Cutler 04 - Midnight Whispers

Luther," she said, turning back to him, "my advice to you is to put our suitcases in here pronto. You know what pronto means?"
    Luther hesitated, his pride wounded, his anger still boiling over.
    "How do you think Philip Cutler is going to react when he hears you've been hiding out two underage teenagers who ran away from their homes?" she followed when he still hesitated. "There'll be a big investigation of you and Auntie Charlotte. Why, newspaper people might even come around to take pictures of the ridiculous decor and what was done to the paintings and walls. Do you want that?" she threatened. Luther's shoulders slumped in defeat and the defiance went out of his eyes. I felt horrible for him.
    "That's not true. Luther didn't hide us out. He didn't know any of the details. He has no idea why I ran away or that I ran away. He . . ."
    "Who's going to believe that?" Aunt Fern said with a mocking smile. Her face turned firm, her lips so taut I thought they might snap like rubber bands. "Now do I have to repeat myself?" She looked at Luther. He lowered his eyes and lifted her and Morton's bags and carried them into the suite. Aunt Fern relaxed her shoulders. "That's better; that's more like it. Christie, dear, the soap and water?" Aunt Fern sang.
    What else could I do? I felt trapped. I didn't want poor Luther and Charlotte to endure any more pain because of me. Aunt Fern was just vicious enough to carry out her threats. I dropped my chin to my chest. Aunt Fern's mean words and accusations stung and drove me to carry out her wishes as quickly as I would had she struck me with a whip across the back.
    "I'll help you," Gavin said when I turned to start away.
    "Oh dear, oh dear," Charlotte said, scurrying off to do Aunt Fern's bidding, "this is not going to be a nice time. No indeed, not a nice time."
    "To the whiskey cabinet," Aunt Fern said, laughing.
    "That was a rather impressive show of authority," Morton said, complimenting her. Aunt Fern's laughter trailed behind us.
    "I've been on the short end of the stick long enough," she told him. "Now it's my turn to be the high and mighty."
    They made Charlotte show them the liquor cabinet and then sent her off to change the linens. While we worked on the suite, Aunt Fern and Morton took a bottle of brandy and some glasses and waited in the living room. They played the old records on the victrola and behaved like two children, giggling and knocking things over, ringing the old dinner bells, flicking lights on and off and chasing each other through the rooms. Every once in a while, we heard one of Aunt Fern's shrill laughs carry through the hallways of the plantation house.
    I told Charlotte to put the things from the vanity table into a bag, but hide them.
    "You can put them back after Fern leaves, if you like," I said. That pleased her, but she was still very troubled about what was happening. Reluctantly, Gavin helped with some of the cleaning. He did the windows. After Luther brought up the broom he left, muttering angrily to himself. I dusted and polished all the furniture and then turned to the bathroom. It took me nearly an hour just to do the sink, tub arid commode. Gavin was furious when I did get down on my hands and knees to scrub stains of the floor I had already dumped three pails of dirty water and my face and hands were streaked with the grime and dust I was removing.
    "This is stupid," he said. "Let's just wake up Jefferson and leave. Philip won't find us."
    "That won't stop Aunt Fern from doing some-thing to hurt Charlotte and Luther, Gavin. You know how vicious and vindictive she can be when she wants to. Let's just do what she asks. Soon she and her boyfriend will grow bored and leave anyway, and then we can make new plans."
    "I don't know how she can be Jimmy's sister arid my half-sister and be so mean to people," Gavin said, shaking his head.
    "Don't forget she was given to another family when she was only a baby and lived with them until Mommy and Daddy found her," I reminded him. "Her life was quite disrupted."
    "Stop making excuses for her, Christie. She's just a cruel, self-centered person who loves only herself and what will make her happy. I don't think she's ever done anything for anyone else her whole life and I doubt she ever will."
    "And just who are you talking about, Gavin Longchamp?" Aunt Fern demanded, coming into the room. "Not me, I hope."
    "If the shoe fits, wear it," Gavin muttered, but Aunt Fern was too tipsy from her drinking to hear