Heartsong (Logan 2)

understand," Grandpa Samuel said, once again turning to Grandma Olivia for guidance. She sat on the bench and looked from Holly to me.

"Are you taking her?" she asked Holly.

"I offered to take her to New York. She can catch a flight to Los Angeles from there. I have a sister who lives in L.A. and I'll call and ask her to meet Melody and look after her," she replied. "It's a good time for her to take a trip."

"Pardon?"

"Her astrological chart," Holly replied, "indicates that."

"What nonsense. Astrological chart, rushing clear across the country. You can't go to Los Angeles. I absolutely forbid it," Grandma said.

"No, you don't, Grandma." I smiled. "This woman could be my mother, and if she is, I have someone to live with and someplace else to live," I said.

"But how do we know this is Haille and--"

"We don't for sure, but it looks as if it might be," Holly replied. "The man with whom Haille left for L.A. is that model's manager. Kenneth found out for us."

Grandma smirked.

"Amazing, Grandpa Samuel said. "But if that's Haille and she's still alive, who did we bury in our family plot?"

"What difference does it make?" Grandma Olivia snapped at him. She sat thinking a moment and then looked up at us.

"Such a trip costs a lot of money. Where would you get it?" she asked.

"From you," I said calmly. "Call it an advance on my inheritance."

Grandpa Samuel laughed and shook his head until Grandma Olivia shot him a withering look.

"Who else knows about this--this idiotic idea?"

"Just Kenneth and my friend in Sewell," I said. How this family appeared in public was her only real concern. "Unless of course, I have to go begging for the money. I could go see my grandfather, I suppose,"

I added. She pulled her shoulders back and turned her eyes to stone.

"How dare you try to blackmail me?"

"I'm not, but I'm going and I'm going tonight," I said firmly.

She ripped the catalogue from Grandpa Samuel's hands and gazed at the photographs again, shaking her head.

"This is insane," she mumbled. "Very well." She rose. "Come with me," she ordered.

"Don't we know someone who could look into this for us, Olivia?" Grandpa Samuel asked. "Rather than send the girl, I mean.'

"You think I want more people to know about this?" she spit back at him.

"Well, I just thought--"

"Don't think," she ordered. "It's a waste of time. Come along," she told Holly and me, and we followed her into the house.

She took us to the office and went behind the large, dark oak desk. Holly's presence gave me courage and I was proud not to feel even a little bit intimidated, until she raised her head and focused those eyes on me.

"You will sign this," she said, scribbling on a plain sheet of paper. I gazed at Holly, who looked amazed. Grandma Olivia turned the paper to me and handed me the pen.

The paper described my taking two thousand dollars as an advance on my inheritance. It was dated and signed by her. I signed it quickly and she folded it and put it in a small wall safe, from which she drew out money.

"Count it," she ordered. I did so. It was two thousand dollars in fifty-dollar bills. I had never seen so much money at once, much less held it in my hands. She gave me an envelope.