Music in the Night (Logan 4)

"I just did what I thought was right for you, Laura. I only wanted to protect you. I--"

"You had no right," I insisted, furiously shaking my head at him. "What did you tell her exactly? I want to know all of it, every ugly detail."

"I didn't tell her anything exactly. I told her how funny you had been acting and how suddenly you wanted to go see Aunt Belinda, that you said she knew about girl stuff.

"As soon as I said that, Grandma Olivia pounced. 'Girl stuff?' she demanded. 'Laura is still seeing that boy, then? How serious has it gotten?' she demanded. I tried to make it seem like nothing. Honest, I did, but she kept at me, asking if I knew if you had ever been alone with him. She's the one who sul tested the inn, now that I think about it. Yes. That's what she said. 'Has she gone to that inn?' From the way she was asking me, I thought she knew and was just checking to see if I would be truthful. I told her you had been with Robert at his place for dinner. She asked if I knew if his parents were there. I said I didn't know, but I guess you're right: I'm not a good liar, because she asked me again in a sharper voice. I said I thought maybe his parents were gone and then she was the one who told me what you had done. It was as if she had read the letters herself, Laura. I swear," he added with his hand up as if he were about to take the witness stand in a courtroom.

"And you didn't deny any of it? You let her believe it," I concluded.

"She took one look at my face and said I didn't have to say another word. My eyes said it all. She's spooky. You know how she is. She's--"

"She's a very unhappy old woman, Cary. That's what she is, and now she's succeeded in making me unhappy, too," I said. "And you helped her. Are you satisfied?"

"No, of course not. But Laura, he shouldn't have . . ." Cary looked away. "If he loved you like you said, he would respect you more and that never would have happened."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, Cary. I'm afraid tha

t anything I say to you might get back to Grandma Olivia anyway," I added.

It was as if I had slapped him hard across the face. His head actually jerked to the side and his eyes filled with such pain, I couldn't look at him.

"I'm sorry, Laura, but I just did what I did because . . because I love you," he blurted and turned quickly to rush out of the room.

I remained sitting there for a long, long moment, staring at the closed door and hearing Cary's words echo in my ears. How could I ever explain all this to Robert? Who could ever understand the madness of my family?

I tried to sleep, but fretted in and out of nightmares, waking with small cries, burying my face in the pillow and then falling asleep again, only to wake before the morning and then finally fall into a fitful sleep once again. I was in such a deep sleep when morning did come, I didn't hear anyone moving about the house. It was May who finally woke me, shaking my arm.

My eyelids fluttered and I looked at her without understanding why she was there. Then I gazed at the clock and flew out of bed. She followed me around my room, signing her questions. Was I sick? Was Cary sick? He wouldn't say a word to anyone, she claimed. I was fine, I told her. I just overslept.

Mommy was at me the moment I appeared.

"Aren't you feeling well, Laura? You didn't look so well last night, now that I think about it."

"I'm fine, Mommy. Just a little tired," I said. "I'm sorry I overslept."

"Your brother's acting strangely, too," she complained. "Just like when the two of you were May's age and younger. If one of you had a stomachache, the other did, too. Remember when you both got the chicken pox, not more than a day apart?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"Maybe it was something in that new recipe," she mused. "No, Mommy. If there was something wrong with the food, you and Daddy and May would be sick."

"Yes, that's true."

"We're just a little tired," I said. It wasn't a lie. I was sure Cary hadn't slept much better than I had.

I drank some juice, had some toast and jam, and scooped up my things to join May and Cary, who were waiting at the door. Daddy-had already left for work. Cary's eyes were full of remorse and sorrow, but I chose not to look at him. I didn't say a word as we started out for school. May was full of curiosity and signed questions all the way. After we dropped her off, Cary turned to me.

"I'm sorry, Laura," he said. "I didn't mean to get you in any trouble."

"Let's not talk about it, Cary. I'm still trying to come up with a way to explain things to Robert."

He nodded and walked a little ahead of me all the way to school. When we arrived, he quickly went to his locker and left me to talk to Robert alone. Robert took one look at me and the sweet, happy grin disappeared from his face.

"What's wrong? You look like you lost your best friend," he half-kidded.

"I think I did," I said.

The first warning bell rang before I could say anything, and I knew I didn't have enough time to explain it all.