Part 38 (1/2)

”Well, unless they're hiding people in the bas.e.m.e.nt, I only know about two other couples, Brad and Mary-mid to late thirties, they're the ones with the children, Joshua and Ellie. The other couple are in their late twenties, maybe early thirties. John and Sally.

She's very pretty, and they've both been pleasant. I think all of them heard Megan screaming that night, but they seem to believe she really did have a nightmare.” He hesitated, then shrugged. ”Because Megan's family lived in this area for generations, rumor spreads fast. Before we split up, we had a fight. In truth, Megan hit me with a loaf of bread. By the time the story traveled around, I was a wife beater, and the bread was a bottle of wine, or some such thing like that. I'm not sure who talked, but you know, maybe Aunt Martha, maybe Morwenna or Joseph... anyway, by the time we actually checked into Huntington House, I think we both had a reputation, in old Mr. Fallon's eyes, anyway.”

”Rumors will spread,” Jade said, moving spinach around on her plate.

”And actually, there are so many people here now,” Lucian said with a shrug, ”you've probably talked to dozens that you don't even remember. But let's go back. When we met with you in New Orleans, you'd been married, you'd split up-and you'd made that trip to Maine, via Boston, to find your wife?”

”Right.” Finn said, staring at him. ”Is that supposed to mean something?”

”I don't know,” Lucian said. ”Maybe.” He hesitated a minute. ”You had no connection to this area, though, before you came here then-or through here-at that time?”

”No,” Finn said, shaking his head. ”I'd never been in Salem. I know that. Not even as a child, or an infant. Wait-I might have been in Salem. I drove to Maine from Louisiana, coming through the Boston area, and I stopped somewhere soon after for lunch. But as to a connection? If you can call ordering a hamburger a connection, I might have one.”

”But you and Megan had been married a while, right?”

He nodded. ”Yes. So... ?”

”And everyone knew that you were married, right?”

”Everyone? Well, everyone who knew us knew that we were married. We didn't hide it, or anything. So? I'm not sure that anyone else would care about our marital situation. Is that important in any way?”

”Again, I don't really know,” Lucian said. ”More coffee anyone? Dessert? Because, if not, I'd really like to get to that bookshop.”

Morwenna was in the bas.e.m.e.nt, standing by the altar.

Candles burned.

Head bowed, she stood in deep reflection.

She stared at the flames, burning around her, narrowing her eyes, letting the light filter, and then diffuse.

She lowered her head.

There was a change...

She felt it. And, of course, it meant that they would have to make changes as well.

Tonight...

Chapter 16.

Irritated with Morwenna and far more uneasy than she wanted to allow, Megan idly wandered through the streets, smiling at the Previous Top Nextkids at the play stations, enjoying their costumes.

She wished that Aunt Martha had made it back to the house that morning, but after whiling around for a few hours with nothing to do, Megan had called for a cab and come into town.

And now...

She wondered where Finn was. In town somewhere. Maybe meeting up with the reviewer and her husband. She wished that she were with them. They'd been a nice couple, and the woman, Jade, had certainly done good things for her and Finn.

The day was cool, but not cold. She bought a large mocha from one of the coffee bars and wandered toward the common. She was sitting on a park bench when she saw Darren, throwing a Frisbee for Lizzie. As the dog caught the Frisbee, Darren laughed, and moved toward someone, calling out. Megan frowned, s.h.i.+elding her eyes from the sun, curious to see if she knew the person with Darren. She thought she heard a woman's voice, rising, saying his name. More curious, and glad to give thought to something other than her own strange dilemma, she looked around the area surrounding Darren's position, intrigued that he might have a girlfriend. But the woman with the voice she had heard was nowhere to be seen, not through the different cl.u.s.ters of people in the common. Megan couldn't see anything at all except for the family group that was greeting one another warmly almost directly in front of her bench.

But a moment later, Darren was out in the gra.s.s, throwing the Frisbee again. He saw Megan, and waved. A few seconds later, he and Lizzie came running toward her.

”Hey!”

”Hey, Darren, how are you?” Lizzie, knowing she was wanted and loved, got a little carried away and crawled up halfway on the bench, halfway on Megan. Laughing, Megan hugged the dog.

”Lizzie! Down, girl!” Darren said with dismay.

”She's fine, don't worry, I love her,” Megan said. She scratched Lizzie's ears and looked at Darren. ”Where's your friend?”

”My friend?”

”I thought I saw you with a young woman,” Megan said.

Darren stared at her, and slowly shook his head. ”No. You must have been mistaken.”

”Oh, sorry. I guess so.”

He laughed. ”I wish. No girlfriend at the moment.”

”Well, you're young, you know. Your entire life is ahead of you.”

”Right. Like you're old.”

She laughed. ”I have a few years on you!”

”Not that many.” He grinned, joining her on the bench. ”But then, alas, you're married anyway, right? You're still married, huh? Or really married, I should say.”

”Yes, I'm really married, and still married. Why?” Megan said.

”Oh, I just saw your husband earlier.”

”He does go places without me,” Megan said dryly.”He was with a couple.”

”Ah, yes.” She still wondered why he hadn't wanted her to be with them from the start. ”They're... friends. From back home.”

”I see,” he said, staring at her. He didn't see. ”How come you're not with them?” He asked pointedly.

She was irritated by the question and tempted to tell him it was none of his business. But she knew that her own mood might have been better, and there was no need to offend Darren. ”I... needed to run into Morwenna's this morning,” she said. She forced a casual smile. ”I'll catch up with them later.”

He nodded, staring past her. ”Hey, look, there's Mr. Smith.”

She turned to see that Mike Smith, a brown bag in hand, was heading onto the common. Since it was a pleasant day, he had probably opted for a lunch hour outdoors.