Page 84 of Web of Dreams (Casteel 5)
Farthy--swimming in the indoor pool, cross-country
skiing, hiking to the ocean and back, horseback riding
and sleigh riding--that the first week passed quickly. Tony had an enormous library, and my favorite
book from his well-stocked shelves was Lolita, the
story of an older man's love affair with a twelve-yearold girl, a girl my age! I couldn't believe the things
she did and said. There were parts I reread and reread,
parts that made me blush and made my heartbeat
quicken. I kept the novel buried under the others so
the servants wouldn't know I had been reading it, just
in case any of them knew what it was about. I promised Troy we would spend New Year's
Eve in his room watching television. He was
determined he would stay up until twelve o'clock and
watch the people celebrating in Times Square, in New
York City. He held out until almost eleven, but by
then, his eyes had shut and his little chest rose and fell
in quiet, rhythmic breathing.
A little after eleven-thirty, Daddy called from
Florida. He sounded small and faraway. The phone
line crackled.
"I loved your Christmas present, Daddy. Yours
is waiting for you on your desk at home."
"I'll be there next week, so I'll call you after I
open it," he said. "How are you?"
"I'm okay, Daddy, but I miss you," I said, my
voice nearly breaking.
"And I miss you, too. In a few weeks, come by
and we'll spend a day together in Boston."
"I'll be in school by then, Daddy. You'll have to
come to Winterhaven. But it's not far from here." I
told him about the different things I had been doing. "Sounds like quite a place," he said sadly. "I'd rather be home with you, Daddy." "I know, sweetheart. We will be together soon.
