Baby

Assessing her body parts, she realized she could not feel them. Wiggling her fingers did not help. She could not feel them, either. She gulped, swallowing. Wait. She could not feel herself swallow. This was a frightening thought, but she didn’t feel frightened. A sense of deliberate calm prevailed in her mind. Wow, she was never this calm. What was going on? Where was she? And why the heck was she so calm?
    She tried to recall her last memory. Something told her not to go there. Alarmed, she tried to push through. She wanted to know. But she was clearly being blocked. Was she all alone? She absolutely knew she should not be alone. Her Baby; where was her Baby ? Her agitation increased, the calming atmosphere losing its effect on her. She started to panic. The more she panicked, the more she started to remember fragments of her former life, flashing back to her in a nebulous gossamer drizzle. ( Former life?)
    Her Baby; her raw nerves shrieked soundlessly. Please, my Baby . Abruptly, she felt an overwhelming rush of gratitude. (G ratitude?) Holding on to that sensation for comfort; she greedily reached out to grasp Baby’s searching leather hand. She idly wondered why and to whom should she feel this gratitude. She momentously pulled Baby toward her, his golden rainbow eyes all she needed.
    And the final reward. (Reward?) Where are these thoughts coming from? Oh, praise God! It could not be . She felt a strong familiar arm wrap itself around her waist. Tears rolled down her face, even though she oddly could not feel them. Her love was here, too. They were together. Everything would be fine. As she reached out in the dark to embrace him, an uncommon glow began to fill her eyes. Her senses returning, she detected the first scent of sulfur. Then a sound … softly, an omnipotent whisper.
    “Yes, my dear, everything will be fine. But you have much to learn. I have much to teach you. We must prepare for our guests.” And on that note, Netty, Baby and Wil’s new strange and heroic life began.

Chapter 9
    A month passed as Robert Doyle prepared to sell off some of the assets of the farm. He considered leasing the cabin with the barn and bakery. He knew the bakery might be a gold mine to the right buyer. He found himself begrudgingly admiring the success Netty and her lover made of the farm. Studying the plans for the bakery, he marveled at the expense they devoted to the construction. He puzzled over the source of their funding, sorely underestimating the profitability of their back breaking labors.
    As he sat at his partners desk in his elaborate library, his eyes rested on his antique gold coin collection, reflecting on his frustration with the missing coin. He offered a pretty penny to anyone who located it. No luck, although by all reports, most of the men were reluctant to return to the farm to hunt for it, knowing the bodies rested there. He idly wondered if any of his men confiscated the coin for themselves.
    No, he dismissed the thought. Any dealer or purchaser of such a coin would be known to him. Not much occurred in his part of the state without his knowledge and approval.
    Glancing at his gold watch, he noted the time. Pressing a button, he rang for his housekeeper. She appeared quickly.
    “Sit down please, Martha. I want you to call the carriage house. Have Eli bring the sedan to the front door. Tell him I want the boys to follow us in the truck. We have some work to do. I expect to be home shortly before cocktail hour. Miss Kathryn will be joining me this evening. We will be taking dinner in the solarium. Please have one of her favorite dishes prepared by Cook. We will take coffee and desert in here. Miss Kathryn’s father will join us after dinner. Please have fresh flowers in both rooms. This is a special occasion. If my plans bear out, you might get a new mistress sometime in the near future. I’ve had my eye on her for some time although I have been forced to pretend a platonic interest.” Laughingly, he added, “Well, that will not be necessary any longer, will it?”
    “It sure will be my pleasure, sir.” Martha sat taking notes, her plump unlined black face impassive. Returning her pencil to her upswept gray knot on her head, she asked, “That be all for the day, sir?”
    Without answering, Robert dismissed her with an irritated wave of his hand. Picking up the telephone, he listened for party voices. He still did not understand why he must share his telephone line with the neighbors. It