Second Child by John Saul Read Free Book Online Page A

have invented himself, since he hadn’t gotten it from anywhere else. Now, putting her own plate on the table, she glanced again at his disreputable cutoffs. “Well, if she tells you to change into pants and a shirt, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    Tag grinned impishly. “Come on, Grandma. You really think Mrs. H would show up in the vegetable garden? I bet she doesn’t even know where it is.”
    Cora’s brows rose slightly. She thought she should say something about respect for their employer, but changed her mind. After all, Tag was right. Ever since she’d married Charles Holloway, Phyllis Martin had carefully avoided any reminder of her own humble origins; a farm somewhere in Pennsylvania, Cora believed. A farm, as far as Cora could tell, was nothing but an oversized vegetable garden, and certainly the high and mighty Mrs. Holloway wouldn’t go anywhere near it. “Well, all right, but if she catches you dressed like that, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    “I won’t,” Tag promised, then picked up his plate andtook it to the sink, where he began washing the dishes. Cora stacked her own breakfast dishes on the sink, gave Tag a quick hug, then headed toward the main house to start her day. But as she crossed the lawn, she once more noticed Melissa’s closed bedroom windows. Entering the house, she didn’t even stop at the kitchen, but went directly to the second floor and opened Melissa’s door without knocking.
    As she’d feared, Melissa was not in her bed.
    Cora climbed the stairs to the attic slowly, joints aching as she pulled herself up the steep flight and paused at the top to catch her breath. The attic gloom was only partially relieved by the sunlight filtering in through the dormers. She wove through the clutter, pausing at the door to the tiny room beneath one of the gables. At last, taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
    Curled up on the dusty sofa, sound asleep, was Melissa. “Oh, baby,” Cora whispered almost silently. “Not again.”
    She went to the sofa, lowered herself down, and gently began waking Melissa, taking care not to startle her. At last Melissa’s eyes fluttered slightly, then opened. For a moment she smiled up at Cora, but then the smile faded as she realized where she was.
    Gasping, she sat up straight, her eyes darting around the tiny room. Finally she faced Cora, her face pale with fear. “Don’t tell Mother,” she begged. “Please?”
    Cora took Melissa’s hand gently in her own. “Now, Missy, you know I have to tell your mother. If you’re going to be walking in your sleep again, she has to know. You could hurt yourself.”
    “But I’ve only done it once this summer,” Melissa pleaded. “I won’t do it again—I promise! Please don’t tell Mama. Please?”
    Cora rose to her feet, drawing Melissa along with her. “Well, now, let’s just get you back to your bed, and we’ll think about this later, all right?”
    Melissa bit her lip but nodded, and let Cora lead her back through the jumble of castoffs that cluttered the attic floor. A few moments later she was back in her own room and Cora was tucking her in bed. “Now you sleep for a couple more hours,” the housekeeper told her. “You just get your rest and don’t worry about anything. What happenedwasn’t your fault, and your mother won’t blame you. She just wants to help you.”
    Cora gently kissed Melissa’s forehead, then, before leaving, opened the windows to let the room fill with the fresh morning air.
    When she was alone, Melissa lay in bed trying to remember what had happened last night. Slowly, it came back to her.
    Her mother had come in and been angry with her. In fact, she’d been so angry that she’d torn up her pink organdy dress. And then she’d slapped her. After that Melissa didn’t remember anything at all.
    For after that, D’Arcy had come to help her, as D’Arcy always came to help when her mother was angry at her.
    She lay in bed for a few more moments,