Two Weeks in August (28 page)

There was no way she could remain on the island, not with Hazy here.

How she hated Hazel Duncan for doing this to her!

She knew deep inside that each time she saw Hazy she’d be reacting the same way as tonight and she just couldn’t let that happen.

How could she respect herself, remaining caught up in Hazy’s snare of affairs and indiscretions? Poor Mama New. Nina felt only sadness for that kind, sweet woman.

Did all women react to Hazy the same way she did, Nina wondered suddenly. Or was this something unique between her and Hazy?

Angrily, she sat up in the bed and jerked the pearl barrette from her hair. She slung it against the far wall and felt a tug of satisfaction when she heard it break in the darkness.

Then she felt remorse for her actions, thinking of the elderly woman who had given it to her, and cried that much harder. She found it easy to blame Hazy for the broken barrette as well.

She considered going to Hazy’s cottage and standing outside, shouting out her indiscretions so everyone in every cottage in that complex could hear. So what if her reputation was ruined? So what if she had to leave the island in disgrace? At least Hazy would be ostracized by the moral islanders and would have to take responsibility for her actions.

Then she thought of her parents, envisioned their shocked, dismayed faces. She saw Mama New’s hurt expression in her vivid imagination as well as Heather’s bewilderment and she knew she could never do such a thing.

The people here probably already know about her anyway, she consoled herself. Maybe they only pretended to like Hazy.

She thought over her options. Leaving the island would be like losing an old, dear friend. She loved this place, with its harsh winds, glorious sunsets and riotous animal life. Thoughts of the water, of how it changed color according to the season, always made her spirit lighten. And the marsh grass, fading from the bright green of spring to a burnt golden by fall, roots filled with swarming sea life. She had been looking forward to her first full winter here. She remembered them as gloriously intense during holiday visits to Grandpapa Tom.

She thought of grandfather’s house, which now would always be called by his name, The Border, in her mind. Grandpapa Tom had wanted her to live there, had wanted her to be a part of the legacy of island love he had left for her. How could she sell his house? How could she leave it empty and falling into decline? There were no easy answers.

Going back to the congestion of the city now would be very hard indeed. Was there any conceivable way she could stay on the island? Could she be hard-hearted enough to ignore Hazy and her entire establishment? She thought of what Hazy had told her in this very room that morning. That she owned several places on the island. What did that mean? Exactly how active was she in island business? Would she run into her often during the course of any given day?

Wearily she punched at her suddenly irritating pillow. All Hazy would have to do was approach her when she was alone and she knew, without a doubt, that she would be in her arms again. The woman had that effect on her, plain and simple.

The thing to do was escape. Leave behind all her hopes and dreams and escape the conniving she-devil who had ruined her life.

Chapter 42

Mama New took a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs on the dock outside the office. Business had been slow that morning so Hazy was not surprised to see she was taking a little break. She was not prepared for the ultimatum, however.

“Hazy, it’s time,” Mama New said quietly.

Hazy sighed and pulled herself from the railing where she’d spent most of the morning, standing, staring out at the ocean. “Time for what, Carrie?” she asked, even though she knew.

“Hazel, I’ve known ye all of our lives and I’ve never seen you this way. I’m frankly insulted that ye’re na talking to me, your dearest friend, about what’s been goin’ on.”

Hazy sat in the chair next to her and leaned forward with her forearms on her knees. She clasped her hands together. “I’m sorry, love. I truly am.”

“It’s her, isn’t it? Nina.”

Hazy looked over and saw that Mama New’s chin was set firm and it jutted out toward the channel. “It is. I can’t begin to tell you what I feel for her.”

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Mama New said heatedly.

“You don’t?” Hazy was surprised.

Mama New turned and faced her square on. Her mouth was grim.

“You’re going to treat her just like all the others,” she chided. “You’re going to break that poor child’s heart; break all of our hearts again.”

She paused and drew in a deep breath. “Now, you know I love you, always have, but I just canna stan’ by and watch while you stomp all over that sweet young girl.” Her voice rose. “I tell you I can’t take it, Hazel. I won’t. I stand firm on that. You need to send her away.”

Hazy reached and took Mama New’s hands in hers. “No, no, it’s not like that. Really.” She sighed and squeezed the hands. “I hear what you’re saying and God help me. I know it’s true. Has been true. This is different, though.”

Mama New eyed her doubtfully. “How so?”

“I love her more than life itself, I do,” Hazy said with conviction.

Mama New wriggled free and rose to approach the railing. She seemed to be unable to look at Hazy.

Hazy stood and followed her.

“Do ye ken what ye’re sayin’, Hazel?” Mama New asked quietly. She looked up at Hazy with squinted eyes. “Do ye understand what it means?”

Hazy nodded and hung her head as she replied. “I do, Carrie. I do. And I wanted so badly to share my life with her. Start a whole new life with her. But it’ll not be.”

“Aye?”

“She’ll na have me. She tells me she wants to be with the other girl. The rich one.”

“But Hazy, you’re…” She broke off, then continued. “Look here, it’s for the best then, if that’s what she’s after, there’s no place here for her.”

Hazy nodded and bit her bottom lip. “When does the pain go away?”

Mama New pulled Hazy into an embrace and rubbed her back. “We’re doing just fine, my sweet gull, just fine. Time is the great healer.”

Hazy nodded into Mama New’s shoulder, holding her tightly.

“Come, let’s have some tea and talk this out. You’ve mooned to the ocean long enough, now’s time to talk to the livin’,” she said, drawing Hazy into the office.

By the time she had finished confiding the details of the past two weeks to Mama New
,
Hazy was as near tears as she’d ever been in her life. She never cried, wouldn’t let herself, but lately had discovered it took less and less to move her to tears.

“Turning into an old softie, that’s what,” she chided herself as she played out the lines on the rental boats.

She felt comfortable with the solutions she and Mama New had come up with. Time, it was all about time, she chanted mentally. She needed time to clear her head and break free of Nina’s spell.

Chapter 43

During breakfast with her parents the next morning, Nina told them of her decision not to live in Grandpapa Tom’s house.

“Have you lost your mind?” her father demanded angrily.

Her mother seemed very hurt. “Nina, please reconsider. If you don’t live here, the house will have to be sold or rented out. I don’t want that to happen,” Freda said, wringing her napkin anxiously.

“Well, I’ll tell you one thing,” Patrick said around a mouthful of toast. “If you think you’re going to get out of living in Tom’s house without telling us why, exactly why, I think you’d better reconsider.”

“Nina, I don’t understand,” Freda resumed. “You were so excited about the house, so happy to be coming to the island to live. Just yesterday! What has happened to that?”

“What I want to know is who’s hurt you to make you decide something like this,” Patrick added. “Did someone say something to you? Treat you as unwelcome? What?”

 
Nina shrugged and kept her eyes cast down into her plate. “I just don’t think I like the island as much as I thought I would. Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Nonsense,” Nina’s mother said impatiently. “You’ve loved it here since you were three years old. You’re not being truthful with us and I think we deserve to know why.”

She felt so dishonest lying to her parents this way. Why couldn’t she tell them the truth? They would understand. They were human too. The shame though, the shame of being duped by Hazy kept her silent.

After almost an hour of wheedling, her parents gave up. After all, she was an adult and had the right to live wherever she chose. Freda finally stopped arguing only when Nina assured her she would find a new apartment close to her parents’ home in Alexandria.

“You know it’s too late to stop the moving trucks, don’t you,” Nina’s father interjected as a final note. “And I was going to pay for the move but now you’ll have to and they’ll charge you an arm and a leg for moving your things here then back home. Are you absolutely positive about this?”

This was the final straw for Nina. She had been perilously close to tears during the entire exchange but her father’s extreme disapproval, so uncharacteristic of their relationship, proved too much for her to bear. Rising to her feet, she rushed from the restaurant and onto the hot pavement outside.

Since she had ridden to the restaurant in her parents’ car, Nina found herself forced to walk back to Mrs. Loreli’s. She set out immediately, crossing through several alleys and a grassy field to stay on back roads so her parents couldn’t catch up with her as quickly. After walking for about ten minutes, Nina came to the Chincoteague Memorial Park and realized she was at the complete opposite end of the island from Sweeping Pines.

Hot and discouraged, she walked a short way into the park and plopped onto a handy rock to consider her options. She could try to hitchhike to the other side of the island but that way she’d be unable to avoid her parents. She could wait here until her parents finally combed the island and found her. Or she could walk backstreets the hour or so it would take to get to Mrs. Loreli’s.

Some choices. She blew dejectedly at a piece of hair that had fallen into her face.

“I know you,” said a curious voice behind her. “You stayed at Mema’s place.”

Nina turned and saw Heather studying her.

Just what she needed. Today was not a good day.