Scattered Leaves (Early Spring 2)

"Emma was waiting for me below. She locked the door as soon as I stepped out.

" 'Is that necessary?' I asked. 'Locking her in the attic?'

" 'Yes.' she said. 'At least for now. Never mind that.' She added, waving my question away like annoying cigarette smoke. 'How is she?' she asked after I followed her down the main stairway. I thought she was fine and told her so. Then I sat at the kitchen table and prepared a list of the things I would need and wanted for Frances. She said she would have it all by the time I returned in the morning, and then she told me the most astounding thing of all,"

"What?" Alanis asked, impatient.

"She told me to tell anyone who asks, especially my husband. that I was attending to her and not her sister, that she was the one who was pregnant and she had decided to spend her pregnancy here at their rural retreat where it was quieter and more pleasant. She said she would even appear pregnant and that I was not to contradict what people believed.

"I have to tell you I was speechless. "

"Why are you doing this?' I asked.

" "We're paying you enough not to ask,' she said and that was all she would ever say about it.

"It wasn't until nearly two weeks later that Frances confided in me and told me she was having Blake's child. Of course. I thought it was because they had a secret affair, but then she added that it was what Emma wanted."

Mrs. DeMarco closed her eyes.

"Excuse me," we heard Sister Andrea say from the doorway. "but there is a young man in the lobby asking after you. He says to tell you the meter's running, whatever that means. He's not a taxicab, is he?"

"Yes." Alanis replied. "Actually, that's all he is. Thank you. Well be right there."

"Oh, well. Mrs. DeMarco is getting tired. You should let her rest anyway. girls."

"We will. We just want to say good-bye," Alanis told her.

She nodded and left. We looked at Mrs. DeMarco. She seemed to be asleep already.

"Mrs. DeMarco. Why would Emma want that?"

She opened her eves slowly. She looked half asleep already, and then she closed them again.

"Mrs. DeMarco?"

She didn't open her eyes. "We better go," I told Alanis.

"Good-bye, Mrs. DeMarco," Alanis told her. "Maybe we'll be back. Thanks."

"Good-bye," I said, but when I turned to follow Alanis out of the room. Mrs. DeMarco seized my wrist. Her eyes popped open. "Alanis," I called, and she turned back.

"I never had a full, head-on conversation with Emma March about it," she told us. "You don't question Emma March. but I picked up things, read between the lines. Emma convinced her sister to be her surrogate mother. She didn't want to go through a pregnancy, but Blake insisted on having a child, and if the child wasn't a boy, he would want another. She promised Frances all sorts of things, but mainly her everlasting love, which is all poor Frances ever wanted from her anyway. That's why I said Emma March seduced her sister."

She closed her eyes again. I looked at Alanis, whose face was bursting with excitement because of the revelations. We started out again, and again Mrs. DeMarco called to us. She pointed at us.

"I knew," she said. "I've always known that Emma March hated her sister for the loving gift she gave her, she demanded of her. But believe me, my little dears, in the end, probably right now, she hates herself for it even more.

"I shouldn't be telling you two all this." she said, suddenly full of regret, "You're both too young, and I'm only stirring up sleeping hornets, and what for? What's done is done. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." she said.

She closed her eves firmly this time, and we left. In the hallway Alanis paused and reached out to take my hand. I felt that if she hadn't, I would have risen like a hot air balloon and drifted away with my heart pounding like a funeral drum.

"Well?" she asked me. "Aren't you happy we came here? You found out all your family secrets. Thanks to me,' she added. "Aren't you happy?"

"No," I said.

"Why not?"

"I don't know."