ShadowsintheMist by Maureen McMahon Read Free Book Online

tended by Rudy Coleman, a reclusive spindle of a man who
lived above the old stables.
    Rudy was hired as stableman when Leo purchased his first
prized stallion. The stables were to the east of the main estate, on the edge
of the forest, with a good acre of untended pastureland between them and the
main house. After Anna’s accident, Leo sold all the horses and refused to
acknowledge the existence of the stables. Rudy, however, remained and became
our permanent gardener and general maintenance man, showing a surprising
aptitude for both.
    I followed the paths, knowing well the way through the
puzzle of greenery. It hadn’t always been so and I could remember wandering,
teary-eyed, for what seemed hours before being rescued by Martha. Now I
wandered absently, knowing the gazebo lay just ahead. It stood in the center of
Leo’s lavish garden, a miniature Gothic temple with a domed roof and six slim
ivory pillars. I mounted the steps, sat down on one of the stone benches that
joined the pillars and pulled my knees up to my chin, allowing my thoughts to
wander.
    It was cool and dark. A circle of mock orange and lilac
crowned the grassy knoll surrounding the building and cast clenched shadows
across the cold floor. The winds were strong, still balmy and heavy with the
excesses of honeyed pollen and overripe fruit and the thick, cloying smell of
full-blown roses.
    I leaned my head back against the stone and gazed over the
hedges toward the darkening horizon. Grant’s face filled my mind and I
wondered, before closing my eyes, what marriage to such a man would be like.

Chapter Three
    My care is like my shadow in the sun,
    Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it,
    Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done.
    Elizabeth I, On Monsieur’s Departure
     
    I can’t be sure how long I slept. The moon was high in a
blue-black sky and Venus shone brilliantly in its usual place below. Lightning
bugs flickered on and off and crickets chirped in rhythm, undisturbed by my
presence. I shivered, uncurled my legs from their cramped position and swatted
at a mosquito as it whined near my ear. I had to go back. Everyone would be
wondering where I was.
    It was then I heard the voices drifting softly on the night
air. I listened with halfhearted curiosity. The murmuring came from some spot
beyond the bushes and hedges, nearer the house. I could make out Alicia’s
unmistakable tones but the other voice was muffled and I turned my head in that
direction, my interest piqued.
    “Of course it’s impossible, darling,” Alicia was saying in a
transparent whine. “Leo was a tyrant! Besides, she’d never make you happy.”
    It was Grant’s impatient voice that answered. “That’s the
least of my concerns. The problem now is how to accomplish this charade without
anyone getting hurt.”
    I caught my breath as I realized they were talking about me.
    “You don’t plan to go through with it, do you?” She dropped
her stage drawl and seemed genuinely agitated.
    “There’s nothing else to do. If I explain it to her, I’m
sure she’ll understand. You should be the last one to object, considering Colin
will stand to lose the most if we don’t go through with it.”
    “I don’t care! I couldn’t stand to see you with her!”
    “Alicia,” Grant’s voice was exasperated, “what I do with
Suzanna has nothing to do with you. And whether you could ‘bear’ it or not is
really irrelevant to me!”
    “Oh, Grant!” She was pouting again. “Don’t say such things.
You know how I feel.”
    He gave a cold snort. “Cut the act, Alicia. I know exactly
how you feel and I also know what you’re doing. Does Colin know about your
little games? Or are you playing them for someone else’s benefit? One of these
days, you’ll push him too far and you’ll be out on your ear.”
    She chose to ignore the warning for when she spoke again,
her voice was low and inviting. “Let’s go to the gazebo—for old time’s sake!”
    “Alicia—” he began