Red Lily

this is how it feels when you fall. Don’t tell him.” She gripped Roz’s hand. “Please don’t tell him.”
    “It’s not for me to tell him. It’s for you, when you’re ready. Love’s a gift, Hayley, to be taken and received freely.”
    “Love’s a lie, an illusion created by weak women and conniving men. An excuse for the middle class to breed and their betters to ignore so they can marry within their own station and build more wealth.”
    Roz felt the shudder run through her, and her breath back up in her lungs. But she straightened, continued to look in the eyes that were no longer only Hayley’s. “Is that how you justified the choices you made?”
    “I lived very well on my choices.” She lifted her arm, smiled as she trailed a finger over the bracelet. “Very well. Better than those I came from. She was content to serve on her knees. I preferred serving on my back. I could have lived here.”
    She rose, wandering the room. “I should have. So now I am here. Always.”
    “But you’re not happy. What happened? Why are you here, and so unhappy?”
    “I made life.” She whirled, cupping a hand over her belly. “You know the power of that. Life grew in me, came from me. And he took it. My son.” She looked around, those eyes darting. “My son. I came for my son.”

    “He’s gone now, too.” Roz rose slowly. “Long ago. My grandfather. He was a good man.”
    “A baby. My baby. Little boy, sweet, small. Mine. Men, men are liars, thieves, cheats. I should have killed him.”
    “The child?”
    Those eyes glittered, bright and hard as the diamonds on her wrist. “The father. I should have found a way to kill him, all of them. Burned the house to the ground around them, and sent us all to hell.”
    There was a chill, and the pity Roz had once felt couldn’t chip through the ice of it. “What did you do?”
    “I came, I came in the night. Quiet as a mouse.” She tapped a finger to her lips, then began to laugh. “Gone.” She turned a circle, holding her arm high so the rubies and diamonds flashed. “All gone, everything gone. Nothing left for me.” Her head cocked, her gaze turned to the monitor, and Lily’s waking cries.
    “The baby. The baby’s crying.”
    Her head lolled as she slid to the floor.
    “Mitch! David!” Roz rushed across the room to drop down beside Hayley.
    “Got a little dizzy,” Hayley murmured, passing a hand over her face. Then she looked around, groped for Roz’s hand. “What? What?”
    “It’s all right. Just stay down a minute. David.” Roz glanced over her shoulder when both men hurried into the room. “Get us some water and the brandy.”
    “What happened?” Mitch demanded.
    “She had a spell, an episode.”
    “Lily. Lily’s crying.”
    “I’ll get her.” Mitch, touched Hayley’s shoulder. “I’ll go get her.”
    “I remember. I think. Sort of. My head hurts.”

    “All right, sweetie. Let’s get you onto the couch.”
    “Little queasy,” Hayley managed when Roz helped her to her feet. “I didn’t feel it coming, Roz. Then it was . . . it was stronger that time. It was more.”
    David brought both water and brandy, and sitting on Hayley’s other side, put a glass of water in her hand. “Here now, baby doll, sip some water.”
    “Thanks. I’m okay, feeling better. Just a little shaky.”
    “You’re not the only one,” Roz said.
    “You talked to her.”
    “We had quite the conversation.”
    “You asked her questions. I don’t know how you held it together like that.”
    “Have a little brandy,” Roz suggested, but Hayley wrinkled her nose.
    “I don’t like it. I feel better, honest.”
    “Then I’ll have your share.” Roz picked up the snifter and took a healthy swallow as Mitch came in with Lily.
    “She’ll want her juice. She likes a little juice when she gets up from a nap.”
    “I’ll get her some,” Mitch told Hayley.
    “No, I’ll take her in. I’d like to do something normal for a few minutes.” She got to her feet, reaching for Lily as Lily reached for her. “There’s my baby girl. We’ll be right back.”
    Roz got to her feet when Hayley left the room. “I’m going to call Harper. He’ll want to know about this.”
    “I’d like to know about this myself,” Mitch reminded her.
    “You’ll want your notebook and tape recorder.”
    “W E WERE JUST sitting there talking. I was telling Roz what a wonderful time I’d had last night, and showingher the bracelet. And—sorry Harper—but