Page 41 of If The Fates Allow
“Tomorrow night?” She hoped she didn’t sound too eager, but patience was not one of her virtues. “Please?”
He turned serious. “Do you think you can sneak out tomorrow night?”
She nodded, having done it a few times as a child. It had been during those never-ending years when her family had been so sure she would drop dead if she stepped outside, and the only way to receive fresh air was to sneak off in the middle of the night. “As long as the staff and Bonnie haven’t changed their nighttime routine, I should be in the clear just after midnight.”
“Then I will come for you at midnight.” Taking her hand, he led them back to Hope waiting on the lane. “Watch for my signal from the forest.”
Chapter 13
The following night, it wasn’t very hard to stay up until midnight. Excitement wouldn’t allow her to rest, but just before the clock struck twelve, the faint sound of Grace’s song could be heard. Realizing it wasn’t coming from the house, Willa stepped onto the balcony. She was already dressed to go, wearing a white nightgown covered by one of Cal’s dark wool coats that felt almost two sizes too big for her.
Standing in the night air, a feeling of peace settled over her as she listened. The fog lay thick across Haven’s grounds, with no life or movement to be seen except for the slow roll of mist coasting its way up from the bayou to blanket the estate. In just a few days, the loggers would fully depart for the holiday break, and her mother and Bonnie had spent the day decorating Haven House for Christmas, leaving nary a banister or window frame without a wreath or bow of holly. Everything had to be perfect for Stephen Fairweather's long days spent at home. They might not entertain during the holidays, but he expected the house to appear as though they did.
John Richards had called upon them in the late morning hours, directly amid the decorating chaos. Normally, his arrival would have caused an issue, but Willa managed to wrangle him into helping.
And straight into Lucy’s path.
The tree was Lucy’s domain. Every ornament and strand of tinsel had a proper place, and she excelled at creating a picturesque scene in the parlor. More than a little too eagerly, John Richards offered her his assistance, and the two of them toiled the afternoon away, chatting and laughing as they worked.
Her mother was too busy directing staff and the Port Michaelson girls to notice Willa purposely making herself scarce while Lucy and John Richards spent time together.
However, there was no fooling Bonnie.
Like a hawk, Bonnie watched, volleying between helping Margaret direct the staff and minding everyone else’s affairs. She fussed at Jennie, who continuously made excuses to find her way into the library where Cal was hard at work on something for the mill. She fussed after Willa, relentlessly urging her to join her sister and John Richards in the parlor.
But in the end, it all worked out to where Willa didn’t have to worry about sneaking out. Bonnie and her mother exhausted themselves and everyone else before the day was over. The holiday season was officially here, and with her father preparing to be home more thanks to the mill’s holiday break, Haven House had to be perfect.
In the moonlight, Willa shivered and waited patiently for Noah’s signal. She didn’t have to wait long. The glow of a lantern appeared across the lane, flashing once and then twice, it alerted her that it was time.
Slipping from her room, Willa snuck onto the landing without making a sound. She listened for a second and, when hearing nothing, dashed down the stairs to creep silently to the front door.
Once she made it to the porch, a surge of relief hit over how effortlessly her escape had been, and she chuckled to herself as she closed the front door softly behind her.
“Willa?”
Willa stumbled back into the shadows, sucking in a sharp gasp as she did.
Cal emerged from the dark, his shirt open and hair a mess. “What are you doing out here?” he whispered. “Go back inside.”
“What amIdoing out here?” she hissed, waving a hand at his exposed chest. “What areyoudoing out here?”
A figure shifted behind Cal, and Willa arched an eyebrow, peering around her brother to get a better look. “Good evening, Jennie.”
Jennie peeked over Cal’s shoulder. Dressed in a white nightgown, she was the very essence of beauty and health. A perfect picture of everything Willa wanted to be.
“Good evening, Ms. Willa.” Sliding her hands around Cal’s body, Jennie embraced him without shame. “How are you?”
Yes, you could see this girl was special. The world likely loved her without question, allowing dear Jennie to shine. It was an easy thing to see, especially when you were the exact opposite and left to dwell in the shallow end of life.
“That’s a lovely nightgown,” Willa said to Jennie, meaning it. The delicate floral details sewn into the garment were unique and quite pretty. “Did you make it yourself?”
Jennie shook her head, her luxurious loose mane of thick sandy brown hair flowing around her shoulders. “My mother made it for me right before she died.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear of your mother’s passing.”
“It happened over a year ago,” Jennie replied, seemingly indifferent on the matter. “My parents died in a fire at our home. I was in Port Michaelson helping my sick aunt with her dairy farm when we got the word, so I simply never left.”
Cal reached behind him, holding Jennie with one arm. “The aunt died directly before The Gathering, and Jennie has nowhere else to go for now.”
