Page 214 of Ruby (Landry 1)

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thing I tried to do to you," she said, and then stepped

toward me again, lowering her voice sharply and

narrowing her eyes into hateful slits. "And I'll explain

to him and to everyone who wants or has to know

how you've been so disruptive since you arrived, you

nearly caused a fatal family crisis. I'll force the

Andreas boy to confess to your sexual games in the

art studio and have Gisselle testify to your friendship

with that whore from Storyville." Her eyes widened

and then hardened to rivet on me as she continued. "I'll have people believing you were a teenage

prostitute in the bayou. For all I know, you were." "That's a lie, a dirty, horrible lie," I cried, but

she didn't soften. Her face, the face with the alabaster

complexion and those beautiful eyes, turned into the

cold visage of a statue as she gazed down at me. "Is it?" She smiled again, a small, tight smile

that drew her lips into thin lines. "I already have Dr.

Cheryl's preliminary findings. He thinks you're obsessed with sex and will so testify if I like. And now you've gone and run away from the institution,

embarrassing us even further."

I shook my head, but there was no denying her

vicious determination to overcome my defiance. "I'm going to see Daddy," I said in almost a

whisper. "I'm going to tell him everything."

"Go on." She lunged forward and grabbed my

shoulders to turn me to the stairway. "Go on, you little

Cajun fool. Go tell your Daddy." She pushed me

toward the steps. I threw her an angry look and then

charged up the stairs, my tears flying off my cheeks. When I got to the upstairs landing, I saw the

door to Uncle Jean's room was shut tight, but I had to

get Daddy to see me; I had to get him to let me in. I

approached slowly and knocked and then pressed my

cheek to the door and sobbed.

"Daddy, please . . please, open up and let me in.

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