said, smiling. “What’s the harm? It’s all taking you toward the same goal. In entertainment especially, experience impresses.
“I promise,” he added, “we’ll wean you off breastfeeding.”
He took his time doing that after I auditioned and the owner hired me to sing Friday and Saturday nights. There was a wonderful piano player to accompany me. He had been playing for some famous singers when they had first begun and had a wonderful ear for picking up a melody and remembering the song. I was convinced he was making me a better singer, too.
Of course, I suspected Dr. Davenport had some influence, but the honest compliments I received from the owner and his patrons helped me build my self-confidence. Of course, both Samantha and he were often there. Parker was assigned to drive me to and from.
One night, Franklin brought his wife so I could finally meet her. I didn’t know what she knew, but I sensed he had told her almost everything. She was a very pretty woman but looked at me with suspicious eyes. It made me a little uncomfortable.
Otherwise, I was never happier. I called Mummy and Julia weekly to give them updates.
“I’m happy for you,” Julia told me. I had no doubt she meant it.
I was, after all, living in a mansion, part of a successful family, doing what I dreamed of doing, and having a wonderful, surprising friendship. Samantha had truly become more like a sister, both of us now caring for Ryder. The dark shadows that clung to the corners of Wyndemere were in retreat. Samantha even said that to me one day.
Perhaps they had heard her say it.
And perhaps upon hearing her say it, they had called on their brothers and sisters floating in the darkness outside, gathering in a storm of their own making.
To change everything.
FIFTEEN
Samantha had gone on a shopping spree, insisting she’d go by herself because she wanted to have a bag full of surprises, especially for me.
I had been told that the winter weather around Lake Wyndemere and Hillsborough was quite unpredictable this year. In January, there were unusually warm days. In fact, people were warned that the lake wasn’t as thickly frozen over. They were discouraged from ice skating. But then, as if Nature suddenly reminded itself it was winter, the temperatures dropped dramatically. Melting snows froze. The raindrops had started and were pellets of ice before they reached the ground. Trees were straining under the weight, branches cracking.
The sun was a deceiver. When it rose over the lake on that particular Tuesday morning, it made the world outside dazzling. It was quite inviting. Dr. Davenport had an intense day of surgery and had already left for the hospital by the time Samantha and I went down to breakfast. I had already gone in and changed Ryder so he could be brought down with us. Samantha had been up earlier but was preparing herself for the day of shopping. She liked to do her hair and dress smartly.
“I have to keep up my image,” she would tell me, “of a very important and successful heart surgeon’s wife.”
I wouldn’t call her vain or self-absorbed, as I was sure many envious women would. I saw how proud she was and understood that she felt she had to maintain that persona, almost the way one of our royals had to pay heed to tradition. She represented someone very important.
She did look beautiful, radiant, that morning. No matter what mood you were in, being around Samantha always brightened it. I had little doubt that it was the sunshine in her smile that Dr. Davenport looked forward to as soon as he returned home. Even if what he had accomplished that day was spectacular, it was still a grueling and tense journey to get there.
I wondered if my father had enjoyed the same respite when he returned home from his day. Unlike Dr. Davenport, he seemed to carry something back, some disapproval or disgust with the way most of his clients thought these days. Maybe we were the audience he sought after all. Mummy was certainly a great listener, helping him find the proper way to express his thoughts.
Ryder was making an effort to say real words and reaching for everything in sight. I was constantly aware of how bright he seemed and how handsome he would be. Whenever I looked at Dr. Davenport, Samantha, and Ryder together, I didn’t feel envy as much as I felt more ambitious for my own personal future. I