Heavenstone 02 - Secret Whispers

Did she give it to you?”
    “No. I’ve received no mail.”
    She nodded. “I had a suspicion. Your father told us how he doesn’t want any deception in this house. It’s a very special house, and you’re special people. I didn’t think it was my place to say anything about your mail, but I don’t like us being unjustly accused of things, either.”
    “No, you shouldn’t like it, and you shouldn’t be accused,” I said.
    “If you tell her I told you, she’ll be very upsetwith me, I’m sure, and probably go complaining to your father, but I haven’t lived this long and worked this long for good people to end up sneaking about and tiptoeing around so as to make myself invisible. If someone can’t stand the sight of you, you don’t wish them to be blind. You just walk off. That’s what me mum taught me,” she said. “Sorry to disturb,” she added, and returned to the kitchen.
    I looked toward the living room again.
    Why would Lucille take my mail? Who would write to me?
    After the talk we had just had, I didn’t think this was the time to ask about that letter addressed to me and accuse her. I started up the stairway, telling myself I would find out why, if she had taken it by mistake, she hadn’t yet given it to me.
    Little did I know how quickly that would be and what an impact it would have on the future Lucille so wanted to design for me.

The Letter
    I INTENDED TO confront Lucille about my letter the following day, but she was gone before I went to breakfast, and then she and Daddy went to dinner with some people after work. When they came home late that evening, they were together laughing and enjoying a nightcap in the den. I didn’t want to bring it up in front of my father, anyway. However, the following morning, I deliberately rose earlier and waited for Lucille to come out of the bedroom. I saw my father leave first, and then, when she emerged, I pretended to be walking out and down to breakfast at the same time.
    “Good morning, Semantha.” She waited at the top of the stairway.
    “Good morning.”
    “What are your plans for today? I’m going to Lexington to meet the governor’s wife for lunch,” she said before I could reply. “I’d take you along, but it’s not proper to surprise her with a guest.”
    “That’s all right. I’m going to do some reading, relax at the pool. Uncle Perry is sending some design proposals over for me to look at. They’re for girls my age. I used to give him input all the time.”
    “How nice. I took a brief look at that sector of the business. He could use something to boost sales.”
    We started down the stairway.
    “He wanted me to come to his office today, but I asked if he could just send them over.”
    “Good. I like you here to babysit the house,” she said, smiling. “You know that old expression: When the cat’s away, the mice will play. What are you reading these days? My father was so critical of whatever I read. I had to be sure it had some intrinsic value and wasn’t simply entertainment.”
    “The Magic Slipper.”
    “I don’t know it.”
    “It’s a modern-day version of Cinderella, which even your father might think has intrinsic value, as you say.”
    She laughed. “I doubt it. I had to bribe my mother to get permission to see Beauty and the Beast. ”
    “How sad. Speaking of reading, however,” I said as we reached the bottom of the stairway, “I was wondering if you might have picked up some mail for me accidentally.”
    “Mail?” She paused. “When?”
    “Yesterday, maybe?”
    “Oh. You know, maybe I did. I just scooped up the pile and brought it to your father’s office. I haven’t gone through half of it,” she said. “Are you expecting mail?”
    I shrugged.
    “Well, why would you think I accidentally picked up something addressed to you?” she asked suspiciously.
    “I just wondered,” I said. “Some of the girls mentioned they’d keep in touch.”
    I knew Mrs. Dobson had told me she wasn’t afraid of my mentioning her seeing the envelope addressed to me, but unless I had to do it, I saw no reason to get her on Lucille’s bad side.
    “Oh, I see. Well, you’re quite welcome to go to the office and look through the pile yourself,” Lucille said coolly. “I’m just grabbing a little breakfast and then leaving. I’ve been on such a merry-go-round with the wedding preparations, business issues, and social events, I haven’t had a moment to think about the mail. I do hope there’s