The Scarlet Thread (13 page)

I was with her three days knowing her time

was near. Why did she send me away right then?

Papa and Matthew buried Mama yesterday

morning. We could not wait another day for

Lucas to cum home from hunting. Sometimes he

is gone for a week.

The sun is going down again and Papa is still

sitting by the grave with his jug.

I dont think much of Sally Mae being the woman

of the house. She dont cook. She dont clean. She

just tells me what to do. Matt says she is older

and has the right because Sally Mae is his wife.

I told him that dont make her my mother. He has

never slapped me before. I told him he had better

not do it again.

Papa spends all his time in the fields and dont

know whats going on in this house. Only time

he comes in is when the sun is going down.

Then he just sits before the fire with his jug of

whiskey drinkin until he dont know nothin

anyway.

Matt went huntin with Lucas. I herd Lucas talking to Sally Mae before they went off. He said

maybe he wud take his brother to Fever River

and show him the sights. They have been gone

five days. Sally Mae dont say much. Papa dont

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owl and this journal is my only company.

Matt and Lucas came home today. They had no

meat with them. Sally Mae did not say anything.

So I asked Matt if they went to Fever River. He

said yes. I asked him if he saw James. He said no.

I asked him what it was like in Fever River and he

said there were too many people. He did not say

anything after that. Lucas wuz smirking at Sally

Mae. He said they learned a lot while they was in

Fever River, but he did not say what they learned.

Sally Mae did not look well. She said she was

going outside for air. Matt went out to help Papa

in the fields.

When I went outside to do the wash I saw

Lucas talking to Sally Mae. When he laffed at

her, she slapped his face. He slapped her back

and she ran off crying.

Papa sent Lucas to Fever River with the corn.

Matt did not go with him this time because Sally

Mae wanted him home. Papa said thar will be

enuf money to pay the taxes, buy supplies, and

put some by for hard times.

I gotta bad feelin, but Papa dont listen.

Lucas came bak from Fever River today wile

I was workin in the garden. He and Papa had

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words. Lucas said the corn did not sell well this

year, that he paid the taxes but thar was not much

left for supplies. Papa said he is lying. He said

Lucas must have spent the money gaming or on

women. Lucas said it is a poor thing when a

father dont trust his own blood.

Lucas is gone. He tuk Papas best horse and gun

and left before sun up. I never herd such cussing

as Papa did when he found out what he dun.

Matt said he did not think Lucas wud come back

this time. Papa said he wud kill him if he did.

Papa said nothing after that. He did not eat

breakfast or supper. All he does is wurk in the

fields and drink.

I wud not grieve if I never saw Lucas again. As

far back as I can remember, ther has been a mean

streak in him Papa never cud beet out. Mama

tried to talk it out of him. But I dont think Lucas

ever herd a word she said. Mama believed we

shud treat others the way we want to be treated.

Lucas saz that is fools thinkin. He says take what

you want or you dont get nothing.

So I guess Lucas tuk what he wanted. He

tuk Papas money. He tuk Papas horse. He tuk

Papas gun. The only things he did not take

were Papas land and Papas house. And he wud

have tuk them too if he cud have put them in a

saddle bag.

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Matt is happy about it. It is nice to hear him

laugh again.

Papa dont say much about it. Papa dont say

much about anything these days.

Today is my birthday. I am fourteen. Not even

Matt made mention of it. I guess he forgot jest

like Papa.

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7

for it, gaining her the winning point. “Yes!” she cried and

jumped into the air, raising her racket in triumph.

“Devious,” Marcia said in good humor. “Since you won, you

have to jump the net.”

“Not on your life,” Sierra said, laughing. She walked over to the

bench and picked up her towel. Dabbing the sweat from her face,

she grinned at Marcia as she walked over to drink from a bottle of

Calistoga water. “Maybe now I’ll be some competition for you.”

“You’re getting better every time you play,” Marcia said, her

tone enigmatic.

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overshirt she had left on the bench. She tucked it into her canvas

bag and set the racket on top.

“Well, I’m not teaching you anymore,” Marcia laughed.

Two men entered the court, one older than the other, both

dressed in white tennis shorts and shirts, both reeking of affluence.

“First time I’ve ever seen you lose, Marcia,” said the younger

and more attractive of the two.

“She tossed the game,” Sierra said with a laugh.

“Not likely,” he said, a grin making him even more handsome.

“Marcia puts her all into everything she does.” He winked at

Marcia and then looked pointedly at Sierra. “Aren’t you going to

introduce us?”

Marcia put her towel around her neck. “Sierra, this is Ronal

Peirozo, a longtime family friend. Ron, this is Sierra Madrid.

She’s married to Alex Madrid, game designer for Beyond

Tomorrow.”

“My pleasure,” he said, extending his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Sierra felt cool strength in his fingers as

they closed firmly around her hand. His eyes were Paul

Newman blue, and the way they rested on her was decidedly unsettling. He introduced her to the older gentleman with him, but,

flustered, she failed to catch his name.

Marcia grinned at her as they walked along the pathway to the

dining room. “Don’t be embarrassed. Ron has that effect on most

women.”

“What effect?”

Marcia laughed. “Fine. We’ll play it your way.”

When Alex had been given the club membership as a Christmas bonus, Sierra had resisted coming to Lakeside Country

Club. Not until Marcia invited her for lunch one afternoon had

she even admitted being a member. “You’re kidding. And you

don’t go?”

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“No. I don’t go.”

“For heaven’s sake, Sierra. What are you going to do? Sit

home watching soap operas for the rest of your life? I’ve never

known anyone to be so resistant to success and the benefits it

brings.”

Resigned, Sierra had accompanied her to the club. She had

had so much fun meeting Marcia’s friends it had become a

part of her daily routine. She met Marcia for tennis or golf or

racquetball, depending on the weather, worked up a sweat,

showered, and then relaxed for a few hours. Sometimes they

sat in the salon and had a manicure or pedicure. More often

than not, they joined others in the women’s lounge for drinks

and lunch.

As they reached the patio outside the dining room, Sierra saw

that Nancy Berne and Edie Redmond were already sitting at the

table they usually occupied. It was considered a primo spot, located as it was near the windows overlooking the golf course, but

then, having the best was par for the course for these women.

Both were married to high-powered executives. Beside them,

Ashley Worrell—who was recently divorced from her wellknown, extremely wealthy plastic surgeon husband—was sipping

mineral water. Lorraine Sheedy, a close friend of Ashley’s, sat

next to her, looking grim. Lorraine’s husband was an attorney

who had made a fortune handling divorce cases for movie stars.

The last of what Marcia jokingly called “The Rat Pack” was

Meredith Schneider, an heiress who was four-times divorced,

five-times married.

As Sierra took her usual seat near the tall ferns, she greeted the

others with easy camaraderie. Wylie, the waiter who always

took care of their orders, came to the table. He picked up

Meredith’s empty martini glass, replaced the napkin, and set a

fresh martini before her.

“Thank you, Wylie,” Meredith said, and Sierra could tell she

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around the table. “You girls going to have something? My treat.”

Marcia glanced at her watch. “It’s not even noon, Merry.

Aren’t you starting a little early today?”

“You’re an hour too late with your warning, dear.” She

glanced at her Rolex. “Eleven forty-five. If you wish to be legalistic, wait fifteen minutes. Then you may order a drink.”

Marcia ordered a gin and tonic with a twist of lime.

Nancy and Edie both ordered espresso. Ashley grimaced

delicately. “How many times do I have to tell you girls what

caffeine does to the skin?” she said and ordered a rum punch.

“And rum’s good for it?” Nancy said, amused.

“Rum is made from sugarcane and molasses, both natural

substances. Add a little fruit juice and you have a nutritious

noontime libation.”

“And a buzz,” Edie said dryly.

Lorraine quietly ordered a double Scotch on the rocks.

Everyone at the table looked at her in surprise. She never

drank anything but white zinfandel. Meredith popped the

green olive into her mouth, eyes amused.

Sierra ordered an iced tea. She had learned early on that she

didn’t like the taste of alcohol or its dizzying effects.

They talked of mundane things until the drinks were served.

Lorraine finished the double Scotch with two swallows. Shuddering, she set the empty glass down before Wylie had taken

three steps from the table.

“Feeling better?” Marcia said softly, astonished.

“Wylie,” Lorraine said firmly, “bring me another, please.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, brows lifting in surprise.

“Doing some serious drinking today, are we?” Meredith

cooed.

Lorraine gave a humorless laugh, her eyes glittering. “Frank’s

having an affair.”

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