Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

I thought I would try the same logic on Mrs. Westington that I used with Trevor.

"I think they're getting bored and want to leave." I said. "All Skeeter is doing is eating and drinking and watching television. Rhona is getting tired of it,"

"Very, likely. She had the attention span of a four-year-old when she left. I don't imagine it's improved."

She leaned over to her side table, opened a drawer, and took out a pen. "Hand those papers to me," she said.

Was she going to sign? I gave them to her and she wrote a tremendous "NO" over each sheet.

"There. Even Rhona might understand that response. You let me know immediately if she gives you any trouble. April. I'm depending on you," she said, which only made me feel worse. "How did dinner go

?"

I sat and described what I had made and how Skeeter had attacked the food. That amused her at least. Of course. I left out anything about Rhona throwing the steak, complaining, and frightening Echo.

"I'm truly sorry about Tyler Monahan leaving us, leaving you before you took your test," she said when I finished describing the evening.

"I think I'll do all right on the test when I take it anyway," I said.

She nodded and smiled. "That's what I like to see and hear, optimism coming out of your mouth. I'm no fool at my age. I know after we get Echo established that you have to move on, maybe join up with your sister again. Whatever. You have to take care of business, start your own life on the right track. April. You don't belong in an old house with only an old lady and an old man vainly trying to resurrect a dead dream. You deserve to go off and pursue your own dreams and not be stuck in the mud with ours. You promise me you'll do that, April. I'm not saying you can't stay in touch, but you promise."

"I promise, Mrs. Westington."

"Good, good." She closed her eyes. "Something they're giving me makes me tired early. I'll lay into that doctor when he shows up tomorrow morning."

"They're just trying to keep you calm and get your pressure lower."

"Yeah, well, you'd think a woman my age wouldn't have so much pressure in her anymore." She smiled. "Take care of my baby until I bust out of here.'

"I will," I said.

She lay back on her pillow. She fought to stay awake, but in moments, fell asleep. I rose slowly, quietly, fixed her blanket, and then picked up the papers and left. I had a great temptation to just keep driving. Fear of Rhona, especially when she saw what her mother had done to her legal papers, made me shiver. Of course. I was more afraid of how she would treat Echo and how frightened Echo would be if I didn't return.

Both Rhona and Skeeter were waiting for me in the living room.

"Get your rear end in here!" Rhona called the moment I opened the front door.

I took a deep breath and entered.

"Turn that off. Skeeter," she ordered, and he clicked off the television set. "Well? What happened? Did she sign? Did you convince her?"

I shook my head. "She said she gave you as much as she intended to give you," I said. "I couldn't change her mind. I tried. I told her you were planning on leaving, but she was adamant."

"Adamant? Listen to her. Adamant. What did you do, buy a dictionary before you came back?" She looked at the papers in my hand. "What did she do to them?"

She leaped up and seized them. Her face filled with rage. "Look at this, Skeeter," she said, throwing the papers at him. He picked one up and looked at it and then he laughed,

"I don't think that's so funny. Skeeter."

He shook his head. "She's your mother."

"Thanks for reminding me." She turned back to me. "You didn't do a very good job of convincing her if she had the nerve to do something like that."

"I tried," I said. "Believe me. I would love for you to get your money and leave,"

"Oh, you would, would you? Why? You think you'll inherit the rest of it if I go?"

"No. I'm not staying here forever." I said.