The Battered Heiress Blues by Laurie Van Dermark Read Free Book Online Page B

too.” He made it a point to pull me back so that I could see the sincerity in his eyes. “But maybe we can be angry inside the house…away from this lightning, huh? Can we go? Let’s go.”
    Henry held my hand as we made our way back to the house. My eyes searched the grounds for the stranger as we trudged back. He was nowhere in sight. Henry flipped the light switch and discovered that the power was out.
    “I’ll get some candles. Wait here.” He pointed to the very spot I was standing and repeated his command loud and slowly, as if I were impaired in some way. “Wait right here.”
    “I’m sad. I’m not deaf.”
    He returned with a towel. “You need a hot shower. You’re freezing. Up you go.”
    Climbing the stairs felt like the walk of shame. He was the guard. I was his crazy prisoner who got caught sneaking off.
    I sat on the side of the tub as he lit candles and started the shower. He turned to me and lifted my arms above my head, pulling off the wet slip that clung to my body.
    He knelt down in front of me pulling my panties to the floor. There was no embarrassment. We had a physical history together. I didn’t have the mental capacity to feel vulnerable about my nakedness.
    “Tru, I don’t know what I’m doing?”
    “You think? You’re starting to scare me, Jewels. I don’t know how to help you. God knows that I’m doing a piss poor job. A tragic thing happened to you, to be sure, but you’ve got to get a grip. You can’t put yourself in harm’s way like this. You’re too important to me.”
    I took his face in my hands. “How do I get a grip? Tell me and I’ll do it.” I was desperate for the one answer that would heal this hurt.
    “Let’s start with a shower. We’ll figure the rest out.” His tone was reassuring.
    He led me into the shower and then removed his soaked suit- the one he had worn to the service and fell asleep in earlier. He walked in behind me. The hot water ran down my body. Henry gently caressed my skin, removing the soil before lathering my hair with shampoo. When he was done, I turned to face him.
    “I will be okay. Tell me I’m going to be okay,” I demanded.
    “You will be. We’ll get through this together. Give yourself some time. Be patient.”
    Henry held me under the water until it turned lukewarm. After drying off and slipping into my robe, he led me back to bed.
    “Get some sleep. It’s almost morning. Kate will be arriving soon.”
    I nodded while he pulled the covers over me. The image of the stranger popped into my head. I became curious regarding his identity.
    “Who was that man in the cemetery?”
    “What man?”
    “You didn’t see him?”
    He looked puzzled and concerned. “No.”
    “There was a man. I may be a little off the reservation, but I’m not seeing things.”
    “Okay.” Henry tried to sound affirming.
    “Okay.” I closed my eyes before I had to see his disbelief.
    “Love you.” He left.
    I woke from the first restful sleep I had had in months. Rolling over, I hoped my arms would find Henry, but my bed was empty. I pulled myself to the clock- ten. Kate would be arriving shortly.
    My feet found the floor. I went into the bathroom to view the damage, expecting to find my face swollen and distorted, but I was pleasantly surprised. Besides the two saddlebags under my eyes, I could pull off plain-not spectacular, but adequate. I surveyed my hair, pulling stray curls vertical, pinning them up to wash my face and brush my teeth.
    The knock on the door was measured- Kate. My heart lightened. She slowly pushed it forward as I aggressively pulled it back, landing her on top of me as we fell to the floor.
    “Well, that’s quite an entrance,” I roared. “Ouch. My belly.”
    We laughed loudly. It was the first ounce of joy I had truly felt. My best friend had arrived, ready for the day in her swimsuit.
    “I don’t do anything half-way,” she announced proudly.
    She noticed me looking beyond her into the hallway. She answered my