Chapter 25. Elizabeth sat in the rocking chair by the fireplace

E lizabeth sat in the rocking chair by the fireplace. Her hair fell in tangles down her back. Her eyes, red-rimmed and bloodshot, stared out from her tear-stained face. She rocked back and forth, back and forth, hugging her knees under her torn blue dress.

“Kate was a liar,” Elizabeth murmured, rocking. “Kate was a liar. Kate was a liar.”

Mrs. Fier stood over the rocking chair, helplessly wringing her hands. Mr. Fier stared at his daughter in horror and disbelief.

Frank sat tensely on the couch, his eyes darting from face to face. Simon paced the room, lost in his own unhappy thoughts, not seeing anyone.

“Kate was a liar,” Elizabeth murmured. “Frank did not love Kate. Frank loves Elizabeth.”

She lifted her head to search for Frank. Her eyes met the horrified stares of her parents instead.

“Why are you staring at me that way!” she screamed. “I did not kill her! I swear it!”

Her mother and father said nothing. Elizabeth rocked again.

They do not believe me, she thought bitterly. It is written all over their faces. They think I killed my own sister. They think I stabbed Kate with a knitting needle.

Frank was at her side now, kneeling beside the rocking chair. He took her warm, sticky hand in his. His hands were so cool, so calm and soothing.

“Elizabeth is the gentlest creature I know,” Frank said to her parents. “She could never kill anyone.”

Still her parents said nothing. Her mother’s face was twisted in grief, fear, and confusion.

Elizabeth focused on Frank only.

Frank’s handsome face was calming. He gave her a tiny, encouraging smile. At once she felt better.

I would be all alone in the world without Frank, she thought.

Then she said to her family, “Frank believes in me. He knows I am innocent. Why dont you believe me?”

No one said a word, but Elizabeth could see it on their faces. They blame me for Kate’s death, she thought. They blame me and Frank.

Mr. Fier stormed out of the room. Mrs. Fier hurried after him. Then Simon, too, strode out, disgust registered on his face.

Elizabeth dissolved into tears and continued to rock back and forth, back and forth, crying.

“Hush,” Frank whispered. “Hush, Elizabeth. Forget about them. There is nothing you can do to make them believe you.”

He gave her a white handkerchief. She dried her eyes. “My own family,” she whispered. “They will never believe in me. They will never speak to me again, I suppose.”

“You are too hard on them,” Frank said. “They do not want to accept the truth. They cannot accept it. That is why they will not believe you.”

Now he took both of her hands in his. “But I believe in you, Elizabeth. I always will.”

She stopped rocking and smiled at him gratefully.

“It is hard for a mother and father to imagine their own child killing herself,” Frank went on. “But I know that is what happened. Kate killed herself. Your parents did not see it, Simon did not see it, but you and I could see it. Kate was going mad.”

Elizabeth nodded. All that strange behavior. It was the only logical explanation.

“Kate was jealous of you,” Frank said. “You know I never told Kate I would marry her. How could I? I am in love with you.”

He kissed her hands. Elizabeth drank in every word he said.

“Kate made it up,” said Frank. “She made up that whole story about our engagement. She ran right to you to tell you first. I think she really believed it was true. She was mad, truly mad, the poor girl.”

“Poor Kate,” Elizabeth whispered.

“She was capable of anything,” said Frank. “No one could help her.”

Elizabeth knew he was right. She sighed and started rocking again. “Frank, I cannot stay here. They all hate me.” She gestured toward the second floor, where her parents and Simon had gone. “I must get away.”

“I know what to do,” Frank said. “We can run away together. We shall elope.”

He gently took her chin in his hand and turned her face toward his. “Elizabeth Fier, will you marry me?”

They were the most wonderful words Elizabeth had ever heard. She felt a little of her old spirit come back.

“Yes,” she said, throwing her arms around Frank’s neck. “Yes. We will leave tonight.”

Elizabeth’s touch gave Frank a cold chill, but he did not let it show.

Yes, he thought to himself. We shall elope. We shall leave this house tonight, Elizabeth and I.

But only one of us will return. And it will not be Elizabeth.

This trusting girl will pack up all her belongings, he thought gleefully, and follow me wherever I go. I will Lake her into the woods to kill her, just as I killed her sister.

Kate’s face was so wonderfully surprised at the end, he thought. When she saw me coming, she smiled. She opened her arms to me. Even when I raised the knitting needle over my head, she did not understand. She had no idea what was happening—not until the very last second.

Then she understood it all. It came to her in a flash.

The horror of betrayal.

The Fiers need to learn what that feels like. They will all know soon enough.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20