Heavenstone 01 - The Heavenstone Secrets

girl who’s been a rape victim the same way. No matter what, they can’t think of her as anything but partly responsible. It’s unjust, I know, but that’s the way most men think.”
    She shrugged.
    “In some countries, the girl, the victim, is even ostracized by her own family. They don’t do it as openly here, but it’s in their thoughts, in their eyes. Wait until the young man you want, you fall in love with, learns you were raped and had a child. You’ll think he was born to walk backward.”
    Despite my determination to fight back and defy her, Cassie’s words were sharper than darts and all aimed at my heart. I couldn’t keep my eyes from filling with tears.
    “There is absolutely no reason for any of that to happen to you, if you just follow my plan and do exactly what I tell you to do. First, I want you to wear a face of shame. Daddy won’t be able to stand it, and he’ll eventually be sympathetic and concerned for you. You’ll see. He’ll make you feel better. Second, you’ll have the baby secretly, as I said, and we’ll get this over with quickly. And third and final, as soon asyou’re up and ready, I’ll make sure we get you into a good school, and this will all be behind you.
    “Well?” she asked.
    The pounding under my breast reached into my ears.
    “I’m afraid,” I said.
    She smiled. “Don’t be. I’ll be there right beside you the whole time. I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you. I’ll protect you the way Henry the Eighth would protect one of his wives who could give him a male heir. For the rest of your pregnancy, I’ll make sure you’re treated like a queen. I’ll pamper you and hold your hand whenever you like. In fact, I won’t leave this house again after we tell Daddy. I’ll send out for everything we need. I’ll never leave your side.
    “Tomorrow,” she said, turning back to look at herself in the mirror, “we’ll open the nursery and make it spic-and-span. Did you know that Daddy had all sorts of boy’s baby clothes bought? I know where they were placed in storage. We’ll wash it all and get it all organized. He’ll want a nurse, of course, but I’ll convince him it’s unnecessary with me here. Look,” she said, rising and going to her bookshelves. She ran her hand over the binders of a half-dozen books. “These are all books written by baby experts describing how to care for an infant from day one on. I practically have them memorized.”
    She turned and waited for my response.
    “You don’t have to wear the girdle anymore, Semantha,” she added, granting it to me like some sort of bonus.

    The air around me still felt too hot to breathe.
    “I’m going to lie down,” I said. “I don’t feel so good.”
    “Of course. Go on. I’ll bring you something to drink, some warm milk.”
    She approached me and ran her right palm gently, lovingly, over my cheek. “When you’re hungry, I’ll bring up your dinner. That will make Daddy curious. I’ll tell him our story and ask him to be kind to you. I’ll explain how upset and frightened you are. You’ll see. I’ll get him to accept it and be concerned for you, too. You know I can, so be relieved. Rest.”
    Before I could prevent it, she hugged me and kissed my cheek.
    When I looked into her eyes, I saw only love and hope.
    However, it didn’t reassure me. It only made me more afraid of what was to come. I said nothing.
    I hurried to the sanctity of my own bedroom. Now more in a daze than anything, I lay back on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. It began to swirl. I felt as if I were looking into a whirlpool. Images slowly rose as the swirling sped up. I saw Mother’s loving smile, but that was quickly followed by Daddy’s face of tragedy. I saw Cassie choosing my sexy dress, and I saw Porter Andrew Hall handing me the box of candy. Then I saw him naked, approaching me in my bed, and I quickly turned over so I wouldn’t look up. I slammed my eyelids shut. If only I could wish hard enough for all of this to be untrue.
    As if my baby inside me could hear my thoughts, he kicked. I turned on my back and put my handson my stomach to feel his movement. Despite what that phony Dr. Samuels had told me and what I had read, in my heart of hearts, I had known I was really pregnant. I had let them fool me. I had wanted their story to be true so much that I had convinced myself as well as, if not better than, they had convinced me. I had never told Cassie, but I’d had dreams, nightmares, in