“Impressive!” Elise said.
“What the hell was that?” Kevin shouted as he jumped up.
“It’s this horrible old house,” Hildy yelled back. “It’s falling down. I told Olivia that man was a charlatan. He’s put her in this house and he’s left her—just like he did before. Kevin, we must get her out of here. If we have to move into this place, we’re going to be here when she gets back. I bet if we look hard enough we can find a key hidden somewhere. We must do whatever we have to to make her see reason.”
“Is there a key?” Elise whispered.
Olivia gave a nod. “I think I’ve just seen the gates of hell.”
“Come on,” Elise said. “Race you across the bridge.”
Olivia started to follow, but on impulse, she tossed her pretty blue and white satin bra through the trees. Naked, clothes over her arm, she ran after Elise, across the bridge, then took a sharp left over a shallow part of water that lapped about their bare ankles.
At the tall stone wall, Elise hesitated, unsure of how to get over. Olivia came up behind her and began throwing clothes over. The stump she’d used so many years ago was gone, but a thick tree branch hung down low and ended on the other side of the wall. Olivia jumped up, caught it, swung herself up, then looked down at Elise on the ground.
Bits of sun sparkled on their bare bodies.
“Come on.” Leaning down, Olivia stretched out her arm to Elise. “Don’t back out now.”
Elise grabbed Olivia’s arm in a grip so secure that it felt as though she’d rehearsed it, then propelled herself upward. The two women scooted across the branch.
Olivia groaned. “I do not want my gynecologist to see what I’ve just done to my nether regions.”
“A gyno would be the only one to see my injuries.”
“I don’t know. Ray seems to like you.”
“Bad Olivia!” Elise said as she came to the end of the branch and dropped down beside the older woman.
As soon as they were on the ground, they began running, body parts bouncing. In spite of their age difference, both of them were tall and thin, and as pretty as wood sprites.
Abruptly, Olivia grabbed Elise’s arm and stopped her. Silently, she pointed. Houses had been built on the land since she and Kit had run across there.
With muffled giggles, they pulled on their clothes and, braless, they started to walk around the old stone wall to the entry gate.
“It’s getting late and I’m hungry,” Elise said. “Do you think part of Ray’s gang membership was to be able to make a tuna casserole?”
Olivia let out a snort of laughter. “You saw that in him too? That’s exactly how I saw him. I told Kit I bet that on what looks to be a very fine body he has one or more gang tattoos.”
“And what did your husband say?”
“That he hoped I didn’t go searching for them.”
Elise laughed. “I love a man with a sense of humor.”
“Let’s see... You want passion and humor. What else?”
“Are men capable of more than two good traits?”
“Oooooh,” Olivia said. “So cynical at such a young age.”
“I have my father and my husband as role models. According to them, what makes a man is how much money he has.”
“I understand that. In that case, my late husband was powerful. He had all the money I could provide.”
“Now who’s being cynical?”
“Truthful, my dear. I’m just being truthful.”
“Anyway, when it comes to Ray, I’m allowed to say anything I want. He looks at me like I’m some brainless rich girl who’s never had a problem.”
“Then change his mind,” Olivia said.
They had reached the main gate to the Camden Hall estate. To the left was Young Pete’s small house and to their right was a three-story stone tower. Decades ago, the neighborhood kids had named it Pete’s Spy Tower. Three generations of the family had watched through the open porch on the top, and it did resemble a prison guard’s eyrie.
When Elise and Olivia stepped onto the property, Young Pete was standing there. His long, unsmiling face was wrinkled from a lifetime of being outside in all weather. His blue eyes were watery, but it was said that he could see a fly at a hundred yards.
As calmly as she could manage, Olivia asked how he was doing and introduced Elise. Young Pete said nothing, just gave a sort of grunt and nodded.
As the women walked toward the cottage, they suppressed their giggles. If Young Pete had seen them just a few minutes earlier...
The man’s voice came to them. “Well, Olivia, I see you’ve been up to your old tricks.”
Olivia froze in place. He was telling her that he knew what she’d done today and who the culprit was so long ago. She could feel her entire body turning red. Deeply embarrassed, she started running so fast that Elise had trouble keeping up with her.
In the cottage, Olivia barely let Elise inside before she slammed the door behind her.
Ray was sitting on the couch reading a trade magazine. “You two look like you’ve been up to no good.”
Elise started to laugh, but the look on Olivia’s face stopped her.
“If he knows, the whole town does,” Olivia muttered. “The church, the quilting circle. Oh no! Maybe my parents knew.”
Elise turned to Ray. “Do you know how to make a drink? Not one of those nasty tea-colored things on ice, but something that tastes good?”
Ray gave Elise a slow glance up and down, as though he was seeing her for the first time. When his eyes met hers, it was with a look the waitress at the diner would have loved. He was interested.
But Elise didn’t budge. She glared at him.
With a nod of concession, he went to the kitchen and they heard ice tinkling. In minutes, he returned with two of those wonderful glasses that were a big triangle on top. Two olives on toothpicks were in each glass.
“Girlie enough for you?” Ray asked Elise.
She sipped hers. “Delicious. You must have had bartender experience.”
Ray shook his head in disbelief. In a sentence she had taken away his years of success and put him back to going to school during the day and bartending at night. “Daddy cut your allowance off, did he? Terrified you’ll have to get a job like the rest of us?”
Before Elise could speak, Olivia held out her empty glass. “Another one, please.”
“I hope you two floozies don’t get drunk. I’ve got a tuna casserole in the oven.”
That was too much for the women. The drinks on an empty stomach, the memory of what they’d done, Young Pete’s knowledge, and Ray’s casserole made them fall on each other laughing. They could hardly stand up.
Chapter Four
Bartending in a college town had given Ray a lot of experience with drunken females. He put his big hands on their shoulders and half pushed, half pulled them into the kitchen and set them down on the long seat that ran under the window. They were laughing and saying nonsensical things like, “Will he put the two new ones in the frame with my old one?”
“Maybe he’ll have three separate display cases.”
“I have a scrape on my right cheek—and I don’t mean my face.”
“I have a scar on my leg from the first time! That damned wall needs to be sandblasted so future adventurers are protected,” Olivia said.
“Explain that one to a contractor,” Elise said. “Oh. Wait! Carmen’s brother might be able to do it. Think I could get a discount? For services rendered?” They collapsed in laughter.
Ray was shaking his head as every sentence made them go into more laughter. They were nearly hysterical with it.
Opening the oven, he pulled out the big casserole. It had been a long time since he’d cooked anything, but he’d remembered rather easily. Boil the noodles, drain, flake the cans of tuna. Add chees
e. It wasn’t difficult.
Behind him, the women were now on people named “Kevin” and “Hildy.” Whatever had happened, he wished he’d been there to enjoy it with them. But then, if he, a male, had been there, he doubted if it would have happened. From their laughter, it sounded like one of those girl things.
He got out some plates and forks, dumped a bag of salad mix into a bowl, pulled a bottle of dressing from the fridge, and put it all on the table.
Elise was now lavishly complimenting Olivia for having hit a wine bottle with a rock. “I was aiming for that big metal planter three feet away.” That made them laugh harder.
Ray poured Coke into three glasses. Maybe the caffeine would sober them up. But as he picked up the bottle he realized that he was jealous of their merriment. There wasn’t anything in his life right now that came close to happiness. His wife was a wonderful woman. She kept a beautiful home. She was his boss’s daughter.
If he went through with what he planned, he was going to lose it all. His wife, who was his best friend, his home, and probably his job would all disappear.
And for what? For love? Was it worth it?
He looked at the two women by the window. All he knew about the girl, Elise, was what Olivia had told him—and that seemed fairly horrifying. As for Olivia, when he’d first seen her, he’d thought her eyes looked haunted. She smiled and was gracious, but there was something else there too, as though a part of her was missing. Not complete.
He looked at the three glasses. “What the hell,” he murmured, then opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of rum. Maybe this cottage was magical and he could get drunk enough that he could laugh as hard as they were. Too bad that experience had shown him that alcohol only made him worry more.
“Here you are, ladies.” He set the drinks down. “More booze. I’ll keep them coming all night if you’ll tell me what you did that was so funny.”
“Do you have any tattoos?” Elise asked, then laughed as Olivia shushed her.
“I’ll show them to you if you tell me everything,” he said in a low, sexy growl.
“Ewwww,” Olivia and Elise echoed. Then they looked at each other. “I’m in,” they said together.
Ray quietly smiled as they drank their rum and Cokes and decimated the huge casserole. As he listened to them, most of it told in disjointed phrases, he managed to pick up the story. It seemed that the two of them had stripped off and run across a forest together.
He wished he’d been there—not to see them naked, but to see their happiness. He deeply wished he could share it with them.
After they’d eaten all they could hold, he got up from the table, pulled it out about three feet, then held out his hands to the two women. Olivia took his hand but Elise didn’t move.
Both of them had that unmistakable look of drunkenness in their eyes. “You still have your shirt on,” Elise said.
“And you want it off because...?” His tone was suggestive.
“A shirtless man reminds me of the best part of home.” Elise’s words were a bit slurred and her eyes dreamy.
“Your husband?”
“Heavens no!” Elise said. “Carmen’s brother. He works in the garden and has his shirt off rain or shine. He’s prettier than the delphiniums.” She took a drink. “And he’s my friend.”
Both Olivia and Ray were aware that Elise wasn’t telling everything, but neither of them asked for more. This wasn’t a time for seriousness. They all needed the great cure of laughter.
With a one-sided smile, Ray pulled his expensive knit shirt over his head and tossed it on the window seat. “Will I do?” His words were smug; he knew he looked good. He was thick and muscular, with little body fat. Four hours a week with a personal trainer kept him in very good shape.
“Turn around,” Olivia said, and he obeyed.
On his upper left shoulder was a tattoo of a scorpion and the number 283. Elise put her hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter.
“Were you a member of the Scorpions?” Olivia was trying to hold in her laughter, but it was in her voice.
Turning back, Ray shook his head at them—but he was smiling. “Two snobby little girls. Can I sell you two some diamond-encrusted watches?”
“Ever the salesman,” Olivia said, and she and Elise laughed some more. When Ray held out his hands to them, they took them.
“Can you ride a motorcycle?” Elise asked as she followed him into the living room.
“Like I was born on it. And no, I’ve never participated in a gang war. Sounds like you two have all the same questions Kathy did.”
“Your wife,” Elise said as she and Olivia plopped down on the couch.
Ray went into the kitchen and got a big bag of tortilla chips and a container of freshly made guacamole dip and set them on the coffee table. He was still shirtless and didn’t seem inclined to re-dress. He sat in the big chair to the side. “I suggest that we each tell our favorite sex fantasy.”
Olivia laughed, but Elise nearly choked on a chip.
“Come on now, you two have been teasing me ever since you came back, and this is after a day of running around like a couple of Lady Godivas. Maybe I should break into the caretaker’s house. I’d like to see his trophies.” He narrowed his eyes at Elise. “And yes, Miss Got-Rocks, I have broken into more than one house. And before you start trying to wheedle the rest of my story out of me, I’ll tell you that after my best buddy was killed in one of our burglaries, I quit. Cold turkey. I put myself through school. Clawed my way to the top. Married the boss’s daughter—who I now want to divorce. You have any more questions?”
Elise looked at Olivia. “Not me. You?”
“None. I’ve had a recurring dream.” She looked at Ray. “I’m back to the sex fantasy idea. That is, if you can imagine an old woman like me involved in sex.”
“Olivia,” Ray said slowly, “I can imagine you doing acrobatics naked.”
She gave a little smile. “I am a bit limber.”
“Should I leave the room for you two?” Elise asked, half-serious.
“Naw,” Ray said. “Jeanne told me Livie’s husband had single-handedly brought down governments. I don’t think I’ll risk it.”
“I can tell you that I like flirting better than young men asking me if I need help carrying a bag of groceries.” Olivia took a breath. “Okay, back to fantasies. It’s a very simple dream, but since it’s appeared off and on for about four years now, I sometimes think it’s a premonition. I’m in bed—”
“Great start,” Ray said.
“Be quiet, Mr. Scorpion.” Elise leaned back on a pillow and looked at Olivia. “What did you do in bed?”
“I woke up to several men kissing me.”
“That’s all?” Ray asked.
“They have different colors of skin. Black, brown, red... I’m not sure. Maybe blue. I had some very pleasant thoughts about those blue men from that movie. Anyway, the actual color isn’t important, but there is a contrast.” Leaning back, she said nothing else.
Ray spoke first. “What happens after the kissing?”
“I don’t know. There was never a dream sequel, but I would expect that there is a lot more kissing.” She looked at Elise. “What about you?”
“I hope it’s better than the first one,” Ray muttered.
Elise took so much time in replying that Ray went to the kitchen to get rum, Cokes, and ice, and refilled glasses. Within seconds, the women were again smiling.
“After I was married,” Elise said, “I spent a lot of time thinking about my wedding day. I had so many thoughts about it, that I even, uh... I...”
“Come on,” Ray said, “out with it.”
“I rehearsed my fantasy.”
“So now you must tell us,” Olivia said.
“My wedding dress cost $48,781.82.” She waited until they’d lowered their eyebro
ws. “It was a ghastly thing. My mother seemed to think I was so bland that if I didn’t have a dress big enough to use for a tent, no one would actually see me. It was heavy and awkward. I could barely walk in the thing. But what I could do was spread my legs under it and no one could see me.”
Olivia and Ray had equally wide eyes.
“No, no, not like that,” Elise said. “My mother never knew it but I wore a pair of white yoga pants underneath that hideous dress. It was just defiance on my part and nothing came of it, but as I stood at the altar, those pants made me feel that a little of myself was there. But anyway, after I was married, I was so...disappointed, I guess, that I became obsessed with the idea of ‘What if it hadn’t happened?’ I thought of awful things, like car wrecks, and tornadoes that took Kent away, and even once I thought ‘What if I had said no?’ That was the scariest idea I could imagine.”
She took a swallow of her drink. “Somewhere in there I began to fantasize about what could have happened. I imagined that just before I was to say ‘I do’ to Kent, a man would ride a black horse down the aisle of the church. Of course, everyone would be stunned into silence—me included. When he got to the altar, he’d put his hand down to me. He wouldn’t say anything, but I’d know what he meant. I’d grab his arm and vault onto the horse behind him and we’d gallop out of the church.”
“Then what?” Ray asked.
“I’d like to think that we’d go somewhere and have sex like I see in the movies. Not what Kent and I did for eleven minutes every other week, but real sex, the kind that raises a sweat.”
“Hear! Hear!” Olivia said.
Ray smiled. “How did you rehearse that part?”
“I didn’t dare practice the sex, if that’s what you mean, but I did say that I wanted to take riding lessons. Kent’s mother had ridden as a girl so that meant it was okay for me to do it. Whatever Mummy did was the height of perfection and therefore allowable for me to do.”
As she took a deep drink of her rum and Coke, Ray and Olivia were silent as they waited for more of her story. It felt as though she was leaving something out.