Heavenstone 01 - The Heavenstone Secrets

car, Cassie up front and me in the back, which was usual whenever we went anywhere without Mother.
    “When we get there,” Daddy began as we drove out our main gate, “try not to let her see how much you’re disappointed with what has happened. Talk about other things. If she starts talking, no matter what she says about the miscarriage, change the subject.”
    “Well, you do have the gala opening next week,” Cassie said. “We can talk about that.”
    “Yes. That’s smart,” Daddy said.
    “Does Uncle Perry know about it all, Daddy?” I asked.
    “Oh, yes. He was up there with me at the hospital before I came home yesterday. He practically flew from Lexington when I told him what had happened. Your uncle Perry is quite fond of your mother, and she of him.”
    “Women are most comfortable with men who don’t present any sexual threat to them,” Cassie declared.
    Daddy turned to her. I held my breath. Was he going to be angry that she had referred to Uncle Perry’s homosexuality? He didn’t look angry, however; he looked impressed.

    “That might very well be true, Cassie. Very astute.”
    “I’ve been doing some reading about that,” she said.
    “You always amaze me, Cassie. There’s nothing predictable about you. Someday, some man is going to sell his soul for your devoted attention.”
    “That’s not the man I’d want,” she said, and what I had feared might not happen for some time happened. Daddy laughed. In fact, he looked as if he was relaxing, too.
    “Maybe we’ll go to lunch at a nearby restaurant I know instead of the hospital cafeteria,” he said.
    “That would be nice,” Cassie said.
    “How long will Mother be in the hospital, Daddy?” I asked.
    “I don’t know yet, honey, but I’m sure not very long. Dr. Moffet’s building her up quickly. He did say he was having a therapist see her today.”
    “A therapist?”
    “Psychiatrist,” Cassie said.
    “She needs a psychiatrist?”
    “Maybe not a psychiatrist,” Daddy said. “A psychologist, sort of a counselor who can help her get over the disappointment. We’ll see,” he added. “Let’s not …”
    “Get ourselves too depressed about it,” Cassie finished for him, turning to look back at me.
    “Exactly,” Daddy said.
    I looked at Cassie. She was still staring at me. I felt as if the two of them were the adults and I was an even younger child. Daddy treated Cassie as if shewere close to his age and treated me as if I were too young to understand anything.
    Don’t look at me like that, Cassie Heavenstone!
I wanted to shout.
You’re barely two years older than I am.
    I smothered those words almost as quickly as they came to mind, however, and turned away to look out the window. Cassie, as if she was practicing for when we would be with Mother, began to talk to Daddy about the gala and the new store. She had given him a half-dozen suggestions for the party, and he liked most of them. I know he surprised her when he told her that Uncle Perry liked most of her ideas as well. Cassie acted unimpressed or disinterested in that and skipped over it as if he had never said it.
    As they continued talking, I let myself drift off to think about Mother. I had to fight back my urge to cry every time I pictured her happy and hopeful. Just thinking about how we would have to dismantle the nursery choked me up. Maybe Daddy would just lock the door and do it all when Mother wasn’t paying attention. It had to be very difficult for him, too, though.
    I had actually begun fantasizing about having a little brother. I had seen myself caring for him, babysitting, helping Mother raise him. Contrary to the things Cassie had said, I had seen his coming as an exciting thing. I hadn’t imagined its turning our world topsy-turvy in a bad way. All I had imagined were good things, happy things.
    I wondered if they could possibly try again. I knew it was too soon to ask such a question, butit bubbled about in my brain. Would Mother be too frightened to try again? Would Daddy? What if they did and she had another miscarriage? The consequences of that could be overwhelming. No, I thought, there was no way they would even think about it. The prospect of a male Heavenstone to be born and groomed to take over our expanding business was gone forever. It was more likely that Daddy would try to get Cassie to become more involved. Women were running major corporations all over the country now, and if anyone had the leadership, administrative skill,