The Gilded Curse: Will the young heiress be the next victim of her family's curse? (31 page)

“I’ve already had a cup, but I’d love to have more, especially if you’re serving.” He picked up his cup and saucer from the desk and held it for her to fill. When he motioned for her to sit on the sofa, she obliged and took a cup and saucer for herself, placing a tea bag in the cup before filling it with water from the silver teapot. She dunked the bag several times before adding honey and lemon. Russell sat beside her and helped himself to a scone from the tray.

“It looks pretty windy out there.” Lexie nodded to the windows as she sipped her tea.

“Yes, it is. Perhaps we should take the car instead of walking to the cottage.”

“Whatever you want to do. We might warm up during the walk.” Lexie eyed the ladder going up into the turret.

Russell followed her gaze. “Would you like to take a look through the telescope?”

“Sure, I’ve always wanted to do that.” A ripple of excitement tickled her stomach.

“Okay. Get some more hot tea in you first. It’s probably pretty chilly up there.”

After she finished her tea, she hopped up from the sofa. “I’m ready.”

Russell smiled with his eyes and set his cup down. “Swell. Good thing you wore your pants. Climbing that ladder in a skirt would be rather difficult, I’d think.”

Lexie took the rungs of the ladder and climbed, Russell right below her. She reached the top and pulled herself up. Russell did the same and stood beside her in the small turret room of the clubhouse.

“Wow. The view up here is spectacular!” The cloudless azure sky was breathtaking in the brilliance of the winter sun, adding crispness to the objects below.

“There’s St. Simons Island. See the lighthouse?” He pointed to his right.

“May I?” She tapped the telescope which sat on a tripod.

“Of course. And if you look over there, you can see the dock at Brunswick.”

“I had no idea you could see so far.”

“On a clear day like today, you can see quite a ways.”

“No wonder you could see the launch coming from Brunswick.”

“It helps to know when to look for it too. That way, we have time to assemble the staff to meet the guests at our dock.”

“You’ve always done that, haven’t you?”

“Well, someone has. I haven’t been here forever. Even though sometimes it feels like it.”

She glanced up and studied his face. A muscle twitched in his neck as he gazed out the window.

“I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this view. It’s so exhilarating!” She moved the telescope around to get different perspectives of the panorama, then stood and straightened her back.

He shifted behind her and raised his arm, pointing. “See the marsh across the river? A man could get lost in there, with so many waterways winding through it.” He put his other hand on her waist and steered her to the left. “Over there is Moss Cottage, the Vanderbilt house.”

Her stomach danced as the close warmth of his body sent electricity through hers. She struggled to focus on the objects he pointed out, resisting the urge to lean back against him. But no, that wouldn’t be fitting for “friends”.

She returned her gaze to her right, trying to see Destiny’s roof.

“Do you think the workmen are at the house now?”

“No. It’s Saturday, and they’re not working today.”

“Russell, have they seen anything else suspicious?”

“No, not really.”

She tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

“Well, they said they thought some of their tools may have been moved around, but I wonder if they’re imagining ghosts. After all, who would want to bother their tools?”

“Who would want to prowl around the house in the first place?” Lexie said, with her hands on her hips.

Russell shook his head and shrugged. “Are you ready to go there now?”

“Sure.” At least no one would be prowling around in the daytime, especially on a gorgeous day like today.

He swept his arms toward the ladder. “After you.”

Lexie backed down into the office and Russell followed.

“Another cup to keep your insides warm before we go?” He motioned to the tea.

“No. I’m rather anxious to see the place now.”

“Okay.” He assisted her with her coat, grabbing his hat and coat off the coat rack by the door on the way out.

When they stepped outside the clubhouse, a gust of wind almost blew Lexie down.

“Looks like we better take the car,” Russell said.

Lexie thought about the view from the tower as they drove to the cottage, still invigorated by the experience. Somehow, just being above the world removed her from the problems below. Even a glimpse of the tennis courts, a reminder of her ordeal with Spencer, failed to dampen her spirits.

As they pulled into the driveway, Lexie spotted one of the guards riding a horse down the road toward them. Russell hailed him when they got out of the car.

“Lexie, I need to talk to the guard a minute. He’s been riding watch this morning. Go on into the house and get out of this wind. I’ll be there in a jiff.”

He handed the keys to Lexie. She glanced at the rider, wondering if he had news to report.

As if reading her mind, Russell added, “I’ll let you know if he saw anything interesting.”

She smiled and nodded, then hurried to the porch to get out of the cold. The door opened easily, apparently serviced by the workmen. The scent of fresh-cut lumber greeted her as she stepped inside. The place looked better, cleaner and spruced up—such an improvement over her first visit.

The back door banged against the house and she jumped. Did someone come in there? She froze and listened. The door banged again and again. Of course, the wind must be creating the problem. Why couldn’t they ever fix that door? She headed to the kitchen to try to latch it tightly. As she rounded the corner past the dining room, she saw him. From somewhere deep inside of her, an unearthly sound emerged, and she screamed.

Chapter 34

A
spine-chilling scream ripped the air, sending shock waves through Russell. He jerked his head toward the house as the screams continued. Lexie!

His heart pounded as he sprinted toward the house, ignoring the pain in his foot. He leaped up the front steps and rushed to the door. The screaming continued, coming from the rear of the house near the kitchen. Racing to the dining room, he turned the corner and found Lexie standing over the body of Abner Jones.

He pulled her into his arms. “I’m here, Lexie.” She sobbed into his shoulder while he hugged her close. As he stroked her hair, he stared at the unmoving form lying on the floor. “There, there.”

Abner Jones lay crumpled face first on the wooden floorboards, a trail of scarlet blood from a gash in the back of his head had run down his neck to a dark puddle beneath. Whoever did this hit him from behind.

Shaking uncontrollably, Lexie murmured, “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

The guard rushed into the kitchen and knelt by the body. “He’s still warm. But from the look of this dried blood, it must have happened during the night.”

Lexie turned her head to look at Abner and began sobbing again.

“It’s my fault! He was looking after me! I’m the curse, Russell. It’s me. I got him killed!”

“Shhh, Lexie. It’s not your fault.”

“It is! It is! I should never have come back to the island.”

The guard lifted Abner’s hand and gripped his wrist. “Hey, I think I feel a pulse!”

Lexie stopped crying to look at the guard’s face. “Are you sure? He’s alive?”

“Yeah, I think so, but just barely. He’s hurt pretty bad.”

“Thank God. Let’s not move him. We need to get the doctor here right away. Would you mind staying here until the doctor comes?”
Russell put his arm around Lexie and led her back to the dining room. “I need to get her to the clubhouse. I’ll call the doc from there.”

“Sure, boss.” He regarded Abner. “Poor old guy. Who would do this to him?”

Who indeed? Whoever it was, they weren’t just trying to scare someone. They were dangerous and not afraid to hurt anyone in their way. This had gone far enough. He had to find out who they were and put a stop to it before someone else got hurt. What if it had been Lexie? His heart wrenched at the thought. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

Overcome with shock, Lexie trembled as Russell ushered her into the car. He needed to stay with her, comfort her, and protect her. But he was also anxious to find out who had done this to Abner. For now, though, he didn’t want to let Lexie out of his sight.

When they reached the clubhouse, he left the car parked in front, helped Lexie out. He put his arm around her as they climbed the steps and entered the lobby, hoping to avoid curious stares from anyone watching.

“Do you know where Dr. Hoover is?” Russell addressed the clerk at the front desk.

“He left the dining room about an hour ago, sir. Perhaps he’s at the infirmary.”

“Ring it for me, please.” The clerk complied while eyeing Lexie as he handed Russell the phone. Russell turned his back on the clerk and covered the receiver.

“Dr. Hoover, Russell Thompson here. I need your help. Abner Jones has been injured. He’s at Destiny cottage—head wound … unconscious. Please get there right away. He’ll need to be taken to the infirmary … Yes, one of the guards is with him now … Thank you, sir. Please let me know how he is after you examine him. I believe he’s lost a lot of blood. Good-bye.”

He handed the phone back to the clerk. “Have the kitchen send up some fresh coffee and tea to my office, please.”

Russell kept his arm around Lexie’s shoulders as they made their way up the stairs. Lexie appeared dazed, lifting each foot as if it were a heavy brick. Times like this, it would be nice to have the elevator that had been discussed numerous times. Finally in his office, Russell took Lexie’s coat and led her to the couch.

When Lexie shivered, he re-lit the fireplace and added another log,
then came back to sit beside her. His heart wrenched seeing her in so much pain. If only he’d had someone else watch the house, someone who might be more alert, or younger than Abner. Poor old man. Why hadn’t he taken the situation more seriously?

He took Lexie’s hands in his and gently rubbed them. She stared across the room with red-rimmed eyes, acting as if she didn’t know he was there.

“Lexie, the doctor is on his way. I’m sure Abner will be all right.” He hoped so, anyway, but he wasn’t really sure.

She shifted her gaze toward him. “Do you really think so? He looked so … pale.” Her lips trembled as a tear slid down her cheek.

He withdrew his handkerchief from his coat pocket and handed it to her. “Lexie, I’m praying so.”

She shook her head and wiped her eyes, releasing a heavy sigh. “Russell, I was at a party having fun, dancing, while Abner…” She buried her face in her hands. “Oh, I feel so terrible!”

“It’s not your fault, Lexie.”

“But he was there because of me! He was hurt because of me!”

“No, Lexie. That’s not true. Abner’s devotion to Destiny goes back a long way, before you were born. Remember, he was keeping an eye on the place before you ever arrived?”

She nodded. “But I think he wanted to protect me too.”

“Maybe so, but only because he cares about you. You didn’t force him to be at the cottage. He wanted to be there.”

A choked sob. “He cared about me even though I had misjudged him.” More sobs.

Russell pulled her into his arms and held her close. A soft knock on the door signaled the waiter’s arrival. Russell hated to let go of Lexie, but slipped her out of his arms to answer the door and admit the server. When he left, Russell poured Lexie some tea and coffee for himself. She held the cup with both hands, staring into the liquid as if expecting an image to appear.

Russell strode over to the window and glanced down at the Great Lawn, noting how the wind whipped the trees around the perimeter. The temperature had dropped dramatically, quite a change from yesterday. He gazed across the room at Lexie, still focused on her cup. His stomach knotted with anxiety and a desire to make her happy again, to restore the happiness they’d enjoyed only hours ago.

He returned to sit beside her again. “Lexie, I don’t think you should
be alone. Whoever did this to Abner is dangerous, and he might not hesitate to harm you too.”

She gazed up at him with sad eyes. “What am I supposed to do, Russell? I have no one here to stay with.” Her eyes filled with tears again.

“I’ve thought about that, and I believe the Maurice sisters would be happy to let you stay with them at Hollybourne.”

“I don’t want to impose on them.”

“Then
I
will.” He leaned forward and closed his hands over hers. “Lexie, I care about you.” He searched her eyes, wishing he could tell her how much. But no, not now, if ever. “And I know the Maurice sisters do too. After they hear what happened to Abner, they’ll be eager to have you stay with them.”

Lexie looked away and muttered. “Everyone will know there really is a curse on us now.”

Russell sat up straight. “What are you talking about, Lexie? What curse?”