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“Mission accomplished, then,” he said, clapping his hands.
“What mission? So, that’s why you wanted to have lunch with me, isn’t it?” I asked, teasing him with narrow, suspicious eyes.
“Hey, I’m still a little bit of a Heaven-stone, shrewd and conniving. But for good things.”
I laughed. No matter what, I would always have Uncle Perry there for me whenever I got too low or simply needed a shot of energy and hope. There weren’t many occasions when he wasn’t a bright light. Sometimes, I thought, even Cassie had to admit it to herself, if not to me.
He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get back,” he said, rising. “There are still a few things I want to do today. Tell Mrs. Dobson she outdid herself again.”
I rose and took his arm. He never wanted to walk with me without me doing so. How that used to annoy Cassie, I thought. “It’s the blind leading the blind,” she would tell me. “That’s what the two of you look like.”
Only to you, I thought. Only to you.
“I hear you’re really involved in this wedding planning now,” Uncle Perry said as he opened the front door.
“I’m not really that involved. Lucille wanted me to go along with her to review the dresses and choose some things at the wedding planner’s, but I think she pretty much had everything already chosen. She says she wants me to help arrange for the flowers, the altar, chairs, food kiosks, be with her every moment, not that I know anything about it. I mean, I’ll do whatever she wants, but I know she just wants to give me the feeling I’m involved.”
“See?” he said. “You’re pretty sharp and never to be underestimated. You know exactly what’s going on around you. Everything’s going to be fine, Sam. You take it easy and start planning on coming to work with me. I’m surrounded by too many old biddies.”
He kissed me and held me a moment, which was something he always had done. Most relatives kiss each other the way they would pat each other on the hand and move on, but Uncle Perry always gave me the feeling that he wanted me to believe he loved me. It was as important to him as it was to me.
“See you soon,” he said, then went to his car, pausing to appreciate mine. “It’s truly a magnificent-looking driving machine.”
“I’m scared to drive it!” I shouted.
“Nonsense. You have to break in this baby, Sam. No car can be a virgin in the Heaven-stone collection.”
I laughed and watched him drive away. I stood on the portico until he was gone, and then I felt a chill and embraced myself. I needed to be in the sunlight and decided to go for a walk. I strolled slowly, lost in my own thoughts for more than an hour, but when I was on the pathway and almost at the end of our garden, something made me turn. It was as if someone had tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked back at the house.
I saw her up in the attic window, looking down at me. She won’t retreat to her grave, I thought.
“Leave me alone!” I screamed.
She smiled and backed away. My heart began thumping. She knew if there was one place in our mansion where I would never go, it was the attic. It was up there in the old dresser that I had found the emptied sleeping-pill capsules and realized what she had done to Mother. It had been our struggle over that evidence at the top of the attic stairway that had resulted in her fall and death. Even though I didn’t need anyone to tell me, I had once overheard Mrs. Dobson tell Doris that the dead haunt the place where they died. They retreat to it like vampires retreating to their coffins, only to rise again and again.
It all gave me the chills, and I started back. I was in such deep thought about it that I didn’t hear the limousine come up the drive and stop right behind me.
“Semantha?” Lucille called as she stepped out.
“Oh, hi,” I said. I felt the wide smile sit on my face, thinking how Mother had never looked this fashionable during the day and had never really been a designer-clothes person. She had been far more conservative, which both Cassie and I had thought fit the image for a Heaven-stone wife, especially Daddy’s wife.
But here was Lucille in a salmon silk shantung suit. A tie cinched the waist of her button-front jacket with short bubble sleeves. It had a narrow pencil skirt. With the luminous silk scarf topping her wide-brimmed hat, she truly looked as if she had just come from modeling at some high-fashion show. And with her height and figure, there was no way she wouldn’t stand out anywhere she went.
“Your father and I had a most exciting morning and lunch,” she said. “We were both in a panic this morning and had to rush out to get over to Frankfort for lunch with the governor. Your father rented a helicopter. Can you imagine? He’s going to tell you when he gets home for dinner tonight, but I can’t hold it in,” she said, looking as if she would burst with excitement. She was so buoyant I couldn’t help but get excited myself, even though I had no idea why.
“What is it?”
“Your father has been chosen as Kentucky Citizen of the Year, and just think, the same year he and I are getting married! I guess we’re really good luck for each other, and,” she quickly added, “I’m sure for you.”
“That does sound wonderful, Lucille.”
“The formal ceremony won’t be until we return from our honeymoon. He’ll be in all the newspapers, on television. There’s a grand ballroom dinner with a guest list that would make the queen of England envious. We’ll have to buy you something special to wear.” She paused for a breath. “So, how was your lunch with your uncle?”
“Very nice.”
“He’s quite fond of you,” she said as we started into the house. “And worried about you,” she added.
“I know. He wants me to come work with him.”
