37

GHASTLY NEWS

AFTER ANDREW CLOSED THE PARLOR door, he turned to Katelyn, who had a wild, contorted look on her face. “Please tell me what’s going on. Why is that woman screaming?” she demanded.

“Follow me to the library. We need to talk.” His voice was cold and void of the tenderness that was his usual tone when speaking to his love. “We need to respect that couple who are grieving just as deeply as you over Lilly’s loss.”

Katelyn snapped her head to glare at Andrew. “No . . . ” she started to protest further but stopped before saying what was on her mind. “All right, but I need some tea.” She turned to Mrs. Dempsey. With an insincere smile, she said, “Would you mind, dear? I have a terrible headache from not eating.”

“Oh, yes indeed.” Mrs. Dempsey had her left arm around Betsey, who was clinging to her mother’s waist and resting her head on her ample bosom. She reached over with her free arm to hug Katelyn, but the distraught woman stiffened and didn’t respond to the affection. Mrs. Dempsey pulled back and continued to smile. “Emily will bring tea and biscuits. Get along now. I suspect you and my son have much to discuss.” She winked at Andrew before gently leading Betsey back down the hallway.

Mrs. Dempsey was humming brightly. It was a tune from church because she had made up her mind that nothing was going to rob her of the joy of hearing her daughter speak again. She stopped halfway to the kitchen and turned to Betsey. “My darling girl, I’m so glad you’re back with us. I love you with all my heart. Everything is going to be fine from now on. I feel it in my soul. God has His Almighty Hand on our precious Lilly.”

“I know.” Betsey spoke with the same level of faith. “I know, Mommy. I know.” She broke free from her mother’s embrace and became excited. “Lilly’s mother is so lovely. And her daddy is very handsome. Let’s make strawberry shortcake for them. Lilly loved it so much. It was . . . it was what we ate . . . ” She suddenly became sad again and looked forlorn.

“Oh, my darling. Let’s not think of sadness. Let’s keep our eyes on the Lord. When God’s people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, they had to step in rushing spring-weather waters. It was scary, but they did it, and God came through to part the waters after they took that first step of faith.”

“Yes, Mommy. I remember that Sunday school lesson from last week!” She chuckled and rushed ahead to help Emily prepare dinner for their special guests. She stopped before entering the kitchen and looked around. In a near whisper, she said, “Mommy? Why is Lady Katelyn so grouchy? She is not herself.”

“She needs the strength of the Lord, Betsey. She’s either going to give those bricks on her back to the Lord, or her back will break. I’m praying she will surrender her will to the Lord and get set free.”

“Well, that explains why Lilly doesn’t get our faith in God either. She listens to me say my nightly prayers, but I’ve never heard her pray when she spends the night. I sure hope she’s praying now.”

* * *

Andrew paced the library as Emily set out the tea tray. She poured Katelyn a cup and turned to him. “Sir? May I pour you some tea?”

“None for me, Emily. Did you serve the Fosters yet?

“Yes, sir. They’re comfortable in the parlor. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, that will be all, thank you. Please tell my mother to serve dinner anytime it’s ready. There is no need to wait on anything. Please close the door when you leave.”

After the door closed, Andrew turned to observe Katelyn munching on a biscuit.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re finally eating, dear.” Andrew spoke nervously, feeling as if he were walking across a frozen pond, not knowing if he’d fall through the ice or not.

“Andrew, you just don’t understand my heart. In fact, you never have. You must think I’m made of iron. I need your support, but all I feel is scorn from you. And there you go frowning again, as if everything I say is so darn difficult to comprehend.”

Andrew’s face reddened in embarrassment. “Well, perhaps I don’t understand, but please know we’re all in this together. We’re doing everything humanly possible to find Lilly. It’s a miracle that we found her parents.”

Katelyn’s face blanched when he spoke of Lilly’s parents. She pressed her hand to her lips and began shaking her head. “I wouldn’t call it a miracle.”

Andrew’s face went aghast. “So that’s it, isn’t it? You’re threatened by the arrival of her mother, aren’t you? Betsey said all that Lilly ever talked about was finding her mother. Why is that so difficult for you not to be happy we’ve found her?”

“Yes, but how could a mother turn her back on her baby?” Katelyn’s face turned red, matching the telltale blotches on her neck.

“Katelyn, look at me.” His voice was stern and authoritative. “Your aunt sent her mother a letter stating Lilly had died! Why is that so difficult to grasp?” He was at his wit’s end trying to reason with someone so stubborn.

“Yes, that’s true, but what about before that? She shouldn’t have sent that baby off to America without her.”

“No, this is something else. You’re afraid Carmen is going to take Lilly away from you.”

“How dare you judge me?” Her voice was becoming shrill. “There you go again scorning me.”

Before Andrew could respond, the abrupt sound of horses charging down the driveway at record speed caused him alarm. He rushed to the window to see the commotion outside. It was not yet dark, so he was able to see an all-black squadron of police arrive that evening in an official carriage. He darted from the room to alert the others. Within minutes, a pounding came to the front door, and everyone was waiting in the foyer hoping for good news about Lilly.

Andrew swung the door wide open to greet the Savannah constable and his deputy standing in full uniform. Constable Jackson was the first to speak. His face was grim, and his voice was even grimmer. “We are here on official police business regarding Lady Katelyn Richardson. We’ve just come from her home. Her servants directed us to this address. Is she here?”

“Yes, please come in, gentlemen.” Andrew bowed and swept his arm for them to follow.

Like the parting of the Red Sea, the group quickly separated into two sides, allowing the officers to come inside. Andrew turned to find Katelyn, but she wasn’t in the foyer. “Mother, where is Katelyn?” Just as he spoke, Katelyn appeared, walking very slowly down the hallway toward them. Her face was grief-stricken as if she’d been punched in the stomach.

“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Her voice sounded strange, as if a spirit of gloom had taken resident inside her.

The constable had removed his hat and bowed as she came walking up to him. “Are you Lady Katelyn Richardson from Savannah?”

“Yes,” she said in a flat, empty tone. “Tell me why you’ve come to find me. I fear it is bad news.”

“We must speak privately, ma’am. Is there somewhere we can discuss this matter?”

Andrew stepped forward and guided Katelyn by the elbow. “I am the family attorney. Please follow us to the library. We can speak privately there.”

When the four of them entered the library, Andrew closed the door and quickly pulled over two side chairs. “Please be seated, gentlemen.”

Katelyn had already sat down on the davenport. Andrew glanced at her and did a double take because her eyes had gone blank. Her blue eyes had become gray, and he’d never seen her look so distraught, not even on the day Lilly went missing.

Andrew came to sit next to Katelyn, expecting terrible news because the demeanor of the men was foreboding. If Lilly had been found, they would have had a spark of enthusiasm to be reporting good news. Instead their faces reflected doom and gloom.

The two men remained standing. Constable Jackson studied the young woman’s face for a moment before speaking. After removing his hat, he cleared his throat. “Ma’am, I’m sorry that we don’t have good news to report. It’s about your aunt, Genevieve Richardson.” He shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. “Your servants reported her missing on Wednesday. At daybreak, two rabbit hunters came upon the badly charred body of a woman in the forest.”

Katelyn gasped and clasped Andrew’s hand with fright. “But you can’t be certain . . . ”

“The only thing identifiable was a ring on her finger. It survived the fire, so we brought the only clue to your home. Your servants, uh . . . Jasper and Moxie? They can’t read, but they were certain that inscription inside this ring belonged to her. They acknowledged it as a special ring belonging to Lady Richardson.” He reached into his pocket and produced the bloodstone ring.

Katelyn let out a cry of anguish before collapsing into a catatonic state of shock.