Creighton Manor (35 page)

"Aah Lotti." Tyler wiggled free from his great-
grandmother's embrace. "Do you have to get so mushy?"

Lotti chuckled, but she had tears glistening in her eyes. When Dora had told her that Zachary had taken Tyler and went somewhere for help, she had known that they had gone to the future. She was frantic not knowing if Tyler was all right or if they would ever return.

"May I go outside?" Tyler was anxious to be away from all the attention. Lotti nodded and he ran out of the room.

Lotti now concentrated on Zachary, who was leaning against the fireplace. He had been very quiet since he arrived and she was sure it had to do with Gillian. Since the young woman had not come to the house with Zachary and Tyler, she could only assume she had stayed behind in her own time. Lotti tapped her cane to attract Zachary's attention.

He turned
and focused, realizing his nephew was no longer in the room
. "Where did Tyler go?"

"Not to worry. He went outside to play."

Zachary squirmed under her scrutinizing gaze. Good, he should.

"Sorry Lotti, did you say something?"

"No." There was a long silence, but finally, Lotti broke it. "Well, are you going to tell me or not?" She tapped her cane with impatience.

"Tell you what?"

"Blast it Zachary, don't play games with me. Gillian? What happen? Why isn’t she with you?"

"She didn't make it."

Lotti frowned. "Didn't make it? Did something happen to her?"

"No. I thought I knew what was best. I thought she didn't belong here and told her as much."

"Why in the world did you do that?"

Zachary
pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Because . . . because I thought I was doing the right thing." He sighed gloomily. "I was wrong. She tried to follow us back, but the door closed. I should have never left her. I should have . . . " He shook his head. “It was a terrible mistake.”

Lotti remained silent. She saw the pain and the tired sadness pass over her grandson’s features, but she had no idea how to rectify it.

"You’re back." Both Lotti and Zachary turned at the same time to see Ellery enter the room. He was dressed in his finery, laced dress shirt and all.

Ellery removed his hat and went over to his friend. They shook hands, but then on second thought, the emotions were running too high and they embraced each other. Ellery pulled away, gripping his shoulders. "I thought you were gone forever with that little red-headed vixen of yours." His gaze scanned the room, seeing immediately that Gillian wasn’t there. "Where is she?" He turned back to his friend.

"She didn’t come back with him," Lotti volunteered the information.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I saw Tyler out front and he didn't tell me that Gillian wasn’t with you."

"It's all right. Who knows maybe it was for the best." Zachary moved away, and tried to change the topic of conversation, but his voice choked.

Lotti came to his rescue "Anyone for a spot of tea?"

    
The Downhaven Sanitarium

"She's been that way since they brought her here," the attendant said to the doctor in charge. He had been away for a few weeks trying to find volunteers to come back with him. The facility had too many patients for his meager staff to take care of efficiently. He had just arrived today knowing that the extra help was not forthcoming. So he wasn’t pleased to find out that they had taken on yet another patient.

"What is her name?"

"Violet Ellsworth. They said she tried to kill someone," the nurse offered the information.

The doctor looked again at the woman sitting in the chair. She was rocking back and forth and hugging herself. Her red hair hung limp around her face, but her petite features told him she once was a beautiful woman. "Well, she appears harmless now doesn't she?"

"I would say. She has shut herself off from reality."

"Hmm. Then I see no harm in bringing her outside with the others. She won't be running off."

The nurse nodded and wheeled Violet out into the open air, situating her under a tree. Then she went to check on the other patients. Violet sat for hours, unattended. No one gave her another thought, until it was too late.

The nurse went outside to bring Violet in for the evening meal. Only she wasn't there. The nurse was frantic by the time she informed the doctor. "I can't believe she’s gone. The woman surely was a sly one. I would have never guessed she could even understand us, let alone make an escape. What are we going to do?"

"Nothing." The doctor leaned back against his chair.

"Nothing?"

"Listen, we are far away from any town. Where is she to go? I looked over her records. Her own family has disowned her. Embarrassment, you know. So who's going notice if the woman is missing? She will most likely befall an accident out there alone in the wilderness. She has no food and no water."

"Shouldn't we at least try and find her?"

"No. I say let nature take its course. One less mouth to feed around here is all the better. "

***

Violet stumbled through the darkness, the will of survival on her side. She knew she couldn't go back to that place. She wasn’t crazy. She did what any other woman would do to protect the person she loved. She had to go home
...
to Zachary. He’d be waiting for her.

Zachary and Tyler had made a trip into town. Zachary needed supplies and made a visit to the mercantile. Bought and paid for, he started to load the supplies onto the wagon. He spotted Josephine Locke walking toward them and cursed under his breath.

It was hot and muggy with the threat of rain on its way. Josephine was breathing heavily from her short walk and waived a fan repeatedly in front of her flushed face. "It's a dreadful day. Is it not, Mr. Creighton?"

He glanced her way and nodded. He was not interested in having a conversation with Josephine. He just wanted to load his supplies and be on his way.

"I haven't seen your wife since you've arrived back in town. I hope she is not ill."

He continued to ignore her. He wasn't ready to tell people that Gillian wasn’t going to be coming back.

Josephine persisted as if she was worried about Gillian. She hadn’t been worried when she and her husband forced them to marry.

"Zachary, I said, I hope Mrs. Creighton isn’t ill."

He took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I heard you the first time. She's not here."

"Not here? Where is she?" Josephine’s brow furrowed.

"She's gone." Zachary jumped into the wagon. He had almost gotten away before anything else was said, but Tyler piped up.

"She's in a far better place—”

Zachary clicked his tongue and set the horses into motion. They were on their way before Josephine could inquire what Tyler had meant by his odd statement.

***

"It was the queerest thing," Josephine said to her husband as they readied for bed. She brushed her hair. "Tyler claimed that she was in a far better place. What do you suppose he meant by that?"

"I don't know," Cyrus answered, not really paying attention to what his wife was saying. He
’d
had a long day and wanted to go to sleep. He pulled back the covers on the bed.

"You don't think something has happened to her, do you?" Josephine stopped brushing her hair to look at Cyrus.

"Happen to her?" Cyrus was snuggled into bed. He tried to recall what his wife had just asked him.

"Cyrus! Haven't you been listening to me at all? I'm talking about Gillian Creighton. I think something’s happened to her and I think Zachary had something to do with it. Why else would he try to ignore me when I asked about her? Where do you suppose she is? I might not have thought too much about it, but Tyler's statement has me troubled."

"Troubled about what?" Cyrus was getting impatient now. He didn't want to talk about the Creightons. He wanted to go to sleep.

"That maybe, Zachary did something to Gillian."

"What? You think he murdered her?" Cyrus chuckled. "What are you babbling about? Zachary Creighton is a nuisance, but not a murderer. Now go put out the light and come to bed." Thinking that he had settled things, he rolled over and closed his eyes.

“I don’t know how you can sleep when the poor woman could have been murdered.”

“Well if she’s dead, she won’t be needing our help, now will she? Now come to bed Josephine and stop with this nonsense.”

“I’m going to make a surprise visit to the Creighton
house
and see what’s what.”

“You do that.”

"
You have to go with us to
the
Thomason’s
party
," Samantha insisted. "We'll have so much fun. Jerry and I promise you, we will have you home early if that's what you want."

"Really, you two, I'm perfectly fine.
” She liked both Dalia and James Thomason, but she wasn’t in a festive mood. “
I just want to relax tonight. I rented two movies
.”

Jerry had already investigated what movies she had rented. “
Somersby
and
Titanic.
Could you pick more depressing movies?”

“I happen to like those movies.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you do, but you can’t hide away in your apartment and stop living. It’s not healthy.”

I promise you both, I'll be back to my old self soon. It's just going to take some time."

"
But—
" 

Gillian held
up
her hand to
halt
Samantha’s next
flow of words. "
I’m not going
.
”

Samantha shook her head. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.” She walked them to the door. A sea breeze had cooled the night and the sky had turned the bluish gray of twilight. “
Besides . . ." She looked at Samantha and then to Jerry. "I think you two should spend some time together—alone. You don’t need me tagging along."

"What?" they said in unison.

"Don't act so surprised."
She’d seen how the two looked at each other, desire evident
in their gazes and yet they had done noth
ing about it. She feared it was because of her. She wanted them to know
it was okay. She loved
them
both
and wanted them to be happy.
Gillian took Jerry’s hand and one of Samantha's putting them together. "Don't make the same mistakes I’ve made." She smiled. “Good night.” She shut the door politely in their faces.

“Okay, that was uncomfortable,”
Jerry said
, still facing the closed door
.

Samantha quickly pulled her hand away
.

Jerry
looked at her and cleared his throat. He shoved
his hands in his pockets
for lack of knowing what else to do
.

“Yes, well
…”
Samantha
couldn’t meet his gaze and she knew her face had turned a few shades of red
.
“Do you mind if I skip the party, too? I have to work tomorrow.”
She knew it was a lame excuse, but how could she spend the evening with him now?

He didn’t say anything for a
long moment then nodded.
"
Sure,
I'll take you home."
             

Samantha couldn't believe Gillian put them in this situation. S
he
liked Jerry, but she didn’t want to screw up their friendship. She enjoyed their talks over dinner. Heck, Jerry had been planning to marry Gillian only a few months ago. As far as she knew, he still harbored feelings for her.
She
wasn’t desperate for a boyfriend and she in no way would settle for being the
rebound
girl.

As soon
as
Jerry parked his car in front of her apartment, he turned to look at her. Samantha had to fix this. She didn’t want their relationship to be awkward. "You know what Gillian said back there
...
you know
...
about us spending more time together? Don't pay any attention to her. She's—"

"Right," Jerry finished.

"What?" Samantha wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

He undid his seatbelt and turned in his seat. "I said that she was right. I would really like to take you out."

Their gazes locked, held.

"You mean on a date?" Samantha could barely contain her excitement. Could it be possible that Jerry Avery was asking her out?