Gates of Paradise (Casteel 4)

"It was your mother's," he explained. "I bought it for her when she went to the Winterhaven School. You're about the size she was at the time. Do you like it?"

"It's a beautiful dress, Tony. It's not the kind of thing girls wear today, but since it was my mother's . ."

"She looked beautiful in it, and anyway, Annie, you don't want to be a slave to fads. Something that is beautiful is timeless. Most young girls today don't realize that; they're victimized by fashion, by advertising, by passing trends. I'm sure you've inherited your mother's good sense and you'll appreciate style that is enduring,"

I didn't know what to say. My mother wanted me to look nice, but she always allowed me to pick out my own clothes. She never tried to impose her tastes on me, and my father enjoyed seeing me in oversize sweatshirts and jeans. Sometimes he called me "Miss Be-Bop."

Although, I suppose Tony was right, I did enjoy dressing up more than most girls my age. That was something I had inherited from my mother.

"I brought it for you to wear tomorrow, a special day, the day you leave the hospital and return to Farthy."

"Return?"

"I mean, return with me to Farthy," he corrected quickly. "Besides, wearing something of your mother's will bring you good luck."

I didn't need convincing. The next morning Mrs. Broadfield helped me put on the dress and wheeled me to the mirror over the sink in my hospital room. I couldn't see below my waist, but what I saw was enough to convince me that I did resemble my mother in the dress. Mrs. Broadfield was kind enough to help me with my hair so that I was able to brush it down the way I had seen my mother wear it in some early pictures. Although hers was a shade darker than mine, we had the same fine texture, and when we wore our hair in a similar style, we almost appeared like twins,

When Tony came, his face lit up at the sight of me in the dress. I could feel his eyes almost drinking me in. He stared so long without saying a word that I began to feel uncomfortable. "I'm ready, Tony," I said to break whatever spell had come over him.

His eyes suddenly snapped to attention. "Yes, yes, Annie, let's go." He beamed as I had never seen him beam. He looked years younger, perhaps because he was wearing a summer-weight light blue suit that brought out the blue in his eyes. Gone was the paleness I had seen from time to time around his eyes. His cheeks looked rosy, his hair thicker and shinier than ever. With Tony at my side, Mrs. Broadfield began to wheel me out of the hospital room, down the corridor to the elevator. Once again the nurses on the floor wished me good luck and waved as I wheeled past.

My heart was pounding in my ears. The echo of that terrible accident on the Winnerrow road had died a little, but the sound of my father's voice when he called my name still lingered.

I looked back at the hospital floor as the elevator doors closed. The nurses and doctors had returned to their duties. I was just another name to be taken of the charts, a file to be stored now. Just before the doors closed, I remembered something.

"My cards! We left them on the wall!"

"Cards? Oh, your get-well cards. Don't worry. have them brought out to Farthy," Tony promised, but it made me even sadder to think I had left them behind. Luke's funny card, Drake's beautiful card

. I suddenly realized I wasn't bringing along anything from Winnerrow, anything from Luke. I wasn't even wearing the charm bracelet.

The elevator doors opened again and I was wheeled out to the limousine.

"Annie, this is my chauffeur, Miles. He knew your mother very well," Tony said, eyeing Miles.

"Please to meet you, Miss Annie, and glad you've been released from the hospital," Miles said and tipped his cap to me. I saw the smile in his eyes and on his lips, a smile of appreciation and happiness. I was sure I reminded him of my mother.

"Thank you, Miles."

He opened the rear door. Mrs. Broadfield then directed my shifting from the chair into the car. Tony insisted on helping. He went into the car first and took me from Mrs. Broadfield, holding me tightly against his chest as he pulled me gently onto the seat. His lips grazed my cheek and he held me snugly against him. I was surprised at how tightly he held me, and thought he wasn't going to let go. But he did, and then he directed Miles to fold the chair and put it into the trunk. Mrs. Broadfield joined us in the rear and Miles started the car and began my journey to Farthinggale Manor, a journey I was sure I would never forget.

PART 2 NINE Over the Threshold

. Mrs. Broadfield and Tony sat me on the rich suede rear seat so I could look out the window at the scenery. The day looked disappointingly overcast, but suddenly a brilliant sun peeked through the dreary clouds and I saw a wide patch of soft, aqua blue that reminded me of lazy summer days back at

Winnerrow. Perhaps God was going to shine his light on me after all,

When I gazed back, I saw just how enormous Boston Memorial was, especially compared to our Winnerrow Community General Hospital. We passed through the gates and through some of downtown Boston before getting on the major thoroughfare that would take us to Farthinggale Manor. The rows of houses came to an end and woods and long green lawns appeared with houses spotted here and there along the way.

"Comfortable?" Tony asked. He adjusted the pillow that Mrs. Broadfield had inserted behind my lower back and the rear of the seat.

"Yes." I was content just staring out the window now, watching the scenery fly by as we continued down the highway that would take us to Farthinggale Manor.

"I remember the day Jillian and I first picked your mother up at the airport to bring her to Farthy. Just like you, she looked so innocent and young, so wide-eyed and eager. I knew she was nervous. Jillian, your great-grandmother, didn't realize Heaven was coming to stay with us forever. She thought it was just going to be a short visit."

He laughed. "Jillian was very concerned about looking young and being thought of as young, so she asked--no, she demanded--your mother to refer to her as Jillian, and never as Grandmother."

"My mother was upset about that."