Web of Dreams (Casteel 5)

"All the way down there," Troy pointed, "and to the little cottage."

"Little cottage?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded and then let go of my hand and ran up to Tony, pulling on the bottom of his smoking jacket.

"Leigh wants to go in the maze! Leigh wants to go in the maze!" he chanted.

"Oh?" Tony and Momma turned back to me.

"I didn't say that. He's a little imp. But it might be fun," I added looking toward it.

"You've got to be careful going in there," Tony warned. "People actually get lost in there."

"It's that big and deep?" I asked, intrigued.

"Oh yes. I never actually measured it, but Boris, my head grounds keeper, thinks it's at least a half an acre, if not more."

"Let's go in the maze, Tony!" Troy cried. "Let's go in the maze!"

"Maybe afterward, Troy. We've got to show Leigh the pool and the stables and take her down to the beach, don't we? There's just too much to do in one day," he added shaking his head. "I'm afraid you'll have to come back here again and again, otherwise Troy will get very upset."

I looked at Momma. She was smiling like a Cheshire cat, grinning from ear to ear.

"Maybe you'll return next weekend," Tony said. "Yes, please, please," Troy pleaded.

"I . . . we're going away next weekend, but when we come back. . ."

"Going away?" Tony turned abruptly to Momma. "I don't remember you mentioning any trip."

"I learned about it myself only last night," she said. I was surprised at how displeased about it she sounded. But why? I wondered. She had wanted this trip so much. "We'll talk about it later," she added softly to Tony and turned so they would continue the tour. Their conversation, although just as low, became more animated with both of them gesturing. Tony was probably just worried about his unfinished murals, I told myself.

Little Troy began to whine about the maze again.

"All right," I told him. "You and I will just run in and out of it after we look at the pool, okay?"

"Okay." He took my hand again and looked up at me, very pleased.

"You're a little charmer, aren't you, Troy Langdon Tatterton?"

He shrugged as if he understood exactly what I meant and I laughed and laughed.

What a strange and yet wonderful place this was, I thought as we went on. It was vast and beautiful and had so many things to offer its inhabitants, but Farthinggale was so immense a place for just a bachelor and his tiny little brother. Eve,' with an array of servants around them, they must be very lonely, I thought. Poor little Troy, I thought, by the age of four to have lost both his parents. I shivered to think of losing my own dear parents, whom I loved so much. Momma often made it sound as if money could buy happiness, but I was sure if little Troy could choose, he would choose to give p all this to get his parents back. I knew I would.

Tony let Troy run down into the olympic-size, recently emptied pool. He thought it was funny to go where the deep water had once been.

"The little tyke swims, you know," Tony whispered into my ear. "Ever since he was a year and a half old."

"Really?"

"Leigh, come in. Come in, Leigh. The water's fine." Troy laughed at his own joke. He stopped about midway and beckoned.

"It's too cold to go swimming," I cried. He looked up at me with the most grown-up expression of amazement on his face.

"I was teasing. There's no water in it," he said, holding his arms out as if he were talking to a complete idiot. I had to laugh, and so did Momma and Tony.

"All right," I said. "I'll take a dip." I walked down the steps and into the pool. He took my hand and led me to the deep end.

"I can swim from here to here," he said, pointing. After he touched the far wall, we turned to go back and out. Momma and Tony were off somewhere else. When we went up the steps, I saw them over by the cabana, again conversing in a very animated fashion and standing very close to each other. I thought Tony looked upset. Momma saw that Troy and I had reappeared and put her hand on his forearm to interrupt.