.

“It seems strange that school ended so suddenly,” Amanda said.

“Well, it makes sense,” Kat said. She had been unusually quiet all morning. “No one should be put at risk for no good reason.” She gave Lizabeth a cutting look.

Lizabeth turned away and caught Amanda's puzzled glance.

“Lizabeth,” Rose said. “Did you hear the Strawberry Festival has been cancelled? No crowds, no large gatherings. The Strawberry Queen event too.”

“It doesn't matter,” Lizabeth said dully.

“There's always next year,” Amanda said. “You can enter next year.”

“I'm sorry. I know you were looking forward to it,” Rose said.

“I don't care,” Lizabeth said, and realized that she honestly didn't anymore. Not from the moment she had seen Tracy.

“You don't?” Kat's voice was sharp. “As of last night, it was the most important thing in the world! More important than
anyone
!”

Lizabeth matched her tone. “I said I
don't care
! Is that so hard to understand?”

Amanda looked from one to the other. “What's going on with the two of you?”

Lizabeth hoped Kat wouldn't explain. There wasn't much she could say in her own defense. Amanda and Rose would surely side with Kat.

Lizabeth had never thought much about it before, but Amanda had been Kat's friend first. Kat's family practically adopted her in those terrible months after her mother died. Lizabeth hadn't exactly
avoided
her, but Amanda's grief had made Lizabeth feel too uncomfortable. Well, she'd only been seven then.

And Rose and Kat became especially close when Kat helped her care for her horse. Lizabeth had gone to Clayton Stables a few times, but she'd really done…
nothing. Except pose in her scarlet riding jacket, she remembered now with embarrassment.

“What is it?” Rose asked. “What happened?”

“We had a disagreement,” Kat said stiffly.

“I don't want to talk about it,” Lizabeth muttered.

“Well, if it was just a little disagreement…” Rose started.

“It wasn't
little
. Things were said that can't be unsaid,” Kat told them. “It's too late.”

Amanda looked distressed. “Come on, you've been best friends since…since you were born!”

“We were forced on each other,” Kat said. “By our mothers.”

“We're cousins, not friends,” Lizabeth said. “We have nothing in common.”

“Don't do this, please,” Amanda pleaded.

“Nothing could be that serious,” Rose added.

“It's supposed to be the four of us together, remember?” Amanda said.

“Four best friends, forever,” Rose said. “Don't spoil it!”

“I don't care what happened. You've got to apologize to each other right now.” Amanda was almost in tears. “You've got to!”

Kat looked out the window. Lizabeth studied her feet. “When I came to Cape Light,” Rose said, “I thought the three of you had the best friendship I'd ever seen. I was so happy to be included. You can't stay mad. Not here, not in our special place.”

Kat and Lizabeth exchanged guarded looks.

“Kat,” Amanda said. “Lizabeth. Please!”

After a long pause, Kat spoke. “I don't think I was wrong but I guess I'm sorry about some of the things I said. Though not all.”

“I'm not saying you're wrong—you're not—but I did what I had to do. You could have tried to understand. I couldn't be there and not see…” Lizabeth took a breath. “I guess I'm sorry for what I said, too. I suppose I do like you. Some of the time, anyway.”

“I worry about Tracy, too,” Kat said softly. “I do understand.”

“You were mean,” Lizabeth said. “You have a terrible temper.”

“Well, so do you. And I'm
not
heartless!” Kat paused. “Lizabeth, I want you to know—I wasn't upset only because of my brothers. I was mad at you for risking
yourself
.”

Amanda and Rose looked at each other in confusion. “All right, good enough,” Rose said.

Amanda took the other three girls' hands and clasped them together. “Four of us, together,” she said.

“Four, together,” Rose repeated and Kat and Lizabeth joined in.

“Forever!” they finished. Lizabeth felt so comforted by the warmth of their friendship. Even if she hadn't quite earned it.

 

When the Williamses finished lunch Lizabeth jumped up from the table first. She went to the well outside and brought back the heavy bucket of water. She heated water on the stove and prepared to wash the dishes.

“It's supposed to be my turn,” Todd said uneasily.

“I'll do them,” Lizabeth said. “I want to help out.”

Todd grinned. “If you
want
to, that sure is all right with me!” He zoomed out of the kitchen.

The soap was harsh on Lizabeth's hands. No wonder. Aunt Jean made it herself out of lye and grease! Once she was home and back to normal, she'd
slather
her hands with her milk-and-almond lotion.

Later in the afternoon when Aunt Jean finished washing the laundry in the sink, Lizabeth volunteered to do the wringing.

Aunt Jean looked surprised. “It's hard work, Lizabeth.”

“I can do it.” It
was
hard. Turning the hand wringer made her arms ache. But somehow straining her muscles eased her mind.

“Thank you,” Aunt Jean said. “Then maybe I'll take a little nap before I start dinner.”

Lizabeth shrugged apologetically. “I don't know how to cook.”

“No one expects you to,” Kat said.

When Lizabeth finished wringing the clothes, her arms were limp. She helped Kat hang the wash on the line outside. I've never had a clothespin in my hands in my entire life, she thought. Not that I was missing much!

She pinned one corner of a white sheet while Kat pinned another.

“You don't have to prove anything to me,” Kat said.

“I'm not trying to,” Lizabeth answered. She wasn't sure, but maybe she was proving something to herself. It felt surprisingly good to be useful. “Staying busy keeps me from thinking too much.”

Kat nodded. “I know how that is.”

Lizabeth was glad she and Kat were friends again. She was sorry that she was going to spoil that soon. She had to go to Tracy, no matter what Kat thought. She had to see with her own eyes if Tracy's fever was breaking.

L
izabeth kept Kat company in the lighthouse tower during her evening shift. She watched the light revolve through the rapidly darkening night. She was too anxious to sit still. She couldn't wait for hours until everyone was asleep.

“Kat, I'm going down, all right?”

Kat nodded. “You must be all tired out.”

“No, just feeling restless,” Lizabeth said. “Maybe I'll take a walk.” She couldn't quite face Kat.

“All right. See you in the room later.”

“See you.”

This time she didn't have to worry about anyone spotting her on the path to Lighthouse Lane. Sunshine followed her a little way and then he turned back toward the cottage.

Lizabeth continued on the road. Past Wharf Way and the docks, past the abandoned fishermen's huts that
were meant to be torn down long ago, past the bait-and-tackle shop, past Alveira's Boatyard, up the hill, and onto the paved section of Lighthouse Lane.

She hid in the shadows when she heard the clopclop of a horse. In the moonlight, she could just make out Dr. Forbes guiding his horse and carriage up the path to his house. Otherwise the lane was deserted. He must be coming back from visiting patients, she thought. So late in the night! She didn't know him well—only as “Rose's father”—but she was filled with respect for him.

When Lizabeth was sure he was inside, she continued to her house.

The light was on in the downstairs parlor. Were her parents there? Would they hear her? She knew it was wrong to break quarantine again, but she didn't care.
Nothing
could keep her from going to Tracy!

Lizabeth climbed up the trellis, wincing at each creak. A thorn tore at her dress. The rip was horribly loud in the stillness. She stopped at the top to peer through her window. Through the open door of her room she could catch a glimpse of the hallway in the faint beam from Tracy's night-light. Mother and Father! They were in silhouette in Tracy's doorway. Lizabeth was overcome with longing to rush into Mother's arms. She
watched them leave Tracy's room and head toward the top of the staircase.

Whew! It was a good thing she had stopped to look first! If they caught her, they'd surely ship her off to Pittsfield. She could imagine Father roaring at her, something about “out of harm's way.”

Lizabeth couldn't see the stairs from the trellis. She gave them time to get downstairs.
If
they were going downstairs. She couldn't teeter on top of the trellis forever. She had to take a chance.

The window of her room was still open and she slipped in. She removed her shoes and tiptoed across the floor slowly, carefully. She was afraid to breathe. She couldn't make a sound. All clear in the hallway. She crept into Tracy's room.

Lizabeth tiptoed to her bed. Tracy's eyes were wide open.

“It's me,” Lizabeth whispered. “I promised I'd come back to see you.”

There was no reaction from Tracy.

“It's me, Lizabeth.” She put her hand on her little sister's forehead. Burning! How she had hoped and prayed to find Tracy better tonight!

“Tracy?” she whispered.

Tracy stared directly at Lizabeth, but her eyes were unfocused. As if she's looking
through
me, Lizabeth thought and she felt her stomach clutch.

“Tracy?”

Tracy moved her head back and forth, agitated. “I don't
want
to leave the party!” Her faint voice was raspy. “Not yet!”

Lizabeth touched Tracy's shoulder and Tracy pulled away.

“More ice cream,” Tracy said, with that terrible raspy voice. “I want to stay!”

Her words made Lizabeth shudder. “Tracy, it's all right,” she whispered. “Of course you'll stay here with us.”

“Leave me alone! Don't make me go!”

Prickles chilled the back of Lizabeth's neck. It's as if Tracy isn't
here
, she thought. Is this what
delirious
means? Is it normal for this to happen just before the fever breaks?

Lizabeth reached for Tracy again and stopped her hand in midair. Tracy's eyes had closed. She seemed to have fallen asleep. She was taking deep, wheezing breaths through her open mouth.

Lizabeth softly kissed Tracy's cheek. Burning!

She watched and waited helplessly. The only sound
in her ears was the wheezing. But then—Father's voice. She could hear his distress though she couldn't make out the words. And Mother's weeping. The click of Mother's shoes at the bottom of the stairs! Quick, before Mother comes around the curve of the staircase!

Lizabeth moved through the shadows of the hall and slipped into her own room. She heard Mother's voice at Tracy's bedside and then Father's. All their attention would be on Tracy. She could make it down the trellis….

Lizabeth jumped from the bottom rung and crept alongside the azaleas on the front path. She was numb with shock. She walked a block on Lighthouse Lane before she realized that she'd left her shoes behind.

She walked another block before she suddenly stopped and thought, Where am I going? I can't go back to Kat's again. I've been exposed to scarlet fever
twice
. I can't bring it to Amanda's or Rose's house. Or anyone's. Lizabeth bit her lip. I have no place to go.