Chapter 19

  

Penelope knew it was going to happen before it did. She thought she might have been the only one who was ready when Jackson Wilde opened his mouth to say his line on the schoolroom set the next morning, then snapped it quickly shut. Penelope saw the boy’s stomach lurch in and out, undulating like a snake under his white button-down shirt and gray flannel pants. His face lost all color and his eyes grew wide right before he opened his mouth and barfed all over Arlena’s skirt.

“Ah!” Arlena cried, jumping back from Jackson in alarm.

“Sorry,” the boy said weakly, putting his hands on his knees and retching again.

A collective groan passed through the crew surrounding the set. Penelope looked away from the pile of vomit at the boy’s feet after her own stomach did a lurch. Dakota screamed, and then she threw up too. Penelope couldn’t tell if it was a reaction from seeing her brother getting sick or if she was also ill. She ran through what the kids had eaten for breakfast, reassuring herself everything they’d been served was fresh and safe.

“What’s happening?” Jennifer shouted as she stood up.

“I’m sick,” Jackson whimpered. Sybil rushed to him and hugged him to her side, aiming his face away from her wool slacks as he heaved again.

“My poor darling,” Sybil cooed, putting a hand to his forehead. “He’s burning up. Call the medic, you idiot,” she said to the assistant director, who clearly wasn’t prepared to be the target of her anger. Stunned, he looked helplessly at Jennifer.

“Call him. We obviously have a medical emergency,” Jennifer said, defeated.

Arlena pinched the fabric of her skirt with her fingers, holding her wet dress away from her legs, and looked sadly at her young costars.

“It must be the flu,” Sybil said, placing a palm on each of their foreheads before crossing her arms in front of herself. “They’ve both got fevers.”

“Mommy, help,” Dakota said, and began to cry. Sybil wrapped her arms around her children and shuffled them away from the set toward the inn.

“Perfect,” Jennifer said, throwing her clipboard to the ground. “I suppose Sybil had no idea they were sick before they came down this morning.”

The assistant director spoke quietly into his phone to the medical team on set and gave Jennifer another helpless glance.

“I guess that’s a wrap on the day.” Jennifer stalked off, not bothering to pick up her notes.

The frazzled AD hung up and retrieved her clipboard, then gathered the crew around. “I’m sorry about this, guys,” he said. “Tomorrow will be better.” He apologized in general terms for Jennifer’s reaction to the situation and instructed everyone on how to prepare the set for the next day.

Skylar hurried to Arlena. Without saying a word, she uncovered the zipper at the back of her dress, pulling it down to her waist and easing the costume from Arlena’s shoulders. Sarah stepped forward and opened a thick bathrobe in front of Arlena, shielding her from the room as she stepped out of her soiled dress. After being freed from her clothes, Arlena cinched the robe tightly at her slender waist.

“Poor kids,” Arlena said when she caught Penelope’s eye. “Jackson said something about not feeling well at breakfast, but when I asked him if he was okay to do the scene he said absolutely.”

“It seems like kids get hit with bugs out of nowhere,” Penelope said.

Arlena felt her own forehead. “I really don’t want to get sick right now.”

“You do look a little flushed,” Penelope said.

“I just got barfed on,” Arlena said, sighing. “Not an experience I’d recommend. I’m going to get cleaned up and enjoy my free time as much as possible.”

“You and Sam have fun,” Penelope teased her. “By the way, how are your dad and Max doing out in the woods?”

Arlena rolled her eyes. “Daddy’s loving it, but Max feels like he’s being punished.”

“For what?” Penelope asked.

“Maybe not punished—more like Daddy feels like he didn’t spend enough time with any of us growing up, so he likes to do these immersive activities once in a while. Make up for lost time.”

“It’s nice he likes doing stuff with you guys,” Penelope said a bit wistfully.

“Yeah, we’re lucky. Anyway, they’ll be at the inn later. Unless Daddy changes his mind and decides to keep roughing it out there. I’ll call and let you know.”

  

Penelope balanced a small tray on one forearm and knocked quietly on the door to the second-floor suite where Sybil was staying with her children. She heard someone padding to the door and stepped back as it opened a few inches, holding the tray in both hands. Sybil leaned out of the door, a look of concern on her face.

“Penelope,” Sybil said, glancing back over her shoulder. “What can I do for you?”

“Nothing,” Penelope said. “I brought some chicken broth. Organic,” she added hastily as Sybil eyed the cloches on her tray. “And some saltines and ginger ale for Jackson and Dakota.”

Sybil’s expression softened and she opened the door all the way, waving Penelope inside. “That’s very kind of you.”

“Of course,” Penelope said, pushing aside some papers on the desk in the main room and setting the tray down. “How are they?”

Dakota called for her mother from the bedroom. “Excuse me a minute,” Sybil said, hurrying to her daughter. Penelope peeked inside when she opened the door and saw the little girl lying in bed, propped up with bright pink pillows and surrounded by stuffed animals. A cold compress lay across her tiny forehead and her cheeks were the same shade of pink as the stuffed unicorn she had tucked under her arm. Sybil closed the door, and Penelope listened to her comfort Dakota with soothing tones. Penelope revised her opinion of Sybil in that moment. Seeing her caring for her children convinced her that she did have a heart.

A folder on the desk caught Penelope’s eye and she nudged a piece of paper on top of it over with her index finger. “Herring – Steele” was jotted on the top edge of the folder with a series of numbers underneath ranging from $10,525 down to $5,525. Penelope squinted at the folder, trying to remember where she’d seen the name of the company before. Just as she remembered it was the same name on Denis’s check, the bedroom door opened and Sybil stepped back through, squirting hand sanitizer onto her palm.

“Thanks again for the soup,” she said, picking up a towel from the floor and refolding it a few times as she talked. “Dakota is nodding off now, my poor girl. Jackson fell asleep almost immediately when we got back. The set medic came up right away, diagnosed it as the flu. He’s a kind man, really was concerned for the children.”

“That’s good. I’m sorry they’re so ill,” Penelope said, feeling a sudden urge to wash her hands again. Or just take another shower. “Please let us know what they’d like to eat when they’re ready. Anything at all, we can do it.”

Sybil smiled gratefully, then glanced at the door. “I’m going to lie down myself. You must save your strength when the little ones are sick. It can be very exhausting, especially if they’re up all night.”

“I’m sure,” Penelope said, heading for the door. “I’m heading into town in a little bit. Can I get anything for you or the kids?”

Sybil shook her head and murmured goodbye, closing the door softly behind her. Penelope heard the lock click and stepped quietly back down the hall. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to read a text from Ava, telling her dinner service was on at Festa for that evening. Penelope sighed and continued down the hall.