Heavenstone 01 - The Heavenstone Secrets

needed her. She still spent more time with me than she usually had, but I had longer periods during the day when I simply fell asleep or was too tired to do anywhere near what I used to do.
    And then I began to notice other changes in my body. I was going to the bathroom more often, and when I took off my clothes and looked at myself in the mirror, I noticed there was a darkening around my nipples, a darkening I had never seen. My breasts were bigger, and I was sure I had a little pouch developing in my abdomen. I felt a hot flash through my neck and face and went to my computer. My fingers trembled as I searched for the information I dreaded to read, but it was there, and it took my breath away.

    Late that afternoon, Cassie found me waiting for her in the living room, sitting in Daddy’s chair. I had done nothing about dinner, nor had I done any of my usual chores. I didn’t open a book, either. I had spent most of my time just sitting and thinking and shivering under the dreadful weight of what I now believed.
    The moment she entered and saw me, she paused. “What are you doing? Why are you sitting there like that?”
    “Cassie, I think … I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant.”
    To my surprise, she didn’t laugh or start to ridicule me. “Oh, really?”
    “I’ve read about it, and I have every symptom.”
    “And how do you explain being pregnant, Semantha? Are you going to tell me it just happened, an immaculate conception?”
    “No. Listen. Here’s what I think. That night … when Porter was here and you brought me up after I had drunk too much wine …”
    “What about it, Semantha?”
    “Was he out of your sight for a while? Did you leave him and go clean up after dinner?”
    “Why?”
    “I think … he might have raped me.”
    “Porter Andrew Hall raped you? Please. Besides, how could you not know you were raped?”
    “When we were in the kitchen getting the food, he might have slipped one of those date rape drugs into my wine. Our health teacher explained them to us and warned us about them. Some are tasteless and clear and give you amnesia.”
    She stared at me as if I had gone mad.“Maybeyou are spending too much time alone. Your imagination is running away with itself.”
    “Well, I have no other explanation for this, Cassie!”
    “Really? Will you swear that while I was away working with Daddy, all these past months, that Kent didn’t come around and talk you into doing more than you wanted? He tried it on your first date, didn’t he?”
    “Absolutely not. No one’s been here. None of those kids called me again or anything. I have to see a doctor.”
    She nodded slowly.“Well, it can’t be our doctor, Dr. Moffet. He would tell Daddy, and we don’t want Daddy knowing any of this.”
    “Why not? I need him to know.”
    “Are you crazy? You would do that to him now? Why don’t you just sneak into his room late at night and stab him in the heart, Semantha?”
    I started to cry.
    “That’s perfect. Act like a child just when we need you to be grown up the most.”
    “Well, this is hard for me, Cassie. I didn’t have anything to do with Kent or any of them. I swear.”
    “Well, don’t you make any wild accusations about Porter. All we need now is another lawsuit.”
    “What will we do?”
    “It’s not brain surgery, Semantha. I’ll get one of those pregnancy test kits, and we’ll see. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
    “What if … if it shows I am pregnant?”
    “I’ll find another doctor, and I’ll bring him here to see you.”

    “When?”
    “Right away,” she said. “Stand up.”
    “Why?”
    “I want to look at you. Stand up and take off your robe. Go on.”
    I did as she asked, and she drew closer, studying my body, my breasts.
    “Since Daddy won’t be looking at you naked, we’ll be fine for now. You don’t look big enough for anyone to think anything more than that you gained some weight. If Daddy says anything about that, admit you’ve been a little pig these past weeks, and promise you’ll have more control. Put your robe back on. Go get dressed, and let’s think about dinner.” She left me standing there, still naked, still terribly afraid.
    I did the best I could to hide my nervousness from Daddy at dinner. Cassie helped by distracting him with some suggestions about the landscaping, pool furniture, and some other minor problems on the property that she thought needed attention. She pointed out that he had hardly been home and probably hadn’t